Power and respect take years to earn, but it only takes one mistake for them to are all removed. Ngugi Wa Thiongo's A Grain Of Wheat and Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart both capture the lives and hardships of Kenyans and Nigerians during the post-colonial era from a first-hand perspective. Thiongo and Achebe insult the reader by saying that power and respect take time to earn, but that a rash mistake made in a moment of anger can result in the loss of authority and cause a hero's tragic downfall . This is proof that the novel's two protagonists come from an unstable upbringing that led them on a quest for success and power. Once the protagonists are in a position of authority and respect, they abuse their power when filled with rage and make a grave mistake. , this error is what leads to their own downfall as tragic heroes and Thiongo and Achebe use irony to convey this effect. Those who come from an unstable upbringing often strive to work hard to change their life path and be recognized as an important member of society. This motivation, while it can help a person succeed and achieve their goals, can also lead them to be obsessed with gaining power and respect. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In A Grain Of Wheat and Things Fall Apart, the two protagonists Mugo and Okonkwo are raised in adverse circumstances, which makes them obsessed with the idea of ​​being rich and respected by others in society. In A Grain Of Wheat, it is evident that the death of Mugo's parents leads him to be determined to work hard and create a better life for himself. “Mugo's father and mother died poor, leaving him, an only child, in the hands of a distant aunt” (Thiongo, 9). This experience causes Mugo to want wealth and authority as he does not inherit much from the death of his parents and must be taken care of by an aunt whom he hates. Mugo's resentment towards his aunt comes from his neglect as well as his feeling of helplessness towards his aunt and society, as they barely notice him. When Mugo's aunt dies, Mugo becomes obsessed with his hard work and his better life. “He turned towards the earth. He would work, sweat and, through success and wealth, force society to recognize him” (Thiongo, 11). This quote shows how Mugo turns his feelings of helplessness into motivation as he turns his passion for farming into a means to succeed and be noticed and respected by others in society. Likewise, in Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo follows a similar path of obsession. with gaining success and authority, as he resents his father for not having a title and taking care of a huge debt. After the death of his father, Okonkwo realizes that he does not have the same start in life as the other members of his community, because the others inherit barns, seeds and land, which they then use for continue their success and provide for their family. “Okonkwo did not have the start in life that many young men usually have. He did not inherit a barn from his father. There was no barn to inherit” (Achebe,12). This quote illustrates how Okonkwo cannot have the same advantages as others, so he is determined to work hard and put himself in a place where he is noticed for his successes and efforts. For Okonkwo, his father is a failure because he is incapable of earning a decent living. The fear of endinglike his father is what makes Okonkwo obsessed with becoming highly titled as he refuses to accept the same fate as his father. Here it can be seen that the protagonists Mugo and Okonkwo, who come from poverty, are motivated by their parents' failure to have the passion to be rich and have a high position in society. Mugo and Okonkwo also use agriculture as a means of livelihood to enrich themselves and stand out in society. This determination to succeed and stand out has a huge hold on Mugo and Okonkwo's lives, as it is evident that they will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. Once in a position of power and authority, it can become increasingly easy for a person to abuse their power. power and make a rash decision in a moment of anger. Throughout A Grain Of Wheat and Things Fall Apart, Mugo and Okonkwo rise to positions of authority and are highly respected within their communities for their hard work and heroism. However, once in this position, when Mugo and Okonkwo feel like their authority is being questioned or that they disagree with others' decisions, they become furious, causing them to make a crucial mistake. In A Grain Of Wheat, when Mugo returns from the detention camp, he is considered a hero in the community for having suffered several beatings. Because of this, Mugo is asked to participate in a movement led by Kihika and the community to fight back and accept sacrifices for the death of the community leaders for protesting the Europeans' taking of land. Mugo does not support the movement, but instead of expressing his concerns, he chooses to betray Kihika and reveal her location to the Europeans, causing her death. “I know where Kihika is tonight.” And now the hatred he had felt towards Kihika rose within him” (Thiongo, 226). This quote illustrates how Mugo lets his anger get the better of him as he uses the information entrusted to him to betray Kihika. When Mugo becomes known for his heroism and respect, he lets this cloud his judgment as he becomes angry with Kihika. Even though Mugo believes he is making the right decision to betray Kihika, little does he know that the guilt of his betrayal will consume him and that it will be the tragic mistake that leads him on the path to his downfall. Similarly, in Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo also makes a rash mistake while angry. When Okonkwo returns from his seven years of exile, he expects to once again be treated with respect and authority. However, Okonkwo has a different opinion from others on his line of action in response to the Christian missionaries and their habitations on the ground. The community decides to find a solution peacefully. Okonkwo however disagrees with this decision and is filled with rage when he feels his power is being questioned by others. Okonkwo, extremely angry, decides to take action into his own hands and kills the messenger sent by the district commissioner. “In a flash, Okonkwo drew. The messenger crouches to avoid the blow. It was useless. Okonkwo's matchet fell twice and the man's head lay beside his uniform body” (Achebe, 144). It can be seen through this quote that Okonkwo, although he is filled with rage, makes a tragic mistake because this action causes him to be reprimanded by others. Okonkwo didn't know it at the time, but it was the tragic mistake that would ultimately lead to his downfall. It can be seen that when Mugo and Okonkwo gain power and respect, they make rash decisions in order to maintain their title and authority. They cannot bear to compromise their ideas with others. Additionally, when they are forced to follow a course of action that they do not agree withor they are not supportive, they both become filled with anger, which causes them to make rash decisions that will negatively impact them and lead to their downfall. It only takes one mistake for power and respect to be taken away from a person. Throughout A Grain of Wheat and Things Fall Apart, Mugo and Okonkwo both make a tragic mistake that will ultimately lead to their downfall. In A Grain Of Wheat, Mugo cannot live with his mistake of betraying Kihika and causing her death. It is evident that Mugo's feelings of guilt are greatly affecting him as he is no longer able to feel pride in being called a hero. Mugo, in an attempt to rid himself of his guilt, chose to confess to his entire community: “You asked for Judas,” he began. “You asked for the man who led Kihika to that tree. This man stands before you (Thiongo, 252). Here, Mugo gives up living with his guilt and informs his community of the mistake he made many years ago. Even though Mugo confesses to make amends, his community members become furious and cannot forgive the one mistake he made and instead vow to punish him. “Your actions will condemn you,” General R. continued without apparent anger or bitterness. “You – No one will ever escape their own actions” (Thiongo, 270). This quote illustrates how easy it is for a mistake to take away a standing and respected person, as before Mugo's confession he is considered a hero by many. Mugo hopes his confession will allow the community to forgive him. However, this causes the community and everyone who admires Mugo to turn against him, leading to his downfall. This shows that it only takes one mistake for Mugo to become a tragic hero. Thiongo uses irony to achieve this effect, because before Mugo confesses, the community believes that he is not involved in Kihika's death and considers him an inspiration to play an important role in the retaliatory movement. After Mugo's confession, they can understand that they give credit and respect to Mugo for betraying Kihika. It's ironic that the entire community is shocked that Mugo was once called a hero for doing the exact opposite of what he is praised for. Similarly, in Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo's mistake of going against the community's wishes and killing the messenger soon catches up with him. Okonkwo makes a rash mistake to regain his power, but he soon realizes that the others are unimpressed by his actions and reprimand him. Right now, Okonkwo cannot live knowing that he lost all his power and authority after returning from exile. When Okonkwo accepts his reality and the consequences of his actions, he knows that he will be punished for his rash decision. Okonkwo realizes that he is making a mistake in killing the messenger and, not wanting to face retaliation, Okonkwo chooses to kill himself instead. “Then they came to the tree where Okonkwo's body was hanging, and they stopped short” (Achebe, 147). This quote shows how Okonkwo becomes a tragic hero as he makes a mistake that results in his ultimate downfall. Before this incident, Okonkwo was considered a highly titled and important member of society, but afterward, Okonkwo feels like he is worthless to his community and commits suicide in an attempt to escape his own feelings. Achebe uses irony to convey this effect because throughout the novel, Okonkwo is driven to succeed because he did not want to become a failure like his father. This is ironic because in the end, Okonkwo becomes like his father even though he tried everything to avoid that path. We can see how Mugo and Okonkwo's mistakes have a devastating effect on them, because)