Freedom Allusions and Cultural References

When authors give shout outs to other great works, people, and events, it's usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.

Historical/Political References

  • President Ronald Reagan (1.1.95, 3.1.3, 3.1.167)
  • September 11th Terrorist Attacks (1.1.137, 3.2.1-5, 3.1.90, 3.2.374-385, 3.5.95, 3.6.408)
  • Gore/Lieberman Presidential Campaign (1.1.137)
  • President John F. Kennedy (2.1.5)
  • Senator Robert F. Kennedy (2.1.5)
  • Vietnam War (2.1.5)
  • Senator Ted Kennedy (2.1.5)
  • President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (2.1.131)
  • Three-Mile Island Nuclear Accident (2.2.525)
  • Islamic Revolution (2.2.525)
  • China's One-Child Policy (2.2.525)
  • Title Nine (2.2.534-5)
  • Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (2.2.645)
  • Marxism (2.2.646)
  • The Club of Rome (2.3.9-16, 2.3.31, 2.4.18)
  • First Gulf War (2.3.156)
  • President Bill Clinton (2.3.198, 3.1.3, 3.1.252)
  • Impeachment of President Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, Kenneth Starr (2.3.198, 3.1.3)
  • Ralph Nader (2.3.205)
  • Green Party (2.3.205)
  • President George H.W. Bush (3.1.3)
  • President George W. Bush (3.1.3, 3.3.89, 3.3.212, 3.6.417)
  • Second Iraq War (3.1.94-95, 3.2.374-385, 3.5.55, 3.6.408)
  • Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (3.1.139)
  • President Richard Nixon (3.1.167)
  • President Gerald Ford (3.1.167)
  • First Lady Laura Bush (3.1.175)
  • Vice President Dick Cheney (3.1.175, 3.3.333)
  • Lynne Cheney (3.1.175)
  • Vice President Dick Cheney's Energy Task Force (3.1.231)
  • Vice President Al Gore (3.1.252, 3.2.150, 3.6.408)
  • French Revolution, "Marseillaise" (3.1.79)
  • Saddam Hussein (3.1.90, 3.5.358)
  • Paul Ehrlich (3.1.277)
  • ZPG (Zero Population Growth) (3.1.277)
  • Green Revolution (3.1.277)
  • Indira Gandhi (3.1.277)
  • Sierra Club (3.1.277)
  • "God Bless America" (sung at sporting events post-9/11) (3.1.283)
  • Jerry Seinfeld (3.1.321)
  • Mike Bloomberg (3.1.321)
  • Senator John Kerry (3.1.321, 3.3.210, 3.6.408)
  • Paul Wolfowitz (3.1.321)
  • Grover Norquist (3.1.321)
  • Senator Robert Byrd (3.3.2)
  • Osama bin Laden (3.3.212)
  • President Hubert Humphrey (3.3.402)
  • Mother Teresa (3.4.125)
  • The Spanish Inquisition (3.5.147)
  • Dag Hammarskjöld (2.4.37)
  • Adam Clayton Powell (2.4.37)
  • Hillary Clinton (3.6.408)
  • Tim Russert (3.6.408)
  • Prime Minister Tony Blair (3.6.408)
  • Senator John McCain (3.6.393)
  • Falklands War (3.5.358)
  • 2007-2008 Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis (4.1.2)

Literary References

  • Denise Levertov (2.2.79)
  • Frank O'Hara (2.2.79)
  • V (2.2.187)
  • The Member of the Wedding (2.2.379)
  • Ernest Hemingway (2.2.819) (also possibly an implied allusion at 2.2.140, where Patty writes, "The autobiographer is mindful of how dull it is to read about someone else's drinking, but sometimes it's pertinent to the story.")
  • Hedda Gabler (2.3.8)
  • War and Peace (2.3.227, 249, 377-378, 508)
  • Tom Wolfe (3.1.321)
  • Elie Wiesel (3.2.440)
  • Chaim Potok (3.2.440)
  • Exodus (3.2.440)
  • The History of the Jews (3.2.440)
  • Song of Solomon (3.2.470-3)
  • Walden (3.6.73)
  • Atonement (3.5.314)

Musical References

  • Pearl Jam: "Daughter" (1.1.36)
  • Prince (1.1.119)
  • Patti Smith (2.2.79, 2.2.291)
  • The Velvet Underground (2.2.80)
  • The Eagles (2.2.80)
  • DEVO (2.2.133)
  • Blondie (2.2.184, 2.2.291)
  • Buzzcocks (2.2.246)
  • Iggy Pop (2.3.114, 3.1.76)
  • Bob Dylan (2.3.115, 2.3.120, 3.1.76, 3.1.79)
  • Donovan (2.3.120)
  • Dave Matthews Band (2.3.168)
  • Michael Stipe (of R.E.M.) (2.2.620)
  • Wilco, Jeff Tweedy (2.2.620, 2.2.621, 3.1.307)
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers (3.1.4)
  • Ludwig van Beethoven (3.1.4)
  • Jimi Hendrix (3.1.68)
  • Sheryl Crow (3.1.87)
  • Bono (3.1.90)
  • Fleetwood Mac (3.1.252)
  • Bad Brains (3.1.322)
  • Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie) (3.1.307)
  • Jack White, The White Stripes (3.1.307, 3.6.283, 287)
  • Ian McKaye (of Minor Threat and Fugazi) (3.1.322)
  • The Romantics: "That's What I Like About You" (3.1.390)
  • Tupac Shakur (3.2.155 3.2.278)
  • Sonic Youth: "Youth Against Fascism" (3.4.220)
  • Lynyrd Skynyrd (3.4.251)
  • Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst (3.4.260-272)
  • Neil Young, Crazy Horse (3.4.365)
  • U2: Achtung Baby (3.5.231)

Other Cultural References

  • The New York Times (1.1.1)
  • Goodnight Moon (1.1.2)
  • Garrison Keillor (1.1.119)
  • Kirby Puckett (1.1.119)
  • PlayStation (1.1.122)
  • Minnesota Vikings, Brad Johnson, Jeff George (1.1.122, 3.2.150)
  • Bjorn Borg (2.1.24)
  • Joe Namath (2.1.24)
  • Frank Lloyd Wright (2.1.20)
  • The Impressionists (painters) (2.1.20)
  • Edward Gibbon (2.1.161)
  • Jeopardy (2.2.13)
  • Julia Child (2.2.83)
  • Days of Heaven (2.2.183)
  • The Odd Couple (2.2.185)
  • Santa Claus (2.2.361, 2.2.376, 378)
  • The Fiend of Athens (a.k.a. O Drakos) (2.2.567-587)
  • People (2.2.620)
  • Spin (2.2.620)
  • Entertainment Weekly (2.2.620)
  • Don't Look Back (Bob Dylan documentary) (2.3.120)
  • NPR (3.1.2)
  • Grammy Awards (3.1.2)
  • Apple Computers and iPods (3.1.84, 3.5.307)
  • Kate Winslet (3.1.283)
  • Escalade (3.1.285)
  • Married with Children (3.2.155)
  • New York Yankees, Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks, Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter (3.2.179-190)
  • Zen archery (3.2.216)
  • Natalie Portman (3.2.278)
  • Newshour (3.2.314)
  • Fox News (3.2.314)
  • Tigger and Piglet (3.2.507)
  • "Sorcerer's Apprentice" (3.2.541)
  • NPR programs (Mountain Stage, A Prairie Home Companion, Morning Edition, All Things Considered) (3.3.213)
  • American Idol (3.3.214)
  • ER (3.5.57)
  • The New Yorker (3.5.130)
  • Condé Nast Traveler (3.5.307)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean (3.5.355)
  • Ingrid Bergman (3.6.4)
  • Isabella Rossellini (3.6.4)