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The Flies: Ideal Of Authority - Online Term Paper

The Flies: Ideal Of Authority

In literature, a single theme that recurs throughout a novel or play can lend to the overall flow and meaning of the written work. An image that seems to be prevalent in “The Flies,” by Jean-Paul Sartre is the idea of authority. The idea of authority is manipulated by Sartre in various ways so that it reappears throughout the play and acts as a symbolic image.
The very idea of kings and royalty seen from the beginning of the play to the end suggests that at least some degree of authority will be involved in story. As the play progresses, the reader finds out that King gisthus has an excessive amount of power over the people of Argos and even controls their thoughts and ...

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wishes that she is unable to fulfill due to her low status in society. One of these dreams includes the reappearance of her brother Orestes, who disappeared from the city and their father was killed. Orestes does in fact return to Argos, and at one point offers to take Electra and leave town, yet Electra refuses to go. Possibly, Electra has become to accustomed to living a life of servitude and powerlessness that she is afraid of living a life of her own with responsibilities to uphold.
As the story moves on, the reader begins to see the authority that gisthus has over the entire town. The people are currently observing their “festival” which included the releasing of all of the spirits. The townspeople anxiously await the arrival of gisthus, knowing that they are unable to start without them. However, it is even more ridiculous that they celebrate this festival when they seem to know how truly ludicrous the whole idea is. Yet, their perceived authority of ...

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The Flies: Ideal Of Authority. (2008, July 31). Retrieved January 15, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Flies-Ideal-Of-Authority/87600

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"The Flies: Ideal Of Authority." Essayworld.com. July 31, 2008. Accessed January 15, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Flies-Ideal-Of-Authority/87600.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 7/31/2008 12:47:26 PM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Free Paper
Words: 849
Pages: 4

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