Gradual expansion of personal and political democracy has occurred throughout the history of the U.S. According to Webster's Dictionary, a democracy is government by the people, or political and social equality in general. In a democracy,such as the United States, individuals vote on laws and issues that will affect them as a whole society. Without the people's say in the government, we would not have the freedom to make the choices we do today. But this does not necessarily mean that we have social equality. In My Antonia, Cather defines true freedom as the ability to obtain your individual goals regardless of your social or cultural background. She uses the characters to explore the nature of American freedom, buy showing that Lena and Jim can accomplish their goals in life, by making something of themselves by not being held back in their rights.
             In the book, My Antonia Jim Burden's freedom is a matter of overcoming social and cultural limitations, which, he discovers, is not easily done. Jim wants to be able to date any woman he desires instead of worrying about whether or not they're from another country or cultural background. Antonia is the woman Jim wants the throughout the book. However, he does not feel free to date her because it was socially unacceptable. In the 1880's, people had to stick with their own culture and religious background. It was unacceptable by family and society to go out of the individual's background Jim feels that if America is a free. Jim feels that if America is a free
             Country and we are defined as free people who are able to do whatever we want as long as we don't harm others, then why are there people telling him who he can see or where he can go or not go. Jim's personal barrier was that he never took the initiative to get the one girl he always wanted, Antonia. They were always friends, but he never took it one step
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