Avila_America1REFLECTION

My perception of being American, at the beginning of the year, was perhaps a little naïve and was a perfect example of what I later learned was the uneducated American. As I will later discuss, the way I now comprehend my understanding of being American is that I’m more educated. This concept is not difficult to grasp but it certainly has roots in the first wall which I’m reflected.

This wall, as I’ve titled Avila_America 1, is the essence of my perception of America at the beginning this year. I entered Mr. Kaplan’s class with the most daunting of questions: What does it mean to be American, what does this make you think about, what will you do with this power so freely bestowed?

We were asked the questions: What are our American traits and what are the images you perceive when you think of America. The list, as follows, was my response to this answer.

Our traits comprised of our willingness to be productive, challenge of new ideas or policies, the system in place of checks and balances, our loyalty and patriotic characteristics, our interest in rebellion (which I believe was supposed to mean revolution), our opportunities, the American dream, and the best possible solution for the whole.

As for the images, I believed that this consisted of standing against injustices, (which made me think of our history against the British and, in particular, the Revolutionary War. I thought of marches, Martin Luther King, immigrants, the signing of our constitution, a free nation, freedom to express oneself, the traditional hamburger diner, and the potential America had to build towards the sky (figuratively and literally)

I was convinced that being American was becoming something out of nothing. ‘

My notion of America was Freedom and Glamour, and anyone, if they really tried, would be able to attain such characteristics. It never really occurred to me that being American meant being unique or individual to the extent it meant being a part of something greater, something that was bold. It never occurred to me that, in reality, it was the human weakness, sorrow, and oppression that allowed for the success of our nation.

This page is thus dedicated to the images I thought of when I first entered the year. I was fixed on the idea that my thoughts represented the true America, and there was nothing I would learn this year that would leave me from this perception.

I have decided not to edit my first page, or wall, this year to represent the growth, development, and perhaps to even make a comparison as to what I’ve learned and where I’m at right now. By no means is the journey over. Every day I’m learning what it means to be America, and although I may enter Mr. Kaplan’s American Literature room once more, this does not stop my willingness or eagerness to engage in fruitful discussion on this topic.

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