Fathers of Nations Essay on Desperation.
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures. Using Fathers of Nations by Paul B. Vitta for illustrations, show the truth of this statement.
When people are confronted with difficult circumstances, they resort to extreme measures to find solutions. In Fathers of Nations by Paul B. Vitta, several characters endure personal and social challenges that push them to take drastic steps, as they lose faith in their leaders and systems as discussed below.
One of the characters who experiences desperation is Professor Kimani. He suffers multiple personal losses, starting with the death of his daughter in a road accident. His marriage falls apart when his wife, Asiya, leaves him for his former university colleague, Newborn Walomu, who later becomes a Member of Parliament. When Kimani confronts Newborn, a fight breaks out, leading to Kimani’s arrest, a six-month jail term, and a demotion at work. These experiences leave him emotionally devastated. As a result, when Tad Longway introduces Path Alpha to him, Kimani eagerly embraces it, seeing it as a chance to advocate for justice and fight against a leadership he feels has failed him.
Comrade Ngobile Melusi also finds himself in a desperate situation. After fighting for his country’s independence, he is sidelined by the new government. His tribe, the Ndebele, is excluded from leadership, and protests against the government’s actions are met with brutal repression. During one such protest, Melusi’s wife, Ziliza, is killed. His business collapses, forcing him into the slums, which are later demolished to make way for infrastructure. Feeling betrayed and disillusioned, Melusi joins Path Alpha, hoping it will restore justice and uplift the Zimbabwean people from poverty and tribal discrimination.
Similarly, Pastor Chiamaka's life is marked by despair. After a reckless past, he survives a near-fatal accident and becomes a pastor. However, in his sermon, he criticizes the authorities, resulting in his arrest and a ban on preaching. This leaves him frustrated, as preaching was his newfound purpose in life. With no other way to fight for what he believes is right, Chiamaka joins Path Alpha, seeing it as a way to achieve justice for both the church and the African people.
Engineer Seif Tahir also demonstrates how desperation can push one toward radical action. Initially optimistic about his involvement with "Fist of Allah," a movement supported by the Libyan government, his hopes are shattered when the regime withdraws its support. In addition, he loses his eye in the hands of his love interest, Rahmah Mahmoud, in the laboratory incident, further compounding his misery. Feeling abandoned and hopeless, Tahir isolates himself in Benghazi. When the opportunity to join Path Alpha arises, he accepts it, hoping it will give him a renewed sense of purpose and meaning.
In conclusion, Fathers of Nations illustrates how people, when overwhelmed by personal loss and societal failures, resort to desperate measures to find hope. The discussed characters are all driven by frustration and disillusionment to embrace Path Alpha.