Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Power, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Power and Violence
Corruption
Gender Reversals and Sexism
Stories, History, and Perspective
Religion and Manipulation
Revolution and Social Change
Summary
Analysis
The chapter is an excerpt from the online forum “Freedom of Reach.” User askedandanswered compares two photos: one of Eve, and another from a police investigation looking for Allie, insisting that they are the same person. Another, fisforfreedom, argues that the photos have been doctored. A third, AngularMerkel, writes that it is well known that these two girls are the same but Eve has paid the police off—the user says that this has been proven by UrbanDox.
This chapter is an exploration of the dark side of stories: how one’s perspective can be used to fuel the information one consumes and therefore what one believes. It also demonstrates how the internet is a powerful tool for both forming and perpetuating one’s point of view. Even though askedandanswered is correct, the others are just as convinced that they are in the right.
Themes
Fisforfreedom writes that Allie killed Mr. Montgomery-Taylor on June 24, but Eve’s first sermons are dated July 2—she couldn’t have moved so quickly. Riseup suggests that Eve’s followers doctored the dates on the sermons. Another user, Manintomany, writes that “Eve will be dead in three years”—and that he would gladly murder her himself. AveryFalls asks if they saw Tunde’s reporting from Moldova, dreaming about joining their army. Manintomany responds that he would gladly join if he were younger.
Anonymous internet forums also provide another aspect of Alderman’s discussion on corruption. Because people are given the power to be anonymous, they feel like they have license to say whatever they want. Feeling this sense of power leads to more vitriol and hate, as is true of the man who says he’d be willing to murder Eve.
Themes
Beningitis writes that the day before, he let his son look around a toy store to pick out a birthday toy. But when he came to find his son, he saw a girl with a Hand of Fatima tattoo talking to his son. His son started crying, and asked Beningitis if it was true that he was bad and that God wanted him to be obedient and humble. Other users chime in saying how disgusting this was, offering to find the girl and “send her a message she won’t forget.” Others, however, caution that Beningitis could be making the story up. But UrbanDox933 ends the thread, saying: “There will be nowhere to run to. There will be no mercy.”
The man’s story indicates another gender reversal—whereas religion has, in some cases, been used to oppress women historically by implying that they are sinful (as in the Biblical story of Eve), Eve’s own followers are now implying that men are sinful and meant to be humble and obedient. The thread’s discussion also circles back to the point that stories and perspective can be very powerful: users even highlight the idea that this person’s bias could have led him simply to make up the story to enforce his own point.
Themes
