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Chapter 19: Roxy
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
Margot and Daniel meet for an on-air debate. In the first segment, Margot gives strong answers while Daniel gives competent but boring answers. But after a commercial break, Daniel comes back fighting. He gets more aggressive, while Margot is on the defensive. She starts clenching and unclenching her hands. As Daniel attacks her on a more personal note, asking if she even cares about her daughters, she can’t stop herself from giving him a small jolt to his ribcage. It staggers him. Margot realizes what she’s done and stares in shock. The moderators announce they’re taking a break.
Daniel and Margot’s debate is full of implications on how gender roles are slowly shifting. Aggressive behavior (which is normally associated with men, but is starting to be associated with women) is prioritized no matter the gender of the person who is being aggressive, but Margot assumes that as a woman, she can’t be too aggressive without losing votes. When Margot unintentionally uses violence on Daniel, she thinks this will mean the end of her chances. But while people react negatively at first, in their hearts they still do value that strength—as shown in her election win shortly afterward.
Themes
In the next few days, Margot apologizes several times. She knows what she’s done is unforgiveable, but she only lost control when she heard Daniel’s lies about her daughters. Daniel is “statesmanlike” about the whole incident. Polls show that people are appalled by Margot, that her actions speak of poor judgement. The day of the election, it is assumed that Daniel will win. But as exit polls come back, it becomes clear that the voters lied. They believed instead that she was strong. Margot wins the Governorship.
This series of incidents demonstrates a reversal of how candidates are often viewed. Strength and ambition are usually prioritized in men, even when men use threats of violence or borderline unethical actions because people believe that this makes them tough or strong leaders. In reflecting on these same values when they belong to a woman, it forces readers to recognize and question this kind of bias.
Themes
