Martin Luther King once said, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed”. This quote means that the people in the dominant position in society don’t freely want to give up their power, control, superiority, and the benefits of keeping another person down. The oppressed must demand their rights, because people in the power positions will not freely renounce their privilege. Although King promoted nonviolence in his quest for racial equality for all people, he did not believe being passive would work. King led the civil rights movement, and demanded equal rights for all.
In Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin Armand has a baby with his wife Desiree, and finds out his baby looks black. It is the time of slavery in America, and having one drop of black blood makes a person a member of the black and oppressed race. After learning his baby represents this part of him that is black Armand is faced with his role as both oppressor and oppressed. Desiree was faced with being racially oppressed by her husband because their baby was part black. Desiree asked Armand what was going on, and he answered her, “It means,” he answered lightly, “that the child is not white, that you are not white” (Chopin 3). He hates that he is black so much that he blames his beloved wife for this perceived offense to him and kicks her and their baby out. Armand is in denial, and would rather let his wife think she could be black than to admit to her that he is the one that is black. Armand was in the dominant position of the oppressor and would not freely give up this power, control, and superiority. The role of oppressor and oppressed is seen in society today as it relates to people who are gay, and their right to get married.
People who are gay want the right to get married just like everyone else, and still today, in our modern society, they have to fight for it. The quote “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” holds true for gay people living in The United States today. The people who are in the position of power will not freely give up this control so gay people have to fight for it just like the black people had to in the past. Equal rights are protected by the constitution, but the interpretation and granting of this basic right is ignored by the dominant people in society. People who are gay have to demand and fight for their freedom, from the oppressors, to marry their partners. Only in few states has this right been granted.
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