Although Simona’s piece, “American Dream,” is an excellent read overall, there is one crucial image that’s stuck in my head – her mother’s ring. That it was lost on the transatlantic journey to the U.S. makes it all the more … relevant to her theme – America is not what she imagined; it’s not what anyone imagines. The “perfect relationship, perfect Saturday night, perfect spring quarter” don’t exist; they are “all constructs of the imagination.” The metaphor of the ring explains all of this: it represents the promise of a better future, hope, familial connection, etc. Its loss represents the defeat or perversion of these ideals. The promise of America is just that – a promise. Promises can be broken.
I would suggest that Simona reveal her message more succinctly. She has access to a variety of images and personal memories that can be successfully utilized in this instance. Sometimes I enjoy it when the author has a “this is how it is” moment; where he or she explains themselves, their emotions, or their ideologies for the reader. With the amount of material she has access to, however, I don’t feel Simona needs express her conclusions so literally. Allow the reader to experience the transition from Romania to the U.S. through literary revelations and emotional experiences.
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