Freedom

I highly recommend that everyone read this because it tells a story while also making a statement about America - good stuff!

The American government is looking for somewhere to house eighty freed fugitives. To do this, they create a new country called, "Freedom." The prisoners are free to live, eat, and breathe as they please. The only condition is that they are never allowed to leave the island. The men have a hard time acclimating to the new society because they are used to a life of solitude. Eventually, the government sends new wives for the men because they have refused to allow their families to become subjected to the land of Freedom. With this comes suicide, pregnancy, divorce, etc. Eventually, Benson (the man in charge of Freedom life), realizes that Freedom has become "as good as America." The story ends with the old men sending six dozen teenagers off to see to find a better life.

This story is awesome. It sends such an intense message about how our country is and the idea of trying to control other people. Some themes that I came up with include: government control, utopias, relationships, and social problems. The idea of relationships could definitely relate to "Midsummer" because the men refused to expose their families to the deception of the whole idea of Freedom. Whereas, in "Midsummer," the couples are unavoidably exposed to deception.