Power :: essays research papers

When a person has enough source in a society, it gives them a lot of carry over certain things. When they have this control, they can have ownership over a person or a thing. By cite just aboutone, or something, a person gains an unspoken ownership over him or her, they are now in control of him or her and it has created a new indistinguishability for them and erased their old identity. Power, naming and un-naming, control and ownership and identity are very important elements in Mary and No Name Woman. Both essays fuck with power, identity, control and ownership, while Mary focuses more on naming and No Name Woman focuses on un-naming. Ones power and position in a society can give them the right or ability to name or un-name a person. Someone can gain this right by his or her status socially, financially, and even racially. If its their own child, of course, they have every right in the world to name him or her. But in some cultures, as is evident in No Name Woman, they have the right to take away someones name if they have shamed their family and/or community. A name is very significant because it gives a person a sense of who they are, an identity. In No Name Woman, Kingstons aunt had no identity except for the story her mother told her and in Mary Marguerites new boss, Mrs. Cullinan changed her name to Mary which then, in a way, removed Marguerites original identity and gave her a new one, one she didnt want. By changing Marguerites name, Mrs. Cullinan proves how much power she has over a little black servant like Marguerite. A rich white member of the society, in which Marguerite grew up, has more power and control over things than someone of a poor background or a black background. Mrs. Cullinan wasnt the first to incite the drastic change of Marguerites name, although she started it off by calling her Margaret, it was in fact, one of her friends who suggested that the names too long. Id never bother myself. Id call her Mary if I was you.(5) As if showing off to her friends, and proving that she really does have control and power over black people, she starts calling her Mary, much to Marguerites disgust. Marguerite soon learned that Mrs. Cullinan had changed Miss Glorys name twenty years ago.