The Innate Corruption of Power “Money is the Mc-mansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who doesn’t see the difference”(Chapter 2). Throughout the netflix series House of Cards, the main character, Frank Underwood, has had an obsession with power. Frank Underwood was born into poverty on a peach farm in South Carolina yet this did not stop him from having an thirst for power. He ends up running for congress in South Carolina, then later becoming House Majority WHIP, then Vice President, and finally President of the United States. Frank Underwood does this all alongside his equally ambitious and genius wife, Claire Underwood. When Frank …show more content…
He is in the war room because there has been a possible terrorist in the area surrounding a Tennessee voting center and is on the phone with the Governor of Tennessee. While on the call, the director of the FBI informs the Governor that they cannot ensure security of the voting centers, and Frank jumps in immediately by stating, “Now Mitch, the last thing we want you to do is panic.” then he glances up straight at the camera. As Zac Hestand describes, “House of Cards employs another theatrical technique virtually absent in other television drama: the breaking of the fourth wall”(Hestand). The breaking of the fourth wall is when a character interacts directly to the audience, like Frank Underwood did in this scene. The way President Frank Underwood glances into the camera lets the viewers know that he has all the power in the situation and intedents to use it to his advantage. He not only refers to the most powerful man in Tennessee by his first name, but states that he does not want him to panic when everyone understands that Frank would enjoy nothing more than having Mitch panic. In this scene, President Frank Underwood uses his powers to further his own self interest and ambition rather than secure the safety of the Americans he is supposed to represent. At every turn, President Frank Underwood abuses his powers to the full …show more content…
A critique coming from Benjamin Freed of the Washington Magazine is that House of Cards is begging to appear too corrupt in the age of Trump, “The Underwoods have put America through so much fake news, voter suppression, intelligence leaks, fear-mongering, isolationism, and election tampering that Trump’s outfit is tame by comparison” (Freed). The complaint about House of Cards is that it is making real life corruption look small in comparison. The era of Trump has swayed America away from wanting a fictional President who is extremely self serving in his actions, but has not disproved the theory that power corrupts. Trump himself has been involved in some Underwood-esk moves such as strong-arming the FBI director and sending associates out with one message while undercutting them with another (Freed). The corruption in House of Cards is parallel to the real life corruption currently going on because the innate nature of power and corruption is consistently on display in the series. Perhaps when Trump entered office he did not have the intentions of mimicking the corruption Frank Underwood is involved with, yet if unchecked the power that any president holds can lead to acts of
Many characters throughout the book, the most prevalent being the cynical narrator, Jack Burden, allude to the massive struggle for power that ensues, as well as the inevitable decay thereof among the political giants in All the King’s Men. While Jack gives the pretense of imperviousness, he is sensitive to the signals even as he excuses them. “Doesn’t it all boil down to this? If the government of this state for quite a long time had been doing anything for the folks in it, would Stark…be making so many short cuts to get something done to make up for the time lost all these years in not getting something done?” (125). Jack recognizes that men are corruptible by power, but he justifies this because of the results corruption seems to produce. By the end, however, he comes to better realize that the results are not really auspicious. Power can be used to strive toward worthy goals, and often those goals are achieved to much acclaim, but the end result seldom comes to a positive effect.
What is power to a human? As time has gone by, there have been many forms of control and influence in the world. Many strive to achieve total rule over a society or group of individuals. Yet the question still presents itself to the average man. Why does man desire power so greatly even though there is visible trouble that follows? Shelley’s Frankenstein, Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron”, and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, whether through the situation or the character themselves, depict the evils and hardships due to an imbalance and poor management of power.
Why is that money and power can changes an individual’s personality? Well, when some humans see something desirable and valuable that doesn’t belong to them, they will go to a great extent to have it. Whether, that is stealing, lying or even killing loved ones. This is simply described as greed. Greed and ambition is a common theme in both Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth and the movie “A Simple Plan”. They both share the concept of wanting something and committing crime after crime to achieve it. Similarly, the main characters in both stories become greedy after finding something valuable and their spouse encourages them further. Once in control, the main characters are willing to do anything to keep possession, even if it means to kill love ones.
Contrary to popular belief, power does not give a person everything needed in life. Power gives people an illusion of a perfect, ungrueling life which- news flash!- is probably the total opposite of what power actually bestows upon people. Within The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes is mistreated with due to abundance of power Monseuir Villefort has, causing Edmond to later seek power to avenge for the mistreatment caused to him. Almost everyone in the book either loses or gives up their power in the end, thanks to Edmond. Viva la Vida, similarly, depicts the story of Louis XVI possessing immense power and then being deprived of the same power he once thought was going to be in his fist forever.
Power. It is defined as the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. Throughout time, certain individuals have acquired power in their society as a way to govern and keep order among their community. Power is not a new concept; it was used in the past by many emperors, kings, and queens, and is still being used by presidents, prime ministers, and dictators. Although, it has been used to further progress societies into what the world is like today, not all power has been used for the best of mankind. But what goes awry to make power turn corrupt? In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, it is illustrated how power can turn corrupt, when authoritative figures, who possess power, abuse it for their personal gain, rather than for the common good of the society.
The theme of The Catcher in the Rye is simple. J. D. Salinger uses this novel to draw a clear distinction between the purity of childhood and the wickedness attained when one reaches adulthood. Salinger uses multiple literary devices including diction, symbolism, tone, and even the title of the novel to drive home his ideas about the innocence of children and the corruption of the world.
Having too much power can lead a person to making wrong decisions and going crooked. During the French revolution, the third estate had to work for long hours and got nothing in return, and the food prices were skyrocketing. By doing so, King Louis XVI took away the rights of the third estate, but the third estate was not happy with the King’s decision. King Louis XVI didn’t give any right to
financial power that leads to a self-destructive path. Although The House of Sand and Fog
When a person is in power, situations arouse where they can acquire anything by lying, bribing, conning, or stealing. With these in mind anybody in power could easily become a powerful foe.
Power is earned, not given. There are many different types of power that people can earn. Power becomes a problem when it is not questioned or tested. Therefore, the one with the power would have total control over anything or anyone they wanted, or they would feel that way. People with power feel invincible when it is not questioned. Throughout history it has been proven that this creates a problem. For example, Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal is similar to the scandal with Father Flynn in Doubt. Doubt, by John Patrick Shanley, exemplifies an underlying message that unquestioned faith leads to abuse of power. Specifically, shown in Father Flynn’s reputation, cover up, and resignation, which all correlate to Richard Nixon’s Watergate Scandal.
...nent person to achieve more positive good in the end. Just as Machiavelli says, in The Prince” there is no moral basis to judge the difference between legitimate and illegitimate power”, which Frank Underwood believes in also due to the way he earns his power. The contrary to this argument is the belief in deontology where, presenting the preceding “image” is considered wrong therefore it should not be even considered unless the official incurs true virtue. In Machiavellian philosophy, one should not worry about the means of what it takes to present virtuous characteristics as long as they earn the positive outcome and earn others trust. In House of Cards Frank Underwood portrays those “virtuous characteristics” but what he truly believes in is the belief of consequentialism, so that ultimately his colleagues and even the president will listen to what he wants done.
Mario Puzo, the author of “The Godfather” does an excellent job of showing the many outcomes that power has on people. He writes about Don Corleone, the head of the Corleone family whom has unlimited power and influence throughout the east coast, yet he remains a respected business man and negotiates with his pupils rather than command them. “Don Corleone was a man to whom everybody came to for help…it was not important that you had no means to repay him…it was only required that you proclaim your friendship.” He believed in good ties, and solid relationships. He used his power to advance his loved one’s happiness.
Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines corruption as the impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle. In “The Great Gatsby,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author explains through different characters the corruption of the American Dream. One of the characters is the narrator’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan. In the story, Daisy only cares about possessions and not people, she lets other people take the fall for her actions, and she is unable to love—the quintessential victim by her own design.
"Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it" [Lord Acton, British Historian]. It is human nature that the more power one desires, the more corrupt actions they have to commit to attain power. Power is the ability to have control over people and/or things. People who are powerful can, and in most cases will, create an illusion of anything they want you to see about them. This illusion can make people blind to their true intentions.
This critical essay will critique Francis J. Underwood of “House of Cards” from the popular Netflix series played by Kevin Spacey. In the series Francis goes by Frank Underwood. Frank Underwood is a conniving, manipulative, Machiavellian, politician with a quenching thirst for power. Frank is a U.S. congressman from Gaffney, South Carolina. The beginning of the series starts with Frank being the House Majority Whip for the Democratic party of the United States of America. The series chronological his rise up the hierarchical ladder to President of the United States. His methods are ruthless, he is methodical and vicious with every movement.