The Spirit of America and Independence Theme in Literature Essay Example

Independence, as well as the process of going through our own unique journeys, are what shape us into who we become in life. The ability to make decisions leads us to an overall path, gaining perspective, knowledge, and defining our spirit one way or another. Through “The Story Of An Hour”, “Driving my Own Destiny'', and “Mississippi Solo” these key ideas are demonstrated in different ways, but all do so by discussing the obstacles each main character faces and how it defines their freedom and journey. Thriving in some ways, and struggling in others.

In “The Story of an Hour”, a tale is told about a woman who finds out her husband has died, but rather than crying out in agony or being in an everlasting state of uncertainty, she finds herself crying with joy over the chance to be free. Yelping “Free! Body and Soul Free!”. The story is defined by independence since Mrs.Mallard has been longing for it for who knows how long. Her husband being alive meant no freedom, no joy in her life. So when she learns about his passing, though a piece of her is going through grievances, she cannot help but look on the bright side. Describing it as a “monstruos joy”. The woman starts seeing the world as a brighter and better place,  looking outside her window seeing “patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her window”, almost like her husbands supposed death has made the dull world around her appear in bright colors again. Independence, the freedom to do what one pleases, turned her world upside down. Mrs.Mallard goes on an unpredictable journey throughout the piece, almost like a roller coaster. In the beginning, it is stated that the woman's husband died, and she wanted to be alone. That is not surprising, it is expected that one would want that. Though, we are soon met with the chronicle of the world through her eyes, which does not necessarily seem filled with sorrow about the news. She is excited and enlightened over it on the contrary, “ drinking in a very elixir of life through that open window”. It is not until the end of the story, where Mrs.Mallard's “dead” husband comes walking through the door, where her journey ends. She dies out of disappointment, pure and utter disappointment of learning she never had her independence: Mr.Mallard is alive.The perspective is influenced due to the readers being aware of her reactions, even when other characters are not.Such obstacles the main characters face throughout the story, and even outside of the story, are key parts of the theme. With the knowledge of Mrs.Mallard being so (secretly) delighted upon finding out the tragic news, a conclusion can be drawn that their relationship was unhealthy in some way, connecting to Mrs.Mallard’s need to reach for freedom during him not being present.

The informational passage “Driving My Own Destiny” tells the true story of a woman, the difficulties in her life, and how she faced them for the better.In some ways, the story is similar to the previous work, the main character longing for freedom or independence. She grew up in Saudi Arabia, where there are very strict rules as to what females can do, wear, and say. It was said that “music was banned; cinemas were closed; the separation between genders was strictly enforced everywhere”, becoming like a prison for girls of all ages. They could not even be called by their own name: they were property, they could not drive because that was considered a man's job. This did not sit well with Manal al-Sharif, along with many other women there, causing her to start a campaign using the internet against these restrictions. A campaign that “called women to come out and drive on a single day”, a day that went viral across the world with millions of supporters. Manal al-Sharif wanted freedom, and wanted it for others too, so she fought for it despite knowing the consequences, creating a wave of action. Her journey did not go unrecognized, starting off following the controlling rules like other citizens, saying that she was “voiceless, faceless, and nameless”, not knowing there was a world outside waiting with greater opportunities. Though, she eventually realized how wrong it was after decades. Realized what men were making women do was not morally right. That is when the end of her gruesome journey came, creating a peaceful protest that would change the lives of millions, adding that she “believes in full citizenship for women, because a child cannot be free if his mother is not free. A husband cannot be free if his wife is not free. Parents are not free if their daughters are not free. Society is nothing if its women are nothing”. Not only did the obstacles she faced help mold her into the woman she is, but they also created a group of courageous women who were the same. It started with a Manal al- Sharif who wanted to make a difference.

“Mississippi Solo” tells the story of a man wanting to face his fear while also achieving his dream, all by going down the Mississippi river. Despite his friends and family not supporting him, the narrator decides to take on the daunting task independently. “One friend even told me to take a bus” he had said, “What the hell for” his family questioned. They thought he was crazy, but that did not matter. All the main character wanted was to prove them wrong, adding, “I’ve never minded looking stupid and I have no fear of failure. I decided to canoe down the Mississippi River and to find out what I was made of”. In this work, independence is displayed through his courageousness to do the task of going down the Mississippi river alone, without the support of anyone. He did not retaliate, instead he tried to prove them otherwise. The journey starts uncertain, describing his childhood and what led to his fear of the river he would later take on. At first he respected it, later despising the body of water, stating, “I have watched this river since I was small”. Though, there was a point where he wanted to be in the river, a part of it, but his parents never let him. He goes on to say that unlike in the past, now that he is a man nobody can stop him, “but now I am a man and my parents can’t stop me”. The narrator's journey flips multiple times in a way. Going from him being dependent to independent in the end. Again, even as a man, his parents did not want to allow him to canoe down the river, though they had no say anymore.This is when he can finally “show what he is made of”, not only concluding the fear of the river, but also his journey to independence.

In these three pieces, the spirit of America and independence, as well as the influence of journeys faced, are perceptible discussions that add to the theme of the stories. For Mrs.Mallard it was the disappointment of losing independence that, in the end, ended her journey, for Manal-al Sharif it was gaining her independence through a campaign after years of being mistreated, and finally for the narrator it was deciding to do what he wanted and face his fear instead of doing what others wanted for him. Overall, these events helped shape the characters into who they become, and changed their perspective along with their spirits.