Chief

// The Chief //  By Catherine Leigh The 1960s were defined by an uprising among young adults and teenaged kids; it was a decade of rebellion against authoritative institutions, both parental and political (specifically communism, a then-current issue). As time went by and those teenagers grew up, the media reflected that generation’s animosity towards and fear of tyrannical leaders. As a result, in our society, the archetypal Chief is often negatively depicted as cold, heartless, and dictatorial, as seen by examples such as Jack in //Lord of the Flies// and Miranda Priestly in //The Devil Wears Prada//; however, there exist more positive and toned-down portrayals of the Chief – including the hero D’leh in //10,000 B.C.//, Optimus Prime in the Transformers movies, and Martin Luther King Jr. in a poem by Maya Angelou – which shed a new light on this often despised archetype.

The qualities of the chief do not change, but rather the varying perceptions make the chief, by definition, a double-edged archetype. (This basically means that a chief can either be a hero that represents the ideals of society, or a villain that embodies the fears of society.) The actual definition of a chief remains constant: the character is tough, decisive, goal-oriented, and unwavering. However, these qualities can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. For instance, decisiveness can be a greatly admired quality, but it can also be viewed as cocky and stubborn. Likewise, a person who is inflexible can be regarded as a steadfast hero, or a fool. Because the criteria of a chief are so ambiguous, the line between the heroic and the villainous is a thin, but evenly dividing, line. Unfortunately, instead of providing a balanced depiction, our society’s portrayal of the qualities of a chief often focuses on the negative and harsher degrees of the archetype.

In the shrouded eyes of the media, chiefs are cold, self-interested dictators who strike fear into the hearts of those unfortunate enough to be subservient to them. For example, in the movie //The Devil Wears Prada//, the character which the title describes is in fact the editor-in-chief of a popular fashion magazine. Miranda Priestly, played by the esteemed actress Meryl Streep, is a brutal boss with the cold stare of a demon and the mocking smirk of a witch. She constantly preys on her employees, who in turn cower in her presence. One employee describes Miranda in a particularly negative way, saying “She's not happy unless everyone around her is panicked, nauseous or suicidal.” And so, this particular portrayal of a chief greatly exaggerates those qualities of tough decisiveness to create a “devil” who is cold-hearted, sadistic, and cruel. Another example of a widely feared leader can be found William Golding’s novel //Lord of the Flies//. Jack, a brutal and maniacal boy, leads the choir boys and, eventually, his tribe in a violent and despotic manner with only his hunt in mind. With regards to the double-edged chief, Jack manifests the ultimate fears of society: he is an unwavering, unmerciful, and heartless tyrant with no regard for his followers. In short, Jack is an exaggerated embodiment of society’s fears of what a chief //could// become, given the right circumstances. This bold exaggeration is not uncommon in the media, which tends to exhibit those negative qualities in the worst light.

Though it may seem like only pessimistic portrayals of the archetypal chief exist out there in the media, plenty of works of literature, movies, and more show noble characters leading others with poise and determination. In contrast with some of the more negative chiefs, these characters work for the greater good of all, no matter the sacrifice they may have to make. Furthermore, they are revered and respected by their followers. Optimus Prime, the heroic robot of the //Transformers// movies, provides a great example of this new and improved chieftain. Optimus firmly and decisively leads the Autobots, who in turn follow him with pride and admiration. He does not give up on his goals of protecting the humans of Earth from his enemies, even when the humans turn their backs on him. His determination saves lives, instead of destroying them. Optimus (which just so happens to be the Latin word for “best”) truly is one of the best depictions of a chief so far. However, the media has provided a few more positive views of the archetype. One is D’Leh, the hero of the movie //10,000 B.C.//, who unites the tribal groups of his region and leads them across the desert in order to save their loved ones from the bondage of slavery. He makes many personal sacrifices along the way, including his love, but he never gives up. The other is Martin Luther King Jr., as depicted in Maya Angelou’s poem //Abundant Hope// (seen here). Angelou commemorates his work as a leader of the civil rights’ movement, writing that he was sent from heaven with a sole purpose, and that he was so dedicated to his goal that he risked his life, and was even imprisoned, for his dream. Angelou’s diction, her use of phrases like “great soul,” and “resurrect,” reveres the chieftain Martin Luther King Jr. to an almost deified, angelic status. In all three of these cases, the media presents chiefs in much more positive ways, effectively transcending the fears of society in order to illuminate the ideals.

When analyzing the archetypal chief, no one portrayal is completely accurate, because biased perspectives and differing opinions can sway the criteria of the chief from either too negative to too positive. However, creating a balance in the dichotomy should be the goal, because focusing on the negative provides neither valid information nor positive outlooks for those exposed to it. After all, wouldn’t it be nice if everyone viewed the glass as half full, as opposed to half empty? If everyone focused on the ideals of society instead of scrutinizing the fears?

__ Works Cited __
 * // 10,000 BC - TV Spot 11 - YouTube // . //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.//Web. 03 Jan. 2012. < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0z-lUQ4GrY&feature=related >.
 * Curtis, Colleen. "Maya Angelou's Abundant Hope." //The White House//. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. .
 * // The Devil Wears Prada Clip (My Name Is Andy) - IMDb // . Perf. Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. //The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)//. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. .
 * Golding, William. //Lord of the Flies//. New York: Penguin, 2003. Print.
 * // Transformers 3 Autobots Are Back - YouTube // . //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.// Web. 11 Dec. 2011. .