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Summary: The Pieces of Gods: After Palm Sunday
Everything changes. A storm uproots trees in the garden and brings the family’s satellite dish crashing to the ground. Jaja stays in his room all the time. Aunty Ifeoma calls on Good Friday to tell them she’s been fired for illegal activity. She will try to get a visa for America. Jaja informs Papa that he and Kambili are going to Nsukka. Papa agrees to let Kevin take them. In Nsukka, Father Amadi informs everyone that he is going to Germany as a missionary. Amaka and Kambili go with Aunty Ifeoma and Father Amadi on a pilgrimage to Aokpe. There, they stand under a flame-of-the-forest tree, and Kambili sees an image of the Blessed Virgin. Soon, Aunty Ifeoma’s visa comes through. She cooks a last dinner for Father Amadi, who bids a tender farewell to Kambili. Later, Aunty Ifeoma drives them all around on a final tour of Nsukka. That evening Mama calls. Papa has died. Back at their home, Kambili, Jaja, and Mama sit silently in their living room. Mama refuses visitors. A phone call relays the autopsy reports: Papa died from poison. Mama tells Jaja and Kambili that she’s been putting poison in Papa’s tea. However, when the police arrive, Jaja confesses to the crime.
Summary: A Different Silence: The Present
Celestine, the chauffeur who replaced Kevin, drives Kambili and Mama to the prison to see Jaja. Today Mama and Kambili have good news for Jaja: He will be out of prison next week. The Head of State died months ago. Now, pro-democracy groups accuse the old regime of killing Papa. Mama’s lawyers have managed to get Jaja classified as a prisoner of conscience. Jaja sat in prison for thirty-one months, officially still awaiting trial. Jaja just stares when Kambili tells him he will soon be released. They sit in silence as he eats the food she and Mama brought. Jaja doesn’t hug them, and the guard takes him away. Outside the prison, Mama hugs Kambili and thanks her. Kambili makes plans for their future, and Mama smiles. Kambili gets letters from Aunty Ifeoma and Amaka, who now live in America. Aunty Ifeoma teaches at a community college and works in a pharmacy. Amaka reports that everyone is getting fat but that they are too busy to see each other. Father Amadi writes Kambili from Germany, mostly with news about his mission. She carries his letters with her because she loves him.
Analysis
The power structure of the Achike household changes as Papa becomes weaker and the other family members gain strength. Jaja’s act of defiance on Palm Sunday sets the tone for his new lack of tolerance for Papa’s tyranny, though his is a mostly silent rebellion. By refusing to come out of his room or talk to Papa on the phone when asked, Jaja takes a stand and shows Papa that he is becoming a man in his own right and will never emulate his father. When he tells Papa that he and Kambili will go to Nsukka, rather than asking, he is silently daring Papa to stand up to him. In his weakened state, Papa has little choice but to submit. As Papa becomes ill, Mama moves through the house with her own version of bold courage, talking louder, smiling, and openly bringing food to her defiant son in his room. It is only after Papa dies that the source and depth of her courage becomes clear. She has been biding her time, waiting for the poison to make Papa weak enough that he will die, thereby freeing her family from his oppressive dominion. Jaja loses his newfound freedom, however, as he steps in as a scapegoat to free her from punishment for her crime. Mama’s attempt to take the blame is another courageous act, but it is futile, as no one believes she can kill. Her past passivity and obedience have set a precedent that prevents her from becoming a true martyr.
Amaka continues to challenge Father Amadi on his decision to travel to Europe as a missionary, which again highlights the tension between colonialism and traditional ways. Amaka points out that European missionaries brought a white-washed version of Christianity to Africa, so African missionaries should bring an African version of Christianity to Europe. Father Amadi makes a joke about there being no indigenous culture to pacify in Europe. Though made in jest, his statement hints that the purpose of white missionaries was not to save souls but to pacify Africans as the colonialists destroyed their traditional ways and paved the way for colonialism. Obiora sarcastically jokes that missionaries come from “darkest Africa” to reconvert the West. The struggle between Amaka and Father Amadi over Amaka’s confirmation name is also representative of the tension between colonialism and traditional ways. Father Amadi insists that Amaka must choose an English name to be confirmed in the Christian church, reinforcing the colonial idea that European languages are superior and necessary for the proper worship of a Christian God. As Amaka continues to challenge Father Amadi about the merits of Christianity, Father Amadi urges Amaka not to question whether the European version of Christianity is right or wrong. Ultimately, Amaka chooses to not be confirmed rather than take an English name, showing that she roundly rejects colonial superiority.
Before Papa’s death, Kambili still seeks to please him and win his affection, though she continues to blossom when she’s away from him in Nsukka. In these scenes, Kambili has truly discovered sources of joy. She flirts with Father Amadi, laughs, sings, and notices the beauty in the world around her, such as the bright yellow color of an allamanda flower and the earthy scent of rainwater. When Father Amadi leaves, Kambili wishes to lock away all of her newfound joy inside of her, but her laughter and appreciation for the things she loves persists. After Papa’s death, Kambili experiences and explores emotions, including the pureness of love that isn’t accompanied by pain and punishment. In Papa’s absence, and with Father Amadi in mind, Kambili also makes peace with God. The presence of religion in her life becomes more natural than forced. Though it is unclear if religion actually brings Kambili joy, it is clear that it is no longer a source of torment. Without Papa around to use as a barometer for her behaviors, Kambili learns to simply be.
