Purple Hibiscus Lesson Plan

Adichie and Achebe

Kind of Activity:

Group Discussion

Objective:

To synthesize two texts by comparing and contrasting Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7

Structure:

Have students read this New Yorker article about Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/05/26/after-empire. Adichie has called fellow Nigerian novelist Achebe a mentor. Though Achebe is about 37 yeas her senior, Adichie lived in Achebe's house for a while and drew inspiration from his book; the first line of Purple Hibiscus, "Things started to fall apart at home...," pays homage to Achebe's classic 1958 novel, ...