The abuse of power displayed in Lord of the Flies and “I Only Came to Use the Telephone” show how power, when given or assumed, can change the person who has been elevated above others as well as change the person who is mistreated. When people in positions of authority abuse this power, it can affect people's lives and well-being. A person who abuses their power can often weaken the mind of the person they are abusing and will change them. In “I only came to use the telephone”, the quote “Herculina standing in the doorway, Maria gave up” (Gabriel Garcia, p. 86) shows us how a person who mistreats or hurts us will weaken us our mind. Maria considered Herculina to be an abusive and powerful person. So she gave up trying anything at the sanatorium. Before that, Herculina had already instilled fear in Maria. “No pleading could move this maniac in a suit who was called Herculian because of her extraordinary strength. She was in charge of difficult cases and two inmates had been strangled to death by her polar bear arms. (Gabriel Garcia, p. 75) This quote explains why Herculina weakened Maria's spirit due to her violence towards the other patients. After repeatedly asking to use the phone, Maria was denied access and considered crazy. She was not allowed to use the phone. This abusive character ruined Maria's fighting spirit to stay sane and escape the sanitarium. This abusive character pushed her so far that Maria gave up and truly turned into a crazy person. A violent person will change and break our spirit. An image can be used as a powerful symbol, just like our American flag is a symbol of power. Or an image may be an abusive symbol like the face paint in Lord of the Flies. Jack, the leader of the savage group, would put blood on the faces of his group members to show...... middle of paper ... their position, for his own gain. Since Jack was so willing to kill, he would kill anything that did not obey him. Jack expects total obedience from everyone on the island. There is a certain power and authority that must exist for a society to function properly. When people like the Matrons and Jack are placed in a position of power, they tend to take advantage of their position. Additionally, they will mistreat or harm people they feel are beneath them. This power satisfies their ego, they feel it completes them but it leads to their own demise as leaders. This will take away their basic human feelings and their sense of right and wrong to the extent that they are only right. Works Cited Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Penguin Group, 1954. Print. Garcia, Gabrielle. “I only came to use the phone.” Strange pilgrims. April 1978. 71-91. Print