Freedom Feels
- Alyssa Fong
- Jan 8, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 10, 2019
Miranda Carroll, the first wife of Arthur Leander, wants freedom from her Hollywood marriage, Willy Loman, father of Biff and Happy, and husband of Linda, needed to free his soul and conscience from the world of lies he was living, and Mrs. Mallard was married to Brently Mallard but felt relief when she found out he had "died".
In Station 11, Miranda knows that she doesn't really fit in with the Hollywood lifestyle that she is being brought into by Arthur but goes into it anyways. She believed that her and Arthur's love was greater than what she was putting herself in. When the thought of divorce comes up, Miranda likes the idea of being free from the stressful relationship that she has to maintain. She feels free and relieved to be leaving Hollywood because she doesn't fit in with their society and hierarchies. Within their last dinner party, Miranda realized the way Elizabeth Colton, Arthur's second wife, looked and dressed everyday. She felt out of place every time she was in her presence. With Miranda finally realizing that everything in Hollywood is so much more glamorous than she would've thought, getting a divorce with Arthur would give her the freedom of living the low key life she was meant to live.
In Death of a Salesman, Willy and the rest of the Loman family had a complicated relationship with each other. They were always short of money but wanted to act like they weren't. Willy realized that he wasn't living the typical American Dream and that he was living a fantasy. He realized that the world he was living in was partially in the past glories of Biff's high school career and the dream to have privileges with money. In order to feel free from the lies he's been carrying his whole life, Willy decided the best option would be to commit suicide. This would give Linda, his wife, the insurance needed to finish paying off the house.
In The Story of an Hour, Mrs. Mallard felt relief after hearing the news of her husband being "dead". Unlike other wives, Mrs. Mallard was happy when she heard the devastating news. At this time, Mrs. Mallard would've been controlled by her husband because she wouldn't have the freedom to make her own decisions. Mrs. Mallard feels freedom and happiness with the thought of her being able to make her own decisions without having to get her opinion and approved by someone else. Similar to Miranda in Station 11, Mrs. Mallard feels free from her current life and wants to live the life that is more beneficial towards her. Miranda wants to live a more private life and Mrs. Mallard wants to live a more independent life.
very nice!
It seems like bad relationships are a pretty common factor in these stories, however sad it may be. From one perspective everything could be great, while in the other perspective all they might seek is to be free. It's depressing to think that sometimes, all people want is to get out and do things on their own, like Miranda especially. I thought your point about how Miranda wants privacy and how Mrs. Mallard wants independence is very important. They're just two different girls in very similar situations who both happen to want to be free for two different reasons. While they have their character differences, their desire for that freedom stays valid within them.
Brilliant blog Alyssa! I like how you tied all three pieces together with the common theme of freedom. I noticed how many of these were more so freedom for women who were in unhealthy relationships, and I completely agree with it. Each of these stories describes a woman who is unhappy in her relationship with her husband, and when their husbands are finally out of the picture, it seems as though there is a huge weight lifted off their chest, and they finally feel free. For both Station 11 and The Story of an Hour, the female characters rejoice from their separation because they have been oppressed for so long to which the relationship now makes them feel uncomfortable. Wit…
Hey Alyssa! I thought your blog post really connected with the world and societal views. The world and society want freedom for everything because they are learning to express themselves uniquely. In the world, some people don’t have the freedom to live the life that they dream which compares to all these characters, who feel like they’re living the wrong life. They want the freedom to express themselves and the freedom to escape their reality. In our society, people are learning to respect the freedom of other people and learning to accept differences between personalities. Great post! Can’t wait to read more!
Hey Alyssa, I like how you made the comparison between “Station Eleven” and “The Story of an Hour” and how I could understand it clearly. You pointed out how Miranda wants to live a more private life and Mrs. Mallard wants to live a more independent life, which is really good. I would like it better if the blog included more of your ideas of how the three texts compare. I can’t tell how DOAS compares to the other stories because it is just not clear to me in your writing. I do really like the comparison you made between the other two books, I can understand it well and it was very clear.