What Is The Theme Of Political Freedom In Mr. Smith Goes To Washington

The American Hero’s Attempt to Stand Up for Political Freedom Freedom of rights serves as a strong basis in the symbolic order of America. The United States was founded on Freedom. Freedom is the father of the people in the United States. It breeds Americans at present days, which their country itself is known for its democracy and freedom of the rights of people. This could reference to the Founding Fathers of United States, who established the United States of America and signed the Declaration of Independence and Constitutions of the United States, which stressed the freedom of rights of the American people (Whitten). Nevertheless, in the tumultuous times in 1930s of America, when it suffered from the Great Depression, its sprit of freedom

People shifted their focus from socioeconomic freedom, where one could sustain his life to political freedom, which concerned the power of the American government and other political institutions. In his film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Frank Capra explored the notion of civil liberties, a growing importance of freedom. In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, through the embodiment of youth and idealism, the American Hero attempts to restore the father figure in American citizens by standing up against the powerful institution in America.
The U.S Senate representing the symbolic order is corrupted and suppresses freedom in the United States. The system of the U.S. Senate in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is flawed. It allows the political machine, ran by James Taylor to exploit capitals and resources at the expense of public interest such as the shady Willet Creek dam project. It also tolerates the crooked Senator Joseph Paine to help Taylor in order to pass the dam project in the U.S.

The story of Paine when he is still working with Smith’s father to fight for the rights of people hints that Paine is too, once a passionate young man like Smith. By recalling Paine’s story, ‘some of the most worthy causes are lost causes, causes you even die for, just like a man we both knew’, Smith helps instill the conscience into Paine. Paine regains his consciousness of standing up against institutions for people’s rights. Feeling guilty for what he has done as a crooked Senator, he breaks down and proclaims his guilt of the shady Willet Creek dam project in the U.S. Senate. Smith satisfies Paine’s desire for a father figure by turning himself into ‘young Paine’. He reminds Paine of the virtues of being a good father – baring conscience and fighting for people’s rights. The epiphany of Paine suggests he is now freed from the enslavement of the institution and he is no longer under the control of Taylor’s political machine. Smith finally restores Paine’s father figure as he regain his freedom as well as stands up for people’s