Secret River

OUTCOME 2
Conflict has the ability to bring out the best and the worst in people. While some would like to believe that it is in times of conflict that they are able to behave altruistically, surely it is still acting out of self-interest if one is able to reap some benefit, even if it is only one of feeling good. Surely acting out of self-interest isn’t really always that bad. Saving your house instead of the neighbours, or saving your own child instead of someone else’s. There are those who act extremely selfishly in times of conflict like for example the looters in the recent Queensland floods. Really in times of conflict people do act out of self-interest but that isn’t always a bad thing.
It is in times of conflict that there are in fact some people who will exploit the situation to ensure they get what they want. In “THE CRUCIBLE”, we are shown this through the character, Abigail.   She takes advantage of the hysteria surrounding the witch hunts and tries to get John Proctor, as he husband. She also wants power and ultimately is aiming for revenge. Just like a real life situation, if you were suddenly given all this power, it would be overwhelming but at the same time the decisions made may not be rational. Basically this is the same with Abigail. She suddenly has all this power but doesn’t know what to do. She wants to take revenge and prove that she is in control to John Proctor, and she really seemed to enjoy the power she was suddenly able to yield. Sometimes unfortunately when some people suddenly find themselves with power and control in a situation of conflict they don’t always act with their best interest.
It can be in times of individuals seeking to have power and control over others where conflict may appear and it can be in times of conflict where individuals try to grasp power and control and use it to their own advantage. Some people like to exploit that power and use it to control others acting out of self-interest and this can lead to...