Ready Player One

by Ernest Cline

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Student Question

What quotes support the theme of individual freedoms in Ready Player One?

Quick answer:

In the OASIS, it appears as if individual freedoms thrive. People can be mermaids or characters from 80s films. A quote that proves this point would be when Wade says, "In this OASIS, you could become whomever and whatever you wanted to be." However, in the real world, Wade is not so free. You should be able to find quotes that describe Wade's cramped, restricted life in the trailer.

Expert Answers

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In the OASIS, it seems like individual freedoms are of foremost importance. You might want to think about all of the things Wade does as he searches for the egg. He gets to become a Mathew Broderick character from an 80s tech thriller. He gets to play Pac-Man. He also gets to pursue his romantic feelings with Art3mis.

Samantha (aka Art3mis) enjoys individual freedoms as well. She’s free to express her opinions on 80s culture. At one point, it also appears as if she has the liberty to turn into a mermaid.

You should be able to locate many quotes that point to Wade, Samantha, and their boundless identities within the OASIS. One of your quotes might be:

In this OASIS, you could become whomever and whatever you wanted to be, without ever revealing your true identity, because your anonymity was guaranteed.

However, in the real world, their individual freedoms seem paltry. You could find quotes that contrast the freedom of the OASIS to the limitations of their corporeal universe. In non-virtual reality, Wade can’t be or do anything. He faces many obstacles because he lives with his poor, callous aunt in a trailer.

One specific quote that highlights the constraints on Wade's real life might be when Wade describes the cramped style of the trailer. He says:

I was curled up in an old sleeping bag in the corner of the trailer's tiny laundry room, wedged into the gap between the wall and the dryer.

Back to the OASIS—you could think about how the individual freedoms evinced in the OASIS might be something of a mirage. You might find quotes that suggest that the players are being manipulated by Halliday and thus aren't so free.

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