Essay Questions

Explore the character of John as brought out in Dreams.

One of the major traits that can be argued as an emblem of John’s character in this short story is his dismissive nature. When his bride tells him about her dream, he quickly dismisses it as unimportant. Even so, it all settles with him as he later asks his wife why they were in wheelchairs. In this way, the character can be argued as dismissive. Additionally, John has a job as a lawyer which leads to the argument that he is a hardworking person.

How is the author’s intrusion employed in this work?

Throughout the novel, the writer breaks the stories in intervals to provide a background of her characters or to explain situations. In this way, the writer is able to add more flavor to the story while also promoting the reader’s understanding of the depicted events. For instance, the author’s voice provides an analysis of the mind of the young woman as well as the liking she has for the feet of the man. Later, the writer also breaks the story to explain the man, his job among other details. In this way, the author’s voice becomes a major style device employed in the story.

Of what relevance is the dream that the bride has at the beginning of this story?

On her honeymoon bed, the young woman has a dream. In this dream, the woman sees all her previous suitors and boyfriends all set in wheelchairs suspended in the air. After she wakes up from the dream, the woman shares the contents of her dream with her husband who quickly dismisses it as unimportant. Throughout the novel, the writer does not present an interpretation of the dream. In this way, the dream becomes something of a symbol that allows the writer to present her ideologies without making their meaning exactly apparent.