Power

“Then with nothing that could cast a shadow or core upon him, high above all, standing on his own shadow, he measured the scope of his power.” (Alejo Carpentier, The Kingdom of This World” 118)

This phrase about power really caught my attention.  It is referring to the time when Ti Noel, a slave in Haiti, is carrying stones to the top of the mountain to build King Henri Christophe’s fortress, the Citadel La Ferriere.  He is explaining that sometimes King Henri Christophe will have a chair brought up to the top of the mountain so that he can look out and ‘measure the scope of his power’.  Why is power so important?

Power is a way to cover up insecurities and fear and makes a person feel special and privileged. Before Henri Christophe became king, he was a slave.  He felt inferior to others and fearful of what others could do to him.  As he was able to gain power in his life, he liked the way that he felt.

This reminds me of the attachment theory by John Bowlby.  The attachment is about having an attachment to someone where you feel loved and respected.  When you have this attachment then you are happy.  So what happens if you do not have this attachment?  You would feel insecure and fearful.  Without this attachment people seek it elsewhere or they can become depressed and eventually give up and die.  In this case, King Henri Christophe sought it through power.  Through his power he treated his slaves badly, allowing him to feel special and privileged.

This reminds me of the character, Loki, in the Avengers.  As a little boy, he knew he did not compare to Thor and sought the attachment that he saw Thor have with is father.  As a result of this lack of attachment, he sought power by taking over Earth so that he could feel special and privileged, when in reality he felt insecure and fearful.  When we have attachments and feel love, we do not feel that it is necessary to seek out power or cause harm to others.