The Pursuit of Power in the French Revolution and African Imperialism

Power has been a large factor when it comes to countries and leader, expanding countries boundaries and finding new land through exploitation. Power is used to show control and to make advancements in their countries. Countries create ideas of what humanity should be and when the idea of power consumes the mind, to the point where the idea becomes more important then humans. What will happen when power becomes a god to be worshipped and need sacrifices? In the books Heart of Darkness and The Gods Will Have Blood demonstrates what power can do to people and countries. Power enslaves people and corrupts a man; even ones with gentle and compassionate can change. Once a person feds into power they can become consumed and corrupt with need to respond and to satisfy their needs. Satisfying the need can be shown in many ways, but the books show the ideas of power through imperialism and the revolution and the reign of terror that took place in France, which left many people starving and poor.

Anatole France God’s Will Have Blood is about the final power struggle of the French Revolution is taking hold of the French. The aristocrats have been overthrown and the poor are fighting for food because they are facing famine. The cities are swept by fear and hunger, while a young revolutionist artist named Gamelin is appointed magistrate and given the power of life and death over the French citizens. Power that is used unwisely because of his intense idealism and single mindedness; creating a sweeping movement of violence and a Reign of Terror, that goes all across Russia and Europe.

Porters Article states Frances views and stance on the French Revolution. Frances does not expect nor does he want the Republic to make men pure. Making these d...

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...y a person. Who can often get lost and caught up in the corruption that surrounds them. Often a person must take a journey into to the darkness and see the damages of power. Even though the goals of the country and the use of power was to bring a bigger and better economy and more trade to boost the economy or to bring democracy and equality in a country. Power in its best intentions can lead to terror, evil and imperialism.

Work Cited

France, Anatole. The Gods Will Have Blood. London: Penguin, 2004. Print.

Conrad, Joseph. The Heart of Darkness. New York: Dover, 1902. Print.

West, Roger. "Conrad's Heart Of Darkness." Explicator 50.4 (1992): 222. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web.

Dennis,Porter.“Anatole France and the Liberalism of Resignation.”Journal of the History of Ideas , Vol. 33, No. 1 (Jan. - Mar., 1972) , pp. 101-114.University of Pennsylvania Press.Web.