Famed Canadian author Thomas C. Haliburton once said, “Whenever there is authority, there is a natural inclination to disobedience.” From a teenager rebelling against a controlling parent to the colonies revolting against the British, the suppression of freedom instinctively breeds resentment. Even more important than the probability of an act of disobedience, however, is the projected impact such an act could have for everyone involved. When viewed from this more general perspective, as the extent of an authority figure’s control increases, so does the impact of an act of disobedience from the followers upon the entire power structure between them. In Cool Hand Luke, a comparison of the effects of Luke’s acts of disobedience in distinct spheres of power within the prison camp reveals a clear and positive correlation between the extent of authority and the impact of disobedience. In the universe of the prison camp, life inside the prisoners’ barracks is a completely distinct world where Dragline exercises unofficial but unchallenged authority. Just a few scenes into the movie, Dragline’s authority becomes unquestionably clear through the other prisoners’ obvious deference to him. Immediately upon the arrival of new prisoners, Dragline is first to be informed, as Koko exclaims “Drag... Drag... Newmeat Bus! We got us Newmeat tonight!” Even if Dragline had made the observation himself, such an effort would be unnecessary as other prisoners come and report all current information directly to him. These incidents reveal the broad acknowledgement of Dragline’s power, and more importantly, absolute obedience to his judgment and desires. Dragline takes calculated measures to ensure the continuance of his role, stepping in at the prisoners’ barracks as soon as the guards leave as if to mark his territory, informing the new prisoners that “All you Newmeats gonna have to shape up fast and hard on this gang. We got rules here an' in order to learn them, you gotta keep your ears open and your mouths shut.” Dragline both positively and negatively reinforces the necessity of obedience, casting himself as knowledgeable about the norms of the prison camp while simultaneously employing the threat of punishment for disobedience. In this way, he not only strengthens the pre-existing power structure but also does so in a way that avoids breeding resentment amongst the rest of the prisoners. The cost of obedience to Dragline’s authority ultimately seems a small price to pay when viewed in relation to the risk of angering the guards, a concept which makes Dragline’s leadership both universally accepted and essentially self-enforced. With just one step outside the bounds of the barracks, however, the presence of the violent guards completely alters the power dynamic to one of total subservience to their authority, where Dragline’s power within the barracks becomes immaterial. As the sadistic Captain put it upon Luke’s arrival to the camp, “You'll learn the rules. It's all up to you. I can be a good guy or I can be one mean son-of-a-bitch, it's up to you.” The unspoken threats emanating from this statement ensure prisoner obedience, almost without exception. The Captain’s portrayal of this kind of obedience as a self-made choice is almost ironic when considering the severe limitation of basic freedoms for the prisoners, as well as the high incidence of violent enforcement of the camp’s rules and regulations throughout the film. For example, Godfrey demonstrates his shooting skills in front of the prisoners while they work as a crude and indirect threat of the consequences if they dared to disobey him. From taking a shirt off to wiping sweat off one’s face, every movement of the prisoners is carefully monitored and regulated, the price of disobedience always the ever touted “night in the box”. In contrast to the voluntarily respected authority of Dragline, deference to the guards has neither alternative nor limitation. In this world, more
