Pranav — Week 2: The Reality of Freedom (Attack On Titan Spoiler Warning).
(Popular Attack on Titan wallpaper from "wallpaper engine," an app on steam).
Pranav — Week 2: The Reality of Freedom
How does one achieve true freedom? Many individuals have asked this question countless times over the last few decades. Renowned author Hajime Isayama had the same question. On September 9, 2009, Isayama wrote a manga, later adapted into a television series, called Attack on Titan. This Manga revolved around Eren Yeager, a boy whose world began to crumble once these giant figures known as Titans began to wreak havoc in Yeager's village. Eren’s identity was further established through peers. The characters Mikasa Ackerman, Yeager's closest companion who stood by his side his whole life, and Armin Arlert, Yeager's best friend, further defined Eren as a person and helped establish his complex identity. When the Titans invaded Shiganshina, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin’s hometown, they wiped out 75% of the town, including their parents. This moment lit a fire inside Eren, who swore to get revenge on the Titans who destroyed his life.
Mikasa’s Ackerman bloodline made her naturally one of the strongest fighters in the world, a strength Eren could never match, which only deepened his need to prove himself on his own terms. Armin, though physically weak, was one of the sharpest minds in the story. However, Eren had to work for everything he achieved because he was just a regular human being, until one day, when everything changed. Eren eventually passed his training and was fighting Titans to reclaim his home, only to be shockingly eaten by a Titan. However, Eren did not die here; he became the Titan and was the first known case of a human who could turn into a Titan. Eren would use this power in his fight for freedom until one day, when he saw a vision of his future. Eren’s future showed him going down a horrifying path, where, instead of achieving the freedom he desired, he took revenge on the entire world for wronging him and his people. By the end, the question isn’t whether Eren achieved freedom; it's whether the boy who wanted to see the world beyond the walls was the same person who tried to destroy it. His destiny remained immutable, irrespective of Eren's endeavors. Instead of achieving the freedom he so desperately desired, he ended up wiping out 80% of the world's population. The idea of freedom became so deeply embedded in his identity that he ended up going against everything he stood for.
Towards the end of the show, Eren is killed by his one and only true love, Mikasa. The idea of freedom was so deeply embedded in Eren’s mind that he killed most of the earth’s population, betrayed those closest to him, and yet he never achieved true freedom. As Eren says towards the end of the show, he was never free; he was a “slave to freedom” (Attack on Titan episode 89).
Mikasa’s Ackerman bloodline made her naturally one of the strongest fighters in the world, a strength Eren could never match, which only deepened his need to prove himself on his own terms. Armin, though physically weak, was one of the sharpest minds in the story. However, Eren had to work for everything he achieved because he was just a regular human being, until one day, when everything changed. Eren eventually passed his training and was fighting Titans to reclaim his home, only to be shockingly eaten by a Titan. However, Eren did not die here; he became the Titan and was the first known case of a human who could turn into a Titan. Eren would use this power in his fight for freedom until one day, when he saw a vision of his future. Eren’s future showed him going down a horrifying path, where, instead of achieving the freedom he desired, he took revenge on the entire world for wronging him and his people. By the end, the question isn’t whether Eren achieved freedom; it's whether the boy who wanted to see the world beyond the walls was the same person who tried to destroy it. His destiny remained immutable, irrespective of Eren's endeavors. Instead of achieving the freedom he so desperately desired, he ended up wiping out 80% of the world's population. The idea of freedom became so deeply embedded in his identity that he ended up going against everything he stood for.
Towards the end of the show, Eren is killed by his one and only true love, Mikasa. The idea of freedom was so deeply embedded in Eren’s mind that he killed most of the earth’s population, betrayed those closest to him, and yet he never achieved true freedom. As Eren says towards the end of the show, he was never free; he was a “slave to freedom” (Attack on Titan episode 89).
Hey Pranav. I myself watched Attack on Titan a few years ago, and I can confidently say that it is one of my favorite shows of all time. Reading your post brought back many amazing memories of watching it with my friends and family. Isayama is truly a magician; the way he crafted the story with such complexity and foreshadowing is insane. Every time I rewatch an episode, there is always some detail, even if it is small, that I did not initially notice.
ReplyDeleteMy memory of the specifics of the events that took place in the show is not great, but I can say that Eren was definitely obsessed with achieving freedom. However, I do not agree with the methods he used to achieve it, especially the way he ruthlessly murdered millions of people. I am curious to know what you think about Eren’s actions. Would you have done the same if you were in his shoes? Perhaps you would have chosen a different route and decided to run away and live happily ever after. In the end, it looks like no matter what Eren could have done, his fate was sealed.
Freedom is an extremely complicated concept that many different people have many different opinions on, and I like the way you tackled it in your blog. Your addition of the quote that Eren was a slave to freedom is a great way to summarize his character. Even after writing the show, I feel like Isayama may still be unsure of how to truly achieve freedom. What even is freedom? What do you think?
Hi Pranav, your blog was really interesting to read! I haven’t watched Attack on Titan yet, but your breakdown of the general plot was compelling and easy to understand.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed how you compared Eren to his close friends, and how he felt the need to prove himself because he wasn’t as “capable” as them, and how that shaped him into his character. I also found it interesting that he became a Titan. It sort of physically and visually represents how he became his enemy or the opposite of what he wanted, in respect to him wanting freedom but ending up killing a significant part of the population.
This situation sort of reminds me of The Odyssey (the film), where Odysseus is just trying to get back to Ithaca, and he loots and attacks every society that he sees because he needs resources for his men. In doing this, he breaks Zeus’ Law: treating strangers with utmost hospitality, which every society in Greece lives by. Throughout the movie, characters in different societies mention their fear of the “sea people,” who go around breaking Zeus’ Law, and then we learn that it was actually Odysseus and his men, who were supposed to be the protagonists of the story.
I liked that you ended your blog with a quote from Eren. It was an interesting and unique stylistic choice that added more impact to your conclusion. After reading your blog, I now have a greater interest in watching Attack on Titan, or reading it. Do you prefer the manga or the show?
Hi Pranav. I really liked how you used Eren’s arc to explore something as abstract as “freedom” instead of just recapping the plot — the way you framed Mikasa and Armin as forces that shaped his identity from the outside, even before the Titans did, was a sharp observation I hadn’t thought about before.
ReplyDeleteYour point about his fate being “immutable, irrespective of his endeavors” is what stuck with me most. It’s almost a cruel irony that a story built around the pursuit of freedom ends with a character so trapped by his own idea of it that he can’t recognize himself anymore. It makes me think about how chasing an ideal too hard can end up costing you the very thing you were trying to protect.
I haven’t fully processed the ending myself, but the way you connected his death at Mikasa’s hands back to the “slave to freedom” line was a strong way to close it out. It makes the whole story feel less like a war epic and more like a tragedy about identity sleeping out of someone’s own hands. Nicely done.