Dreams

Dreams are a major and important theme in the novel “The Red Pencil” by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Dreams are that which people aspire to do, to be, or to achieve in life, and may vary from places they want to go to, things they want to do or become, or what they ultimately want out of life. In the novel, the theme of dreams revolves around main character, Amira, and her struggles to achieve them.

When the novel begins, Amira has nearly everything she wants, from a loving family and stable home, to enough to eat and drink. Yet she dreams of learning to read and write. She knows how to draw well, but also wants to be able to read and write. Muma thinks that Amira’s dreams are a waste of time, that reading and writing will do nothing for her in life. Amira...