CLICK HERE http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/freedom
That is the definition of freedom. But what we were all arguing about was the extent of freedom and the different societies we view it in. Freedom in America is different than the freedom in Oceania. Freedoms we are granted are not granted to other countries such as speech, voting, choice of religion, sexual preference, etc...
But those in Oceania believe they are free. Many of the citizens of Oceania (Winston excluded - obviously) believe they are free mainly because that is what they are told and what they know. They believe that the Party is doing the best thing for them. They're not free. As readers, we can see that, but they physically do not KNOW freedom. They don't have the capability to think about it, to do anything about it, or even escape the grasp Big Brother has blinded them with.
During socratic seminar, we all argued about our freedom. If we were free, how free we were, and to what extent our freedoms can be taken away. As Americans we are granted with many rights. With those rights, come our safety. We are considered a free country and we are one of the safest out there.
Previous posts have touched on the idea that we aren't a free country because they gave us our rights and are still able to tweak or remove them. Guidelines have been created by our founding fathers to ensure our rights to remain intact and to also ensure that we are not abusing them. Just like the citizens of Oceania live by certain laws. The thing is though, that our "freedoms" vary.
What this all goes back to is the idea that the idea of "freedom" is different in different societies and places. Governments and the way society is run in other places may seem wrong and bad to us but is what they view as right.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.