Defining Freedom In George Orwell's 1984 And Ishmael Beah

How would you describe freedom? I would describe freedom as the power to think, act, and speak without hindrance and restraint (dictionary.com). Both George Orwell’s 1984 and Ishmael Beah’s A Lone Way Gone challenges the definition of freedom and how it is attained. In 1984, freedom is diminished quite a bit. They are not able to think, act, or speak freely and are constantly watched by the government. In A Long Way Gone freedom is being shown in the use of symbols. Symbols such as guns, Ak 47, rehabilitation, and the cassettes all provide freedom for Ishmael Beah. George Orwell stated, “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”() The government is able to control how each and every

Orwell sees the party as an overpowering government who control its people in every way that they can so they have no freedoms. They do this by limiting their free will. So while Winston is saying that being able to attain freedom is to go against that government much of the book focuses on how freedom in controlled and diminished . Freedom is Slavery most prominently deals with controlling their acts and specifically the people’s actual behaviors and interactions with each other and the party. They control the people’s freedom by the use of the telescreen and double think. The government believes that if the people have freedom then they will be able to rebel and the government does not want that. So to stop the people from rebelling, the government control how the people act and think. The party is also able to control people’s behaviors. O’Brien looks at Winston and explains to him what the party plans to do. He states, “Everything else we shall destroy…All competing pleasures shall be destroyed.” (267) The party has broken the bonds between child and parent, between man and man, and between man and woman.” (267) Creating bonds is a fear to the government because it could lead to a rebellion O’ Brien explains. Also O’Brien explains that if parents come to together and create a bond then they could pass on any sign of rebellious behaviors to their child. So to stop this, the party makes children spy on

Freedom is shown through symbols such as guns, rehabilitation and the cassettes that Ishmael has throughout the war. Freedom is something Ishmael Beah is given being a solider in the war and also create an easier life for him. The first symbol of freedom is the Ak 47 that Ishamel Beah is given in the army and it is a symbol of freedom. Ishmael Beah states, “Whenever I looked at rebels during raids, I got angrier, because they looked like the rebels who played cards in the ruins of the village where I had lost my family. So when the lieutenant gave orders, I shot as many as I could, but I didn 't feel any better.” (122) The loss of his family is how he channels his pain by having hatred towards the rebels who killed them. Ishmael channels his anger by the fire of his gun. The gun is freedom where he can kill anyone he wants. He believes if all the rebels are killed he will have successfully achieved freedom, peace and his soul would be healed. Freedom can also be defined as having a sense of security in the world and that is exactly what a guns gives you too. A gun gives you sense of security and confidence. If someone is coming after you and you pull out your gun they will immediately stop and back off. It gives you protection. Ishmael has the freedom to kill. Another symbol of freedom is when he is in rehabilitation. This provides him a chance to be at peace with his new self