Authority and the Individual

As with any two antitheses, Authoritative bodies and individuals fight for their polar causes, creating tensions, the result of which is shown in studied texts Dead Poets Society, and Panther Power by Tupac. The song Panther Power uses emotive language and high modality to convey its message of dissatisfaction with the authoritative regime, while stating that even though they’re only individuals, the composer is willing and able to take any path necessary to achieve independence or elevation in the face of authority. The purpose of this text is to achieve some level of unity within the African American community by spreading the messages of the “Black Panther” organisation, while using fear as a tool against the majority, who hold some level of authority over the African Americans. It addresses current inequalities, while using the current tensions between the system and the african american community to emphasise its message. This text is more of a product of the tensions between authority and the individual, whereas Dead Poets Society is more of a comment on the issue. In Dead Poets Society, a lot of focus is placed on how “revolts” against oppressive systems are started, their nature and how they grow. In the beginning of the movie, there are hints that certain students and Mr Keating are dissatisfied with the status quo of the school, and these hints later develop into actions. What Dead Poets Society offers to this topic is its commentary on the process of uprising against systematic oppression.

Panther Power is an anthem of the struggles of a generation of African Americans, it is the result of their oppression and an expression of the tensions between authority and the individual. Through the use of the quote “And Uncle Sam never did a dam thing for me, Except lie about the facts in my history”, Tupac is satirically conveying dissatisfaction at the American government, and its system. By choosing the symbol of patriotism in the nation, Uncle Sam, who also happens to be white, and stating that he’s never done a thing for them, Tupac is stating that the authority holding white majority of the untied states have never made a positive impact on him. This idea is emphasised by the fact that Uncle Sam was, at the time, a very positive image in the minds of many Anglo nuclear units, and sometimes deemed as Americas salvation. By doing this, he is stating that the African Americans interests are so far from the status quo of the USA, that even their symbol of patriotism, and moreover, their nation itself has never benefited them once.