Verified Document

Power Corrupts And Absolute Power Term Paper

...Children dying of pellagra must die because a profit cannot be taken from an orange. And coroners must fill in the certificate -- died of malnutrition -- because the food must rot, must be forced to rot."(Steinbeck, 391) Thus, Steinbeck makes a cogent commentary on the corruptibility of the human being under the influence of power and economical profit. Arthur Miller's All My Sons also exemplifies the way in which power can determine unethical acts and abuse. Thus, the protagonist of the story, Joe Keller is a corrupt manufacturer who, in the past, has taken advantage of his power and has knowingly killed over twenty army pilots when he sold defective equipment for the planes. Just as in Steinbeck's novel inhumanity was shown to be the main consequence of the abuse of power, in Miller's play the question of honor is raised. Joe Keller, in spite of the fact that he is not an evil man, has acted dishonorably putting the material profit above all else. As Miller shows, honor is no longer considered a value in the modern, profit-oriented society where the American Dream of economical power and success have taken the place of morality: "He used to shoot a man who acted like a dog, but honour was real there...But here? This is the land of the great big dogs, you don't love a man here, you eat him. That's the principle; the only one we live by - it just happened to kill a few people this time, that's all. The world's that way..."(Miller, 77) Power therefore can cloud the judgment and corrupt all the moral principles.

In the short story called the Women Warriors, there is also an example of power that is used...

This time, it is directed against the freedom of women. As it is well-known, throughout the centuries, women have suffered greatly from the roles they have been constrained to by the patriarchal society. The story is an example of discrimination and the abuse of power of men over women as it recounts the way in which two Indian women who had refused to marry, as society would prescribe it, are forced by one of the male leaders to go to war along with the men. Helped by the Spider woman, the two sisters manage to stay safe and actually achieve glory in the battle, thus showing a happy example of the way the power abuse can be overturned.
Finally, P.J. Gibson's Long Time since Yesterday analyzes the importance of power investigating classic issues related to it such as racism or the independence of women. The women that reunite at the funeral of a former school companion are all examples of success at first sight, but, on the deeper level, it is obvious that their lives have been dedicated to the desire of attaining power through a good social position and a prosperous financial situation.

Thus, the four texts demonstrate that power is a corrupting force that transforms the moral principles into economical and political ones, leading to inhumanity and unethical behavior.

Works Cited

Hammond, Susan Hazen. The Women Warriors.

Gibson, P.J. Long Time Since Yesterday. New York: Samuel French, 1985.

Miller, Arthur. All My Sons. New York: The Modern Library, 1987. Steinbeck, John.

The Grapes of Wrath. New York: New Directions, 1988.

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Hammond, Susan Hazen. The Women Warriors.

Gibson, P.J. Long Time Since Yesterday. New York: Samuel French, 1985.

Miller, Arthur. All My Sons. New York: The Modern Library, 1987. Steinbeck, John.

The Grapes of Wrath. New York: New Directions, 1988.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Controversy Over Governmental Power and
Words: 1610 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Thus, these authors warn that the abuse of authority must be consistently checked and fought in order to keep it from expanding. This is currently being evidenced in our society. The Bush administration has repeated thwarted the power of Congress and the Supreme Court by attempting to pass laws that directly by-pass the national legislature and promoting a system that takes away presidential checks. The Bush administration repeated refuses

Lord of the Rings: Absolute
Words: 1413 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Frodo cannot resist the Ring, and only the forces of chance and circumstance can separate him from it. While some individuals are more easily and swiftly affected by the Ring, like Gollum, no one, not even Bilbo Baggins can fully divest themselves of the desires it sparks in their hearts. Even Sam, the most stalwart and stable of all of the characters knows: "He himself, though only for a

Corruption of Power in the
Words: 781 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

They attempt to enforce their conception of the true Roman law by murdering Caesar. They want to use the controlled power of violence to restore order. This fails miserably and ultimately Mark Anthony uses the power of persuasion in his funeral oration to turn the Roman mobs against the conspirators and to establish his own authority as a tyrant in Rome. In Julius Caesar, using one's influence is not about

How Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely in the Novel 1984 and Lord...
Words: 1021 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

unchecked and unmatched power within the confines of any social system is that it knows no bounds. In other words, for those holding power there are no limitations to what they can inflict upon their subjects. When the whims and random desires of the ruling class are carried out without fail, the lower classes are destined to suffer. In the novels 1984 by George Orwell, and the Lord of

Perception About How Managers Become Effective Leaders
Words: 1647 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

perception about how managers become effective leaders affects how we evaluate individuals' leadership potential. Believing that a manager was born a leader is expected to result in a concentration more on selecting the right person rather than developing the employee. On the other hand, the belief that managers can be made leaders through experiences will be more expected to result in a concentration on ensuring that managers have the

Transformational Vs. Charismatic Leadership Leading
Words: 2008 Length: 8 Document Type: Research Paper

Dangers linger in any relationship where one party holds power and the other party gives it. Any student of leadership, must recognize that tripwire, and assiduously avoid it through correctly recognizing the dangers that abuse of power can bring. Works Cited Bass, B., Atwater, L., & Avolio, B. (2008). The Transformational and Transactional Leadership of Men and Women. Applied Psychology, 5-34. Beverly Alimo-MetcalfAlban-Metcalfe, J., Bradley, M., Mariathasan, J., & Samele, C. (2008).

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now