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Why do you think Natalie seems to be unwilling to pursue her professional dreams? Based on your experience, is this written in a believable way? Why or why not?
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Tes
9 months ago
The book did a great job of capturing human emotion. We look outside ourselves for validation. Sometimes if we are unsure of ourselves we hold on to whatever we have even if it not fulfilling. Natalie’s job was not satisfying her basic needs.
Camille
9 months ago
Natalie doesn’t feel her dreams should come true since she feels like she destroyed her siblings futures. And yes it was written in a believable way.
Connie
9 months ago
She doesn’t feel she deserved them. I think it was written very realistically. So many times people can see what we should be doing but we can’t
Ashley
9 months ago
She says herself that she doesn’t feel like she deserves to be happy after what happened with her siblings. I think most of Natalie’s life, she was trying to play it safe in order to not make any more mistakes. I think most people can relate to taking the safer route at times and not pushing themselves to go for what they really want.
Raven
9 months ago
I think Natalie hold herself back from her professional dreams as a way of punsihing herself for what she did to her siblings so long ago. I think she even says that in the book. This is definitely written well. Also once she figures out that her old job is not going to make her happy then she very quickly is able to realize that it would be better for her to move forward in her professional life instead of staying stagnant.
Sheri
9 months ago
Yes, I feel that was believable. I feel she was afraid to fail. Or that it would be taken away somehow like all other things had been in her life.
Roberta
9 months ago
Not believable. The character seems very immature
Maggs
9 months ago
Fear of failure. I think many people don’t try to go for their dreams for the same reason. What I thought was unbelievable was that she got a job as an illustrator at a school without a degree. I don’t see that happening in real life.
Janice
9 months ago
It was a realistic from my experience fear can be the thing that holds you back. She hasn’t trusted her decisions for years
Exactly, she’s been so afraid of messing up again that she hasn’t let herself try.
Wendy Orrison
9 months ago
I got a little tired of Natalie‘s indecisiveness. I understand that main characters need to be faced with decisions, but I would have a hard time being her friend. She just couldn’t seem to pull the trigger on anything. I think it was written in a believable manner, it did start to get a bit redundant in my opinion.
Stevie
9 months ago
I think Natalie is reluctant to pursue drawing professionally because at the moment it’s the one thing she truly enjoys and excels at. It’s the most honest part of her that she shares with the most people. She can tell herself that she’d like to take it further but while that remains “just an idea”, she keeps the possibility safe, that she could succeed if she really tried. However if she actually tries it and fails, then that’s another part of her life that didn’t work out. She’s not left with anything perfect. Just my two cents on why I… Read more »
Vanessa
9 months ago
I think Natalie lacked self-confidence and doubted whether she was good enough. It seemed she was constantly looking for validation from others, and without that she was paralyzed to act. Except when she thought she was doing something helpful for others-when in fact she was making a mess of things (eg registering her nephew for school).
LeeAnn
9 months ago
l think Natalie’s unwillingness to pursue her dream is written in a believable manner. I think it can hard to follow your dream when it is unsupported and you feel like you do not have a support system. She fell into a career that she fell good at and it takes an incredible amount of courage to change your career and go back to school as an adult unless you have someone who believes in you.
PJC
9 months ago
Natalie’s reluctance to pursue a career in illustration is similar to a college friend of mine. She was always drawing and doodling but felt there was a limited career in art. She took every 100 & 200 course she could looking for her career —other than art. At the end of the day she gave in majored in art with a business minor. She ended up owning her own advertising agency! Natalie needed to see our life path is our own, find the passion things will fall into place. The author did a nice job developing this in the story.
Tangled Up In Tx
9 months ago
I think this was the challenge of identity. It was great to see her self-realization to accept her talent. The barriers we create for ourselves can be the most challenging to overcome.
Angela Hansen
9 months ago
Natalie may have been intimidated by the cost of going back to school and fearing she may not be able to make a living illustrating versus the known of having a job with income.
Yes – and I think that’s a believable reason many of us can relate to. I don’t think it’s an indecisive issue on career paths. If she can’t make enough money in illustrations, she always has her background in historic writing.
Nina
9 months ago
I also thought this was very believable. We see this so often everyday with our own friends/family/colleagues.
Catherine
9 months ago
Totally believable! I think it’s hard to get out of steady situation, even if it’s not the one you want. Uncertainty is hard.
Kristen
9 months ago
I personally think it deals with comfort. It’s very scary to change jobs even if you are unhappy. This was me 5 years ago. I did not change titles but changed companies. Even with being unhappy at work it was scary to leave where you knew you had people you tolerated and knew what to expect.
The book did a great job of capturing human emotion. We look outside ourselves for validation. Sometimes if we are unsure of ourselves we hold on to whatever we have even if it not fulfilling. Natalie’s job was not satisfying her basic needs.
Natalie doesn’t feel her dreams should come true since she feels like she destroyed her siblings futures. And yes it was written in a believable way.
She doesn’t feel she deserved them. I think it was written very realistically. So many times people can see what we should be doing but we can’t
She says herself that she doesn’t feel like she deserves to be happy after what happened with her siblings. I think most of Natalie’s life, she was trying to play it safe in order to not make any more mistakes. I think most people can relate to taking the safer route at times and not pushing themselves to go for what they really want.
I think Natalie hold herself back from her professional dreams as a way of punsihing herself for what she did to her siblings so long ago. I think she even says that in the book. This is definitely written well. Also once she figures out that her old job is not going to make her happy then she very quickly is able to realize that it would be better for her to move forward in her professional life instead of staying stagnant.
Yes, I feel that was believable. I feel she was afraid to fail. Or that it would be taken away somehow like all other things had been in her life.
Not believable. The character seems very immature
Fear of failure. I think many people don’t try to go for their dreams for the same reason. What I thought was unbelievable was that she got a job as an illustrator at a school without a degree. I don’t see that happening in real life.
It was a realistic from my experience fear can be the thing that holds you back. She hasn’t trusted her decisions for years
Exactly, she’s been so afraid of messing up again that she hasn’t let herself try.
I got a little tired of Natalie‘s indecisiveness. I understand that main characters need to be faced with decisions, but I would have a hard time being her friend. She just couldn’t seem to pull the trigger on anything. I think it was written in a believable manner, it did start to get a bit redundant in my opinion.
I think Natalie is reluctant to pursue drawing professionally because at the moment it’s the one thing she truly enjoys and excels at. It’s the most honest part of her that she shares with the most people. She can tell herself that she’d like to take it further but while that remains “just an idea”, she keeps the possibility safe, that she could succeed if she really tried. However if she actually tries it and fails, then that’s another part of her life that didn’t work out. She’s not left with anything perfect. Just my two cents on why I… Read more »
I think Natalie lacked self-confidence and doubted whether she was good enough. It seemed she was constantly looking for validation from others, and without that she was paralyzed to act. Except when she thought she was doing something helpful for others-when in fact she was making a mess of things (eg registering her nephew for school).
l think Natalie’s unwillingness to pursue her dream is written in a believable manner. I think it can hard to follow your dream when it is unsupported and you feel like you do not have a support system. She fell into a career that she fell good at and it takes an incredible amount of courage to change your career and go back to school as an adult unless you have someone who believes in you.
Natalie’s reluctance to pursue a career in illustration is similar to a college friend of mine. She was always drawing and doodling but felt there was a limited career in art. She took every 100 & 200 course she could looking for her career —other than art. At the end of the day she gave in majored in art with a business minor. She ended up owning her own advertising agency! Natalie needed to see our life path is our own, find the passion things will fall into place. The author did a nice job developing this in the story.
I think this was the challenge of identity. It was great to see her self-realization to accept her talent. The barriers we create for ourselves can be the most challenging to overcome.
Natalie may have been intimidated by the cost of going back to school and fearing she may not be able to make a living illustrating versus the known of having a job with income.
Yes – and I think that’s a believable reason many of us can relate to. I don’t think it’s an indecisive issue on career paths. If she can’t make enough money in illustrations, she always has her background in historic writing.
I also thought this was very believable. We see this so often everyday with our own friends/family/colleagues.
Totally believable! I think it’s hard to get out of steady situation, even if it’s not the one you want. Uncertainty is hard.
I personally think it deals with comfort. It’s very scary to change jobs even if you are unhappy. This was me 5 years ago. I did not change titles but changed companies. Even with being unhappy at work it was scary to leave where you knew you had people you tolerated and knew what to expect.
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