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- Follow That Dream is a mother’s letter to her daughter Ming, advising her to pursue dreams with passion, planning and discipline.
- The mother does not romanticise success. She explains that greatness requires sustained effort, sacrifice, investment and often years of focused work.
- She reminds Ming that every achiever also depends on a support network, and that many dreams remain only wishes because people never move beyond wishful thinking.
- The letter balances encouragement with caution: follow the dream, but count the cost before plunging into it.
Story Flow
1 - A mother responds to Ming’s dream
The letter begins with direct encouragement: “By all means follow that dream.”
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2 - Greatness needs long discipline
The mother explains that world-class excellence usually demands years of singular, intensive effort.
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3 - Passion must survive the cost
Before plunging, a dreamer must count the cost in effort, money, time and sacrifice.
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4 - Dreams need support and realism
Winners stand on support networks, while some people abandon dreams for security or due to circumstances.
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5 - Dreams can change with life
The mother uses her own publishing dream to show that later dreams are not inferior to youthful dreams.
Topics We Will Study in This Chapter
Topics We Will Study
Understanding the Chapter
Summary
Character Sketch: The Mother
Character Sketch: Ming
Character Sketch: The Poetic Speaker
Key Themes
Symbols and Key Ideas
Glossary
NCERT Questions
Reflect and Respond
Check Your Understanding
Critical Reflection
Vocabulary and Structures in Context
Listen and Respond
Speaking Activity
Writing Task
Learning Beyond the Text
Exam Format Extra Questions
