“With great power comes great responsibility.” This phrase correctly assesses that the more power a being has, the greater capacity they have for both good and evil; for the creation of beautiful things or the destruction of that which is lovely. The possession of power does not necessarily mean that the power will be used honorably. In the timeless Lord of the Rings saga, the two wizards, Saruman and Gandalf, were both imbued with great power. Their reaction to the power, however, was very different. On one hand, Gandalf had a healthy respect for the seductive properties of power and managed to resist using and abusing it for his own ends. Conversely, Saruman gave in and attempted to set himself as a dominant ruler; ultimately failing and creating a colossal amount of ruin in the process. They were both given power, one used it properly and achieved many great feats; the other abused the power and lost everything. This concept applies to the human race as well. Some look at the horrors committed by human being in the past and conclude that we have degenerated far below the common animal. Others point to the great achievements off science and art, along with the selfless aid granted to the helpless, from American ghettos to war-torn countries, and insist that we are progressing toward a perfect utopia. What they both fail to see is that this power can be used to accomplish wonderful deeds or destroy all that truly matters.
The dark use of this power can be seen in all the wars, the crime, and the corruption that has plagued mankind since before recorded history. It can be seen in every Stalin, Capone, and Attila the Hun in history, who have not let the concept of morality to stand between them and supremacy. One parti...
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...ar, facing disease and hardship or when a soldier throws himself on a grenade to save his comrades. The bad is evident in families torn apart by drug abuse and also in every shop clerk shot and killed during a holdup. This war’s outcome really depends on the individual and the choices they make; every decision will take them down one path or the other, often having greater consequences than they could ever imagine.
The people who claim that humans have become less than animals, along with the optimists looking forward to a utopia, both fail to see the whole picture; they need to recognize the dual nature of the power humans in order to reach an accurate conclusion. When they only focus on one extreme, they gain a false worldview that will taint all of their assumptions. Power can be used for evil or good; the choice lies in the individual possessing it.
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.
In the aftermath of a comparatively minor misfortune, all parties concerned seem to be eager to direct the blame to someone or something else. It seems so easy to pin down one specific mistake that caused everything else to go wrong in an everyday situation. However, war is a vastly different story. War is ambiguous, an enormous and intangible event, and it cannot simply be blamed for the resulting deaths for which it is indirectly responsible. Tim O’Brien’s story, “In the Field,” illustrates whom the soldiers turn to with the massive burden of responsibility for a tragedy. The horrible circumstances of war transform all involved and tinge them with an absurd feeling of personal responsibility as they struggle to cope.
Julianna Claire, an award winning poet once said, “War makes men act like fools, and makes fools pretend to be brave.” War is a very difficult and dangerous game. There must be a just cause to fight for, supporters on either side of the war, and clear plan on what the war ought to look like. Though, as much as countries plan their strategies and perfect their tactics, war never seems to go how people think it should. War creates heartache, makes countries question their governments, and changes the lives of the soldiers who fight in them. One such story that address the damages of war, is Ambush, by Tim O’Brien (1946). In this short story, Tim O’Brien tells a story of a young man fighting in Vietnam who kills a member of the Vietnam army. Robin Silbergleid, a neurosurgeon in Seattle, Washington, who minored in
Ultimately the characters strive for power does not end well. In particular the story of Gilgamesh the main character Gilgamesh has power and abuses it. Gilgamesh is a greedy king who gets what he wants. He often has no consideration for his people that are looking up to him. The quote stated above about Gilgamesh can also speak for his power. Because Gilgamesh had a lot of power he is able to do anything he wishes. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu meets Gilgamesh is trying to sleep with a bride before her husband can. Gilgamesh has power but he abuses his power and his people are the ones who are punished. Claudius also thrives for power. It is ultimately Claudius’s need for power that urges him to kill his brother so he could marry his brother’s wife and become king. Claudius does not even stop his wife Gertrude from drinking the poisoned wine. He does say “Gertrude, do not drink” (Shakespeare. 5.2. 262). Claudius does not but tell her not to drink the wine but by the time he tells her that it is too late. Both Gilgamesh and Claudius have power. They do not use their power to benefit others. Both Gilgamesh and Claudius’s power harms their
Power, although sometimes can be a good element of society, can also be abused and used in evil ways to create corruption in the world. In The Year of the Flood
The existence of mankind is a wicked blessing with the full capability to uphold good intentions, but human nature drives us to do otherwise, going beyond moral constraints into the depths of corrupt curiosity. The idea can be more crisply summarized in the words of Bill Bryson “It’s an unnerving thought that we may be the living universe’s supreme achievement and its worst nightmare simultaneously.” Bryson obviously sees the aptitude of the human race but still acknowledges the flaws that make people much less than perfect. One thing that sets humans apart from animals is their ability to think. The creation of nuclear weapons is a product of human intellect and is an example of its ability. But the accomplishment has lead to the fear of nuclear war, which would be the end of mankind and possibly Earth itself. Another example is communist dictator, Adolf Hitler. Hitler is a political figure that came into power after the fall of Germany. He promised Germans the complete reconstruction of the country to its prior reign. Hitler became too power hungry and it eventually led to his fall. Also, the development of various types of drugs (predominantly meant for good) has caused both relief and infliction in the world.
War can destroy a man both in body and mind for the rest of his life. In “The Sniper,” Liam O’Flaherty suggests the horror of war not only by presenting its physical dangers, but also by showing its psychological effects. We are left to wonder which has the longer lasting effect—the visible physical scars or the ones on the inside?
In consideration of how power functioned in both the Crucible and the Holocaust a tend of how an individual can use power to control, influence, benefit themselves, and also protect themselves from attacks can be seen. Human Nature compels us to gain power because of want, but once we have the power we will inherently use it to influence other because of the need of the individual to have their ideas agreed with. Power can either make a leader great or make a whole society or movement corrupt. Lessons can be used about how to effectively use power to properly initiate change and make a positive impact on the world.
Power is both a good and evil thing. With power, a person has the potential to change the world. With power, a person’s words would be so influential, that anything would be possible. But when a person uses power for evil, it could possibly provoke the most horrible events imaginable. One person who used power for evil was a character from the movie Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith created by George Lucas. The characters name was Chancellor Palpatine. In a span of about fifteen years, he was able to manipulate the political system of the Galactic Republic so that he would come to power. With various events such as the Clone Wars, he gained more and more power as Chancellor, so much so that the only thing that the Chancellor feared was to lose his power.
Our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, once stated; “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power”. This declaration argues that the true test of a person’s morals derives from when said person is given a position of relative power, whether it be power presiding over a nation, or simply power within a relationship. I agree with this statement wholeheartedly, when a person is in a state of submission their actions are regulated and the person may not reflect the values that they actually hold. However, when a person is given power that allows them have control over others, their true ideologies arise. Furthermore, this is supported in literary works throughout history. Specifically,
"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.
In the book, Obasan, Joy Kogawa uses imagery to convey different symbolic meanings in Naomi's life. Naomi goes through a journey in the novel to uncover the truth of her past. One of the many literary elements that the novel possesses is animal imagery that emphasizes meaning and contributes to the novel's theme. Several animals are mentioned throughout the novel to represent Naomi's emotions and her journey. Kogawa utilizes the several instances of animal imagery in her novel, Obasan, to reveal the nature of power, both physically and emotionally, and the victim of power—Naomi. Animals such as the chicks represent Naomi's helplessness and innocence as she lived in a world without her mother or knowledge of her history. The animals that Kogawa uses, kittens, chicks, and birds, are not strong enough against humans. They are not lions or tigers that can do harm upon other animals or human beings, therefore this makes them easily threatened and killed by power.
As shown in literature, corruption and the abuse of power is an ongoing discussion. When it comes down to the point where people are being used and abused physically and psychologically, it creates a hostile environment for both the subjects and the abuser. As represented in the two similar texts Lord Of the Flies and “I Only Came to use the Phone”, corrupted authority and abuse of power usually end up leading to the collapse of a society or a world of chaos and violence.
Many individuals look at soldiers for hope and therefore, add load to them. Those that cannot rationally overcome these difficulties may create Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Tragically, some resort to suicide to get away from their insecurities. Troops, notwithstanding, are not by any means the only ones influenced by wars; relatives likewise encounter mental hardships when their friends and family are sent to war. Timothy Findley precisely depicts the critical impact wars have on people in his novel by showing how after-war characters are not what they were at the beginning.
Humanity has always had a certain amount of power, whether that is the power to manipulate the environment, flora and fauna, or other humans. The qualities described by the authors can easily be found anywhere in society today, even the sacrifice of the individual for a greater good.