Theme - Abuse

Child Abuse is when a parent or guardian/caregiver causes physical or emotional harm to a child. This includes not helping a child when they are in danger. These are ways child abuse is classified; neglect, exploitation, sexual, physical and emotional abuse. This information was gathered from domesticviolenceroundtable.org

 

• Tension Building Phase - When common domestic arguments occur, verbal abuse starts. The victim tries to apologize, give-in to the abuser, avoid the abuse or try to please the abuser. However, none of these will stop the abuse. As this goes on, it will eventually boil into physical abuse.

 

• Acute Battering Episode - When the tension hits its limit, physical violence begins. Physical violence is triggered by an external force or by the abusers emotional state, not by the victim. This means that the physical abuse is unpredictable and beyond the victim's control. Some experts do think that the victims do infact provoke the abuse to release the tension to move onto the honeymoon phase, though not intending to.

 

• Honeymoon Phase - The abuser is ashamed of what they did. They apologize and actually tries to convince their partner that the abuse won’t happen again. they show a more loving, helpful, and kind behavior than usual. This usually convinces the victim that everything is okay in the relationship.

 

This cycle continues over and over again. A cycle may take days, weeks, months or years. The abuse may be horrible, but the honeymoon phase convinces the victim that everything will be alright.

Domesticviolenceroundtable.org

 

Discussion Questions

 

In Purple HIbiscus, Eugene (Kambili’s father) abuses Jaja, Kambili and Beatrice, his wife. He justified this using the traditional catholic views.

 

1. In one instance, Eugene poured hot water on Kambili’s feet because she has “walked into sin.” How does this affect Kambili?
1. How does the abuse affect Beatrice and Jaja? Include personality and their mental health.
2. Do you think abuse was a major part of the novel? If so, why?
3. In the novel, Eugene states that he had boiling water poured over his hands. How do you think that abuse affected him as an adult? How will the abuse affect Jaja and Kambili as an adult? Will it affect them the same way as it affected Eugene?

                                                                                                                                  Grace