Brooklyn Bridge

     I think that the Brooklyn Bridge documentary reveals a lot about the American character. I think that the first quality of the American character the film displays is that often times some of the most unlikely people can step up and do great things. People can step out of their comfort zone and show great courage by doing something that nobody thought they would have been able to do before. This is shown in the film by both Washington Roebling and his wife Emily. Washington took over his father's project of completing the Brooklyn Bridge after his death. This was no menial task and took a great deal of courage from Washington to finish the bridge simply from his father's blueprints. On the other hand his wife Emily stepped it up and became her husband's hands and feet after he became to ill to leave his apartment. I am sure that during these times it took a lot of confidence and bravery for a women to take a leading role in completing such a huge task in completing the bridge.

     Secondly the documentary show's the steadfast perseverance that is alive and well in so many Americans, especially during the days of the Brooklyn Bridges construction. Building the Brooklyn Bridge was a long drawn out effort, as well as a dangerous one. Men working on the bridge experienced a new disease from compressed air called Caisson disease. Many men caught the deadly Caisson disease and yet still saw their work on the bridge carried out to completion. According to History.com, over 100 men caught the disease during the building of the bridge, including Washington Roebling. On top of that the building took approximately 14 years to complete from 1869 to it's grand opening in 1883. I think this shows that in spite of struggle and long, hard efforts, these Americans were able to tough it out and complete the bridge.

     All in all I think that the bridge displays the great character in Americans. A quote during the end of the documentary stated "The bridge makes you feel that you too could add something that could last and be beautiful." I think that the Brooklyn Bridge and its history gives us great hope that we too can be great.

http://www.history.com/topics/brooklyn-bridge