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Chapter 40
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
Eve meets Roxy as she gets off the train. They hug warmly, but Eve can tell something is wrong when Roxy pulls away awkwardly. Back in Eve’s apartments in the palace, she asks what happened to Roxy. Roxy admits she almost died, and shows Eve the crooked, upside down arc of the scar along Roxy’s chest. Eve takes this as a sign: she thinks it is the symbol that “God placed in the sky after the last time She destroyed the world.” It is the rainbow, inverted.
Eve’s allusion to the story of Noah and the flood serves as yet another Biblical manipulation on Eve’s part. Again, this reliance on religion does not stem from true faith, but is rather a way for Eve to support her own narratives. Eve uses this supposed sign as a justification for trying to destroy society.
Themes
Eve is amazed because Roxy is the strongest person she knows, and even she was “brought low.” Roxy tells Eve that there are bad things happening in the north, and they need to find ways to stop it. Eve agrees, saying that they have to show people Roxy’s scar and inspire them with fury. Roxy shakes her head, realizing Eve doesn’t understand what she means.
It is at this point that Roxy’s and Eve’s paths start to separate. Roxy, who has now lost her power, recognizes Eve’s corruption, whereas Eve simply wants more and more power as she sees how men refuse to cede it completely.
Themes
Eve says that they have to start a war to end all wars. Roxy reasons that if they start bombing each other, other countries will get involved. The women will suffer as much as the men and they’ll bomb themselves “back to the Stone Age.” Eve nods, saying then they will have 5,000 years of rebuilding, where the only thing that matters is “can you hurt more […] And then the women will win.”
Roxy is shocked, starting to believe that Eve is crazy. Roxy admits that she knows what happened in Eve’s past. Roxy says she understands and that Mr. Montgomery-Taylor deserved to die. Roxy tells her that she should look up Mrs. Montgomery-Taylor if she really wants the women to win. Eve tells Roxy, as they part, that she will always love Roxy, but that if they don’t win, the men will.
Roxy starts to understand that Eve would not, in fact, create a better or more progressive society than the men have, recognizing the extent of Eve’s corruption if she simply wants to destroy the world.
Themes
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