Eight Values of Free Expression

  Constitutionally, free expression is interpreted that the government cannot forbid us from saying and writing what we choose. This is a crucial doctrine that is not only integral to our country's founding, yet is also consistently seen in action today. Below, I broke down the eight main speech theories utilizing references to different books, TV shows, and movies that aided in my own understanding of these principles more completely. 

1.) The Marketplace of Ideas- This concept is defined as when truth and lies are allowed to compete and freely interact, then ultimately the truth will win. A novel I feel accurately takes this idea and gives it a dystopian twist is George Orwell's 1984. In the story, the oppressive regime of Oceania implements a common language called Newspeak which prevents citizens from learning vocabulary that allows them to defy the government or have rebellious thoughts. In addition, published news media in the novel is often comprised of lies that the government tightly controls, crafts, and convinces the people to believe for their benefit. 1984 illustrates a world in which a marketplace of ideas is illegal, thus allowing the reader to more deeply appreciate real-world society in which we have the liberty to grapple with the truth.

2.) Participation in Self Government- Making informed decisions during elections concerning which leader would best serve the people is certainly made difficult when candidates are unable to make their positions clear. A novel illustrating this principle is William Golding's Lord of the Flies in which a group of prep school boys crash-land on a deserted island and are forced to create their own society to survive. When "electing" a chief on the island, the majority of the boys vote for Ralph despite Jack possessing leadership ability. The reasoning behind the outcome was because of Ralph's commanding presence and clearly defined objectives as opposed to Jack who was selfish and power-hungry. Thus, Lord of the Flies depicts the participation in self-government theory as being an effective strategy to choose competent leaders, especially for a young age demographic. 

3.) Stable Change- Undoubtedly, when members of society are allowed to speak freely, they will be less likely to result in violence. Conversely, the opposite also holds true, and Suzanne Collins' novel and film series The Hunger Games illustrates this principle quite candidly. In the books, the oppressive Capitol government of Panem tightly controls the free speech of the people by resorting to sanctioned murder and forced starvation if the various districts were to speak out against the regime. Consequently, by the end of the saga, the districts violently create a rebellion to overthrow the Capitol. A real-world pattern demonstrated by  Collins' work is that if a government becomes oppressive to the point of suppressing individual liberty, there will be inevitable pushback from citizens to enact change. 

4.) Individual Self-Fulfillment- Expressing oneself certainly results in the creation and development of a unique, individual identity. When first exploring this concept, my mind turned to Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale which was adapted for the screen in a limited Hulu series. In the plot, a totalitarian regime replaces the United States due to alarmingly low reproduction rates, and the few females that can conceive are forced to become enslaved"handmaids"; child-bearers to repopulate society. The main protagonist, Offred, loses all personal freedoms, including her real name, as the title "Of-Fred" is forced upon her as she is must birth children for a commander named Fred. In the novel, the protagonist severely dissociates from her sense of self as a result of sexual violence and the controlling environment in which she cannot speak her mind. As a result, the reader often takes away not only a strong sense of feminism but the importance of personal liberty that comes with autonomy and power over one's own mind and body. 

5.) Check on Governmental Power- Certainly, citizens cannot even begin to be aware of abuses of power if the media is not enabling citizens to be aware of these injustices. A hallmark example of this dilemma is illustrated in the 1998 film, The Truman Show. In the movie, the protagonist Truman is trapped in a massive TV set in which his life is orchestrated as a reality show. All news and media that Truman himself consumes are all staged by the producer Christof, who gate keeps Truman from understanding the truth of his situation to generate a profit from viewers. Since the protagonist is unaware that his entire life has been recorded, controlled, and exploited for a TV show, Truman appears to live a pleasant and happy life for the majority of the film. The alarming and thought-provoking psychological nature of this film serves as a warning that we as a society must be careful examiners of the media in which we consume to ensure we understand injustices that may not be apparent at first glance. 

6.) Promote Tolerance- Although it seems counterintuitive, protecting hateful and personally upsetting speech teaches us to become more tolerant. Having just finished reading Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows duology, the tolerance principle reminded me of these books illustrated through their chaotic and diverse merchant setting. In the novels, the society of Ketterdam is depicted as a bustling and provocative trade hub where people of drastically different races, languages, and cultural backgrounds clash daily. Nevertheless, the boisterous city is prosperous and the novels' protagonists become insanely wealthy because of their ability to work as a team, voice their opinions, and capitalize on diverse strengths. Six of Crows accomplishes what few novels can do: illustrate a multifaceted and complex society defined by both chaos and tolerance. Despite the inevitable discomfort associated with upsetting or controversial speech, it exposes us to diverging points of view, leaving us as ultimately more open-minded individuals. 

7.) Promote Innovation- A society of energized creators with unique ideas certainly makes for an interesting and enriched worldview. Salman Rushdie's novel, Haroun and the Sea of Stories demonstrates this concept through its portrayal of a magical world formed by the synthesis of varying story and fairytale elements that intermingle. However, the main antagonist Khattam Shud is not depicted as a violent or evil man, but instead, one who enforces silence and suppresses free thought. The realm of Chup in which Khattam-Shud rules is dull as opposed to the free land of Gup characterized by colorful storytelling and boisterous ideas. The stark contrast between these two literary settings displays how promoting innovation and free speech go hand in hand with building an expressive society.

8.) Protect Dissent- The first amendment to the Constitution protects our individual points of view, no matter how unpopular or strange they may seem. A literary instance of this principle appears in Lois Lowry's The Giver. In the novel, although the dystopian government forcefully administers medications to make citizens see its world in black and white, the protagonist, Jonas has a genetic anomaly that makes him immune to the medication and perceives everything in color. Despite his visions likely seeming absurd to those around him, Jonas was still entitled to his point of view because of his individuality. Although in the real world, the government does not control our vision, we can all take away from The Giver the importance of protecting individual perception. 

    In terms of these eight values of free expression, the one that feels most important and personal to my own experience is that of promoting innovation. A community that fosters free speech is certainly more energized and creative, and I can't think of a better example in my own life than in my current internship with the Reflect Organization. Serving as a graphic design intern for a mental health nonprofit has shed light on how important it is to bring your unique perspective and creativity to the table to solve real-world issues and problem solve with diverse teammates. 

    The value of the free expression that is evidently the most applicable to real-world society today is that of individual fulfillment. For reference, I point to the recent 2020 presidential election as a hallmark example. Last year, voter turnout was over 15% higher than in 2016 due to the boundless energy of young people (myself being one of them!) who were impassioned by the detrimental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide movement to combat racial injustice.  Individual fulfillment today is arguably more influential than ever before due to our often tumultuous political climate, and young people coming of age are taking increased agency for causes they strongly believe in.