Power and Responsibility

370 Words2 Pages
When a person gains a leadership position, to thrive successfully, he or she must balance their power and responsibility. Without a balance of the two, the individual will struggle to gain respect from the people they direct. In “Spanish Roulette” by Ed Vega, the main character, Sixto Andrade, struggles to find a balance, resulting in too much responsibility. “The Colonel” by Carolyn Forché portrays a colonel with too much power because of his threats and violent actions. As a final example, my high school lacrosse coach was well liked and well respected due to her balance of power. Sixto Andrade is put in situation where he must chose, which matters more: his family or his future. He realizes if he does not go after Lino Quintana, the rapist, he will be disappointing his sister. However, if Sixto does kill Lino, his whole future will be ruined due to the consequences of his actions. In his family, he was always taught to respect and defend the women around him. As a protective older brother he should kill this man, but as a talented young poet he should consider his future. “His heart called for the blood of the enemy and his brain urged him to use caution” (Vega pg. 555). Sixto is intelligent enough to realize the consequences of his actions and the limited amount of power he has in this situation. As an older brother, protecting his little sister and his family becomes a priority and a much larger responsibility. In “The Colonel”, the main character has too much power due to his violent actions and threatening attitude. The verse, “My friend said to me with his eyes: say nothing” (Vega pg. 555). This verse shows the uncomfortable situation the author feels sitting with the colonel and his family for dinner. The people attending this dinner are all silent because of their fear of the colonel and how he might react. My high school coach was
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