American Dream

Brianna Churchill
English 11
May 24, 2011
Ms Keim



The American Dream


            I know my box doesn't seem to represent much in the usual sense of the what 'American Dream' is. Most people would expect a house, cars, lots of expensive things, everything that show's how rich and important someone is. I didn't want my box to look like other peoples or show what a stereotypical 'Dream' is. I wanted something that was different and complete, something that got more to the point of what I believe the true American Dream is.
            I started out with covering the whole box in black paper. Why black paper? Because black is the color most associated with nighttime, and nighttime is when we do most of our dreaming. Sure, we day dream, but it's not the same as a real dream. In those dreams, you can do anything.
            I placed white cotton all around the box as a kind of 'dream cloud' look. When people think of  dreams, they usually think of clouds and big, fluffy, cottony looking sheep that they can count to get to sleep. White is also a symbol of innocence, and most dreams start out when we're young and small, our eyes have yet to be clouded by the reality that growing up in America sets in every child to stay with them until they grow up. What you learn as a child, while you're still an innocent, is what you base the foundation of your life upon, it matters much more than most people realize.
    On the front I have some green Army medals. For some their dream is to be in the Army, to grow up and be a soldier. As they get older, they learn that they could die, and with this knowledge, they gain a fierce dedication to their country and to protect it. They'll either get a medal of honor for what they do, or they'll die serving their country and protecting their fellows.
    I also have miscellaneous pictures cut out and glued to it. A bass guitar, an electric guitar, a Play Station 3, and an XBox 360. Four different things, yet connected. You probably wonder how? It's easy. Some people's dreams are fairly simple to figure out based on what they want. Someone wants a bass guitar? They dream about becoming a Country artist. They want an Electric Guitar? Probably dream about being a Rock Star, to eventually become one of the greats, to be up there with The Beatles, AC-DC, Aerosmith, and Led Zepplin. Play Station 3 or an XBox? Want to bet that they want to design the games they play, that they run ideas and scenarios through their heads on what could make the game even better, what kind of graphics should be worked on, or what storylines and plots should be in it?
    There is also that feather… And this feather takes place not only in the present, but also in the past. Man's dream has always been to fly, and now that we have planes, it still hasn't changed. There are many people who have never flown before, but they still dream of getting into a plane and soaring high above the ground. Others love it so much that they join the Air Force, to make their living off of flying and doing what they love.
    A soap made into a shell, a cone shell, a cap with palm trees on it, lei's. How is tropical items associated with the American Dream? Some people only dream to visit the tropics, to see Hawaii or the Bahama's, go to Cancun or Fiji. To get out of all the cold of winter, to surf, to swim in the ocean. Lounge on the beach, listen to the waves lapping on the shore, relax. That's something a lot of us dream about. How could I not add that to my box? It's a dream many people have, to move and explore and see more of the world than what they already see and know.
    I have two pieces of Iron Pyrite. It's also known as 'Fools Gold'. It may seem odd to put it in this, but I believe in it's reason. People always dream big, they dream of the gold and the riches, they dream of getting their hearts content. And just when they think they have it, it's taken away and their lost because of it. Many miners back during the Gold Rush fell prey to the Fools Gold and let themselves be crushed by something they thought was real. I think American's need to stop thinking about the big cash and start thinking about the smaller things in life, the things they take for granted, instead of always wanting more and more and more.
    There is a key on there, and I felt it represented Security. What American doesn't want to be secure or safe? Isn't that why we came here in the first place? To be free of religious persecution and know we're safe with our neighbors and in the area we live in? Yes, it is. America has seem to forgotten that in recent years, and I hope that we'll get over it soon and get back to what the founding fathers wanted our nation to be like.
    A fake High School Diploma. Enough said. Some people just want to finish school, to go to college and make a living for themselves, to be able to take care of their family and live a decent life. A life they can be proud of. Isn't that really all anyone dreams about in the end.
    A green heart with gold covering it, a small token of love, of acceptance, of being cared for no matter who you are or where you're from. Your history doesn't matter, what your parents did or didn't do isn't in the equation. The only thing that matters is who you are and what you've done. Everyone wants to be accepted and to find love.
    "Who cares? I'm young and beautiful, that's all that counts." It's something that is fed into every girl in the United States, into every child. You're young, you're beautiful, you're sexy, you're worth more than anyone else. Who cares? You have your whole life ahead of you, do what you want. It's all there for you, you just have to grab it and go. A strange concept we grow on, and it spreads and causes selfishness and problems. It's a dream I don't like, but a dream that moves many Americans, especially the younger ones, to try and turn themselves into society's view of what is acceptable and what is not.
    D.A.R.E. TO RESIST. I want to say more about this but… It's pretty self explanatory. Resist drugs, live a healthy life-style, don't cave under peer pressure.
    A strange metal sword with what looks like two serpents winding around it and s skull wearing a crown on the top. The freedom to express yourself how ever you want, to be as dark and scary or as bright and peppy as you feel like. It's one of the best things about this country, and it's one of the best dreams that we have. The dream to be who you are without consequences.
    The red bow on the top; The presents we receive. We always get presents on birthdays or Christmas, on special occasions. We tell our friends and family, "I wish I had this!" And we hope and dream that they'll take the hint and get it for us, it gives us something to look forward to. It's our dreams that keep us going, and sometimes that's all we need. The dream of a gift that could help us or make us feel just a little bit better in times of stress.
    The sparkly blue stuff. A nice filler, a decent eye catcher, but also something else. It's pretty ion itself, but it's flexibility allows us to do more with it than we could if it was stiff and hard, like a hunk of metal. As we go through life and live through our different dreams, it shapes us into who we become and who we are. Every twist and turn, every little mistake and pain, it changes our shape and makes us into something unique and perfect in it's own way. The American Dream is like that, it shapes us and gives us a drive in life.
    The box is covered in red and blue flowers, and they match the tropical theme I have going with the lei's. The cotton balls are white, the flowers are red and blue. Red, white, and blue. The colors of our nation, our flag, the symbol of the American Dream itself and the one picture that stands for everything that is America.
    In bright pink it says 'FREEDOM' on the back. That takes me back to my key. The security, the safety, the freedom to speak  your mind without feeling the government's wrath, to make your opinion known. You have the freedom to live your own life, to make your own decisions, to choose who will lead you through the tough times. Yes, with freedom comes a lot of responsibility, but it's worth it in order to go to sleep every night knowing it's your life and you're living it the way you want to live it.

    That's my box, that's my representation of the American Dream. A very simple box that looks pretty, simple objects that mean so, so much more than the usual "Wealth, health, and happiness." In the end, it's what I wanted. I wanted something that was simple, yet could speak volumes from it's simplicity.