Question

In the context of this story, how does power corrupt? How does the balance of power between the children and the man change throughout the story? (From "THE MAN IN THE WELL")

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

1. In "The man in the Well" we can see that the innocence and purity of children is completely corrupted by the power over someone's life. This is because this power fascinates and excites those who hold it, making them use it at their own pleasure without caring about the pain and suffering of other people. Children, in this short story, had the power to help the man who was inside the well, but making him wait and torture him gave them that sense of control, which corrupted them and made them do evil.

2. At the end of the story, the man finds out the name of one of the boys and this empowers him to speak directly to the boy, causing strong psychological pressure and being able to report what the boys did to him to anyone who pass near the well. This caused the boys to be disillusioned and afraid, who were totally controlled by the power that the man now wielded over them.