There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it.
Margaret Atwood The Handmaid's Tale
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Aunt Lydia emphasizes the idea that freedom can take on different forms, highlighting the contrast between 'freedom to' and 'freedom from'. In a time of chaos, people pursued opportunities and rights for themselves, which she refers to as 'freedom to.' However, in the current societal structure, the focus has shifted towards 'freedom from,' suggesting a protective nature of control that offers security against disorder.

This perspective invites readers to reconsider their understanding of freedom. While it may seem limiting, 'freedom from' can be seen as a form of safety and stability, urging individuals not to underestimate its value. This duality of freedom reflects the complex realities of life in a controlled society, where protection can come at the cost of personal autonomy.

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The Handmaid's Tale
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Margaret Atwood
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Other quotes in The Handmaid's Tale

Its racist policies, for instance, were firmly rooted in the pre-Gilead period, and racist fears provided some of the emotional fuel that allowed the Gilead takeover to succeed as well as it did.
Margaret Atwood The Handmaid's Tale
Its racist policies, for instance, were firmly rooted in the pre-Gilead period, and racist fears provided some of the emotional fuel that allowed the Gilead takeover to succeed as well as it did.
This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will. It will become ordinary.
Margaret Atwood The Handmaid's Tale
This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will. It will become ordinary.
I still have it in me to feel sorry for him. Moira is right, I am a wimp.
Margaret Atwood The Handmaid's Tale
I still have it in me to feel sorry for him. Moira is right, I am a wimp.
That is a reconstruction, too.
Margaret Atwood The Handmaid's Tale
That is a reconstruction, too.
Red all over the cupboard, mirth rhymes with birth, oh to die of laughter.
Margaret Atwood The Handmaid's Tale
Red all over the cupboard, mirth rhymes with birth, oh to die of laughter.
There were stories in the newspapers, of course, corpses in ditches or the woods, bludgeoned to death or mutilated, interfered with, as they used to say, but they were about other women, and the men who did such things were other men. None
Margaret Atwood The Handmaid's Tale
There were stories in the newspapers, of course, corpses in ditches or the woods, bludgeoned to death or mutilated, interfered with, as they used to say, but they were about other women, and the men who did such things were other men. None
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
I don't have anything against God. Far from it. But I don't understand Him. And I don't trust a lot of the people that go around claiming that they're working in His best interests.
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I don't have anything against God. Far from it. But I don't understand Him. And I don't trust a lot of the people that go around claiming that they're working in His best interests.
I found Esau's field guide at the bottom of my pack. Taking a candle into the bedroom, I read his book until my eyes grew heavy. From his vast notes, it seemed that almost every plant and tree in the jungle had a reason for existing. I caught myself wishing there was a page in his guide that had my picture on it with the reason for my existence written underneath in Esau's neat hand.
Maria V. Snyder Magic Study
I found Esau's field guide at the bottom of my pack. Taking a candle into the bedroom, I read his book until my eyes grew heavy. From his vast notes, it seemed that almost every plant and tree in the jungle had a reason for existing. I caught myself wishing there was a page in his guide that had my picture on it with the reason for my existence written underneath in Esau's neat hand.
Here's a nifty solution: Each couple that marries should take on an entirely new surname, chosen however they want as long as both agree to it, so that a day after the wedding, both husband and wife can hold hands and joyfully journey off to the municipal offices to change their passports, driver's licenses, signatures, initials, bank accounts, etc.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Dear Ijeawele, or A...
Here's a nifty solution: Each couple that marries should take on an entirely new surname, chosen however they want as long as both agree to it, so that a day after the wedding, both husband and wife can hold hands and joyfully journey off to the municipal offices to change their passports, driver's licenses, signatures, initials, bank accounts, etc.
{...} what I wish for Chizalum is the following: that she is full of opinions, and that her opinions stem from a well-informed, humane, and open mind. That she have health and happiness. That she have the life she wants to have.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Dear Ijeawele, or A...
{...} what I wish for Chizalum is the following: that she is full of opinions, and that her opinions stem from a well-informed, humane, and open mind. That she have health and happiness. That she have the life she wants to have.
«In memory of the countless men and women of all creeds, nations, and races who fell victim to the fascist and communist belief in the Inexorable Laws of Historical Destiny.»
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«In memory of the countless men and women of all creeds, nations, and races who fell victim to the fascist and communist belief in the Inexorable Laws of Historical Destiny.»
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