The meaning of the storm and panther

In the novel Power, many things lead up to the killing of the panther, like the storm. I think the storm was written into this novel to build suspense, but also give us a view of what Omishto was truly like. Although we see a little bit of her personality through the beginning of the novel, her identity is shown when she is put into complex situations. During the storm, while she was all alone trying her hardest to get back to Ama's house for safety, all she could think about was that if this was a dream. I think this may have been the first time she was ever put into a situation like that, but I thought it was interesting that she kept mentioning her mom and sister and wondering if they were safe. Before that, her mother and sister were not too high on her list of people she really liked, but when it came down to what really mattered, they were there.

While reading about the storm, I started to get jumpy when I would hear things around me. I think this novel is meant to do this and I think the storm brings a scary feeling into the picture while the panther hunt starts as well. The panther hunt also shows a characteristic of Omishto we haven't really seen. I saw that throughout the novel she was influenced by many peoples decisions, and still is during this hunt, but she at least tries to give Ama a sense of her mind. Omishto tries to tell Ama to stop and asks her what she is doing.

I think the storm and the panther hunt are significant throughout Power because it gives us a sense of who Omishto really is, and who she can be. I think since she is only 16 she is also going through self-identity issues and isn't sure what she thinks and maybe if what she thinks is right in their minds.