Freedom Essay

Annette Bielen

February 11, 2014

Professor Young

Essay 1: Freedom

Freedom: A Privilege

The word freedom can mean different things to different people. It could be the ability to live where one wants and being able to come and go as one pleases. It is the right to be able to express oneself without any consequences, to have full control of one’s life. In the novel, The Good Lord Bird, the author, James McBride, introduces two characters named Pie and Sibonia, who are both slaves during this time period of slavery. Both Pie and Sibonia lack independence and freedom. However, McBride makes it very clear how Pie is treated superior in comparison to Sibonia. Despite this, Sibonia is considered to have much more freedom than Pie.

To begin, Sibonia is also able to speak her mind and say whatever she wants. She makes several mud balls and says whatever she wants. When she gets upset, she usually “spoke with them shotgun eyes staring at the ground, in a voice that was heavy and strong” (McBride 164). This is proof that Sibonia does not mind what others think of her or her actions. This is due to the fact that everyone thinks that she is crazy. As a reader, it is easy to tell that Sibonia is going to use her craziness as a way out and as a way to outsmart the masters. One of the first things that she tells Onion is “don’t stretch your mouth to nobody about this, especially Pie. If you do, I’ll know about it, and you’ll wake up with a heap of knives poking out of that pretty neck of yours” (McBride 166). Sibonia tells Onion that she herself, along with all the other slaves, and Onion, too, will be sold in the end. This shows that Sibonia is able to express herself confidently without the fear of any consequences. In addition, Sibonia is also able to use her personality as a disguise. This is very important because later on in the novel when she is trying to escape, when the masters see that she is missing, they won’t think much of it. The masters will just think that she is even more crazy than she was already thought to be. It also acts as an example of freedom because she is able to get away with basically everything due to her “craziness”. Sibonia also is not hiding who she really is. She is able to be herself and act the way she wants. “Sibonia, standing there holding a dripping mud ball in her hand, then did something strange. She glanced at the hotel door, saw it was still closed, then said to Libby in a plain voice, ‘This child is troubled’” (McBride 162). Sibonia did not care if anyone was to hear what she had said. She believed that it was okay to say whatever she wanted when she pleased. This is an indentification of freedom because especially during this time peoriod of slavery, most slaves were scared to even open their mouths about anything, Sibonia was different and did not mind that at all. Also, Sibonia embraces herself and despite what others think, she acts in whatever way she pleases. She acts very confidently when it comes to just about anything. When it came time to tell the Judge what was going on with the plot that Pie had told him about, Sibonia was very upfront. “Sibonia was calm as a blade of grass. She looked straight at the judge and looked neither sideways nor over his head. ‘I am the woman,’ she said, ‘and I am not ashamed or afraid to confess it’” (McBride 175). She handles it very maturely and admits to her right away which shows how strong and confident she is of herself. All in all, it is clear that Sibonia has a lot of freedom.  

On the other hand, Pie looked physically different than most slaves. “She was a mulatto woman. Skin as brown as a deer’s hide, with high cheekbones and big brown dewy eyes as big as silver dollars...she wore a flowered blue dress of the type whores naturally favored” (McBride 144). Because Pie was “mulatto” she was more favored than the other slaves. She had her own bedroom and her own bedding. Therefore she was not treated as harshly as the other slaves in the slave pins. Even with having her own bed, she is still considered to have less freedom. Pie is not able to speak her mind. When it comes to who she has to sleep with in the house, she has little to no say. This also plays a big role in how she has no freedom. Pie also hides who she really is. She puts the other slaves in danger by revealing Sibonia’s secret rebellion. Pie does this so she is able to keep her title and job right where she is now. After a fight between Bob and Miss Abby, Pie tells Onion: “Ain’t nothing gonna happen to you. I already fixed it with Miss Abby for me and you. Just be quiet and listen to what’s said” (McBride 174).  Pie only cares about herself and that also is another example of how she does not have all the freedom.  All in all, Pie does not have much freedom.

As one can now see, Sibonia is considered to have more freedom than Pie. Even though both women are slaves and Pie lives inside a house and has her own bedroom, Sibonia is able to speak her mind whenever she wants. That is the true meaning of freedom. Freedom is the right to act, talk, and think without any consequences. Freedom is a right every human in this world is entitled to.

Works Cited

McBride, James. The Good Lord Bird. New York: Penguin Group, 2013. Print.