
Images can provoke many emotions, thoughts, and stories hidden within them. Even simple images such as this brown paneled house stand for much more as it symbolizes the sequential American home and culture within its design. The modern use of architectural designs and facade, along with the appeal to pathos through various elements, lead to the overall main point of the American dream disguised within this picture. 

As the viewer first glances at this image, the architectural design and facade of the home grabs the viewers’ attention. In the dead center of the image, the rectangular door is accompanied by a large half oval window. On the right side of the house, two sets of stacked windows are separated into three individual windows extending from the facade of the home, covered by a roofed dormer. In contrast to the right side of the house, the left side has only four main windows: two on the top and two on the bottom, encompassed with brown shutters. This side of the house is also flush to the facade and not covered by a dormer. The different shapes of the windows and varying amounts, along with the opposing designs surrounding the windows lead to the asymmetry of the home, which is a widely used design element in modern homes.  The structural design also leans towards modern housing with the twin peaks of triangle gables followed by opposing flat gables on the on the left side. The structure of the home is decorated with light brown siding panels and dark brown shutters. Ensuing these contemporary elements, the stark white garage doors are even complemented with the barn hinges and handles. The overall effect of these opposing design elements demonstrate the modern techniques employed upon the house and discipline within the small details. Not only does the modern style and varying structure of the home attract the viewer, but so does the grass and other elements other than the home itself.

Many elements within the landscaping and layout of the yard appeal to a vast majority of people, landscapers, and contractors. The main design following the house is the stripes neatly laid in the green and lush Bermuda grass. This visual of stripes produced is an affect that only professional mowers can produce, creating a highly sought after look that is appreciated and valued by many. In addition to the nicely cut grass, the fresh brown mulch not only complements the grass but also matches the color scheme of the house. Within the mulched beds, small shrubbery and various plants are neatly maintained and cared for. This overall image of organization and well-kept grounds creates a flowing landscape design that all can respect and admire. Aside from the landscape, the wooden rocking chair also adds to an appealing aspect of the house. The soft shadow emitted directly under the chair and fading paint in the sunlight shows that it is most likely noon, and the chair is empty. This leads one to believe that the rocking chair is enjoyed late at night after long hours of work, where past times of smoking cigars and having a drink take place. The lack of a second chair shows that this might be a place for an individual to relax and have alone time while basking in the concept of solidarity. The overall appeal of the manicured landscape and subtle yet hospitable objects evoke sentiments of desire and appreciation towards the home. 

As one looks deeper into the image given the surrounding aspects and characteristics of the home, the American dream the house was built upon along with the time period becomes ever present. The American dream is one the main points depicted within the image. Small details surrounding the house lead to the conjecture that it is new and possibly one of many recently developed homes in the area. The side paneling of the house is very clean and shows little to no fading, while the shrubs and one short tree are underdeveloped, showing the lack of aging. Looking beyond the house, the fence creates a perspective of further land behind it, possibly leading to more undeveloped housing lots. One can further conclude that this time period could have been during the early 2000s when the housing market was soaring. While this exploits the culture and time surrounding the house, it also demonstrates the underlying American dream and ambition that lead to the development. Given a booming housing market, entrepreneurs and companies involved in the industry were provided with work and were able to fulfill this dream by making money while growing a flourishing company. Not only was this sought after dream obtained by those within the housing market, but it also became tangible for those in other markets, especially the landscaping side. As every house was developed with a yard, it created more jobs for landscapers, furthering the economic improvement. This one house production can lead to a trickle-down effect benefiting the entire economy. By observing miniscule details within the background and the evident characteristics of this new house, the American dream is clearly present within the production.

Within one picture of a seemingly plain house, many elements are discoverable through close visualization. By carefully observing this house, modern yet contemporary design elements coincide with those of a 21st century home. Certain landscape designs and aspects are also attributed to the pathos appeal amongst the house. The American dream is especially depicted with logical reasoning, given the enclosing physical characteristics. Within this seemingly unadorned image, a thousand words are held.
