Follow That Dream | CBSE Class 9 English Notes

This note covers Irene Chua's letter "Follow That Dream": a part-by-part summary, the two people in the letter, the themes, the persuasive devices the mother uses, key quotations, the glossary of difficult words and answers to the textbook questions.

Who wrote "Follow That Dream" and in what form?

"Follow That Dream" is a letter, not a short story. It is taken from a collection titled 'My Daughter, My Friend', written by Irene Chua. The letters in this collection are addressed by a mother to her teenage daughter and share "valuable insights into life, equipping her daughter for its challenges."

This particular letter is dated 19 June 1995 and begins "Dear Ming" and ends "Love, Mum". It is written in the first person, directly to Ming, which gives the piece its warm, personal and advising tone rather than a narrated plot with scenes.

Because it is a letter and not a story with a sequence of events happening to characters, its structure instead builds an argument: the mother moves from encouragement, to a warning about cost and sacrifice, to examples of people whose dreams did not come true, and finally to her own experience of how dreams change over a lifetime.

What happens in the letter, part by part?

Part 1: The opening encouragement

The letter opens directly: "By all means follow that dream." The mother states that great men and women become great "because they have a dream and they pursue it till it comes true." She says what separates greatness from the ordinary is "how much effort and sacrifice people invest to realise their dream." She adds that reaching a world-class standard in any field needs being "singularly and intensively pursuing the subject for at least ten years."

Part 2: The cost of a dream

She explains how a dream develops: it "starts with a passion for a particular interest," then comes the "conviction that it is imperative to realise it." She tells Ming to "count the cost in years of effort, financial investments and sacrifice," and only then, if the passion is "still burning in your blood," should she "plunge" in, in any field, including "sports, science, arts, business, or design."

Part 3: The uphill road and the support network

The mother warns that "the road may be uphill most of the way" and that one is kept going only "by the knowledge that you are doing what you love best." When "stamina is running out, the prospect of success will keep you on track." She then gives the example of Academy Award winners, who always thank "a host of people that formed his/her support network," showing that behind one winner "there is a group of people who stood by him/her."

Part 4: Dreams that remain only dreams

The mother observes that for many people, "dreams remain dreams." People say wistfully, "I wish I could be this or the other," but never move past "wishful thinking." Some "preferred to trade their dream for security," and for others, "circumstances changed their lives." She gives two real examples: people whose dream was to attend the then Raffles College (now the National University of Singapore) but whose destiny was changed 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.

Part 5: Encouragement balanced with caution

The mother reassures Ming: "No, I am not going to put a wet blanket on your dreams," but adds that Ming "will also have to consider the years you need to chase your dream." She concludes that if, "after all the obstacles are considered," the "burning conviction is still coursing through your veins," then Ming should "go ahead and do something about it."

Part 6: How dreams change over a lifetime

In the final part, the mother reflects on her own life: "life itself may change a person's dreams," and these later hopes "are no less than the original dream of younger days." Fulfilling them means negotiating "a path through a maze of hurdles," taking "a much longer time to realise," with "many more" people becoming part of one's "dreamscape." She gives her own example: publishing her book was "a dream I have chased in the last ten years," which "was not the dream I had in my youth but my original dream has changed over the years." She closes warmly, saying she is "really quite excited about it" and wishes that "at least one of your dreams comes true too," signing off "Love, Mum."

Who are the characters in the letter?

The mother (the writer)

The mother, Irene Chua, is the voice of the whole letter. She presents herself as experienced and reflective, someone who has "chased" her own dream of publishing her book "in the last ten years." She is encouraging but realistic: she tells Ming to follow her dream, yet insists Ming must "count the cost" in years, effort, money and sacrifice before she "plunges" in.

Her tone balances warmth and honesty. She refuses to be a "wet blanket," but she also gives sobering examples of people whose dreams were derailed by history (the Japanese invasion) or family duty (supporting siblings through school). By the end, she reveals her own dream has "changed over the years," showing that even a grown, successful person's ambitions keep evolving.

Ming (the daughter)

Ming does not speak directly in the letter; she is known only through her mother's responses to her. The letter's opening line, "By all means follow that dream," tells us that Ming must have written to her mother about a dream or ambition she wishes to pursue, likely asking for approval or guidance.

Ming is addressed throughout as someone young, hopeful and at the start of deciding what to commit to. The mother's advice, to weigh "years of effort, financial investments and sacrifice" before plunging into a field like "sports, science, arts, business, or design," suggests Ming is weighing a serious, demanding ambition rather than a casual wish.

What themes does the letter explore?

The cost and discipline that a dream demands

The letter's central theme is that a dream is not free. Reaching "world-class standard in any field" needs being "singularly and intensively" focused "for at least ten years." The mother insists Ming must "count the cost in years of effort, financial investments and sacrifice" before committing to any ambition.

The support of other people behind one person's success

Through the Academy Awards example, the letter shows that success is rarely achieved alone. "For one winner, there is a group of people who stood by him/her," reminding Ming that pursuing a dream also depends on the "dreamscape" of family, mentors and well-wishers who stand behind the dreamer.

Circumstances and sacrifice that can block a dream

The letter is honest that many dreams never come true. Some people trade "their dream for security," while others are stopped by forces beyond their control, such as the "Japanese invasion during World War II," or by duty, such as having "to go out to work" to support siblings. This theme keeps the letter from being simply optimistic.

Dreams changing and evolving over a lifetime

The final theme is that dreams are not fixed forever. The mother says "life itself may change a person's dreams" and that her own book, finished after "ten years," "was not the dream I had in my youth." This suggests that a changed dream is "no less" valuable than the original one.

What persuasive devices does the mother use in the letter?

As a personal letter of advice, the piece relies on persuasive and rhetorical devices rather than poetic ones. The mother uses direct address throughout ("Dear Ming," "By all means follow that dream") to make the advice feel personal and urgent rather than general.

She uses real-world example and anecdote as evidence: the Academy Award winners thanking their support network, the people who missed Raffles College because of the Japanese invasion, and people who had to work to support siblings. These concrete cases make her abstract claims about sacrifice and circumstance convincing.

She also uses figurative language drawn from the body and the senses: a dream "still burning in your blood," conviction "coursing through your veins," being "buoyed up" on an uphill road. These images make an inner, emotional state of determination feel physical and vivid.

Finally, she uses a balance of concession and caution as a persuasive structure: she first concedes encouragement ("I am not going to put a wet blanket on your dreams"), then immediately adds a cautionary "but," a pattern repeated through the letter to keep her advice both supportive and realistic.

What are the key quotations from the letter?

"By all means follow that dream."

This is the mother's opening line, setting the supportive tone before she introduces her cautions.

"to reach world-class standard in any field, one has to be singularly and intensively pursuing the subject for at least ten years"

The mother uses this line to explain the serious time commitment that true excellence demands.

"The road may be uphill most of the way and often you are buoyed up only by the knowledge that you are doing what you love best and are doing the right thing."

This line describes what keeps a person going through a difficult pursuit of a dream.

"No, I am not going to put a wet blanket on your dreams, … but you will also have to consider the years you need to chase your dream."

Here, the mother balances her encouragement of Ming's dream with a note of caution.

"life itself may change a person's dreams"

The mother uses this to introduce her closing reflection on how her own dream evolved with age.

"So, I wish at least one of your dreams comes true too."

This is the mother's closing wish to Ming, ending the letter on a warm, hopeful note.

Why does the mother balance encouragement with caution?

The mother balances encouragement with caution because she wants Ming to pursue her dream with open eyes, not blind hope. She begins warmly, "By all means follow that dream," but immediately explains that greatness comes from "effort and sacrifice," not wishing alone.

She repeatedly lists the price of a dream: "years of effort, financial investments and sacrifice." This is not meant to discourage Ming but to prepare her, since the mother explicitly says, "I am not going to put a wet blanket on your dreams."

Her caution comes from experience. She has seen "people whose dream was to go to the then Raffles College" derailed by the "Japanese invasion during World War II," and others who had to abandon school to "support their siblings through school." These real outcomes justify her warning that circumstances can change a life's direction.

At the same time, she gives Ming a clear test for when to proceed anyway: "if the burning conviction is still coursing through your veins, then go ahead and do something about it." This final instruction shows that her caution is a filter for commitment, not a block on dreaming.

What does the letter teach about dreams and sacrifice?

The letter teaches that a genuine dream always requires a real "cost." The mother is specific about what this cost is made of: "years of effort, financial investments and sacrifice," not vague enthusiasm. She separates people who only say "I wish I could be this or the other" from people who actually "plunge" into years of work.

It also teaches that sacrifice is not always chosen freely. Some people "preferred to trade their dream for security" by their own decision, but others lost their dream to forces outside their control, such as war or family duty. The letter treats both situations honestly, without blaming the people whose dreams did not come true.

Finally, the letter teaches that the sacrifices other people make for a dreamer also matter. The Academy Awards example shows that behind "one winner, there is a group of people who stood by him/her," so a dream's sacrifice is often shared, not borne by one person alone.

What is the significance of the title "Follow That Dream"?

The title is taken directly from the opening line of the letter, "By all means follow that dream," so it immediately signals the mother's central message of encouragement to Ming. Read on its own, the title sounds purely optimistic and instructive, almost like a command.

However, once the whole letter is read, the title gains a more careful meaning. "Follow" implies sustained, long-term action, matching the mother's insistence that a dream needs being pursued "singularly and intensively" for "at least ten years," not a single burst of enthusiasm.

"That dream" also points to the letter's theme that dreams are personal and specific to the dreamer, whether in "sports, science, arts, business, or design." By the end of the letter, the title also quietly includes the mother's own, changed dream of publishing her book, showing that "that dream" can shift across a lifetime while still deserving to be followed.

What are the answers to the textbook questions?

Are these statements true or false?

1. Reaching the peak of skill in a field typically demands focused dedication for about a decade. True, since the mother says this takes "at least ten years" of "singularly and intensively" pursuing the subject.

2. The mother believes effort and sacrifice are essential to realise aspirations. True, as she says effort and sacrifice are what "differentiates greatness from the ordinary."

3. The path to achieving deep desires has very little difficulty. False, as the mother says "the road may be uphill most of the way."

4. The mother believes life goals can evolve over time. True, since she writes "life itself may change a person's dreams."

5. A strong network of people is a hurdle to pursuing an ambition. False, as the Academy Awards example shows a support network helps a person succeed.

6. Pursuing a major life goal involves no financial expense or sacrifice. False, as the mother lists "financial investments and sacrifice" as part of the cost.

7. For many people, aspirations remain just wishes because they never move beyond daydreaming. True, as she writes they "have never got beyond just wishful thinking."

What are the answers to the comprehension questions?

1. What must Ming have written to her mother about? Ming must have written about a dream or ambition of her own, since the letter opens, "By all means follow that dream," replying directly to something Ming had proposed.

2. How can one attain an international level of skill? Mention two ways. First, by being "singularly and intensively pursuing the subject for at least ten years." Second, by being ready to "count the cost in years of effort, financial investments and sacrifice" and committing fully, or "plunging," once conviction is strong.

3. What differentiates mere dreamers from actual achievers? Achievers invest real "effort and sacrifice" over years, while mere dreamers only say wistfully "I wish I could be this or the other" and "never got beyond just wishful thinking."

4. How does the mother use critical questions and personal anecdotes to persuade Ming? She poses a critical question, "Do you know that to reach world-class standard in any field, one has to be singularly and intensively pursuing the subject for at least ten years?", to make Ming pause and reflect before she advises her. She also uses anecdotes such as the Academy Award winners, the people who missed Raffles College, and those who had to work to support siblings, to make her warnings about sacrifice and circumstance feel real and convincing rather than abstract.

5. How does the mother balance encouragement with caution? She opens with full encouragement, "By all means follow that dream," then adds caution about cost and circumstance, before reassuring Ming again, "I am not going to put a wet blanket on your dreams."

6. Is this advice still relevant today? The letter itself shows the advice is built on lasting, general truths, the need for years of effort, financial planning and a support network, which do not depend on any particular era, so the advice remains broadly applicable.

7. What costs are you willing or unwilling to invest? This is a personal, open response question inviting the student to reflect on the "years of effort, financial investments and sacrifice" they are prepared to give for their own goals, based on the mother's framework in the letter.

Glossary

• Insight — clear and deep understanding of a situation or subject.
• Singularly — exclusively, with focus on one thing alone.
• Imperative — absolutely necessary, essential to do.
• Plunge — to throw oneself fully into an activity without holding back.
• Buoyed up — kept afloat, or kept hopeful and going through difficulty.
• Wistfully — in a longing, sadly hopeful manner, wishing for something.
• Dreamscape — a world of dreams; here, the wider circle of people involved in realising one's dream.
• Conviction — a firm belief or settled determination to do something.
• Stamina — the physical or mental strength needed to keep going through a difficult task.
• Trade — to give up one thing in exchange for another, as with a dream for security.
• Destiny — the events that are fated or will necessarily happen to a person in future.
• Negotiate — here, to find a way successfully through something difficult, such as hurdles.
• Maze of hurdles — a confusing, complicated set of obstacles that must be worked through.
• Host — a large number of people, as in "a host of people" supporting someone.
• Siblings — one's brothers and sisters.

Common errors and misconceptions

• Misconception: "Follow That Dream" is a short story with a plot and characters acting out scenes. Correct: it is a personal letter from a mother to her daughter, structured as direct address, not a narrated story.
• Misconception: "plunge" means to fail or fall into trouble. Correct: here it means to throw oneself fully into the activity once conviction is strong.
• Misconception: the mother discourages Ming from dreaming at all. Correct: she explicitly says, "I am not going to put a wet blanket on your dreams," and only urges her to weigh the cost first.
• Misconception: the Academy Awards example shows winners succeed completely alone. Correct: the mother uses it to show "there is a group of people who stood by him/her."
• Misconception: "dreamscape" simply means a dream one sees while asleep. Correct: here it refers to the growing circle of people involved in realising a real-life dream.
• Misconception: the mother's own final dream is identical to her dream in youth. Correct: she says publishing the book "was not the dream I had in my youth but my original dream has changed over the years."
• Misconception: reaching world-class standard needs only natural talent. Correct: the mother says it needs being "singularly and intensively" focused "for at least ten years."

Exam-style questions with model answers

Q1. In the letter, what single opening line does the mother use to encourage Ming? [1 mark]

1. "By all means follow that dream."

Q2. According to the letter, what is needed to reach world-class standard in any field? [2 marks]

1. One must be "singularly and intensively pursuing the subject" for this.
2. This focused pursuit must last "for at least ten years."

Q3. Explain, using the letter, what "costs" the mother tells Ming to count before committing to a dream. [3 marks]

1. The mother tells Ming to "count the cost in years of effort" needed to realise the dream.
2. She also includes "financial investments," meaning the dream will require real money.
3. Finally, she includes "sacrifice," since pursuing a dream means giving up other things, and only after weighing all three should Ming "plunge."

Q4. With reference to the Academy Awards example, explain what the mother wants Ming to understand about success. [4 marks]

1. The mother notes that winners at the Academy Awards "always thank a host of people that formed his/her support network."
2. This shows that success is rarely achieved by one person alone.
3. She concludes that "for one winner, there is a group of people who stood by him/her."
4. Her point is that Ming's own dream will also depend on the support of people around her, not effort alone.

Q5. Describe, with examples from the letter, how circumstances beyond a person's control can change their dreams. [4 marks]

1. The mother says that "circumstances changed their lives" for some people who had dreams.
2. She gives the example of people whose dream was to attend "the then Raffles College," now the National University of Singapore.
3. Their destiny was changed "forever" by "the Japanese invasion during World War II."
4. She also mentions people who wished to finish secondary school but "had to go out to work" to support their siblings, showing family duty can also redirect a dream.

Q6. How does the mother balance encouragement with caution across the letter? Support your answer with quotations. [5 marks]

1. She opens with pure encouragement: "By all means follow that dream."
2. She then adds a caution, that greatness needs "effort and sacrifice," not wishing alone.
3. She reassures Ming again: "I am not going to put a wet blanket on your dreams."
4. Immediately after, she adds caution: "but you will also have to consider the years you need to chase your dream."
5. Finally, she gives Ming a clear test to decide when to proceed: "if the burning conviction is still coursing through your veins, then go ahead and do something about it."

Q7. Explain, with reference to the ending of the letter, how the mother shows that dreams can change over a lifetime. [6 marks]

1. The mother writes that "life itself may change a person's dreams."
2. She insists these later hopes "are no less than the original dream of younger days."
3. She notes that fulfilling a later dream means negotiating "a path through a maze of hurdles."
4. Such a dream "will take a much longer time to realise."
5. She gives her own example: publishing her book, a dream "chased in the last ten years."
6. She admits "this was not the dream I had in my youth but my original dream has changed over the years," and closes by wishing Ming the same success with her own dream.

Q8. What does the word "dreamscape" mean as used in the letter, and why is it an appropriate word here? [2 marks]

1. It is used to mean the world or wider circle of people involved in a person's pursuit of a dream.
2. It is appropriate because the mother is describing how "many more" people become participants as a dream changes and takes longer to realise.

Key takeaways

• The letter is written by Irene Chua to her daughter Ming, dated 19 June 1995.
• The mother says greatness needs "effort and sacrifice," not just having a dream.
• World-class standard needs being "singularly and intensively" focused "for at least ten years."
• A dream must pass through passion, conviction, counting the cost, and finally committing or "plunging."
• Success often depends on a "support network," as shown by the Academy Awards example.
• Many dreams remain unfulfilled due to personal choice or circumstances, such as war or family duty.
• The mother balances encouragement with caution, refusing to be "a wet blanket" while urging Ming to weigh the years needed.
• Dreams can change over a lifetime, as shown by the mother's own changed dream of publishing her book.

Test yourself

What is the opening line of the letter?

"By all means follow that dream," spoken by the mother to encourage Ming at the very start of the letter.

How long must one intensively pursue a subject to reach world-class standard?

According to the letter, "at least ten years" of being "singularly and intensively" focused on the subject.

What example shows that success depends on a support network?

Academy Award winners always thank "a host of people that formed his/her support network" when they win.

What real historical event changed some people's dream of attending Raffles College?

"The Japanese invasion during World War II" changed their destiny, according to the letter.

What does the mother say she will not do to Ming's dreams?

She says, "I am not going to put a wet blanket on your dreams," meaning she will not discourage her.

What was the mother's own dream mentioned at the end of the letter?

Publishing her book, which she "chased in the last ten years," a dream that changed from the one she had in her youth.

What word does the mother use to describe the people who become part of her dream's journey?

She uses the word "dreamscape" to describe this wider circle of participants.