The Power is a novel that explores many themes including that of gender role reversal. The Power opens with an email one can only presume is set many years after the initial incident that sparks this role reversal between a female publisher and a male author. Much of the language used in said email utilizes much of the language that many women use when talking to superiors such as profuse apologies for bothering them, many thank yous, and intentional diminishing of one's presence. But in this instance the one using such small language is not a woman but a man. Despite the odd feeling due to such a simple change this occurrence is not only normalized but accepted as the way things should be. Starting off the book this way nods to the fact that power will always be taken advantage of by whoever holds it. The woman in this position does not have to respond to the man the way she does but she acts this way because she is in the position to do so. Demonstrating a key theme in this novel that absolute power over another is always bad no matter the wielder.
IMAGE: https://www.deviantart.com/eves-rib/art/The-great-gender-role-reversal-647747941
I think books like this are important so they can highlight the discrimination and struggles that women face even today in the work place. It's important to show how unacceptable these things would be if the roles were reverse. People often chalk up interactions like the email interactions to being women's fault because of their "sensitivities" but its important to show that this can happen to anyone and we only continue to allow these interactions without any punishment to men and often punishment to women in the workplace because we are so used to allowing these things happen and as for men they are so used to being able to get away with these sort of things
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