For my paper, I’m using the poem The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus. Since the general focus in the poem is the Statue of Liberty, I will definitely incorporate her into my digital essay. I am not even sure if my thesis is acceptable or what it exactly is yet. Generally, I would like to depict the idea that freedom isn’t free. If you want to live here and be successful, you have to work hard for it. Those that move to America, New York specifically, for a better life and expect it to be easy are disillusioned and unrealistic. They complain about their jobs and their lives, but that’s life in general. New York is no different. Yes, we are all about freedom and democracy. What that really means is you’re free to choose how to be successful and what kind of life you want.
What I may want to do for this digital essay is depict the difference between these two types of people in a type of picture story. They all arrive at Ellis Island in front of the Statue of Liberty, desperate to be accepted into another land and life. She accepts them with open arms and tells them the type of life here, including the work. One group is realistic and knows the price of success as well as the value of work. The other group is naive and stubborn. They are discouraged by this life because it is not fitting to their high expectations, but they refuse to accept that and kind of give up on their goals. Throughout the video, I want to show the transitions both the successful group and the failed group make. I’m also thinking about a song I could put it in the background that symbolizes this, but I haven’t thought of one yet.