Martial Law in the Philippines, slavery in North America) are still glossed over and its effects ignored by some people. I see how atrocities of the recent past (e.g. I see how women living in abusive situations struggle to leave it behind, even with seemingly strong external support systems. I see how the Catholic Church still keeps some women in the Philippines hesitant to use birth control. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder at how easily women all over the world accepted the consequences and benefits of their power. I personally found Roxy’s power struggles against her father and brother to be among the most compelling storylines, and I wish Margot’s story had been developed much further. The stories vary in intensity and interest throughout.

Margot’s political opponent advocating for a ‘cure’ and Margot’s cunning response to position the women’s training centres as helping women ‘control’ their powers. The rise of women into power isn’t an easy transition, and Alderman does a good job of showing the initial resistance from men, e.g. The story is told from four perspectives: Allie, a survivor of parental abuse who joins a convent and becomes a Messianic figure called Mother Eve Roxy, the leader of a British crime family Margot, a politician rising in power whose teenage daughter Jocelyn struggles to control her own power and Tunde, a Nigerian photojournalist and only male narrator. Overturning a long-standing power structure requires an ideological shift, and the mere ability to shoot sparks from one’s hands doesn’t seem like quite enough. Gender power dynamics is such a complex, nuanced subject and I feel a simple power dynamic switcheroo fails to take into account the nuance of women’s experiences and the reality of any form of lasting social change.

In many ways, it’s a timely and thought-provoking reflection of contemporary society, and a welcome addition to conversations around women’s issues.īut at the same time, I can’t help but feel the story is too simplistic. Alderman’s world is pretty much the world we live in now, except with the genders reversed: men live in fear of being physically assaulted, they are objectified and when assaulted, are accused of “asking for it”, they are confronted with the glass ceiling at work and are either relegated to reporting fluff news or having their women co-workers or friends take credit for their work.

Naomi Alderman poses the question of what would happen if girls and women suddenly became physically stronger than men, and in The Power, the ability to discharge electricity from their bodies completely overturns the gender power dynamic.

The power novel by naomi alderman