“Power is neither good nor evil, but its user makes it so” - Erin Hunter.
When I stumbled across this poem the other day on my phone it puzzled me. I found myself thinking about what power means to me and compared it to scenarios from books I have recently read and movie I have watched. Power to me is the ability to have influence over others. If you have a lot of power over someone you are most likely be able to channel their beliefs and actions. Power is strongly represented in the movie ‘Hidden Figures’ which is directed by Theodore Melfi. This movie details the concepts of racism, hard work, perseverance and community. Another text that I believe really capture the idea of power in a unique way is the novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The text highlights the themes of society, wealth and dissatisfaction. The treatment of this concept seems to be similar in these two texts, as they are both relating to the status a person holds in society. Throughout the novel it seems as if many people go through the struggle of power, rather from their own power or even someone else. It is made clear to readers that in this novel power is gained through lust, status and wealth. ‘The Great Gatsby’ was set in the 190s the time that viewed unprecedented economic growth and prosperity in the USA. During this time several people came into wealth through their desire to be accepted. Highlighting the major clash between old money and new money, which is also represented in geographical location.
In the novel Jay Gatsby, is portrayed to have financial power. He seems to be a wealthy man, who is living in West Egg because he is considered to have ‘new money’. New money is normally frowned upon because it means that you didn’t come from a wealthy family and that they money was self-produced due to success. On the other hand, those who live in East Egg have ‘old money’ showing that they were grown into wealth. The East Eggers generally consider those in West Egg as being flashy and of lower status. This difference sets up the conflicts between Tom and Gatsby.
Fitzgerald introduces the audience to the idea that having more money means that more power will be gained. Fitzgerald show this through Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy. Daisy is obsessed with the idea of wealth, which is one of the main reasons she was driven to marry her husband, Tom Buchanan. To be in the same social class as Daisy is his desire, Gatsby believes that money is the way to build up his class. The great amount of wealth that Gatsby earns gives him power and allows him to pursue Daisy as her only interest is money. Gatsby used his finical power to throw excessive over the top parties to try to belong among the social elite. Though many East Eggers look down on Gatsby, they stared to attend his party, showing that then as now, money talks. These extravagant parties not only give Gatsby the chance to gain a higher social status but also give him the power to reconnect with Daisy again. Money equals Daisy.
Not only does Gatsby have final power he also has network power. This meaning that Gatsby is able to contact a lot of people from all over New York. He has power over the law and is easily able to pay off police. When Gatsby was driving, he was pulled over for speeding. As he had once done a favor for the commissioner, he was in possession of a black card which told the officer to let him off. Fitzgerald has done this make it obvious that Gatsby is able to get around the law.
On the other hand, Tom had power because of his athletic ability and his wealth. He is in possession of old money, as he has been brought up in wealth. Having his power Tom is able to keep his mistress.
‘Hidden Figures’ is set in one of the most significant decades in US history, the 1960s. This movie presents a true story of a battle for civil rights but also ties in an apace adventure. During the 1960s there was a struggle for social justice, trying to gain equal rights for black people under the United States Law. The movie deals with the tedious yet meaningful struggle in American history, at a time were tension between the whites and blacks was at an all-time high.
In ‘Hidden Figures’ power comes in the form of social power. In particular the separation of blacks and whites. The movie shows how one ethnic group is in a better position to succeed, whilst disadvantaging another group. Theodore Melfi uses contrast to show how disadvantaged people of color were in this era.
Not only are the black women who work in NASA separated in a completely different campus to the white people, they are also are given a lower status. During this time racism was a big issue, so demonstrate this in the movie the director has made huge separations between the two races. The black women are labelled as computers and are kept in west wing in a small run-down room. They do not receive the same amount of respect that the other white colleges do, though their job is obviously more challenging than others. The only reason that I believe that they hold less power is their race.
The head lady of the computers is Mrs. Dorothy Vaughan, though she is not properly label as such. I believe this is because they do not want to give her any sort of power over anyone because in this time people of color had no respect. It would have been believed in this time that placing a colored women in charge is inappropriate. So instead, they made a white women in charge of the wing, even though she does not affiliate to this ‘group’.
During the months upcoming the launch of the first ever rocket ship, Mr. Harris asks for a computer to come help with some equations. Mr. Harris is the head of the NASA team. Kathrine Globe a genius mathematician is assigned to a unit in NASA, where the members are all white. During the movie, the white assistant tells Kathrine about the dress code, stating that’s he has to wear stockings though stockings are only made in one color and that is beige. This shows that during this time companies were only making clothes to fit their ideal women, not considering the huge diversity of people.
The lady also shows Kathrine where she is allowed to get coffee, in a tiny pot label ‘colored’. Kathrine has to walk all the way to west egg to go to a ‘colored’ bathroom. Upon return Mr. Harris asked why Kathrine always leaves for excessive amounts of time, serval times a day. Kathrine lacks so much power due to the color of her skin. She is constantly reminded that she does not belong. She continues to stand up for herself, stating that there are no colored bathrooms in the east campus and that all her ‘white colleges’ won’t even share a pot of coffee with her. The event that happens next is one of the most significant in the movie. Mr. Harris peels the label off the coffee mug and hammers down the sign that specifies what color goes to what bathroom. He states “at NASA we all pee the same color”.
It is clear in this movie that the white people have power. They are more respected due to their skin color. The separation of the two races shows us that the white people think that they are better than the colored. This is a belief of the people at that time as white was seen as superior.
‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Hidden Figures’ both display the concept of power. Though they are represented in different ways. Power in ‘The Great Gatsby’ is treated as finical and networking power. As at this time there was an overwhelming economic growth in the USA. Compared to ‘Hidden Figures’ were the main type of power that is represented in social power. Racism was a huge issue in this time. The movie shows the segregation of the races and the fight for human rights.