Paying Back leads to Harrowing Experiences Essay Fathers of Nations
Fathers of Nations Essay.
"Paying back leads to harrowing experiences.” Using Paul B. Vitta’s Fathers of Nations, write an essay to support this statement. (20 marks)
When someone hurts us, we often want to hurt them back to feel better. However, trying to get even can bring more pain instead of relief. In Fathers of Nations by Paul B. Vitta, characters like Professor Kimani, Engineer Tahir, Comrade Melusi, and Rahma try to take revenge but end up suffering more. This essay shows how their actions to pay back lead to terrible experiences.
Professor Kimani suffers greatly when he tries to get back at Newborn Walomu for taking his wife, Asiya. At first, Kimani is a respected lecturer at the University of Nairobi. He marries Asiya, a beautiful woman, and they have a daughter, Tuni. But things change when Asiya leaves him for Walomu, a rich MP who earns much more than professors. Kimani is poor because of the economy, using an old Toyota and struggling to make ends meet. Asiya insults him, saying he should join politics like Walomu, who has four cars. She also blames him for Tuni’s death, saying a better car could have saved her. This hurts Kimani deeply after thirty years of marriage. Angry, he goes to Walomu’s office to fight him. He calls Walomu names and tries to hit him, but he misses and falls. Walomu laughs at him, talking about how men take other people’s wives in other countries. Kimani feels ashamed and foolish. Instead of feeling better, he is arrested and spends six months in jail for attacking an MP. The university also demotes him from professor to senior lecturer, saying he brought shame. Tired and sad, Kimani quits teaching, something he loved. His attempt to pay back Walomu only brings him more trouble and pain, showing that revenge can make things worse.
Engineer Tahir also faces more suffering when he tries to get even with Rahma, his junior colleague. Tahir likes Rahma because she is kind and beautiful. He asks her to go for tomato soup with him, but she says no. In Libyan culture, women sometimes say no to hide their interest, but Tahir thinks she is rejecting him rudely. He feels embarrassed because Rahma is his junior. Angry, he decides to punish her. During Heritage Week, he sees Rahma remove her headscarf for work and slaps her, pretending it’s about culture but really to get back at her. Rahma fights back quickly and hits him with a letter opener, injuring his left eye. Tahir stays in hospital for a month and comes back very bitter. He takes Rahma to court and wins, so the court removes Rahma’s eye as punishment, like “an eye for an eye.” But instead of feeling happy, Tahir is sad and hates himself. His new artificial eye reminds him of his loss every day. He moves to Benghazi to be alone, away from friends who try to comfort him. Tahir’s revenge does not bring peace but more sorrow, proving that paying back can hurt more than it helps.
Comrade Melusi tries to attack Zimbabwe’s president to avenge his wife Ziliza’s death, but he ends up in trouble. Melusi is a Ndebele, and the president, who is Shona, treats his tribe badly. The president refuses to make Melusi a minister because of his tribe and removes Melusi’s leader, saying he planned a coup. When people protest, the government sends the Gukurahundi brigade, which kills many Ndebele, including Ziliza. They strangle her and leave her body on the kitchen floor, which breaks Melusi’s heart. The president also destroys homes of poor people, including Ndebele, in “Murambatsvina,” making Melusi feel betrayed since both tribes fought together against colonial rule. Thinking of Ziliza, Melusi decides to attack the president at a summit to pay him back. But before he can do anything, security guards catch him and drag him away in shame. He disappears from the summit, and his plan fails completely. Melusi’s attempt to get revenge leaves him with more pain and no success, showing that revenge can be useless and harmful.
Rahma also suffers when she fights back after Tahir slaps her. When Tahir asks her out for tomato soup, Rahma wants to say yes but says no to seem shy, as Libyan women sometimes do. Tahir thinks she is saying no for real and feels insulted. Later, he slaps her for taking off her headscarf during work, saying it’s against Libyan culture, but really he is angry about her rejection. Rahma does not think and hits him back with a letter opener, hurting his left eye. Tahir takes her to court, saying he slapped her to protect Libyan values. Rahma says she was too angry to think clearly. But the court decides she must lose her left eye, like “an eye for an eye.” Rahma cries, but the punishment happens, and she feels deep regret for fighting back. If she had stayed calm, she might not have lost her eye. Rahma’s quick revenge brings her more pain instead of solving anything, showing that paying back can lead to bigger problems.
In conclusion, it is clear that trying to get even does not fix pain but makes it worse. Professor Kimani, Engineer Tahir, Comrade Melusi, and Rahma all try to take revenge, but they end up with more suffering, shame, and regret. Their stories teach us that revenge is like jumping from a bad situation into a worse one. Instead of healing, it causes more wounds.
