A lot of eight-year-old boys these days might dream about meeting a superhero or going to Legoland. Dreaming of a barn seems pretty boring compared to that. But that's Tom's dream because he wants his family to have a better life.
Tom's dream grows when he's 13, after Birdy takes him to see Bert Breen's barn (jump over to our "Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory" section to read about the barn as a symbol of the American dream). Tom decides he wants to buy that barn and move it to his property, so he spends the next three years with his nose to the grindstone to make it happen.
He's livin' the dream…the American dream, that is. The American dream says that no matter where you came from, if you take initiative, work hard, and never give up, you'll get what you're looking for
Questions About Dreams, Hopes, and Plans
- Are Tom's dreams rooted in anger toward his father and grandfather? Are they rooted in greed, spurred by comparisons he makes between himself and others?
- Do Tom's hopes and dreams change at all as the novel goes on?
- How does the Widow Breen's fortunetelling influence Tom's dreams? Would Tom's story turn out the same way if she'd never read his cards?
- How does Tom's pursuit of the American dream compare to other stories of the American dream in books or movies?
Chew on This
Obtaining a dream is part hard work, part fate.
Any goal is obtainable so long as a person is willing to work hard enough to get it.