July is undoubtedly one of the most patriotic months of the year - at least it is here in the United States. The majority of citizens celebrate America's independence from England by slam-jamming hot dogs, playing with fireworks, and throwing back one or seven brewskies. It's an occasion marked with a deep sense of national pride that stems from America's storied history of overcoming tyranny, adversity, and pretty much all the bad y's you can think of.
It is an enticing sentiment to think that America is beyond reproach, and one that invites a narrowed perspective of our country as being a wholesomely good entity incapable of doing itself or others harm. However, I'm sad to say that today's America offers very little to celebrate. While many gleefully partake in all manner of festivities to commemorate America's awesomeness, there are right now hundreds of immigrants being held in concentration camps - all because the "American Dream" was not meant for them.
Those privileged enough to do so simply turn a blind eye to or dismiss these events entirely - with some even amounting them to being little more than leftist propaganda. These are the people who have internalized the idea that America is more than it really is, and that everyone loyal to its flag is afforded the same opportunities as them. This of course is entirely untrue, but it's difficult to convince someone of that when they've never had to live on the defensive, such as those who are forced to fight tooth and nail to scratch a life out of the bricks built on their backs.
This is why Niko Bellic is such an appropriately symbolic protagonist. As an immigrant, he was sold a vision of America that was never intended to materialize. From the get-go, Niko is subjected to the disappointing reality of America's broken promise when he learns that its' greener pastures were anything but. This can, to an extent, be attributed to his misguided cousin's delusions of grandeur, but ultimately what ends up dooming Niko's journey are the institutions that exist solely to oppress him.
From the moment Niko steps off the boat (that both literally and metaphorically ferried him to his new life), it is made abundantly evident that immigrants are not welcome in Rockstar's version of America. Upon entering a vehicle, the radio is filled with satirical yet spot-on commentary about the distrust felt towards undocumented travelers. On the street, pedestrians mouth off some manner of bigoted slur while police appear to be tracking your movements with an especially keen interest. Although crime is what Niko inevitably falls into, because after all - this is a Grand Theft Auto game - one must question why society was rigged against him in the first place.
While Rockstar's previous entries in the Grand Theft Auto series mostly revolved around a protagonist pursuing self-serving goals - whether it be for notoriety, wealth, or revenge - Niko's is especially pertinent to today's conversation. Sure, he has had a troubled past, and we do end up discovering that he had come to America partly to get closure on that, but at the core of Niko's story is the desire to start over again; to escape his past and start a life in a country built on new beginnings. Try as he might, however, Niko's journey ultimately ends in tragedy. Despite good intentions, his attempts at finding opportunity in America only leads to disaster.
Grand Theft Auto 4's story is one about the American Dream gone horribly wrong - or rather, a realization that it is an illusory concept. The premise is about as American as it gets : A picturesque example of an immigrant's journey towards a new life in a land ripe with opportunity, only to be met with the crushing reality that it is not there. Instead, he finds a self-serving, corrupt system that, without any other option, forces him down a path - not of greed - but desperation. If Niko's actions throughout his story were the flame, then it was our society's establishment that served as kindling.
