Liberty
Introduction
The statue of liberty is located at Ellis Island in New York Harbor in the United States of America. It was given to the American people by the French in June 19, 1885 as a symbol of friendship. The statue of liberty is a symbol of freedom and arbitrary control and all the basic principles that the American people stand for. It is also considered one of the symbols of freedom and justice in the world through the seven horns in the crown which symbolically represents the seven continents of the world. It also has a torch in the right hand which represent light over the world and a tablet showing independence. The statue of liberty, therefore, is of great importance to the American people as it symbolizes friendship, freedom and liberty.
Friendship
The initial symbolism of friendship was the erecting of the statue which was to symbolize friendship between French and the United States of America. The French had in mind that the Americans were winning a civil war and therefore would be wealthy, it was therefore wise to make friends with them (Sutherland and Museum 23–26).
Secondly, the statue of liberty symbolized friendship between the American people and the immigrants, it implies that immigrants are welcome to explore new opportunities in the United States. It also symbolized that immigrants had to develop friendship amongst themselves and the Americans by themselves. It is the symbol that the immigrants saw when chasing the American dream. The statue guided them through their journey and welcomed them to their new home.
The seven spikes on the sculpture represents the seven seas and seven continents of the v(Staton 74). An indication that the seven continents are brought together through friendship whereas the seas provide the necessary economic resources to move the continents forward though economic integration and water transport and sea exploration.
Freedom
The symbols probably most important feature is that her right leg, which is mostly unheralded is leaning forward with a purposeful striding. The right leg symbolizes that freedom is not static but moving forward each and every day, that freedom once acquired, there is a desire to get more. This implies that the American people fully welcomed the immigrants who were fleeing political violence and ethnic profiling. The United States welcoming the immigrants showed that freedom was nonstatic and not a thing of the past.
The statue has chains of oppression and slavery tied at her feet. This is a broad idea of symbolism as the statue represents freedom of the people against its oppressors. The torch in the statue is a symbol of light, enlightenment to achieve freedom, the hope of a win against the oppressors for a better future, that you have to seek freedom or know it exists for you to achieve (Sutherland and Museum 23–26). It is a symbol of resistance by the oppressed that in the face of all injustices by the oppressors, there is light at the end of it all The Americans knew the English as oppressors and as in most parts of the world, Americans are seen as liberators.
The statue is holding a tablet, a book of laws dated 4th July 1776. The day when the United States got her independence from the tyrannical British rule. The book contains laws that protect freedom. The tablet also symbolizes a book, from which we get knowledge. The book, therefore, brings to the attention of Americans the importance of knowledge and how crucial it is for its citizens to be educated.
Liberty
The statue of liberty wears a robe which was a common attire by a Roman goddesses Libertas, Roman goddess of liberty. The robe, therefore, is a sign of liberty as a universal idea that is shared globally. The statue symbolizes freedom in this context to mean that one does as they wish in a manner acceptable in society.
The torch holds a light that shows the path to liberty and freedom. Her official name, “Liberty enlightening the world” clearly indicates the most important symbol she represents.it is the pride of a nation from which they derive inspiration over several generations and future generations, a reminder to them of the path to political, economic and social freedom where every united states citizen is entitled to (Blanchet and Dard 101).
In the statue crown are windows that let in light which gives hope, chases the dark and ushers a new dawn. This is a symbol of liberty from the very dark past of oppressors to the new era where freedoms of people as enshrined in the tablets are observed and respected.
Conclusion
The statue of liberty is an integral part of American history. In the American dream, immigrants dream of a better future – a future where rights of individuals are respected; a future where there is no oppression; a future where each individual has a political say; a future of economic freedom where everyone is economically empowered to be productive in the society to actually live the American dream. The statue, therefore, symbolizes friendship, freedom, and liberty.