Summary
Chapter 8 'Follow That Dream' features a letter dated 19 June 1995 by Irene Chua to her daughter Ming (from the collection 'My Daughter, My Friend'), advising her that pursuing a dream to world-class level demands passion, conviction, and at least ten years of intense, singular effort along with financial sacrifice.
Chapter 8 of Class 9 English Kaveri centres on a letter written by Irene Chua to her daughter Ming, excerpted from the collection 'My Daughter, My Friend'. The mother encourages Ming to follow her dream, explaining that greatness comes from how much effort and sacrifice people invest to realise their aspirations. She states that reaching world-class standard in any field requires at least ten years of singular, intensive pursuit. The journey begins with passion, develops into conviction, and demands a realistic count of the costs—time, money, and personal sacrifice. The mother acknowledges that circumstances such as World War II or financial hardship can divert people from dreams, and that life itself may reshape aspirations over time. She shares her own evolved dream of publishing 'My Daughter, My Friend'. The chapter also includes the poem 'Step up to the challenge' by Robert Langley and 'Always Believe in Yourself' by Dorothy Hewitt.
Key points & formulas
- 01The chapter's central text is a letter dated 19 June 1995 from Irene Chua to her daughter Ming, excerpted from the collection 'My Daughter, My Friend'.
- 02The mother argues that what differentiates greatness from the ordinary is how much effort and sacrifice people invest to realise their dream.
- 03Reaching world-class standard in any field requires at least ten years of singularly and intensively pursuing the subject.
- 04The path to a dream starts with passion for a particular interest, followed by the conviction that it is imperative to realise it; only then should one 'plunge'.
- 05The mother gives examples of people whose dreams were derailed by the Japanese invasion during World War II (preventing entry to Raffles College, now the National University of Singapore) and by the need to work to support siblings through school.
- 06The Academy Awards example illustrates that for every winner there is a group of people who stood by him or her, underscoring the importance of a support network.
- 07The mother shares that her own dream evolved: publishing 'My Daughter, My Friend' was a goal she chased over ten years, not her original youthful dream.
- 08The chapter also features the poem 'Step up to the challenge' by Robert Langley, which argues that the first step is the hardest and that maintaining the status quo is not how we grow, and a closing poem 'Always Believe in Yourself' by Dorothy Hewitt.
Frequently asked questions
01Who wrote the letter in 'Follow That Dream' and to whom is it addressed?
The letter is written by Irene Chua to her daughter Ming. It is dated 19 June 1995 and is excerpted from the collection titled 'My Daughter, My Friend'.
02What does the mother say differentiates great people from ordinary people?
She says what differentiates greatness from the ordinary is how much effort and sacrifice people invest to realise their dream.
03How long does it take to reach world-class standard in any field, according to the letter?
According to the letter, one has to be singularly and intensively pursuing the subject for at least ten years to reach world-class standard in any field.
04What steps does the mother outline before committing fully to a dream?
She says it starts with a passion for a particular interest, then comes the conviction that it is imperative to realise it. One must count the cost in years of effort, financial investments, and sacrifice. Only if it is still burning in your blood and you are ready to commit should you plunge.
05What does the expression 'put a wet blanket on your dreams' mean in the letter?
The mother says she is not going to 'put a wet blanket on your dreams', meaning she will not discourage or dampen Ming's enthusiasm for pursuing her dream.
06What examples does the mother give of people whose dreams were derailed by circumstances?
She mentions people whose dream was to attend Raffles College (now the National University of Singapore) but whose destiny was changed forever by the Japanese invasion during World War II, and people who wished to finish secondary school but had to go out to work to support their siblings through school.
07Why does the mother mention the Academy Awards in her letter?
She uses the Academy Awards to show that for one winner there is a group of people who stood by him or her, illustrating that a support network plays a vital role in achieving dreams.
08What does the mother mean when she says life may change a person's dreams?
She says life itself may change a person's dreams, but these evolved hopes and aspirations are no less than the original dream of younger days. They take a much longer time to realise, and more people become participants in one's 'dreamscape'.
09What is the mother's own dream that she shares in the letter?
She shares that publishing the book 'My Daughter, My Friend' is a dream she chased in the last ten years. She notes this was not the dream she had in her youth but that her original dream had changed over the years.
10What is the poem 'Step up to the challenge' about and who wrote it?
Written by Robert Langley, the poem encourages readers to face challenges with self-belief. It argues that there is ease in comfort and maintaining the status quo, but 'this isn't how we grow', and that 'the first step is the hardest' but self-belief keeps one on track.
11Who wrote the poem 'Always Believe in Yourself' included in Chapter 8?
The poem 'Always Believe in Yourself' at the end of the chapter was written by Dorothy Hewitt.
12What vocabulary words are glossed in the letter excerpt and what do they mean?
The glossed words are: singularly (exclusively), imperative (necessary), plunge (throw oneself into the activity), buoyed up (kept afloat), wistfully (longingly), and dreamscape (a world of dreams).
13Can I download the Class 9 English Kaveri Chapter 8 PDF for free?
Yes, the NCERT PDF for Class 9 English Kaveri Chapter 8 'Follow That Dream' is available free with no sign-up required on cbseprepmaster.com.
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