Safa Syed

Period 1A

10/28/24

Freedom and power are similar, yet abstract concepts which have a lot of connections

and relationships with each other. Having freedom is the act of having free will, or being able to

do as one pleases. On the other hand, having power is where you have authority in order to

control or influence others, whether it’s according to your personal beliefs or not. The

relationship between freedom and power is that, though excessive power is commonly used to

strip people of their freedom and let them go unheard, there are other ways that people attain

freedom through sheer will.

Excessive power of one person causes other people to lose their freedom and become

oppressed. People in power, such as government officials, leaders, dictators, etc. often use their

authority to oppress and persecute people less than them. This idea was expressed in “Harrison

Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, where equality was established in the society they lived in by

bringing down people’s abilities to the same level. Specifically, the way the government

suppressed their people from reaching their full potential was shown as it is stated that,

“George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his

ear… keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains.” The context behind

this talks about a government which brings everyone down to the same level of below-average

intellect, to assure that they are all equal. This connects back to the idea of how people in power

take away freedom, as the government in this story used handicaps to bring people down,

which took away their freedom of thought and the ability to think and have opinions for

themselves. The government, possibly fearful of a rebellion, ensured that they remain in power

by taking away the freedom of their people through these handicaps. Another example of

excessive power being used in the wrong way was shown in, “Anne Frank’s Diary Speaks to
Teen Girls in a Secret Kabul Book Club,” by Diaa Hadid. In this story, the Taliban and the Nazis

took control of the society and forced their laws on their people, causing the people to be

“...forced into hiding because of a violent, oppressive government…. They go into hiding. They

can’t make noise. They have to walk softly.” The government, which had power without

limitations, used their prejudices and authority to oppress people they are biased against, such

as Jews and women. The freedom of the people was stripped away because the government

used their authority to prevent the Jews and women from acting according to their free will.

When people have more power than they need, without any limitations or checks on them, this

power is used to control the people they rule, just like Harrison Bergeron, the Jews, and the

women of Afghanistan.

Even when people have attained power and freedom, this can blind them to the problems

of others less fortunate than them. Specifically, the problems of the oppressed are often

unheard to the people with power and authority. In the poem, “The Caged Bird” it is stated that,

“...a free bird leaps… and dares to claim the sky” and “..but a bird that stalks down his narrow

cage.. His wings are clipped and his feet are tied, so he opens his throat to sing.” This poem

talks about two birds, one which is free and flying, and the other which is in a cage. Since the

caged bird can’t fly or move, the only thing he can do is sing for freedom, but to no avail. This

scenario is represented in real-life as people with power, such as the flying bird, do not hear the

cries of people who yearn for freedom. People with power are constantly busy with their own

affairs so they think that the freedom they have is something that everyone has. A bird that is

flying is seen as a normal idea for everyone, that they do not stop to think about the birds that

are caged with their feet tied. Just like in our society, people with power are used to common

luxuries like shelter and housing, which prevents them from thinking or hearing about the cries

of people without these luxuries, or people who are oppressed.

ways that people can attain freedom without power. Specifically, there are different ways that

people can be free, even if it is through the lack of power or authority for themselves. This idea

is stated in the story, “Some Advice to Those who Will Serve Time in Prison”, that, “I mean, it’s

not that you can’t pass ten or fifteen years inside… you can, as long as the jewel on the left side

of your chest doesn’t lose its luster!” Despite spending fifteen years inside prison, the author

says that you can still have a way to be free, as long as you have a purpose, which was earlier

expressed in the story as, “.. to live one more day to spite the enemy.” Even though they are in

prison, which should’ve been a concept of a complete lack of freedom, this story talks about

how freedom is still attainable if you have a purpose and a will to survive. In our society, though

there are a lot of people who are oppressed, they have a will or purpose to continue living,

whether it is their religion, faith, or even spite, which prevents them from breaking down

completely. Another example is stated in the story, “Anne Frank’s Diary Speaks to Teen Girls in

a Secret Kabul Club” that, “.. we are just in a dark place and there isn’t any light…but I want the

diary to be my friend, and I’m going to call this friend ‘Kitty’.” The girl in this story does not have

any power to do as she pleases, but she is holding on to her freedom by connecting with a book

written by a girl with similar experiences as her. For this girl, having freedom doesn’t only mean

being able to do and act as she wants to, but it also means to have a will to survive or feel

connected, which she attained through Anne Frank’s Diary.

In conclusion, the relationship between freedom and power is that power has the ability to

take away someone’s free will, just like the Taliban, the Nazis, and the government in “Harrison

Bergeron” did, with the main purpose which is to ensure that they remain in power. However,

something that people in power are not aware of, is that freedom is still attained without power,

just like how the Kabul book club girls found freedom through connecting and reading with Anne

Frank, or how the person serving time in prison found freedom by having a purpose and will to
survive. This makes freedom more powerful than power or authority, as freedom can be found

through sheer will, whereas power can only be received if freedom is found first.