There Is No Such Thing as Freedom

There is no such thing as freedom. We are all controlled by or in the power of something.

We are controlled by or in the power of those whom we consider more knowledgeable. Knowledge is superior to power. If you have power, but no knowledge, you’ll just end up losing what power you have. Power in most cases is about winning. If you know something about your opponents situations, that is knowledge, giving you the upper hand.

We all seek approval and validation, from friends, family, peers and even strangers. We spend our entire lives in the quest for validation without realizing it. As toddlers every clap and laughter told us that we were doing good and it egged us on to do better. As kids, we would look to our parents for a smile or a nod that would be understood as a mark of approval. The novel Stolen by Lucy Christopher revolves around a teen girl, Gemma and her captor, Ty who seeks approval from Gemma, a stranger whom he has been stalking for years. Ty’s life experiences of abuse and forcibly being removed from his home and not having any meaningful and loving relationships at an early age have caused him to yearn for a sense of belonging and connection. Ty not having any contact or relationship with a parent figure has affected his mental state. Ty does not know what is right and wrong and takes what he wants when he wants it, like he did with Gemma. “I wouldn’t want you to think I’m repulsive” by saying this Ty has given Gemma power over him. She can now control how he feels as he is in love with her. Ty’s words portray his need for approval from Gemma, he cares what she thinks and says about him. This gives her control over his insecurity. Gemma has always wanted to be accepted into a clique in school. Saying what she had to say and doing what she had to do to be noticed by someone, anyone. The school hierarchy had controlled the way Gemma saw things. Ty as an adult tries to avoid being hated and fears the thought of people blaming him. Our whole career and family lives are spent trying to be liked and accepted, fearing criticism and yearning for admiration. The need for approval cuts across all walks of life. Why do we do anything for that matter? The answer is simple. We need validation.

Society controls us yet says we’re free. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice” the words of Steve Jobs explains the way Ty has an outlook on life. Ty tries to block out the opinions of others by moving as far away as he can from society. Ty lives in the deep deserted outback of Australia, where it’s isolated and the thoughts of others can’t reach him. The phrase “It’s a free country” doesn’t apply anywhere because if we are really free to do anything, we could steal, murder, run around nude and dictate our own rules. However that’s not the case, we cannot do any of that because we aren’t free to do what we please. We don't have as much control over our beliefs and attitudes as we'd like to. The truth is that almost nothing about you or me is entirely unique. “It didn't make me glow. I felt more like I was fading away, like the world had forgotten me” Ty’s thoughts portray the feelings of no belonging. He sees the world as a place that doesn’t acknowledge his existent.