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<p>Is conscience a more powerful motivator than money, fame, or power?</p>
<p>In modern society, action is thought to be a result of conscience and moral reasoning. However, this is not always the case. In fact, power, money, and fame can often drive or influence an individual to act in ways that their conscience forbids. This can be noted in numerous examples from literature.</p>
<pre><code>In William Goldings novel Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys is crash landed on an island with no adults or means of escape. The plot follows the group as they establish a way and a system of life. It becomes quickly evident that the hunters became infatuated and obsessed with killing animals. The power that they feel with the fate of another life in their hands outweighs the guilt that they experience for their sins. The allure and seduction of this shows that human nature tends to incline towards appealing and satisfying paths. This power motivates them to become savage and barbaric, stripping away their social expectations and suppressing their struggling consciences.
Another example can be noted in F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby. The titular character, Jay Gatsby, falls in love with a young girl named Daisy early in his life. However, their love was never meant to be, because Gatsby was poor. Driven by the need for money and desire, Gatsby engaged in many illicit and contraband dealings, earning his fortune through deceit and deception. Money silenced his conscience, motivating him to act against his moral compass to achieve his selfish ends.
A final example can be noted in Chinua Achebes book Things fall apart. The main character of the novel, Okonkwo, is chief of an American tribe. He is driven in life to maintain power and renown among his people to remain in control as a leader. He is so motivated by this, that he banishes his own son for going against his structures a chief. To act against family is a major immoral decision, to say the least. In this case, Okonkwo was led his desire for fame and power to act against his conscience. This shows that conscience is not that powerful, especially when weighed against other appealing things.
In conclusion, human action can often be shaped more by fame, money, and power than by morality and conscience. All of the characters mentioned suffered for their immoralities. The lesson to be learned is to be driven by good, not bad.
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