Critiques of American Society in Science Fiction — Unit test
Question 12 • DBN LA 6-CR
But I still wonder how it was possible, in those graceless years of transition, long ago, that men did not see whither they were going, and went on, in blindness and cowardice, to their fate. I wonder, for it is hard for me to conceive how men who knew the word “I,” could give it up and not know what they lost.
Answer
t
the Council took men’s freedom from them.
m
men surrendered to conformity and gave up their own freedom.
m
men had freedom all along and did not realize it.
t
the Council led men to think they were free to choose their destinies.
Explanation
The speaker wonders how people who understood the word “I” could give it up without recognizing what they had lost. “I” represents personal identity and the freedom to think and choose independently. The passage therefore suggests that people surrendered their freedom by conforming, rather than having it simply taken from them.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.