Freedom is the very principle on which our country is founded. We say that it is this freedom that makes the United States so great and powerful, it is this freedom that makes our country the best in the whole world. Yet the famed essayist and social critic H.L. Mencken says that, “The average man does not want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.” In saying this, Mencken is basically stating that the allure of this country is not its freedom, but its safety and protection from the dangers of the world. In this aspect, Mencken is correct. This quote is supported greatly throughout history. In early America the goal of the revolution was of course to be free from the British crown. But why? The Americans wanted this freedom due to their need to be safe not only from British taxes, military, oppression, but to be able to speak their minds and prosper without the constant threat to their security/safety which would be present had they still been ruled by the British. America is …show more content…
In the novel we see a people happily oppressed, as they obviously have no real power in their society. Yet they are entertained by their various diversions, all of which have no real value whatsoever except to keep the masses occupied. These people most definitely lack freedom, yet they don’t seek it. This is due to the fact that they feel safe in their own homes, they trust their government to do all the work for them. Had they known the truth behind how much danger they were all in, both physical and mental, they would have at least tried to seek freedom. This is demonstrated by the intellectuals that had escaped society in the woods towards the end of the novel. They are examples of the people who could actually comprehend how much in danger they were, and subsequently escaped society for “freedom”, which in reality is just the safety to do what they did without being