Todd Jones Jones 1

July 25th, 2013
Compare/Contrast Essay
The Consequences of Peace War has been displayed in several ways, and with many judgmental opinions. When I read “Two Words” and “Civil Peace” I get to see the ugly, and often unmentioned, part of war. These stories give me a glimpse into the harsh realities of war and their effects on the countries involved. It not only covers the average person living through this environment, but also the soldiers who have been fighting endlessly for their respective countries. The economic effects are displayed in both tales “carrying their belongings on their backs or in small carts,” (Allende). And again in Achebe’s work “the doors and windows were missing and five sheets from the roof” (422). Clearly, both authors have a concise understanding of poverty in its worst forms. Both main protagonists in each story find inventive ways to make money in such harsh circumstances. Achebe’s main characters, the Iwegbu family, make money by picking fruit, making breakfast for others, and even opening a palm-wine bar. Although Jonathan is poor, there still people in the village with even worse scenarios. “Some of his fellow ex-miners who had nowhere to return to at the end of the day’s waiting just slept outside the doors of the offices” (423). Belisa, Allende’s main character, makes her living by traveling from village to village selling her knowledge and wisdom. The amount she earns depends on the amount of knowledge requested. Both characters struggle, but are able to maintain sustenance for themselves. Jones 2 In both stories, the main characters have experienced the loss of family members. While Belisa has lost her entire family, the Iwegbu family has only lost one child. It’s interesting how both authors describe this without really getting into the emotional impact of these losses. It’s as if it’s just a normal part of their circumstances “five inestimable blessings...the heads of three out of their four children” (Allende). The impact of losing loved ones is felt, but somewhat dismissed quickly in order to emphasize other points in these stories. The priority in both stories is survival, not mourning what can no longer be helped. Another common theme in both stories is the lack of assistance from the military and government during these hard times “twenty pound egg-rasher they gave me today” (425). These point is emphasized more so in Achebe’s work “we don try our best for call dem but I tink say dem all done sleep-o” (424). In both stories, I can clearly feel that the civilians have little to no rights, and that any resistance will be met with swift and extreme punishment. The leaders in both these stories seem more concerned with their own personal affairs, rather than taking care of their people. As one author focuses on a family, the other follows the life of a single woman traveling on her own, not bound by life in one village. The reactions are