In The Sun Is Also A Star, Natasha's father, Samuel, is the captain of the Dream Team. He believes he has a God-given talent for acting and moves to America to make it on Broadway. Unfortunately, chasing that dream proves harder than he expected, and he starts making excuses not to go to auditions. For most of the book, he seems to be completely oblivious to how his pursuit of stardom has hurt his family. His wife left her life in Jamaica behind to join him in the United States. She and Natasha have both worked their butts off trying to make ends meet. As a thank-you, Samuel drunkenly tells the cops they're undocumented, forcing the entire family to uproot their lives again. It's no wonder Natasha is thoroughly unimpressed by Daniel's dreams of becoming a poet.
Questions About Dreams
Do you think Samuel really would have made it on Broadway if he hadn't chosen to have a family?
Patricia says Samuel's a good actor because he made her believe all her dreams would come true. What do you think Patricia's dreams were, and why does Samuel dismiss them as less important than his?
Would there have been any other way for Samuel to take a more balanced approach to pursuing his dream while supporting his family? If so, why do you think he didn't take it? If not, does that excuse his negligence at all?