Impotence is essentially defined by the inability to act or react, according to the Marian Webster Dictionary. The nature of this definition is embodied in the play Fences and the novels Sula and Persepolis. These literary works vividly present and illustrate the causes and effects of helplessness in the lives of the characters. Powerlessness has been personified in two main ways throughout the novels and plays: the effect of race and the power of war. The Fences and Sula novels highlight powerlessness due to race while Persepolis reveals the effect of powerlessness due to war. In the play Fences, several critical characters faced the effect of helplessness during the theater production. Troy was bound by the rules and regulations of the unwritten laws of society. The fact that this particular piece was written in the 1980s; we can note that the social barriers between blacks and whites were still significant. Therefore, the fact that Troy even sought the privilege of driving the garbage truck was surprising to Bono. Bono knew it would be difficult to change positions; So when Troy received the union's endorsement, Bono becomes jealous of his friend's newfound sense of power. Even though Bono becomes jealous of his friend, Troy remains completely powerless against the white community. For fifteen years, Troy has paid the furniture company at the beginning of each month. He knows his debt has already been paid off, but he's too afraid to stop: "How long have you been saying you've been paying that ten dollars a month?" said Bano, “Fifteen years!” exclaims Troy (16 years old). At that time, black people across the country were powerless against the unprecedented power of white people. This domination led...... middle of paper ...... me and his parents felt powerless and lost control of their lives. Although we can witness the effects of helplessness on the characters, as readers we can implement their flaws into our lives. Each book was written in a realistic setting, which reveals the effects of powerlessness on the realistic characters. Therefore, their mistakes can be taken to heart and used as a guide for future journeys. In Fences, the effects of powerlessness are clearly illustrated by the struggles Troy faces because of racism. The same can be said of Sula and how the city's foundations were established through racism and deception. However, at the same time, Persepolis describes the effect that war can have on the lives of individuals. Bits and pieces of all these literary works can be put into practice, allowing this extra core of wisdom to guide us into the future..