This photo serves as a visual of the American Dream.
When I looked up what doors symbolize, the internet gave me the terms: Boundaries and Protection, New Beginnings, Opportunity and Possibility. Similarly, the American Dream is the same thing.
Boundaries and Protection:
The U.S. is a country respectfully known for its military. It is a promise that the country will protect its people. It is within the responsibility of the federal government to protect its citizens and property. The Preamble tells us:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
The door itself symbolizes the country’s goal of protection. They want to keep it closed and maybe even locked to keep us safe. Or they want to limit the American Dream to certain Americans.
New Beginnings:
The American Dream can represent new beginnings for any dreamer. America is a place where anyone can be anything. The Declaration of Independence declares our Unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness“
To be granted the right to Life means that we are naturally given the ability to live our lives seeking our own happiness and well-being. Individuals who open the door to the U.S. chasing the American Dream can find their New Beginning in relation to what makes them happy.
Opportunity and Possibility:
Among the terms the most important is Opportunity/Possibility.
They are significant because without opportunity there is no American Dream.
The Oxford English Definition provides this definition of the American Dream:
“The ideal that every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.”
Opportunity is a stem of hope people hold onto in order to succeed. People from outside of the U.S. see the country as a place of opportunity, from education to labor.
I believe the U.S. is the land of opportunity. There are so many ways to become successful on your own terms. Opening the door is the first step in
The American Dream is comprised of these symbolizations because they are what people are in search of in this country.
Immigrants especially, are in search of all these things. They are the ones who leave everything behind in their country to live the American way, free and happy.
I believe the future of the American Dream could go one of two ways. The door will be locked forever with limited to no access or wide open and free for everyone to take a shot at.