There are so many ways that freedom and confinement pop up in Entwined: the girls are confined to the palace for mourning, Keeper is confined to the pavilion through magic, Azalea's not free to marry whoever she wishes, and so on. There are so many rules governing Azalea's life that it feels stifling sometimes, and we totally understand her desire for freedom, for the ability to steer her own destiny. Heck, probably every human being out there understands the wish for control over one's life.
But we all face constraints of various kinds, and we all have to navigate our way to freedom—or at least an acceptable compromise—somehow. Azalea's lucky in that she finds someone she loves who is an acceptable marriage candidate, and that mourning eventually lifts, freeing her and her sisters from its oppressive boundaries.
Questions About Freedom and Confinement
- Why does Keeper lie about the reason he's confined to the magic passage?
- How does Azalea feel about her marriage options?
- What would you do if you were trapped in your home for a year, unable to go out except on official business?
- Which character in the book seems to have the most freedom to do whatever they want? Why do you think that's the case?
Chew on This
Being in mourning is a lot like being in prison.
For both Azalea and her father, royalty comes with more confinement than freedom.