A Secret Life by Stephen Dunn, and Michael Foucault’s idea Panopticism

Everything is subject to something in the world, whether it’s living, nonliving, tangible or nontangible. Forces act upon things making them subject to others such as society, law, institutions, religion, self-expectations, etc. Those able to inflict those forces on others successfully without retaliation hold all the power. However, power does corrupt, there are rare occasions where power remains completely absolute, in fact it’s almost impossible. While forces are working to overthrow absolute power, forces are working to preserve power; therefore, the concept of ‘subject’s relation to power’ can always be going back and forth. The 19th century gothic novel, Dracula, by Bram Stoker, the poem “A Secret Life,” by Stephen Dunn, and Michael Foucault’s idea of “Panopticism,” work together to demonstrate the relationship between the subject and power.

In a panoptic point of view, knowing a subject’s relation to power is all about the importance of being visible or invisible. “Visibility is a trap” (Foucault). That’s what Michael Foucault claims in his piece about Panopticism. In order to maintain power, the trick is to stay hidden for as long as possible – keep others unsure of whether or not they’re being watched. If those who are being subjected gain too much knowledge, power is likely to shift. Dracula, by Bram Stoker, exhibits many examples throughout the book of the presence of ‘subject’s relation to power.’ In the novel, readers see the character of Count Dracula, who happens to be the novel’s main antagonist and a vampire, live in obscurity from the people around him. However, increasing suspicions of unexplained or supernatural events, along with the changing times, threaten the power that Dracula has over the people of Trans...

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...form of power. The subject that is currently in control is not in control for the long run. There are other opposing forces that will eventually come along to overthrow subjects in power. If the world stayed the same and power never shifted then we as a human race would be destined for failure. Thankfully that hasn’t happened yet, but we can look in our school’s history textbooks and find plenty of situations where certain regimes didn’t hold out and were annihilated by others. This is a natural cycle of the universe that prevents too much power from existing. It’s important for individuals living today to be able to recognize the power within them and the power that’s morally and rightfully accessible to them. Moreover, it’s important for people to understand the boundaries and limits of today’s society and that a relationship with power is fragile; don’t abuse it.