Price of Freedom

Have you ever thought about what it would be like not to be free? What would it be like not to be able to make choices? What would it be like not to be able to do what you want? It's scary to think about not being free, but even in the world today some people don't even have basic human freedoms. Lois Lowry shows us in her books The Giver and Gathering Blue what it would be like not to have freedom and how important it is that we have it.

One of the greatest and more fundamental gifts of life is the autonomy that comes with being a sentiment human being. This hasn’t always been considered a human right, however, and many eastern hemispheres are struggling to catch on to the concept that people should be allowed to make the decisions they choose without the external pressure to do otherwise. Thus, the question that should be asked is whether or not every human being on this planet is free, whether they should be free and what does free really mean. For many, freedom is all about that ability to to choose what they want, make their own decision and be able to move around as they please. Freedom is about equity, free speech and the guarantee of life, no matter how good or bad.

Freedom. Something everyone, in one way or another, wants to obtain. But what does it mean to be free? In Harrison Bergeron, especially when compared to Ovid’s original Icarus piece, this question is answered. The retelling shows that in order to feel free one must know their limitations and their strengths, be able to take a risk and defy society and its rules. Once someone is able to do put it all on the line and be danger of risking their place in society, they will be truly free.

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion,” is a quote written by Albert Camus, which displays the complexity of defining the term freedom. Jean-Paul Sartre’s play “The Flies,” defines the concept of freedom as the accountability of one’s own guilt, which allows individuals to recognize their own freedom. Furthermore, an individual that accepts accountability for one’s own guilt and responsibility for the city, or complete isolation, is living in freedom. Likewise, Zora Neal Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God explores the notion of being or becoming absolutely free, finding her voice,

Freedom lets us walk wherever we want. Freedom lets us wear whatever we want. Freedom lets us sleep peacefully. Freedom lets us eat any food not one certain food. Freedom gives us the power to speak out our thoughts out loud.

Thucydides, an Athenian historian and general, once said, “The secret to happiness is freedom, and the secret to freedom is courage.” Freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Throughout history, reformers have rallied against leaders and fought for what they believed in. To live a quality life, certain freedoms are necessary. In a Eulogy for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.F by Robert F. Kennedy, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and Animal Farm by George Orwell, different types of people are represented through different ideas of struggling for freedom: a man leading others to receive the freedom they want, a man going against society’s rules to read literature, and animals overtaking humans in hopes of being treated fairly.

The notion of freedom and everything relating to freedom unites all of the American literature we have read. In Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Huck

The staple of societal thought, freedom, is the power to act, speak, or think as one wants without the concern of being oppressed (Webster). Freedom, is a unique element to the mixture of liberty across the United States. Martin Luther King Jr’s a “letter of Birmingham Jail,” and Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence both advocate the claim for freedom. Both of these historical figures make this apparent by arguing for the protest against tradition, a change across unjust laws, although they differ between the kinds of change to be enforced.

Having an imagination of being free was only a dream that many dream of. “Every slave thinks about it. In the morning and in the afternoon and in the night. Dreaming of it. Every dream a dream of escape even when it didn’t look like it.”

Have you ever thought about doing something but later getting judged, hated and misunderstood. Do you feel as if you don’t have the freedom you deserve. Like you can’t be you and can't do what you want to do. Like you don't have freedom. Freedom is a common thought, the three authors show the characters just want justice, freedom and peace.

What is Freedom; does it really mean to be “free?” According to several dictionaries, freedom is described as being free of confinement or physical restraint. The United States of America is one of the freest countries in the world. Freedom isn’t just prone, though. Millions fought and perished for our rights and delivered us the freedom that citizens of the United States possess now. It is truly sublime to have these rights, is it not? Having human rights that enable us to do whatever we prefer is enlightening, yes? Ah, but is that what we actually maintain? We accomplished the aspect of freedom, but we are never really “free” until everyone is on the identical page.

Freedom is undoubtedly a virtue, but the definition of personal freedom varies from person to person. For African slaves in Latin America in the 1700’s, full and actual freedom was virtually impossible even if they escaped slavery due to the way society worked. Because of this, African slaves had to find their own ways to be “free.” For Domingos Alvares, freedom was found through spirituality and public healing. Throughout his life, Domingos’ incredible healing powers and ability to create a community caused him both great distress and fulfillment.

There are the positives of having freedom as well as negatives. Living in the United States you are not required to do anything as for example China it is a state law that makes them learn martial arts. We have the freedom over here to do as we wish in most situations, like we can go to college, we can work even though they set certain hours that we can work but then again we can pick a shift. Having your freedom is the most important thing in the world because it gives you the right to do as you wish. To me I think that some people take their freedom for granted, doing stupid stuff like committing a crime that they get locked up for. We all have certain things that we enjoy and even though

Today we accept that freedom is a basic right human right but what exactly is freedom. 1On one hand, there is physical freedom. People who are not imprisoned or enslaved are free. On the other hand, there is freedom as a the right to act, speak or think what you want. People cannot reach their full potential if they are not free in both senses of the word.

What is the price for FREEDOM? It's obvious that the price for freedom is not free but that it is rather large. After obtaining freedom, we look back and wonder was it worth it? Was freedom overpriced? In other words, did we sacrifice and pay too much to be free?