The Consequences of Freedom

Jonathan Franzen explores the idea of freedom in his aptly titled novel Freedom through the characters’ bouts with infidelity, depression, and their struggles with parenting. By the end of the novel the reader is able to come to the conclusion that Franzen does not believe that anyone can be happy being entirely free. Through Patty’s relationship with her college best friend Eliza as well as Richard’s womanizing ways and yo-yoing music career, the reader sees that humans need ties to other people and thus complete freedom from responsibility, society, and other people should not be desired.

            Patty has never been one to thrive under “free” conditions. As the jockish oldest child, she grew up as the black sheep in her artistically talented family and was given virtually complete freedom from rules and consequences. While most freshmen college students enjoy a newfound sense of freedom after moving out of their parents’ home for the first time, for Patty it was the opposite. She immediately befriends an “exactly half pretty” girl who “smelled like an ashtray” and “had a lot in common with Patty’s artsy little sisters” named Eliza who invokes disturbingly overprotective rules upon Patty:

No doubt she should have been disturbed by how different Eliza’s rules for her turned out to be—Drink only on Saturday night and only in Eliza’s presence; No going to mixed parties except accompanied by Eliza; and Tell Eliza EVERYTHING—but something was wrong with her judgment and she instead felt excited to have such an intense best friend. (61—62)

While the average person would likely be able to easily see the unhealthiness of this stalker-esque relationship, Patty’s utter lack of rules or stability for the first 18 years of her life left her damaged and incapable of forming healthy friendships. Of course Patty ends up being taken advantage of by Eliza and the reader sees the negative repercussions of having too much freedom.

            Richard provides an additional example of how freedom is actually undesirable. After he and his band achieve the “traumatic” and “disorienting embarrassment” of musical success (204), Richard falls into a deep depression. He goes back to building decks and roofs, feeling “freer than he’d been since puberty and closer than he’d ever been to suicide” (205). The problem with freedom is that it comes hand in hand with loneliness; the two are inextricably connected.

            Franzen uses dozens of examples through a variety of characters, including Joey and Walter as well as Patty and Richard, in order to prove the idea that freedom is not to be desired and that a lack of human connection and strong relationships can have dire consequences to one’s mental health.