Lysistrata's Power Being example essay topic

The struggle, gain, loss, and expression of power have always been prevalent in literature throughout the ages. The many conflicts brought on by power can often be attributed to cultural influences present at the time. Lysistrata from Aristophanes' Lysistrata is quite similar to and yet quite different than Isa from Kojima Nobuo's The American School. They are similar in that they have a great power. Lysistrata's power being able to influence and persuade her peers and Isa's being the power of communication.

However, where they are quite different is in the expression of their powers. Lysistrata is definitely the more charismatic of the two. She is able to use her great power of persuasion to convince her fellow women that by seizing the Acropolis and withholding the state treasury, they can coerce their husbands into finding a peaceful solution to the Peloponnesian War which was raging at the time. Lysistrata's argument was the state was being mismanaged by men and that the women, although they were seen as no more than "love affairs", and the keepers of the "bassinets", of their children could manage the state much more efficiently.

A main part of her argument was that they had to sleep alone most of the time because their husbands were away at war. In addition to that, they were being robbed of their children; born to be pawns of war. Rallying her "troops", and seizing the most holy to Athenian temples, her power was displayed kinetically for the entire world to see. Kinetic power is power or energy that was dormant, or potential, and then released. Isa from The American School is a much different character living in a much different yet, similar time. Where Lysistrata's struggle to acknowledged as a formidable power was during the Peloponnesian War, Isa lived in post-World-War-Two Japan.

Both characters lived in a time where war was going on, or vividly remembered. Isa differs from Lysistrata in that his power is potential, or stored power. Isa possesses a skill that is most valuable for a person living in American-occupied Japan. He has the power of communication, namely a proficiency for the English language. In the story, he chooses not to exercise his power, but keep it hidden. This is due to an experience he had with an African-American soldier.

The soldier was assigned to drive Isa from village to village to act as a translator. This made Isa extremely uncomfortable, so he chose to speak very little to the soldier, two words, in fact. "Stop", and "go". Another time this trait is illustrated is when Isa gets to the American school and meets the attractive, young instructor. He chooses not to speak, but communicate by gestures. Sure, he can speak English well enough, but he feels awfully embarrassed.

Even though his English proficiency lay dormant, his talent is exhibited by the ability to communicate with her without words, or at least, not too many words. Although, Isa isn't really a dominant character in The American School, he has much power that remains potential. Lysistrata is definitely the dominant character in Lysistrata. She exudes great power through her indomitable spirit.

I think she could be described not really as a feminist, but more so a realist. She saw things as they were, a terrible lengthy war that was robbing the women of their men with no sensible end in sight. So, being a kinetic person, she gathered as many loyal women as she could, made a pact bound by and oath of loyalty, and took matters into her own hands. The culture of the time had to do with most of her angst toward the male sex as well as her living environment.

The mismanagement of the state coupled with the absence of her husband was too much to bear, so, making her potential power kinetic she addressed the pertinent issues and rectified the domestic situation. Isa's power was gained before the American occupation of Japan. He attended university and excelled in the English language. After Japan and America went to war, English translators were much desired.

So, the war-time culture didn't really influence his power, but rather molded how he explored and on rare occasions, actually used it. The lines between Lysistrata and Isa are clearly drawn. They are very different characters in very different time periods. But yet, they share a few things: the ability to effectively communicate, as well as deal with and live during a war-torn time.