KarolinaPeza

Ms.Carroll
EnglishIII
22November2015
MyJim:FinalEssay
ThewordlibertyinAmericaisdefinedastobefreefromthesocietythatrestrictstheauthority
ofapersonschoiceinlife,behavior,orpoliticalviews.Wherenooneisinthepowerofhow
someoneactsinthetheirlifebecausetheonlypersonthatcanbetheleaderoftheirlifeis
themselves.TheevidencethattheFoundingFatherslefttoshowlibertyareseenindifferent
ways.ThomasJefferson,whowrotetheDeclarationofIndependence,explainsthatfreedomis
agodgivenrightthatnoonecantakeaway,notapersonorthegovernment(Jefferson911).
WhileThomasPainebelievesthatthekinghasthepowertocontrolthecountrywithlawsthat
doesn'treflectonliberty(Paine1317).ManydifferentviewscomefromtheFounding
Documents,butallcometogethertoexplainlibertyinAmerica.InthenovelMyJim,libertyis
viewedsomethingthateveryoneanticipatestohave,butattheendreallydontfeeltheliberty
insideaseveryoneelse.NancyRawleswouldagreewithHelenSchulmanthatlibertyisntthe
actofbeingselfrulingandindependentfromthesociety,butactuallybeingtrappedinahole
thatwascreatedbythegovernmenttooppressothers.
ThecriticHelenSchulman,statesthisnovelisheartwrenchingapersonalhistoryasany
recordedinAmericanliterature(Schulman67)andwelldocumentedcrimesneverfailto
astonishandsicken(Schulman11).Thisnovelisntaboutalotofnewinformationonthe
historicaltopic,buthasenoughtropetokeepthestorygoingstatesHelen.HelenSchulmanviews

libertyinthisnoveltobetoopainfullyrealandsadly,thisisaworldwithouthappy
endings(Schulman1314).Schulmanassertsthatlibertyispainfulandsad,becauseeventhough
Sadieworkedasasalveforeverandisnowfree,therearestillnohappyendingforSadiewith
existingfreedom.SchulmanpointsoutthatinthenovelwhenthewarsoverlongtimeagobutI
stillainttastesmyfreedom,Saidesays(Schulman1617)statingeventhougheveryoneisfreed
Jimisfreedtheemancipationoflibertyfeelsalotlikeslavery.TheUniontroopscouldhave
freedtheslaves,buttheslavestillhavetoworkanddosharecroppingtosupporttheirfamilies
underthecommandofthegovernmenttopleaselandlords.Sotheviewthatisbeinggivenby
HelenSchulmanthatfreedomisnonexistentinthisnovel.
InSchulmansbookreview,ShulmanstateshowSadieslifeasaslaveisanendless
nightmare(Schulman8)andhowthetragicthingshitSadieslifetothepointwhereitsa
testamenttoRawlessskillthatSadieisexperiencingthismuchpain,wherefreedomisjustnot
aneffecttoSadieanymore.InthenovelSadiestates,Folkssaytheworldturnupsidedown
whenthetroopscome.Whitegrievingandcoloredrejoicing.Butworldturnedupsidedownand
westillonthebottom.GuessIgotstokeeplivingjusttoseewhenthingsgonnachange
(Rawles139140).WhatRawlesismakingSadiesayisthatfreedomcancomeinadifferent
shape,form,andsize,butitwillalwaysfeellikeithasntchangedanything.InsteadSchulman
interpretsSadiesviewasfreedombeinganightmarethatisntchangingforthebest,butcreating
afalsefeelingforSadietobelievein.Rawlesusessharecroppingasanotherideathathasbrought
formerslaveshappinessinbeingfreeandworkingforthefamily,butreallymakesSadiecreate
thisimageoftheycallhimbossnotmas.Hegivesusacontractforyearslabor.Meinthemill
andAndrewinthestables.Itfeeljustlikeslavedaysworkingfromsunuptosundownbutthe

bossaintbeatus.Hejusttakeawayourrationsifourworkdontpleasehim(Rawles143).
Explainingtheideaofwherefreedombeingaddressedbybothofthesewomenasifitisacloud
thatpassesbyandmakesnoimpactonthepersonwhatsoever.
NancyRawlesstatesinthisnovel,MyJim,thatlibertycanberealtosomepeople,but
notall.Itcanbesomethingthatapersonfeelseverydayandisselfrulingofthemselvesoritcan
beatrapthatholdsapersonbackbysomeone'sauthority.WhereHelenSchulmanspointof
viewonthenovelconnectsonhowlibertyislookedatasanightmaretoSadiethanadream
cometrue.ThewaylibertyisseeninAmericatodayisnodifferentthanhowitwasbackin
history.Americancanbeseenthelandoffreedom,butnoteveryoneinthiscountrycanhaveit
anduseintheirdailylivesliketoothers,whodowngradethemortakecontrolofothers.