Freedom and Confinement

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Freedom and Confinement
Freedom in literature is mostly associated with individuals freeing themselves from actual or mental confinements with the hope of obtaining peace and liberty. It is important to note that the individuals do not always get the desired freedom. The analysis focuses on the idea that true freedom may only be acquired after one sheds his or her limitations with reference to Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”, Ray Bradbury’s “Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed” and Kate Chopin’s “The Story of An Hour”.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”, Fortunato perceives that he has the freedom to accompany Montresor to view the Amontillado. Fortunato states, “I have no engagement;–come,” (Poe). However, what is viewed as freedom confines Fortunato whereby he desires to remain part of the Amontillado. The “freedom” exhibited by the Amontillado rather confines him instead of setting him free. Therefore, it can be viewed that he does not acquire true freedom as he fails to shed his confinements, his desires.
In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of An Hour”, Mrs. Mallard illustrates the theme of freedom especially after receiving the news about her husband’s sudden demise. It can be viewed that the aspect of freedom overwhelms her such that it traps her despite the view that freedom brings about liberty. As per the text, “When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: “free, free, free!” (Chopin).

She does not shed her desire for freedom which later results in her death and hence not obtaining the freedom that she desired.
The theme of freedom in Ray Bradbury’s “Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed” is also clearly illustrated in regard to Harry and his family and the changes taking place in their new environment. Harry and his family together with other individuals escape earth to be free from the events taking place on earth. However, what they view as freedom on Mars slowly turns them such that they identify with the life in mass than earth. When the lieutenant and his crew manage to locate life in mass, he tells his crew, “The town’s empty, but we found native life in the hills, sir. Dark people. Yellow eyes. Martians,” (The Edge of Nightfall 2012). This indicates the confinement rather than the freedom that Harry and the rest had hoped for when they first arrived in Mars. They do not shed their desire for living in a better place which later causes them to slowly turn into Martians who couldn’t be identified by their fellow human beings.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” americanliterature.com, 2017. https://americanliterature.com/author/kate-chopin/short-story/the-story-of-an-hour.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Cask of Amontillado.” americanliterature.com, 2017. https://americanliterature.com/author/edgar-allan-poe/short-story/the-cask-of-amontillado.
The Edge of Nightfall. “Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed.” YouTube.com, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1ncENdgQU8.