Power. A topic that is neither black nor white, but rather grey. It can control somebody mentally, culturally, or from elements that surround them. Literature can represent these imbalances throughout the theme. The following short stories portray this distinctively; “Boarders”, by Thomas King, “Lather and Nothing Else”, by Hernando Tellez, and “The Tunnel”, by Sarah Ellis. As a force of power tries to overcome the characters in these stories, they fight back with defiance to try and overcome the challenges they are faced with. The results of comparing the thesis of these three pieces, helps a reader to understand the grief the characters endured. The strongest form of power can often come from within a person. In “The Tunnel”, the force …show more content…
The border guard recognizes the fact that socially he is in the wrong, but chooses to still push his power. The persistence that the mother showed in stating her true nationality shows strong resilience. Even with the courage she showed, the imbalance was only set right for a certain amount of time before, once again, a force of power over took the situation. Pride can take a person to the top of the pedestal, or can leave them stranded wondering what went wrong. The fight between deciding what is right in a situation all depends on the true feelings of the person experiencing it. In “A Lather and Nothing Else” the main character flips his opinion on the current situation. “But the sight of those mutilated bodies kept me from paying attention to the fare of the man who had been directing it all and whom I now had in my hands.” (Sightlines page 343). This sparks the beginning of his fight on whether or not to kill the commanding officer. He stands there with the razor blade in his hand, all control on his side. There is a slight hesitation; a form of unspoken control keeping him from committing murder. “And so which will it be? Murderer or hero? My fate hangs on the edge of this razor blade.” (Sightlines page