The “beautiful and heartbreaking” Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's critically acclaimed debut novel, uncovers issues of religious tension and political conflict through the microcosm of a rapidly deteriorating family unit. The novel's first-person narrator and protagonist, Kambili, experiences firsthand the devastating effects of corruption in postcolonial and post-conflict Nigeria, presenting a setting rife with political turmoil. Meanwhile, Arthur Miller's "tale of social tyranny": The Crucible, set in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1962, is a dramatization of the Salem witch hunts and is seen as a chilling parallel to the McCarthyism that gripped America of the 1950s. By exploring the abuse of power achieved through religion, both writers highlight the widespread corruption of society and how oppression and religion can contribute to the dominance of these corrupt figures. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Both writers demonstrate how totalitarian rule of a community can lead to abuse of power and widespread corruption. In The Crucible such moral negligence emanates from Judge Danforth, the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, and his rigid and illusory authority within the court. Danforth's intimidating question "Mr. Hale, surely you do not doubt my justice." exemplifies his power-hungry desires that lead to corruption and moral misadventures at court. Miller also uses unconventional punctuation by using a period opposite to the grammatically standard question mark. This reinforces the authority of his questioning, depicting his dominance over the court and giving Hale no choice but to go along with his questionable opinions. Furthermore, the repeated use of exclamation marks throughout the court scene portrays the mania and aggression that Danforth exerts to maintain complete control despite Abigail's efforts to manipulate the scene. 20th Century Fox's interpretation of the play emulates Danforth's control by removing the other characters' lines allowing Danforth to dominate the speech, highlighting the control he has in inducing mass hysteria. Alternatively, the Old Vic production of the play with Richard Armitage is much more chaotic as Abigail arguably has more control and manipulates Danforth by conjuring chaos while the girls scream in unison, dominating the stage. However, Miller discovers Danforth's true cowardly nature as he "seems unstable" and eventually descends into hysterical madness, controlled by Abigail. Its revealed weakness is probably Miller's denunciation of such characters both in the play and similarly powerful and corrupt figures in the story. Danforth is probably seen as a parallel to Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy, the precursor of the McCarthyism that gripped America in the 1950s. This intense anti-Communist suspicion led McCarthy to be considered highly corrupt and immoral by his colleagues and historians over time. McCarthy falsely accused more than 200 members of the State Department of communism, inciting severe anxiety within the community, mirroring Danforth's reversal of morality in supporting and sustaining unfounded accusations of witchcraft in Salem. As with Danforth's corrupt rulings, Purple Hibiscus highlights nefarious political acts in Nigeria, both on a local and national scale. Political corruption is widespread throughout postcolonial Nigeria. The 2019 Corruption Index ranked Nigeria as the 34th most corrupt country with a score of just 27 out of 100,explaining Adiche's apparent disdain for the "Big Man" responsible for the increasingly corrupt and scandalous political climate. The underlying theme concerns Kambili's family, particularly her father, Eugene, who despite his morally inept ways is threatened and denied his freedom by the "Great Man". Water and electricity cuts along with police bribes affect the lives of Adiche's characters. Despite using the point of view of a young man, Adiche presents a political novel through the murder of journalist Ade Coker. Coker's character is largely inspired by real-life journalist and Nigerian government critic Dele Giwa, who (like Coker) is assassinated via a parcel bomb. This exemplifies the tragic personal outcome that generations of colonialism and corruption can endure. Furthermore, the use of the moniker “Big Man” instead of a standard first name reinforces the idea that the leaders are an ever-present collective, detested by all vulnerable Nigerian communities. One critic, Preston Berstein, sees Adiche's novel as an allegory of Nigerian socio-political turmoil and argues that through her critical views of the country's leaders she is not condemning him but "looking for someone to save him". Alternatively, some may interpret the political corruption shown as a way of telling an alternative history of Nigeria, to avoid certain stereotypes. Adichie's TedTalk on the danger of a single story highlights the importance of ensuring that the stereotypical Western view is not the only story and through Purple Hibiscus Adichie presents a beautiful and complicated landscape unbeknownst to many readers, helping the reader to discover new stories and attitudes. Ultimately, through their writings, both Adiche and Miller form an effective allegory to demonstrate the harmful and corrupting effects that total power can have. Furthermore, in both The Crucible and Purple Hibiscus the writers portray individuals who seemingly have inept morals that inevitably lead to harmful moral behavior. effect on the society in which they live. In Miller's play, the main antagonist Abigail makes farcical and hysterical accusations of supernatural activity. A major factor in Abigail's corrupt morals and beliefs is her constant manipulation of those around her; Miller's stage directions in the first act of the play perfectly capture her deceptive and manipulative nature "(Abigail) a strikingly beautiful girl, an orphan, with an infinite capacity to deceive." This provides a striking contrast between the beautiful, innocent girl Proctor was so attracted to and the evil, destructive woman she transforms into over the course of the play. Through his deployment of effective stage directions, Miller provides guidance for the actress playing Abigail to understand the ambiguous nature of the character, Winona Ryder plays Abigail in the 20th Century Fox film adaptation in which it is clear that the sense of betrayal is accentuated through her. innocent and childish tone while maintaining a clear sense of his conniving nature. At the same time, Abigail's status and position within the rigid patriarchy of Salem were low, a young unmarried orphan like her occupying a very unfavorable position on the immobile social ladder. Therefore, it is possible that the main motive and driving force behind his manipulation is to gain status and increase his reputation. Abigail's actions, when shown on stage, can be seen at first as a playful romp with "the girls," but in reality her accusations lead to solemn repercussions. Through this process; Miller serves this as a warning against the corrupting essence that power can contain, as seen through powerby Abigail about girls who lend themselves to the execution of innocent people. Meanwhile, Eugene, the father of Adiche's Purple Hibiscus Kambili, is a commanding and assertive presence in both the family and the larger community. Like Abigail, Eugene views status and reputation with the utmost sincerity, yet uses his power to corrupt through repeated abusive behavior, leaving his family in physical agony and emotional turmoil. Eugene's domestic abuse is representative of Nigerian culture, with the widespread belief upholding the righteousness of hitting women as a disciplinary action. In a national study conducted by Unicef, it was found that one in three women reported experiencing domestic violence, and 25% of respondents had experienced some form of sexual abuse. Furthermore, the problem, it seems, is deeply rooted in Nigerian culture with 43% of women believing that a husband is justified in abusing his wife. A further study conducted in the nation's capital, Abuja, found that the highest number of hospitalized cases were due to premature labor, as Kambili's mother experienced on two separate occasions. One critic, Onyemaechi Ugumukwu, proclaims that the novel is a "paradigm for demystifying forms of patriarchal violence", this almost reflects a tyrannical nature that is also explored in The Crucible. Eugene's domestic violence is demonstrated through boiling water and his "sips of love." The ironic name “love burns” is an oxymoron and reinforces both Eugene and Kambili's ingrained view that this violent and immoral act is valid and right. How it is strengthened by Kambili's enduring attachment to her father even after the liberating trip to Auntie Ifeoma's house. Through Kambili's first-person narration of events, the reader's sense of pity is heightened due to this inseparable and virulent bond. This offers an alternative perspective on the effects a corrupt and powerful leader can have. Eugene is idolized by his daughter and the community despite his horrendous actions. Both Miller and Adiche describe different ways in which individuals who hold corrupt and unreasonable power interact with and harm those over whom they have this power. Not only is corruption presented through individuals, each text also exposes the ways in which community corruption as a whole can lead to alienation and intolerance towards those at the bottom of the social hierarchy, marginalizing them from society and treating them as inferior and as if their otherness was wrong. In The Crucible, Reverend Parris' Barbadian slave, Tituba, is alienated and persecuted due to her heritage, being the only black character mentioned in the play. Tituba's otherness is indicated by her alternative dialect, skin color, and singular name. Constantly blamed for every misfortune, Tituba occupies the lowest rung of Salem society. This makes her an easy target to frame as the orchestrator of the witchcraft plaguing the community. Set in the era of slavery, in 1692 Salem was undeniably dominated by the Western idea of ​​black inferiority, thus making Abigail's accusations unequivocally believed throughout the community. The devil was often perceived throughout Western culture as a black man due to the “stereotypes and codification of dark and black, particularly of African descent, as negative in American popular culture.” Tituba herself describes the Satan figure she submitted to as "dark black" who plays into the racist mindset of those she was trying to escape from. Furthermore, Tituba's language and dialect are described as "unintelligible" by presenting.