Bill Clinton and Passage Samuel Pepys Essay

Submitted By murda123
Words: 766
Pages: 4

Being in a position of power allows man to blindly pursue his/her desires. As exhibited in the passage Samuel Pepys held power which he used to acquire what he sought. Social standing or power has always been a status of attraction to many. From the days of Pepys to modern history people have tried to get close with people in power for personal gain. Furthermore, the diary offers insight to social life in that era. The article sheds light on society and the advantages of power by describing the everyday life of someone living in that time. Having a position in society leads to advantages for the person in power. Pepys held position in the navy and could influence the jobs in his sector. Mentioned in the passage “One striking aspect of Pepys’ adventures is the way he used his official position to extract sexual favours” this suggests that Pepys allowed for husbands to gain jobs and promotions in the navy if he could be sexually involved with their wives. Although Pepys was not limited to just wives, he took advantage of his power in exchange for sexual favors every opportunity he had. Most women that were intimate with Pepys had a reason and were also gaining something from the relationship whether it is advancement in their career, money, or promotions for their husbands. Mrs. Betty Martin was one of those women “Mrs. Martin continued to satisfy Pepys’s sexual desires whenever he was in need, and her husband continued to rise in the world”. Mrs. Martin was evidently engaged in sexual relations with Pepys so that her husband could advance in his career. One can see how society was very competitive back then and people would do anything to earn more money and gain a more esteemed status in society. In some cases the husband or even the parents knew about what their wife/daughter was involved with and were satisfied. “The Bagwell parents and Mr. Bagwell himself were aware of what was going on and were perfectly content to let it happen” There may be many reasons as to why they would let it continue after knowing the truth the most obvious would be to earn more money and have a better job. However, this shows how desperate some people were to just be employed in times of war, disease and struggle. Even recently, one can see around the world that people in power are able to gain what they want and others are attracted to it. Bill Clinton was involved in a personal relationship with Monica Lewinsky during his presidency. This again shows that Bill Clinton may have wanted a sexual relationship and due to his position he was able to attain it. Pepys’s position as a Clerk of the acts Commissioner of the Navy board allowed him to use his power to gain favors, usually sexual and women also engaged in a relationship with Pepys so that they would gain something that Pepys