In the first section of the novel, “Breaking Gods”, one of the first things we notice is the strongly religious fervour that Papa lives with and how he obliges his wife and his children to comply to it. “Most people did not kneel to receive communion...but Papa did”. Another thing we notice comes with the description of their compound with its “walls, topped with coiled electric wires”, this gives the reader a brief glimpse to the instability of Nigeria in this post-colonial climate. Those two aspects can be tied together with a third one: Aunty Ifeoma states that Papa/Eugene is a “colonial product” which brings into the novel the awareness that this story is set in a post-colonial time.
As a “colonial product”, Papa is strictly, dogmatically religious, following scripture seemingly word for word, and dishing out punishment to his children when they stray from the pathway he conceives as “righteous”. Furthermore, he rejects his traditional culture, religion and language, portraying them as primitive and uncivilised and qualifying English culture as largely superior. “Papa changed his accent when he spoke, sounding British...”.. The repression of his traditional culture has been destructive, leading him to abusing his children. On pouring boiling water on Kambili's feet he justifies his actions by saying “When you walk into sin, you burn your feet”, though her only mistake was to be in the same household as a “heathen”. Papa’s interpretation of his religion was influenced by the abuse he received as a child from the missionary colonists and it was this that caused the destructive opposites in his character.
In this climate of post-colonisation, the transition from oppression to freedom is palpable. In the novel, remains of oppression are still part of the Nigerian society, which is oppressed by military dictatorship. Human rights abuses are part of the protagonists’ lives, such as the outlawing of freedom of speech. A good example would be Ade Coker’s death, who was killed by a letter bomb right in front of his family. “The soldiers took every copy of the entire print run, smashed furniture and printers, locked the offices, took the keys and boarded up the doors and windows.” This quote illustrates the repression of any opponent, like The Standard, which is one of the few weapons left in this period of military regime. Also the government agents had tried to bribe Papa with a “truckful of dollars” but he asks them to leave the house. In addition, by forbidding the university to elect its own sole administrator and by firing Ifeoma for her resistance, the government clearly shows its will to destroy Nigerians’ freedom of speech. Students riot against the sole administrator because they have been without water and power. The rioting university students throw Ifeoma into a difficult situation, as the university has been closed down, and she realizes that the situation is direr than she thought.
