Jaroslav Hasek succeeds in bringing out the hatred for imperialism during the historical times. Most regions in the past were ruled by one particular family whereby the descendants would take over from one another once the leader died or fell chronically ill. With time, people grew tired of the imperial form of leadership and called for democracy whereby they would be permitted to pick their own leaders after a certain period. The author focuses on the imperial government in Austria and the reactions of locals regarding the assassination of His Imperial Highness. This essay examines the primary argument provided by Jaroslav Hasek in The Good Soldier Svejk.
The death of His Imperial Highness sparked different responses from locals. The article points out one particular ex-soldier, Svejk, who finds himself in trouble after a police officer arrests him for making treasonous remarks about the ruling emperor in a bar. Evidently, the imperial leader ruled using an iron fist, and the individuals who talked bad about him were charged with treason (Hasek 13). The author’s argument brings to mind a fundamental query: Where should the government draw the line in terms of free speech?
Today, many people do not face similar situations like Svejk whereby their freedom of speech is violated by imperial leaders. Most nations have accorded citizens the right to express themselves as they wish in public forums or social media. However, there are still several countries where the government rules with an iron fist such as Pakistan, China, Russia, amongst others. Individuals in these nations live in fear of making remarks that may be viewed as treasonous. They have to watch what they say at all costs (Hasek 14). Though not ruled by imperial leaders or emperors, the countries that deny the freedom of expression and speech interfere with human rights. They also create a lot of tension like the one presented by Hasek (18) amongst the citizens, law enforcement agencies, and the government.
Work Cited
Hasek, Jaroslav. The Good Soldier Svejk. London: Penguin Books, 1973.
