Aunty Ifeoma

Aunty Ifeoma is clearly a character foil to Papa. In the first section we read, Papa is shown as being strictly catholic, violent, rich and very controlling of his children. He makes each family member schedules that they must follow which allot specific times for studying, family time, and even chores like laundry and cooking, and lashes out to his children and wife when they do not meet his expectations - even beating his wife into a miscarriage when she felt too nauseous to want to go visit a clergy. His interpretation of Catholicism/Christianity and own self hatred seems to be the driving force for his actions - he justifies his actions with scripture, and denies much of his Nigerian heritage, shown by how he disowned his own father for not being christian, how he refuses and looks down on those who speak Igbo, and how his accent and demeanor change to seem more British when in contact with white people. Aunty Ifeoma, on the other hand, is a polar opposite. Despite living in what Kambili notes as run down conditions (lack of constantly running water, no gas stove, lids do not fit pots, etc), her family is happy, and she lets her children have a lot of freedom, especially compared to the Achikes. Aunty Ifeoma and her children are also aware of colonialism and it's impact (in the first chapter, Kambili notes that her Aunt called her father a product of colonialism, and Amaka listens to musicians that are socially concious), and while her family is Christian as well, it is not with the strictness and fevor that Papa's Catholicism has - their meal grace is much shorter, and she does not shun her father like Papa does. Aunty Ifeoma's inclusion in this book as Papa's foil helps highlight how abusive and crazy Papa is, as well as displaying a more "average" image of a Nigerian family - no compound home with strict schedules and abuse, but a typical family, lifestyle, and diet.