There are lots of struggles for power going on in Rainbows End, starting with Alfred's struggle to mind control the world, and going all the way down to Robert's struggle to dominate his family. (Spoiler alert: neither succeeds. Yay!)
But power isn't always about some old guy (like Alfred or Robert) asserting his will on others; a lot of this book is about how power is distributed among many people or about how the "less powerful" resist the systems of power that they are caught by. Power in Rainbows End is often a question of the technology that people are using.
Questions About Power
- What do the characters here want to do with the power they get? Alfred says he wants to save the world, but how does he plan on doing that? And do you trust him? What about Winston Blount or Tommie Parker?
- Are there any connection/similarities to be drawn between the people who are most interested in power? Are they all old? Are they all men?
- Technology seems to be a major source of power in this book, but are there other sources of power? What about manipulation? Or social power within a community?
- Does power in our world resemble power in the world of Rainbows End?
- What's the best form of power in this book? What's the best use of power?
Chew on This
In Rainbows End, power always needs to be tested by resistance. That's the only way to tell "good power" from "bad power."
Power in Rainbows End is often on the side of the big institutions that don't want things to change. That's why power can never be trusted.