It was once stated by Milton Berle that “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” When one reads this quote, he or she might wonder what Berle means by opportunity “knocking” and “building” a door. However, Berle is suggesting that the interpretation of “building a door” is ambiguous. To begin, many people find themselves in a situation where they are constrained by some sort of conflict that is preventing them from reaching success. Nevertheless, it is in their hands to control what the future holds; they have the power to make a difference. Furthermore, one may be at a disadvantage because of his or her socio-economic status, ethnicity, background, gender, sexuality, and many more stereotypes. Despite these constraints, it is in the person’s …show more content…
In the book, the main character named Junior makes a sacrifice of leaving his reservation to adapt to a new environment. He lives on a reservation where the majority of the people are depressed and are facing extreme poverty; there is no opportunity for success if Junior continues to live his life on his reservation. Hence, he leaves his high school and joins Reardan High School. He faces many problems because of his race; there is no one who is Indian except the mascot. He is bullied, teased, and harassed because he is different than everyone else. Despite the struggles Junior endures, he continues attending this school because he knows that this higher level of education will open up more opportunities for him. Junior “builds” his door by making the decision to join a new school; he knows that opportunity will not knock for him at his old reservation, which is why he attends Reardan High School. In the end, joining the new environment increases Junior’s confidence, and he is able to rise above his poverty. All in all, because opportunity did not knock for Junior, he “builds” his own door by joining a new school in order to achieve