Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.” Namely, a person does not rise in status or become powerful by attempting to gain control over others by force; rather, one achieves a greater level of status or power through individual merit. A powerful person is a person who, not only possess political or social authority but who is also strong or influential in the behavior of others or in the course of events. The pursuit of power is depicted in many literary works, one of them, in particular, being Moses, Man of the Mountain by Zora Neale Hurston. In her novel, Hurston contrasts the novel’s two main characters, Pharaoh and Moses, to make the statement that those who solely and forcefully chase after power and status, as opposed to morals and virtue, do not achieve their goal, but instead, are brought to their downfall.
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After Moses moves to Midian and marries into Jethro’s family, Jethro sees Moses’ great potential and that, “Moses had the genius for leadership…Here was the man of science such as the world had never seen” (Hurston, 112). However, ironically, “He had no mission in life except to study… Moses could become King over all the local chiefs, but he made no move in that direction even when he was urged. He just had no wish to govern his fellow man” (Hurston, 112). Despite Moses’ intellectual knowledge and ability to lead, he never seeks to become a leader. In fact, when Jethro urges him to return to Egypt and become the leader of the Hebrews, Moses is opposed to the idea and refuses. Hurston emphasizes Moses’ modesty and humility in order to contrast Moses and Pharaoh and highlight their striking differences. Moses, unlike Pharaoh, does not make his chief goal to become rich and powerful; instead, he runs away from power and status, as he wishes to remain in Midian, and continue living a simple life as a
After Moses moves to Midian and marries into Jethro’s family, Jethro sees Moses’ great potential and that, “Moses had the genius for leadership…Here was the man of science such as the world had never seen” (Hurston, 112). However, ironically, “He had no mission in life except to study… Moses could become King over all the local chiefs, but he made no move in that direction even when he was urged. He just had no wish to govern his fellow man” (Hurston, 112). Despite Moses’ intellectual knowledge and ability to lead, he never seeks to become a leader. In fact, when Jethro urges him to return to Egypt and become the leader of the Hebrews, Moses is opposed to the idea and refuses. Hurston emphasizes Moses’ modesty and humility in order to contrast Moses and Pharaoh and highlight their striking differences. Moses, unlike Pharaoh, does not make his chief goal to become rich and powerful; instead, he runs away from power and status, as he wishes to remain in Midian, and continue living a simple life as a