Freedom is life. Discuss this with reference to ‘Chandni’ and ‘I Want Something in a Cage’.

Freedom is life. Living in bondage is as good as being dead. Everyone craves for his/her freedom—humans, birds and animals. The value of freedom is the theme of the stories ‘I Want Something in a Cage’ and ‘Chandni’. In the former, the man, who had been a prisoner for ten years, freed the doves because he could identify with the birds in the cage and their desire to fly. In the latter, the goats left Abbu Khan one by one because their desire to roam freely in the hills was stronger than their fear of the wolf that lived in those hills. Chandni’s decision to fight the wolf instead of going back to the safety of Abbu Khan’s compound showed that she considered freedom to be invaluable. For her death in an open field was far better than life in a small hut. This story shows that freedom requires one to be brave, and to be ready to face any difficulty, any circumstance. Even if the free life is short lived, it is better than a long life in captivity.