Our Shared Shelf discussion

Something that caught me off guard as I was reading this book was how much I laughed and relished in the tides turning. I noticed it first when Margot gets the power and how it changes the dynamic in her relationship with Daniel. I found myself feeling gleeful when she started treating him like nothing more than an annoying fly buzzing around her ear. A sort of "yes! doesn't feel very good does it Daniel!?"

Then when Tunde starts to get scared to walk by himself at night past groups of women. I legitimately laughed out loud. Again, my mental dialogue was something like "Now you know what that feels like!"

And it continued even when things took a dark turn with Ricky being sexually assaulted. It wasn't pronounced or gleeful but there was this subtle feeling inside me that was almost .....dare I say it... satisfied. It horrified me!

It shocked me that I was having those feelings because I've always considered myself a naturally compassionate person and I've always felt that true feminism advocates for equality, safety and quality of life for all people, regardless of gender. I've never even considered the idea that if women rose to power we would exact some sort of revenge on the men for all the years of oppression. I just assumed because we know what that feels like and how damaging it is, that we'd get it right. We would treat everyone with kindness and respect everyone's dignity.

That's the point of the book though I think. It's trying to say that it's not sex or gender that the issue. It's not maleness or masculinity that makes men oppress women. It's a human response to an imbalance of power.

I'm currently reading it and yes, I too have these emotions. I'm only about halfway through, but there are definitely scenes in which my mind goes "Aha! See what that's like?!" It's kind of strange, because I've never really been victim of sexual harassment or anything, but there are definitely times where I adapt my choices depending on where I'm going or what I'll be doing, whereas men don't have to do so. This book really makes me think about those things, which are very real and present, and how absurd they really are!

Dalea wrote: "That's the point of the book though I think. It's trying to say that it's not sex or gender that the issue. It's not maleness or masculinity that makes men oppress women. It's a human response to an imbalance of power."

That's exactly it, I think. Very well said. I think it's human nature to want to dominate, and the world would probably not have been a better place if women had been the "stronger sex" from the beginning. To me, it's all about equality.

I think that we have to see that like a way to defend us and others, no matter the gender, so it depends about what you decide to do with the power that you have. If you use it to hurt a men, you're doing the same to them and things would never change.
The book is trying to show that is our decisions what can change all, and no matter the gender, what matter is what's inside of us.

I was the opposite. I mean at first I liked the Power, especially when Allie was able to kill the man that was raping her, I was totally on board for that. But after "5 years before" I was so over their hunger drive. I kept video messaging my sisters saying "THIS IS NOT FEMINISM. FEMINISM IS GENDER EQUALITY! THEY ARE NOT TREATING THE MEN EQUAL!!!! WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS!!!! GAH!"

And they just laughed at me thinking that The Power was cool and they would gladly entertain the idea of abusing it. It's nice to know that I am more secure in my feministic point of view ever since this book club.

I'm right there with you Griselda. Reading it was disturbing and caused me to be angry at how quickly the Power fed an unsustainable anger and desire to dominate.

I liked that Naomi gave us Jos. And how people with Power would still harass or belittle those who didn't have Power. To me, it wasn't a true matriarchy given how the girls would harass Jos despite her gender. They would still follow her and say "Pzzt" or call her names or later when she was in the military they would roll their eyes when she would try fighting.

I really liked how this book made me change my "allegience" or my sympathy. Like you, Dalea, I felt a morbid satisfaction when the women started getting revenge for all the things that had happened to them. I really felt it was well-deserved. Even though I, like a lot of you, have never thought feminism meant female power (as contrary to male power), but equality. (I had this same feeling of satisfaction in Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, when the Indian(?) women had killed that man that had repeatedly harrassed/raped them, and that was not even fiction.)

But as the book goes on, and as more and more things happen, my sympathy was changed, and I moved away from that satisfaction. Tunde's rooftop scene had me really scared for him, and the rape scene near the ending was so horrible. I hated those women.

The satisfaction, probably, comes from the wish to be stronger, physically. At least for me, it comes from my wish to be able to defend myself and those around me, in a way I can't do now. It comes from remembering all the times it would have helped me to be bigger. So these men in the book, even if they might not deserve it, become the reflection of all the men I wish I could have just sent jolts of electricity through.

But I think all this shows is that we are right when we say that feminism means equality. A matriarcy would not necessarily be better than a patriarchy, and we actually can see this. Keeping this in mind, I think, is the key. Because listening to you here, Dalea, Emma and Britt, even though you (and I) say you felt satisfied, it sounds like none of you (or I) actually want that society. So I think we could do something else.

yes that's exactly it Felicia.

The violence in the book did get to a point where I was thinking, "ok this isn't right. This doesn't feel empowering anymore it feels wrong".

But I think I was feeling liberated by the idea that in this world I didn't have to be afraid anymore and that I was the one with the physical power.

Your comments reminded me alot of Stranger Things (spoilers). At the end of the most recent season Elle/Jane is able to take all of the horrible things that have happened to her, all of her rage and frustration and trauma and channel it into this explosive force. I remember crying when I watched it because it felt so cathartic, as a viewer, to see her have an outlet for all that helplessness.

I guess an interesting question is....if there had been no history of oppression or violence at the hands of males, say it was a brand new universe in which women were the more powerful gender, would we treat the men the same way they did in this book? in the beginning so much of the women's violence was committed in their own defence or as punishment against those who had seriously wronged them.

That's definitely a big question.

I posted a thread here in the group called "Would this happen?" where the question is discussed. The discussion went a little down another road, but based on what I read there and what I think myself, I would say that if we started from zero, this would definitely happen. However, I'm not so sure it would happen in the world we live in now. I keep having faith that because we talk so much about how feminism = equality, we actually would not behave like that, if we were given power. Just like I keep having faith that we can achieve equality in a society where men are physically stronger.

The book itself ('The Power) suggests that it would take 5000 years before women were truly in power. 5000 years, because people would need to forget that it used to be men. I think it's important that we don't forget this, if we want an equal society.

What do you think? And anyone else?

I don't feel I got any satisfaction out of seeing the tables turned, but I think that's because I didn't like the mean-spiritedness that was brought out in the women who received "the power." I could tell - and I have read how - the author is attempting to show, with this book, that power corrupts, absolutely, and it doesn't matter what gender is in power; as long as there is a power imbalance, there will be horrible crimes committed, mistreatment, and violence.

What I felt was a misstep was the fact that it seemed all women, no matter the culture, gained this response to power in the same way. Women who came from very religious cultures eschewed all their teachings about love and kindness and instead acted in hatred and violence towards their male oppressors. What kept me from liking this book was how singularly the women responded to the power. It felt off and it felt wrong.

I agree with what has been said in regards to this topic of "would this happen?" In this day and age, I believe not. Too many women are looking for an equal balance in power, not to overtake the power for themselves. There is a larger push just to sit at the table, to be paid equally, to be addressed equally, and suddenly shoving every male out of the picture would create the same vacuum. I think, with the kinds of responses I've seen on most OSS discussion boards, that feminism is felt to be an equality of genders, races, sexual orientations, etc. I hope - well, I truly believe - that the events in "The Power" wouldn't happen because too many of us would stand up and say, "That's not right," and use our new-found power to protect those being victimized, even if they were the people who had just oppressed us. It's important to be the bigger person.

hi everyone,
I read the Power this week and was so fascinated by it, it took me two days. It was a very good surprise. Ans I do agree that when you're reading there are mixed feelings about the women's power and how the use or abuse it. However I was left a bit disappointed, I don't think I understood the ending. Why does "the mother" gets so crushed when she calls her host mother? I just felt like there was something missing, or more likely that I was missing on something. I want to know what will happen to other characters.. But then it's probably what makes the book so intriging.
I looked online and on forums but didn't find anything that could help me understand the ending, it's a bit frustrating :)

There were definitely points where I felt the satisfaction described, but I have found myself appalled that women that got the power abused it so. They were taking the same actions that they felt so powerless against.

I have struggled with this in a similar sort of way (at least in my mind), although not quite as brutal. I have family that grew up poor, actually my dad and his brothers/sisters. They grew up seeing their mom struggle financially. Now, that they are grown and no longer struggle in the same way their mom did, they've turned their back on those that do. They complain about food stamps and other forms of aid, they complain if a younger family member is struggling with money or doesn't have a job that they feel is worth anything.

Ashley wrote: "Now, that they are grown and no longer struggle in the same way their mom did, they've turned their back on those that do. They complain about food stamps and other forms of aid, they complain if a younger family member is struggling with money or doesn't have a job that they feel is worth anything. "

Poverty is such an fascinating and complicated topic. I've lived through similar situations. Family was on food stamps, but then once we were able to get off of it it was because everyone else was lazy. That we were the exception, not the rule.

It's easier, I think, to assume you are special, than to comprehend and question that reason why thousands of people aren't getting by. That is such a big problem that doesn't have an easy solution that it's far far easier to blame the odd person out (racism) than to tackle the systemic issues. And far far easier to believe that you were special than to face any of the tough realities.

I love this quote "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires" - Wright.

You found a great connection between the two. I love that you are applying the same mental gymnastics and cognitive dissonance to power. Example: I won't do that to people; unless they force my hand. I would be a benevolent leader; until someone threaten's my vision. Etc. etc.

Great insight.

I kept thinking about this - and how I wanted The Power. I definitely felt that I was with the women for most of the book.... though the end rape scenes where hard to read.

For me I think this book perfectly showed the danger in organized religion, and in bridging the gap of church and state. Mother Eve's religion mixing with Margot's soldiers and Roxy's drugs is what truly undid the society. It wasn't solely women gaining The Power.

I also kept thinking about how in the beginning men were rounding up young girls and killing them, before they were even a "threat". If it was reversed and men had gotten The Power, I can't imagine anyone, men or women, killing them.