Are You Really Free In The 1960's

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Sophie Kay Mrs. Moynagh ENG3U-02 01/13/12 Are You Really Free? Freedom is something that everyone of all races struggle to achieve in some way. Freedom can mean different things to different people depending on their circumstances. Some people may be politically free but struggle to be free mentally in society. The Help By Katherine Stockett dealt with many of these issues through the 1960’s. During the 1960’s woman of all ethnicities struggled to achieve freedom in their lives due to various aspects of society. Society’s expectations, laws and social pressures are some of the ways people can feel imprisoned mentally and physically. All woman were forced to fallow the expectations society put on them which mentally…show more content…
This was a time where black activists such as Martin Luther King were rising and fighting for black rights. Blacks lived in constant fear that they would do something wrong and end up killed. The rumors and lies made up about these women prevented them from living a free life. Mrs. Hilly was keen on spreading unnecessary lies about the help “All these houses being built without maid quarters. It’s just plain dangerous. Everybody knows they carry different kinds of diseases than we do” (Stockett, 10). Black people were degraded and were not looked at as human. They did not have the freedom to go or use anything white people use. They were dehumanized if they stepped out of line “My husband cousin... they took her tongue out for talking to the clan... You think they gone take our tongues? For talking to you?” (Stockett, 301)- Winnie (A black maid). Black people were denied the right to speak their mind or else they would be tortured or killed. They had to write the novel in secrecy in fear that they would get caught and killed. All the rights of a human being were denied to the black society in which freedom of speech and freedom in society were not…show more content…
Woman at this time were trapped in the idea of being a perfect house wife with lots of friends and very active in the community. Black maids had no personal choice in what they do for a living and no rights which enabled them to be degraded and abused. The dominance a man had over a woman at this time was immense and relationships were much different than they are today. So before you look at someone and assume because of their race they are free, really think to yourself the many other aspects that can be disabling one from being
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