Lin and Marin both discuss ideas of freedom in their essays. They demonstrate the way cultural heritage, or tradition, impedes freedom. While Lin illustrates this in the context of a society without freedoms, Marin shows it's affects in a society with multiple freedoms.
             Lin writes about her friend from the 6th grade, So Tsi-fai, who committed suicide. In telling this, she illustrates his lack of choice and freedom. So Tsi-fai future has been decided already. Fate or a random event placed him on a uneven playing field where there was no help but just poverty. Lin talks about how she was unfairly privileged compared to So Tsi-Fai. She was born to a literate family. She had brothers who helped her and a mother who cooked, cleaned and cared for her. So Tsi-fai did not have these things. "Who woke him up for school every morning and had breakfast waiting for him? Nobody." On top of that he had society, personified by the teacher, judging him on the attributes he did not possess. Also, society stood and refused to throw So Tsi-fai a lifeline. Lin implies that pre-determining the level to which a person can aspire is part of the cultural heritage. If So Tsi-fai's father was not a peasant and could write, this would not have happened. Because of these cultural biases, the only freedom that SoTsi-fai had was to take his own life
             Marin discusses the American immigrant experience. These immigrants bring their cultural heritages with them. This defines their ideas of freedom. Although they share the belief that "freedom in America ....means essentially being left alone: the chance to pursue, undeterred by others," the ways this manifest itself vary greatly. This causes a fractured society. People feel threatened, because others pursue ways of life that are different from their own. They then try to go back to the ways of their culture for a feeling of safety. They cling to traditional values and th...