IndexAbstractIntroductionMulti-voiced consciousnessConclusionAbstract Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is discussed here as a dialogic novel, with a focus on multiple consciousness and the multi-voiced perspective of the characters, and l interpretation of the characters and the novel based on the consciences that derive from them. Bakhtin's idea of ​​dialogism and polyphony is a new way of critical thinking, which literally means multi-voiced and allows characters' voices to be freed from the influence of the authorial or authoritative voice that is seen as predominant in a monological novel. Initially, a brief idea of ​​the concept of dialogism and multiplicity of voices is discussed before delving into the actual discussion on the plurality of voices in Purple Hibiscus. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Introduction The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are false, but that they are incomplete. They make a story become the only story. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in one of her TED talks warned her readers about the “dangers of a single story”. His immediate concern, in fact, was the stereotypes of Africa spread across the world through stories, opinions and observations that seemingly helped build Africa's image and relegated its population to a marginalized stature it does not deserve. It is probably true that Adichie contested the prevalence of single stories even through her fictional works, in the sense that she brings out an atmosphere of polyvocality in her works. Seen this way, to contest the “single story” it makes deliberate attempts to make multiple voices and perspectives prevail in its imaginary realms. This inclination to celebrate the multiplicity of voices in Adichie's Purple Hibiscus can be addressed using some of the key concepts in the study of Bakhtin's novel, particularly his idea of ​​dialogism. Apparently, it will be appropriate to consider an overview of dialogism and a dialogic novel, before moving on to the analysis of different consciousness and polyphony in Purple Hibiscus. Dialogism is a concept used by the Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin to study, in a literary work of the work, the interconnection of instances of the past and present and between characters that leaves understanding and meaning open without any authoritative control. Unlike a dialogic novel, a monologic novel is one in which only one voice is heard everywhere. It could be directly the author or the narrator/protagonist of the novel. That could be the final entry too. Other characters simply become or act like puppets in the hands of the main character. While in a dialogic or polyphonic novel the protagonist's consciousness is built on the consciousness of himself, of the world and of the people around him. Thus each character, associated directly or indirectly with the protagonist, becomes important in his own way and enjoys democracy of voices and freedom from authorial manipulation. Each character's voice is heard distinctly, without which decoding the ideology becomes limited. What ultimately culminates is a multiple consciousness and therefore a multiplicity of voices. Consciences of Many Voices Adichie's debut novel Purple Hibiscus, published in 2003, deals with postcolonial Nigeria, the conflict between traditional Igbo culture and Christianity, civil wars and coups, and its impact on the political stability of the 'then Nigerian government and more specifically the impact it had on the University of Nigeria. The novel centers on a fifteen-year-old homodiegetic narrator, Kambili Achike, who compares thesad life in her house crippled and suffocated under the influence of her patriarchal father and life in her cousins' house which is full of joy and freedom under the rule of her aunt Ifeoma, who is an epitome of feminism. No character in the novel is judged either good or bad, neither by the narrator nor by the readers, who can limit themselves to expressing rather critical comments regarding the judgment on the characters as can be seen in a monological novel. However, meaning develops through a complete participation of the author, narrator, and reader together. This trait was underlined by Bakhtin in his work Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics: ... a whole formed by the interaction of several consciences, none of which becomes entirely an object for the others; this interaction provides no support to the viewer who would objectify an entire event according to some ordinary monological category (thematically, lyrically or cognitively) – and this consequently makes the viewer a participant as well. In a monologic novel, the author uses the narrator in the novel as a tool to express his or her thematic idea or philosophy. Ultimately, the narrator takes the main part in describing a character and tends to create an objectified world, and the consciousness that has evolved is essentially authorial or a mere projection of the author. Bakhtin in Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics observes that in a monological novel only authorial consciousness prevails instead of the presence of different consciousnesses and interactions between them. And what resulted, instead of an event of interaction between fully valid consciousnesses, was firstly a philosophical monologue, and secondly a monologically understood, objectified world, a world corresponding to a single and unified authorial consciousness. There are many examples in Purple Hibiscus that assert that the novel is dialogic and not monologic. The reader is able to hear a multitude of voices prevalent in and around the narrator Kambili, who, rather than commenting on the other characters and the prevailing situation from her perspective, allows for a democracy of voices. This reflection focuses on how the narrator's consciousness is built on the voices of the self and other main characters: her father Eugene, her aunt Ifeoma, and a priest from the local church, Father Amadi, who influence her on various levels. First, Kambili, although she is on the threshold of her youth, is still treated like a little child by her father Eugene and for most of the novel she idolizes her father and lets her father decide what is best for her. Karen Bruce points out in her essay that "Kambili has internalized her father's authority to such an extent that it has become an unquestioned part of how she experiences and interacts with the world." Eventually, due to her father's intimidating attitude, she loses her tongue and stutters every time she is made to speak. When Mother Lucia asked her to say the promise after the national anthem, she could not respond immediately. Kambili says: “I cleared my throat, I willed the words to come. I knew them, I thought of them. But they wouldn't come." This nature forced her classmates to mistake her for stubborn and call her a "schoolyard snob." She says: "I remained a playground snob to most of the girls in my class until the end of term." Secondly, there is another consciousness of hers that the reader observes through the voice of Aunt Ifeoma. Aunt Ifeoma is Eugene's sister who helps Kambili identify his blossoming youth. He tells her “You have grown so much.” Eugene differed in many respects from his sister Ifeoma. This difference can be clearly perceived from Kambili's words: Every time Auntie Ifeoma spoke to dad, my heart stopped and then quickly started again. Erathe irreverent tone; he didn't seem to recognize that he was dad, that he was different, special. I wanted to reach out, close her lips, and put some of that shiny bronze lipstick on my fingers. Although the expression seems simple enough, nevertheless the reader is able to listen to a plurality of voices, which in turn evoke multiple consciences with respect to the characters and the plot. The reader is able to form conflicting opinions about Eugene and Aunt Ifeoma. From Kambili's words, the knowledge she gains about her father Eugene is that he is different and special, which implies that he is extraordinary and distinct from other men. Eugenio is not an easily definable character due to the presence of many voices that allow us to form more than a single conscience about Eugenio and account for his complex and paradoxical nature in the novel. Daria Tunca in her article observes that “Eugene is a convinced Catholic with a multifaceted personality that can only be captured in a series of paradoxes…”. He is very orthodox in his Catholic faith and is unable to condone anything anti-Christian, especially the pagan lifestyle to which his ancestors, including his father, Papa-Nnukwu, belonged. Not only does he address his father as if he belonged to "men without God", but he also dismisses him as a pagan who, according to Eugene, belonged in hell. Kambili recounts that "When Papa prayed for Papa-Nnukwu, he only asked that God would convert him and save him from the fires of hell." It seems that he is more connected to the faith he had embraced than to his father. He never visited his elderly and sick father, not even after his death, and gave little money for his support, too little compared to the Christmas bonus he offered his driver, since the driver is Christian. Nnukwu, never visited him but sent thin wads of naira through Kevin or through one of our umunna members, thinner wads than the ones he gave to Kevin as a Christmas bonus. The reader is able to hear rumors about Papa-Nnukwu, who Eugene claims is a pagan and his final home is hellfire if he fails to turn to Christianity. And, according to Aunty Ifeoma, he is a traditionalist and a supporter of Igbo traditional culture and values. “Your Papa-Nnukwu is not a pagan, Kambili, he is a traditionalist, said Auntie Ifeoma.” As for Eugene, he is the personification of patriarchy, who beat his wife and children and inflicted severe punishments on his children when they went wrong or committed a sin. He beat his pregnant wife so much that she had an abortion. Paradoxically he carries her in his arms, admits her to hospital and also looks after her like a lovable husband. When there is a civil war, it is seen that Eugene cannot stand military coups and criticizes the Nigerian government for the atrocities committed against the people. "Coups beget coups, he said, telling us about the bloody coups of the 1960s, which resulted in a civil war..." On the other hand, he acts violently when his children have made mistakes and have poured hot water on Kambili's feet and permanently injured his son Jaja's toe. Kambili, commenting on Ifeoma, says her tone was irreverent when she spoke to Eugene and she was also wearing shiny bronze lipstick. In fact, Eugene hated women who wore short shorts, who did not cover their heads and was also against women who wore lipstick. But Ifeoma wore lipstick and didn't care whether her teenage daughter Amaka was wearing shorts or lipstick. Through this voice of Kambili, the awareness that can be formed about Ifeoma is that she is the embodiment of feminism and against all conventions and stereotypes of women. Since Kambili wants to close Aunt Ifeoma's lips,,”.