The Quiet Surrounding Power

     In Hernan Diaz’ Trust, the implications and responsibilities that accompany power and authority is held as a central idea throughout the novel. 

Authority is demonstrated as a great silencer of those who don’t have it. Ida makes the observation that “the closer one is to a source of power, the quieter it gets” (232), meaning that those in positions of authority hold faculty over those who don’t, and often use this to their greatest advantage. Individuals who don’t hold power tend to be scared into silence, and their autonomy is left at the hands of those who hold authority over them. This involuntary disposal of autonomy is presented in the quote “silence between two is always shared. But one of the two owns it and shares it with the other.”

This silencing type of authority comes in many forms. While Andrew Bevel’s authority comes from his status, accrued wealth, and investing; other characters in the book hold authority due to systemic factors like gender. Ida is often undermined by her father, who refuses to do any sort of housework and leaves her with the burden of domestic tasks (230). Benjamin Rask takes it upon himself to dictate the mental healthcare Helen receives, going so far as to ignore her wishes at one point, eventually leading to her demise. Andrew Bevel insists on including a “watered down” version of Mildred in his memoir (300). As shown by the preceding examples, these power dynamics are visible even in situations where characters should (in theory) have more equality, such as the relationship between husband and wife. It is shown throughout the novel that those who have authority will use it to their full advantage, even when they have the option not to. In this way, these power dynamics contribute to a vicious cycle of oppression, as nobody is willing to relinquish their power, and those with no power remain this way. 

While different characters in the novel search for various ways of undermining authority, this only works up to a certain point. Due to the fact that individuals in positions of authority have the ability to control those around them, this also implies that they have the means to control their own narrative. Andrew Bevel is the best example of this misuse of power, as he states “If I’m ever wrong, I must make use of all my means and resources to bend and align reality according to my mistake so that it ceases to be a mistake.” In this way, those in positions of power not only have autonomy over those around them, but also over reality itself.