Speech acts and pragmatics of Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus

Abstract

The importance of the English language in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasised. Though language of a foreign culture, it has for many years, served as the cord that binds the different ethnic groups that formed the nation together. Many though have argued that the language should go, but the fact of the matter is that the level we are it will be practically impossible. Do we start to learn our indigenous languages, when even some of us cannot say a line correctly in our Mother Tongue? If we chose that option, how do we begin to communicate with other ethnic groups? And should we decide to choose one, out of the three major languages, which one do we choose? This is the dilemma we are in as a nation! But Nigerian English can be a way out. Nigerian English, not in terms of the bastardised form, but localised English that has elements of Nigeria cultures; English coloured with Nigerian localised kinship terms; English that has international intelligibility; English that respects and obeys the rules of grammar, but sourced with indeginised Nigerian lexicons. This is exactly what Achebe did in his first two novels: Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God; and Chimamanda Adichie has toed this line, especially in her first novel, Purple Hibiscus. This is what this paper addressed.

Keywords: language, Mother Tongue, communicate, indigenised, localised,