What does Freedom mean in the novel?

Why is Jonathan Franzen's vast, all-encompassing novel called Freedom? It is a book he began writing in 2001 that was published in 2010; Franzen witnessed significant change in that decade of American society. Few words can sum up the experience of the early 21st century more effectively than freedom. And for a book that captures the national and family landscape of such a time, few words could have served as a more effective title.

The decade from 2000-2009 experienced a seemingly perpetual conversation about freedom. The nation was involved in two wars over the era, both of which involved getting freedom to people in other countries. Since 9/11 the issue of personal privacy versus national security has never been the same, with legislation like the Patriot Act challenging the freedom and privacy Americans thought they would always have. To contrast the loss of civil liberties citizens faced, economic liberties were gained as financial regulations were loosened and loans became easier to get and homes easier to acquire, resulting in an economic crisis that has sent residual effects into the current decade.

While Freedom does not address these civil and economic liberties head on on such a large scale (or at least not yet), the book does examine similar liberties in its own way. Walter's job creating the conservatory calls into question just how free humans should be to destroy the earth for their own sake. It considers modern moneymaking methods, how far people should be allowed to go in making their money before considering the potentially damaging repercussions they create for the future, and the ethics involved with the balance of caring for the future while being prosperous in the present. The complex relationships among Patty, Richard, Walter, and Lalitha highlight the extent of freedom people have within marriage to seek out affection from others, while Walter and Patty's family situation with Joey emphasizes the freedom (or lack thereof) people have to break away from traditional family dynamic and create their own.

Freedom is a book about freedoms of every kind during a decade fixated on freedoms of every kind. As such, the novel is appropriately titled. All the issues of freedom the book addresses boil down to the ultimate question that its parallel decade tried to answer: what does it mean to be free? While America is a nation founded on the principle of liberty, the book suggests that maybe choosing to restrict one's own freedom can be healthier than allowing oneself to indulge in total freedom which, as the novel suggests, can lead to a life and a nation that spiraled out of control.