Do you see what I see? at 5:07 AM

American Gothic is a symbol of a classic American Dream. Painted by Grant Wood in 1930, it portrays a man and woman standing in front of their farm. But as McCloud's work reminds us, we are only really implying that they are standing, as only their upper bodies are shown. Why is that? what influences our take on the picture? apart from the contrast in expression between the man and the woman, which is depicted by the threatening, sharp cornered eyes of the woman, the intriguing rounded look of his eyes, and the tight corners of both of their mouths. as i look at the man, i can find several situations playing out before me. the threatening stance of the pitchfork hints that the man is defending himself before the farm. His extra height over the woman, combines with the slight of the fork to portray a sharp witted man. On a lighter side, the soft tones of the pale white house, and the clear blue sky, can soothe us into a feeling of being home. even if the house is nothing like the one a viewer necessarily lives in, he/she can still find themselves feeling like home.