Freedom. Well in the 1st Amendment in the Constitution all people are given the freedom of speech, religion, press, petition and assembly. But I think freedom is a lot more than these things. I think that freedom is simply the ability to make your own choices on your own terms without being held down with expectations of others. I think that even though the proles were "free" in a sense, but by not being aware of their freedom to be able to make choices ties them down. I think that although Winston had no power to change a situation, he had the freedom of thinking to at least himself.
To me freedom is all that matters, without it nothing else is possible. If we don’t have freedom we don’t have the ability to decide for ourselves what we want. Gone is the power to choose our own fate and create our own destiny. Freedom is what allows us to experience life. Without it we don’t live, we merely exist. Sadly, this is what happened in both Winston and Offred. They lost their freedom and in turn lost control of their lives.
I agree with Sam. Freedom is everything. Without freedom we would not be our own people. Everyone makes different decisions which makes them who they are. It is very important for people to be able to form their own opinions and make their own decisions. Without this, all individual power is lost. I would rather be a prole- to be happy and free even though I would be filthy and uneducated. In the party member's case, what is the point of knowledge if you can't make it useful?
I think that while freedom plays an extremly important part in life, there are other things that matter. To me, freedom means having the liberty to do whatever you choose whenever you choose to do so. Freedom is protected with laws so that society doesn't go crazy. You need freedom in order to have other things that are important. Love is very important, but without freedom love is a struggle, this was shown in both The Handmaid's Tale and 1984. Family and Friends are another important part of life, and this also becomes a struggle if there is no freedom.
I agree with Sam in the sense that freedom is all that matters in life. If we were to have no freedom, what would be the point of existence? We would all be mindless drones going through the motions someone else dictates. We would only be mere pawns in a big game of chess. I agree with Myra in the sense that freedom is more than what's written on paper in the constitution. I feel that freedom is the opportunity to escape into your own oasis in your mind. Even if today our actions were to be controlled, we would all have that freedom of being able to let our mind wander into our subconscious without being confined. I think the most important aspect of freedom is the kind we get to have in our thoughts and dreams. If you think about it, our mind is what controls our well being. Someone may be getting tortured, however they can withstand the pain if they keep a clear sound mind and think of a place outside of that confinement. In Winston's situation, he kept his freedom as much as he could by thinking what he wanted and taking the risk of being accused of thought crime. In Offred's situation, I feel she only kept her sanity and strength because of the fact she never allowed them to control her mind and thoughts like some of the others. She kept her beliefs and kept her hope above all the rest. With hope, there is always freedom.
Freedom is being free of any restraints or confinements. I don't believe there is any true freedom in the world today. No matter where you go in the world, there will be some type of rule or law that you have to abide by. We say that America is land of the free, but we have laws to keep society in order. The laws are a positive restraint on freedom. Freedom is not all that matters. The laws are in place to protect other people and keep everyone civilized. In general, we are the most "free" country, but it is almost an oxymoron, because we have rules and laws from our government which we must live by. Sarah Kinslow
personally i believe that freedom is one of the most important factors in life. As a human being freedom is a very valuable thing because it allows us to be ourselves and live the lives we want to live. this quote may be from spiderman but it is very true. With freedom comes responsibility. People with freedom are responsible for their lives and their success. In 1984 and Handmaid's tale the governments felt that the people in society could not handle the responsibility of freedom and therefore laws should be delegated by authority. With that the quality of the lives of the people in society was so insignificant due to the abscence of freedom.
Although everyone makes a good point, i'd just like to bring up a different perspective. I definately believe in freedom, however like casey said "with freedom comes responsibility," and sometimes people can't handle the responsibility. People always say how important freedom is and how everyone should be free. Nevertheless i disagree because having that much freedom is dangerous. Think of all the people who would use their freedoms to steal, murder, harass, and hurt others? That's why i believe in limited freedom. I don't believe in one extreme of letting everyone to be free to do whatever they want nor in having no freedom; i believe in a happy medium. People should be able to be free in everything except when it may involved the injury or detriment of others.
To me freedom is being free from restrictions and control, it is a sense of independence. I feel that freedom is a very important right and privilege to have. Not only is it stated in the Constitution but it is something given to us by God- free will. He gave us freedom as humans to fully live this life which ever way we choose. For someone or a group of people to control that freedom is going against one of God's graces. So in Handmaid's Tale for the extremist government to say that their ideals and principles are teaching from the bible then that is an oxymoron. Same goes for 1984 one of the slogans is "freedom is slavery." I mean it is good to have laws to keep society in control and in order to provide peace and justice, but I think the government shouldnt have too much control or else our society would be like that of Gilied or Oceania. I think that freedom can be controlled only to a certain extent because just like in the novels their emotions and thoughts cannot be controlled. This reminds of Paradise Lost by Milton last year, when Satan says in Hell "The mind is its own place, and in itself" even though he was confined in Hell, he still had the freedom in his mind, which the same goes for Winston before he got brainwashed and Offred when she refused to let go of the past.
To me, freedom means having the ability to decide for yourself what you would like to do. Whether it be public speaking, sports etc. freedom is being able to chose what you would like to do. Freedom in Handmaids and 1984 is denied to Offred and Winston. The two main characters struggle to accept this because, they too, would like the ability to do whatever they like. Although casey brings up a good point and the government controls the people through this social oppression, the people are in fact capable of making their own decisions. We know this because before the Party and the Commanders took over, life was fine. The wars would have eventually ended and all would have carried on normally.
Freedom means that you are free. You are free to do what you want and when you please. This is what freedom is supposed to be like but that necessarily does not happen. Even in the United States we do not have total freedom to do whatever we please. In the United States we have restrictions such as you cannot steal something when you want to without it being illegal. In Cuba, however, there is no freedom what so ever. Cuban people have to live under a person who dictates to them, a dictator. I definitely think that freedom matters. It matters to me because I do not want to be held back or told I cannot do something. I want to be as free as a possible. I know I will never have complete freedom but at least in the United States we have some form of freedom. -Alexa Kelly
Freedom is everything. It is the ability to make our own decisions. Winston's freedom was in the hands of the party. It may seem that the proles have freedom because the party does not constantly watch them. But because of their literacy and unintelligence they do not have freedom either. They can not grasp the injustices that are going on in the world around them. The party does not watch them because they are not a threat. It is almost like, why our government does not let anyone under the age of eithteen vote. They do not think that they have the knowledge to make their own choices. If you do not know something is wrong then you are not going to argue. Winston may be trapped by the party but the proles are trapped by themselves.
Freedom is definatly the most important thing. If we didnt have freedom what would we live for? For people to tell us what to think, how to act, what to wear etc.? Thats no way to live. We are lucky enough to live in a country where we are free. One definition is a feeling or act of not being constrained. How would you feel if something as simple as your own name was taken away from you, like in Handmaids Tale? That is not freedom
I agree with Sarah in that no where in this world can one be 100% free. In most cases, this is beneficial in that laws and restraints are set up to preserve peace. Without these restraints on our freedom, there would be utter chaos and anarchy. As Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said, although we have freedom of speech, it would be unconstitutional to falsely shout fire in a theater. However, sometimes laws start to encroach too heavily on people and completely control their lives. This is shown in both books and in current situations in North Korea and Cuba. Therefore, idealistic freedom is one in which we are allowed to control our lives and make choices, but also must have some small restraints to preserve our freedom and tranquility.
I like what Denise said, relating the situation to Paradise Lost. Even though there was a "thought police", it was never proven that the people's thoughts could be monitored just as the telescreens kept an eye on everyone's lives. Although the residents of Airstrip 1 were terribly oppressed, they could always fall back on the ability to think their own thoughts in the privacy and solitude of their minds. That is, if the people were willing to risk being caught - however it is that one is convicted of thoughtcrime.
In my opinion, freedom is having the ability to choose. Most of us don't realize how many choices we make everyday, and how lucky we are to do so. We decide where we want to live, where we want to go to school, and what classes we want to take. We choose our friends, the activities we want to engage in, and what we want to make of our future. The choices we make lead us to become individuals, and being an individual is being free.
Freedom can be defined as the power to determine one's actions without external control. I definitely agree that freedom is everything. If you truly think about it, we take freedom for granted because we live in the United States, a country where freedom is understood. If you go to other countries, such as those in the Middle East, you will see that women have no freedom. They are forced to marry a certain person, and they do not have the ability to receive an education or to pursue a career. If we did not have freedom, we would not have the ability to believe in the Roman Catholic faith, to attend a private girls high school, or to read anything we wanted in general. I agree with both Denise and Reana that free will is given to us by God, but freedom also leaves the ability for people to pursue a life of crime or terrorism. I feel that each person is given freedom, and it is up to them as to how they use it, for either good or bad purposes. In the novels 1984 and The Handmaid's Tale, Winston and Offred are forced to abide under certain laws, such as those of Big Brother and the Commanders. In these instances, Winston and Offred are led to rebel in order to have any amount of freedom. But as we know, rebellion is looked down upon by society. Freedom is a gift that each person in America possesses, and it is up to every individual to use it in a way that will have a positive impact on society.
Freedom. Well in the 1st Amendment in the Constitution all people are given the freedom of speech, religion, press, petition and assembly. But I think freedom is a lot more than these things. I think that freedom is simply the ability to make your own choices on your own terms without being held down with expectations of others. I think that even though the proles were "free" in a sense, but by not being aware of their freedom to be able to make choices ties them down. I think that although Winston had no power to change a situation, he had the freedom of thinking to at least himself.
ReplyDeleteTo me freedom is all that matters, without it nothing else is possible. If we don’t have freedom we don’t have the ability to decide for ourselves what we want. Gone is the power to choose our own fate and create our own destiny. Freedom is what allows us to experience life. Without it we don’t live, we merely exist. Sadly, this is what happened in both Winston and Offred. They lost their freedom and in turn lost control of their lives.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sam. Freedom is everything. Without freedom we would not be our own people. Everyone makes different decisions which makes them who they are. It is very important for people to be able to form their own opinions and make their own decisions. Without this, all individual power is lost. I would rather be a prole- to be happy and free even though I would be filthy and uneducated. In the party member's case, what is the point of knowledge if you can't make it useful?
ReplyDeleteI think that while freedom plays an extremly important part in life, there are other things that matter. To me, freedom means having the liberty to do whatever you choose whenever you choose to do so. Freedom is protected with laws so that society doesn't go crazy. You need freedom in order to have other things that are important. Love is very important, but without freedom love is a struggle, this was shown in both The Handmaid's Tale and 1984. Family and Friends are another important part of life, and this also becomes a struggle if there is no freedom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sam in the sense that freedom is all that matters in life. If we were to have no freedom, what would be the point of existence? We would all be mindless drones going through the motions someone else dictates. We would only be mere pawns in a big game of chess. I agree with Myra in the sense that freedom is more than what's written on paper in the constitution. I feel that freedom is the opportunity to escape into your own oasis in your mind. Even if today our actions were to be controlled, we would all have that freedom of being able to let our mind wander into our subconscious without being confined. I think the most important aspect of freedom is the kind we get to have in our thoughts and dreams. If you think about it, our mind is what controls our well being. Someone may be getting tortured, however they can withstand the pain if they keep a clear sound mind and think of a place outside of that confinement. In Winston's situation, he kept his freedom as much as he could by thinking what he wanted and taking the risk of being accused of thought crime. In Offred's situation, I feel she only kept her sanity and strength because of the fact she never allowed them to control her mind and thoughts like some of the others. She kept her beliefs and kept her hope above all the rest. With hope, there is always freedom.
ReplyDeleteFreedom is being free of any restraints or confinements. I don't believe there is any true freedom in the world today. No matter where you go in the world, there will be some type of rule or law that you have to abide by. We say that America is land of the free, but we have laws to keep society in order. The laws are a positive restraint on freedom. Freedom is not all that matters. The laws are in place to protect other people and keep everyone civilized. In general, we are the most "free" country, but it is almost an oxymoron, because we have rules and laws from our government which we must live by.
ReplyDeleteSarah Kinslow
personally i believe that freedom is one of the most important factors in life. As a human being freedom is a very valuable thing because it allows us to be ourselves and live the lives we want to live. this quote may be from spiderman but it is very true. With freedom comes responsibility. People with freedom are responsible for their lives and their success. In 1984 and Handmaid's tale the governments felt that the people in society could not handle the responsibility of freedom and therefore laws should be delegated by authority. With that the quality of the lives of the people in society was so insignificant due to the abscence of freedom.
ReplyDeleteAlthough everyone makes a good point, i'd just like to bring up a different perspective. I definately believe in freedom, however like casey said "with freedom comes responsibility," and sometimes people can't handle the responsibility. People always say how important freedom is and how everyone should be free. Nevertheless i disagree because having that much freedom is dangerous. Think of all the people who would use their freedoms to steal, murder, harass, and hurt others? That's why i believe in limited freedom. I don't believe in one extreme of letting everyone to be free to do whatever they want nor in having no freedom; i believe in a happy medium. People should be able to be free in everything except when it may involved the injury or detriment of others.
ReplyDeleteTo me freedom is being free from restrictions and control, it is a sense of independence. I feel that freedom is a very important right and privilege to have. Not only is it stated in the Constitution but it is something given to us by God- free will. He gave us freedom as humans to fully live this life which ever way we choose. For someone or a group of people to control that freedom is going against one of God's graces. So in Handmaid's Tale for the extremist government to say that their ideals and principles are teaching from the bible then that is an oxymoron. Same goes for 1984 one of the slogans is "freedom is slavery." I mean it is good to have laws to keep society in control and in order to provide peace and justice, but I think the government shouldnt have too much control or else our society would be like that of Gilied or Oceania. I think that freedom can be controlled only to a certain extent because just like in the novels their emotions and thoughts cannot be controlled. This reminds of Paradise Lost by Milton last year, when Satan says in Hell "The mind is its own place, and in itself" even though he was confined in Hell, he still had the freedom in his mind, which the same goes for Winston before he got brainwashed and Offred when she refused to let go of the past.
ReplyDeleteTo me, freedom means having the ability to decide for yourself what you would like to do. Whether it be public speaking, sports etc. freedom is being able to chose what you would like to do. Freedom in Handmaids and 1984 is denied to Offred and Winston. The two main characters struggle to accept this because, they too, would like the ability to do whatever they like. Although casey brings up a good point and the government controls the people through this social oppression, the people are in fact capable of making their own decisions. We know this because before the Party and the Commanders took over, life was fine. The wars would have eventually ended and all would have carried on normally.
ReplyDeleteFreedom means that you are free. You are free to do what you want and when you please. This is what freedom is supposed to be like but that necessarily does not happen. Even in the United States we do not have total freedom to do whatever we please. In the United States we have restrictions such as you cannot steal something when you want to without it being illegal. In Cuba, however, there is no freedom what so ever. Cuban people have to live under a person who dictates to them, a dictator. I definitely think that freedom matters. It matters to me because I do not want to be held back or told I cannot do something. I want to be as free as a possible. I know I will never have complete freedom but at least in the United States we have some form of freedom.
ReplyDelete-Alexa Kelly
Freedom is everything. It is the ability to make our own decisions. Winston's freedom was in the hands of the party. It may seem that the proles have freedom because the party does not constantly watch them. But because of their literacy and unintelligence they do not have freedom either. They can not grasp the injustices that are going on in the world around them. The party does not watch them because they are not a threat. It is almost like, why our government does not let anyone under the age of eithteen vote. They do not think that they have the knowledge to make their own choices. If you do not know something is wrong then you are not going to argue. Winston may be trapped by the party but the proles are trapped by themselves.
ReplyDeleteFreedom is definatly the most important thing. If we didnt have freedom what would we live for? For people to tell us what to think, how to act, what to wear etc.? Thats no way to live. We are lucky enough to live in a country where we are free. One definition is a feeling or act of not being constrained. How would you feel if something as simple as your own name was taken away from you, like in Handmaids Tale? That is not freedom
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah in that no where in this world can one be 100% free. In most cases, this is beneficial in that laws and restraints are set up to preserve peace. Without these restraints on our freedom, there would be utter chaos and anarchy. As Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said, although we have freedom of speech, it would be unconstitutional to falsely shout fire in a theater. However, sometimes laws start to encroach too heavily on people and completely control their lives. This is shown in both books and in current situations in North Korea and Cuba. Therefore, idealistic freedom is one in which we are allowed to control our lives and make choices, but also must have some small restraints to preserve our freedom and tranquility.
ReplyDeleteI like what Denise said, relating the situation to Paradise Lost. Even though there was a "thought police", it was never proven that the people's thoughts could be monitored just as the telescreens kept an eye on everyone's lives. Although the residents of Airstrip 1 were terribly oppressed, they could always fall back on the ability to think their own thoughts in the privacy and solitude of their minds. That is, if the people were willing to risk being caught - however it is that one is convicted of thoughtcrime.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, freedom is having the ability to choose. Most of us don't realize how many choices we make everyday, and how lucky we are to do so. We decide where we want to live, where we want to go to school, and what classes we want to take. We choose our friends, the activities we want to engage in, and what we want to make of our future. The choices we make lead us to become individuals, and being an individual is being free.
ReplyDeleteFreedom can be defined as the power to determine one's actions without external control. I definitely agree that freedom is everything. If you truly think about it, we take freedom for granted because we live in the United States, a country where freedom is understood. If you go to other countries, such as those in the Middle East, you will see that women have no freedom. They are forced to marry a certain person, and they do not have the ability to receive an education or to pursue a career. If we did not have freedom, we would not have the ability to believe in the Roman Catholic faith, to attend a private girls high school, or to read anything we wanted in general. I agree with both Denise and Reana that free will is given to us by God, but freedom also leaves the ability for people to pursue a life of crime or terrorism. I feel that each person is given freedom, and it is up to them as to how they use it, for either good or bad purposes. In the novels 1984 and The Handmaid's Tale, Winston and Offred are forced to abide under certain laws, such as those of Big Brother and the Commanders. In these instances, Winston and Offred are led to rebel in order to have any amount of freedom. But as we know, rebellion is looked down upon by society. Freedom is a gift that each person in America possesses, and it is up to every individual to use it in a way that will have a positive impact on society.
ReplyDelete