Mr. H. Salsich
English 9
February 2, 2009
Are We Ever Free?
An Essay on Imprisonment and Freedom
An Essay on Imprisonment and Freedom
Freedom is a beautiful thing, but because we live in a country where our rights are recognized and respected, we do not always appreciate these privileges. If we are honest with ourselves, we will probably find that not even once a day do we think to ourselves, “How fortunate I am to be living the life I am living.” We do not stop to think about the people around the world suffering, struggling, fighting for their freedom (tricolon). We do not think about all the people, places, and sights we will miss, and what it truly means to be free.
If I was imprisoned and was only allowed to choose a few views or people I could look upon everyday, I would want to see the sights that are most comforting to me. If I could look out the window and see any vista, I would see the view from the window in my bedroom. When I look out this window I can see into my neighbors’ yards and the backs of their houses, and because my bed sits next to this window, it is something I see everyday. Though it may seem like a simple, boring sight, this is a comforting view for me and it would let me know that something was still the same. However, when it comes to people I would like to see, I don’t think I could ever choose just one or two people. There are so many people I would want to see everyday that I don’t see how I would be able to do it, especially if I could only see one person. My friends and family would have to go on some sort of rotation so I could have face time with each of them, even if it was only once in a while. Some would think that seeing all the people you love might make you feel even more dejected (FAST) because you are unable share in their freedom, but for me it would be a treat just to see them, even if I couldn’t be free with them. As we all know, there are some people and sights that it are difficult to live without.
To me, freedom is like the sky: bright, boundless, full of possibility (tricolon). The sky is limitless, stretching on forever (participle phrase). On land, formations such as mountains, oceans, and cliffs can hinder your journey from one point to another, but up in the sky, nothing stands in your way. The sky, so wide and full of open space (SV split), is similar to freedom as a bird is to the free person: an endless space free from the confinement of rules and stipulations (FAST). There are no people or forces to restrict you from soaring towards your goals. Yet even something as huge and awesome as the sky can be thwarted, just as freedom can quickly come to an end. A rain cloud can interrupt the seemingly infinite reaches of the sky, hindering your path through the air. You can feel free and unstoppable, but there is usually someone superior to you who can take all of this away in the blink of an eye. Because of this, we should always appreciate our freedom and recognize those without these privileges.
Can we ever truly be free? Will there always be someone hovering above us, waiting to snatch away everything we have worked for? These are the questions I find myself asking as I contemplate the meaning of freedom. If the answer to these inquiries is yes, then we must take full advantage of the freedom we have, because we never know when it may all be taken away.
If I was imprisoned and was only allowed to choose a few views or people I could look upon everyday, I would want to see the sights that are most comforting to me. If I could look out the window and see any vista, I would see the view from the window in my bedroom. When I look out this window I can see into my neighbors’ yards and the backs of their houses, and because my bed sits next to this window, it is something I see everyday. Though it may seem like a simple, boring sight, this is a comforting view for me and it would let me know that something was still the same. However, when it comes to people I would like to see, I don’t think I could ever choose just one or two people. There are so many people I would want to see everyday that I don’t see how I would be able to do it, especially if I could only see one person. My friends and family would have to go on some sort of rotation so I could have face time with each of them, even if it was only once in a while. Some would think that seeing all the people you love might make you feel even more dejected (FAST) because you are unable share in their freedom, but for me it would be a treat just to see them, even if I couldn’t be free with them. As we all know, there are some people and sights that it are difficult to live without.
To me, freedom is like the sky: bright, boundless, full of possibility (tricolon). The sky is limitless, stretching on forever (participle phrase). On land, formations such as mountains, oceans, and cliffs can hinder your journey from one point to another, but up in the sky, nothing stands in your way. The sky, so wide and full of open space (SV split), is similar to freedom as a bird is to the free person: an endless space free from the confinement of rules and stipulations (FAST). There are no people or forces to restrict you from soaring towards your goals. Yet even something as huge and awesome as the sky can be thwarted, just as freedom can quickly come to an end. A rain cloud can interrupt the seemingly infinite reaches of the sky, hindering your path through the air. You can feel free and unstoppable, but there is usually someone superior to you who can take all of this away in the blink of an eye. Because of this, we should always appreciate our freedom and recognize those without these privileges.
Can we ever truly be free? Will there always be someone hovering above us, waiting to snatch away everything we have worked for? These are the questions I find myself asking as I contemplate the meaning of freedom. If the answer to these inquiries is yes, then we must take full advantage of the freedom we have, because we never know when it may all be taken away.
2 comments:
Lydia,
Fantastic essay! I especially liked the concluding paragraph. It summed it all up very nicely and I loved how you started it with two questions. One thing I got confused with was the topic sentence of the introductory paragraph when you said "as Americans". I feel that if you said "Americans" you should follow up on something on America being a free country or just replace it with "people". Also, I felt when you described the sky as "awesome" the choice of wording was a little vague. Other than that, great job.
Lydia,
Great job on your essay! I really like the thought that seeing people be free is not a curse, but a blessing. One suggestion I have is to change your analogy that compares a bird to a free person. It is a little unclear to me. Also, the last two sentences of your second paragraph seem to say almost the exact same thing as your concluding paragraph. You may want to change that a little to avoid being too repetetive. Overall, you are good!
Post a Comment