Power and respect take years to earn, but it only takes one mistake for them all to be taken away. 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 postcolonial era from a first-hand perspective. Both Thiongo and Achebe chide the reader that power and respect take time to earn, yet a reckless mistake made in a moment of anger can result in the loss of authority and cause a hero's tragic downfall. This is shown as both protagonists of the novel come from unstable upbringings which leads them to seek success and power, once the protagonists are in a position of authority and respect they abuse their power when they are filled with anger and commit a grave mistake, this mistake is what leads to their downfall as a tragic hero and both Thiongo and Achebe use irony to convey this effect. Those who come from unstable upbringings often strive to work hard to change their life path and be noticed as an important member of society. This motivation, while it can help a person succeed and achieve their goals, can also lead them to become fixated on gaining power and respect. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Through A Grain Of Wheat and Things Fall Apart, both the protagonist Mugo and Okonkwo grow up in unfavorable circumstances, and this makes them obsessed with the idea of ​​being rich and being respected by others in society. In A Grain Of Wheat it is clear that the disappearance of Mugo's parents leads him to be determined to work hard and earn a better life “Mugo's father and mother had died poor, leaving him as an only child in the hands of a distant family. aunt” (Thiongo,9). This experience drives Mugo to desire wealth and authority as he does not inherit much since his parents' death and is left in the care of an aunt he hates. Mugo's resentment of his aunt stems from his neglect and feeling of helplessness towards both his aunt and society as he is barely noticed by them. When Mugo's aunt dies, Mugo becomes fixated on working hard and making a better life. “He turned to 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 achieve success and be noticed and respected by others in society. Likewise in Things Fall Apart Okonkwo follows a similar path of obsession with achieving success and authority, as he resents his father for having no title and taking on a huge amount of debt. After his father's death, Okonkwo realizes that he does not receive the same start in life as others in his community as others inherit barns, seeds, and land, all of which they then use to continue to succeed and provide for their families. “Okonkwo didn't have the start in life that many young people usually had. He did not inherit a barn from his father. There was no barn to inherit” (Achebe,12). This quote illustrates how Okonkwo not being able to have the same advantages as others pushes him to become determined to work hard and put himself in a position where he is noticed for his successes and exploits. To Okonkwo his father is a failure as he is unable to earn a proper living. The fear of ending up like his father is whatcauses Okonkwo to become obsessed with becoming highly titled as he refuses to accept the same fate as his father. Here it can later be seen that both the protagonist Mugo and Okonkwo, coming from poverty, are driven by the failures of their parents to consume themselves to be rich and have a high position in society. Mugo and Okonkwo also use agriculture as a way of working to obtain wealth and stand out in society. This determination to succeed and defiantly stand out has a huge hold on the lives of Mugo and Okonkwo 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 easier for a person to abuse their power and make a rash decision in a moment of anger. Over the course of A Grain Of Wheat and Things Fall Apart both Mugo and Okonkwo rise to positions of authority and are highly respected within their communities for their hard work and heroism. However, once in these positions, when Mugo and Okonkwo feel as if their authority is being questioned, or they disagree with the decisions of others, they become angry forcing 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. For this reason, Mugo is invited to take part in a movement led by Kihika and the community to take revenge and sacrifice for the death of the community leaders for protesting against the taking of the land by the Europeans. Mugo does not support the movement, however instead of voicing his concerns he instead chooses to betray Kihika and reveal his location to the Europeans, resulting in her death. "I know where Kihika can be found tonight." And now the hatred he had felt towards Kihika had reawakened in him” (Thiongo,226). This quote illustrates how Mugo lets his anger get the better of him as he uses the information he trusts to betray Kihika. When Mugo becomes known for his heroism and respect, he lets this cloud his judgment as he is angry at Kihika. Even though Mugo thinks he is making the right decision in betraying Kihika, he does not know that the guilt of his betrayal will consume him and that this will be the tragic mistake that will lead him down the path to his downfall. Similarly in Things Fall Apart Okonkwo also makes a reckless mistake while angry. When Okonkwo returns from his seven years of exile he expects to be treated with respect and authority again. However, Okonkwo has a different opinion than others on the course of action to follow in response to Christian missionaries and their settlements on the land. The community decides to find a solution peacefully. Okonkwo, however, does not agree with this decision and is filled with anger when he feels that his power is being questioned by others. Okonkwo, extremely angry, decides to act on his own initiative and kills the messenger sent by the district commissioner. “In a flash Okonkwo took out the match. The messenger crouched to avoid the blow. It was useless. Okonkwo's match fell twice and the man's head lay beside the body of the uniform” (Achebe,144). It can be seen through this quote that Okonkwo, while filled with anger, makes a tragic mistake as this action leads to him being scolded by others. Okonkwo does not know this at the time, however this is the tragic mistake that will ultimately lead to his downfall. It can be seen that when Mugo and Okonkwo gain power and respect, they make rash decisions to maintain their title and authority. They cannot bear to compromise their ideas with others. As well as when they are forced to follow a course of action that they do notagree or disagree, both become filled with anger, and this leads them to make rash decisions that will have a negative impact on them leading them on the road to their ruin. All it takes is one mistake for power and respect to be taken away from a person. In 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 affect him greatly as he is no longer able to feel pride in being called a hero. Mugo in an attempt to free himself from his feelings of guilt chooses to confess to his entire community “You asked Judas began you asked about the man who led Kihika to this tree. That man stands before you (Thiongo,252). Here Mugo gives up living with his feelings of guilt, and informs his community of the mistake made many years ago. Although Mugo confesses as a way to redeem himself, the member of his community becomes furious and cannot forgive the one mistake he has made and instead vows to punish him. “Your actions will condemn you,” General R. continued without anger or apparent bitterness. “You-No one can ever escape their actions” (Thiongo, 270). This quote illustrates how easy it is for one mistake to eliminate a standing and respected person since before Mugo's confession he is seen by many as a hero. Mugo hopes his confession will lead the community to forgive him. However, instead, the community and everyone who looks up to Mugo turns against him causing his downfall. This shows that all it takes is one mistake for Mugo to become a tragic hero. Thiongo uses irony to achieve this effect as before Mugo confesses, the community believes that he is not involved in Kihika's death and sees him as an inspiration to take a huge role in the retaliation movement. After Mugo's confession they are able to understand that they give credit and respect to Mugo for betraying Kihika. It's ironic because the entire community is shocked that they once called Mugo 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 wishes of the community and killing the messenger soon catches up with him. Okonkwo makes a reckless mistake to regain his power, but soon realizes that others are unimpressed by his actions and scold him. At this moment Okonkwo cannot live knowing that he has lost all his power and authority after his return from exile. When Okonkwo comes to terms with his reality and the consequences his actions have, he knows he will be punished for his rash decision. Okonkwo realizes he has made a mistake when he kills the messenger and not wanting to face retaliation Okonkwo instead chooses to take his own life “Then they came to the tree from which Okonkwo's body was hanging and stopped suddenly” (Achebe,147 ) . This quote shows how Okonkwo becomes a tragic hero when he makes a mistake that results in his final downfall. Before this incident Okonkwo is seen as an important and highly titled member of society, however after Okonkwo feels as if he is worthless to his community and takes his own life in an attempt to escape his feelings. Achebe uses irony to convey this effect as throughout the novel Okonkwo is driven to achieve success because he did not want to become a failure like his father. It's ironic because in the end Okonkwo becomes just like his father, even though he tried everything to avoid that path. You can see how Mugo and Okonkwo's mistakes have a devastating effect on them, as they both live their ideal lives first. However, as you can see, all it takes is one rash decision)