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Power And Control Within The Novel ' Wild Geese '

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In Martha Ostenso’s Wild Geese, there are many issues surrounding power and control throughout the novel. Many of these issues are because of the main character Caleb, and the control he holds over many other characters. There are three main issues associated with power and control in the novel: The power Caleb holds creates fear and hatred for him from other characters in the novel. The power he holds also causes his children to dream about things in another life and become rebellious against Caleb’s wishes. Finally, Caleb’s control and power ruins him as a character and he suffers from nemeses. These issues surrounding power and control are important to characterization, plot development, and the relationships and conflicts between characters.

The first issue related to power and control in Wild Geese is the fear and hatred many characters have for Caleb because of his need to have authority throughout the novel. An example of fear for Caleb is the fear Amelia has for her husband. Amelia is scared of Caleb and what he will do to her if she challenges his power over her. “Amelia was justified in fearing Caleb if he held any damaging knowledge about her” (117). This shows that Caleb has control over Amelia, and the characters in the novel know that he will not hesitate to ruin someone’s life if he feels he needs to, no matter what the relationship is he has with them. Amelia is also the one that has the power over the children. Throughout Wild Geese she is the one that

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