Author, Context, & Themes
Who wrote the story, "My Greatest Ambition"?
Who is Morris Lurie?
What method is being shown through these quotes: “My greatest ambition was to…”, “I thought that I would…”, “I imagined myself…”?
What is first-person narration?
What method is being shown through these quotes: “It seemed like such a big thing at the time." “In the end, it didn’t amount to much.” ?
What is symbolism?
What method is being shown through these quotes: “It was always just beyond me.”, “I could almost reach it.”, “It slipped away each time.”?
What is metaphor?
What's the purpose of Lurie writing the story and its effect on the audience?
What is Lurie presents ambition as something that can become meaningless without action, using symbolism and first-person narration to show how individuals often hide behind dreams rather than pursue them, ultimately encouraging the audience to recognize the importance of taking action on what they want in life.
What is the historical context for the story?
What is the post-WWII era in Australia?
What method is being shown through these quotes: “My greatest ambition…”, “I was going to be…”, “Nothing came of it.”?
What is irony?
What method is being shown through these quotes: “What are you going to do about it?”, “I didn’t really have an answer.”?
What is dialogue?
What method is being shown through these quotes: “I never actually did anything about it.”, “I kept thinking I would start tomorrow.”,
What is characterization?
What themes are portrayed?
What are ambition vs reality, the tension between childhood dreams and adult pragmatism, and youthful hope?