(Late) Thoughts on American Metanarratives

If I had to think of one metanarrative that defines America, hands down it would be opportunity. From the very discovery and founding of America, it has had the word OPPORTUNITY written all over it. When the New World was discovered, everyone back in the Old World saw it as an opportunity for freedom. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc. etc. People immigrated here, and still immigrate here, for the opportunities. These range from job opportunities to living opportunities to financial opportunities to educational opportunities and on and on. Many people come here for the opportunity to get a good education or to make money to take back to their home countries, where many times the dollar can go a lot farther. If you live in America, it's not hard to find a way to do anything you aspire to, and that has been true from the beginning. Most importantly, as Americans we keep fighting for the opportunities we don't have yet. From all of these examples, it is easy to see that opportunity is the very definition of America.