Motsinger-- Easy Rider

Riding down a highway in the middle of the country, Wyatt (A.K.A. Captain America) and Billy the Kid leave New Orleans to continue their journey and try to get away from the idea of George Hanson's death. Unfortunately their journey and lives came to an end before they and the viewers of Easy Rider were ready. Two hicks driving a pick-up truck and wielding a shotgun killed both Wyatt and Billy for an irrational reason: they were different.

My blog has two pictures attached to it to compare and contrast Wyatt's, Billy's, and George's idea of freedom with the pick-up truck hicks and the hicks who killed George. Both views agree that freedom is a good thing, but Wyatt and his companions are much closer to understanding the true definition of freedom-- being able to dress, think, speak, and act in ways that are comfortable for the individual. The hicks seemed like they were probably farmers, or at least some sort of blue collar workers who would agree with Thomas Pain's quote "that government is best which governs least," but they still do not understand the full implications of freedom. Freedom allows the individual to express himself or herself in positive ways, but in return may seem different and uncomfortable for surrounding persons. This means in order to appreciate true freedom, one does not have to agree with another person's point of view, but it does require a person to tolerate, to a certain degree, said point of view.

As far as mis-en-scene and character appearance, it is interesting that Wyatt wears a leather jacket with the American Flag on it and drives a motorcycle with the American flag on it as well. The director tied Wyatt's calm and all around good personality with the director's view of how a true free American should act. One may notice the heavy shadow, as well as the pitch black shirt on the hick holding the shot gun; both of which could represent the malignant, dark, and violent traits that create and nourish ignorance within the mind and soul of human beings.