Which provocative little noun steals the spotlight in this speech? That's right: "freedom." Freedom, freedom, freedom. Unless we have absolutely zero understanding of the English language, it's made pretty clear to us right from the get-go that Ronald Reagan is talkin' 'bout freedom in his "Speech at the Berlin Wall." He even refers to West Berlin as a free city, part of a "strong, free world in the West" (32).
Okay, we get it, the West is free.
But those totalitarian tyrants on the East side ain't free, Reagan tells us. They block foreign media broadcasts. Businesses are controlled by the government. They built a freedom-killing wall around West Berlin. Those backwards silly-heads even consider "symbols of love and of worship an affront" (120).
Bottom line: if it's freedom you want, the West has it and the East doesn't.
Questions About Freedom and Tyranny
- Why was "freedom" such an appealing concept for the people of Berlin?
- What might the East say about basically being called freedom-haters?
- How can Reagan refer to West Berlin as "free" when it has a wall built around it?
- According to Reagan, what role does freedom play in economic security?
Chew on This
Reagan did an awesome job describing why Western freedom is so great, and why the East should ditch that whole tyrannical communism thing and get on board.
Reagan's definition of freedom is based on Western ideals and is therefore inherently flawed; the East has a much better idea of what freedom really is.