The Dreamer is a fiction story that is based on the life of Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda.
Exposition: The story is set in the early 1900's in a small town of Temuco, Chile. Neftali is the main character, along with his family members; Laurita- his sister, Rodalfo- his brother, Orlando- his uncle, his father and stepmother.
Conflict: Neftali's speech impediment, small frame, shy personality, and daydreaming qualities are some of the features that his overbearing father cannot understand or forgive and tries to change about him using any means possible.
Rising Action: As the story begins, Neftali is a sickly, young boy who lives in the shadow of fear and disapproval of his demanding father. He has an imagination, small body, and stutter that his father sees as signs of weakness, and he struggles with them on a daily basis. Always wanting to gain his father's approval, he lives with the demands and tries to conform to what his father wants despite the way his father's cruel words hurt him and leave a lasting impression. In this coming of age tale, Neftali finds himself challenged at every turn by his father's expectations when he goes on a day trip with him to work, and even on family vacations. He turns to his older brother for help and advice, but finds only distance growing there since Rodolfo has also had to endure his father in the same manner and must also hide some part of himself away. The summer vacation he spends with his family brings a closer bond between he and Laurita as he begins to assert his independence and feels himself growing stronger on the inside. The strength he feels leads him to his writing where he escapes and his talents are showcased. His uncle picks up on the talent, much to his father's disapproval and gives him a job at his newspaper, which leads to a tragedy and puts further distance between himself and his father.
Climax: The final straw for his father comes when he discovers that Neftali has written an article for a Santiago University publication that decries what his father's work has provided for him. Neftali continues his uncle's work of speaking out for those who are unable to do so for themselves, and this brings his father to a boiling point where he destroys all of Neftali's writings and notebooks and demands that he stop and become a businessman in college.
Falling Action: Neftali knows he can no longer bring disgrace to his father and assumes the name Pablo Neruda in his writings. He goes to college and becomes a famous writer and poet whose writings touched everyone in all walks of life. He was awarded the Noebl Prize for Literature in 1971, and is considered one of the most well read poets of his time.
Literary Qualities:
1. One of the qualities that is supported by the writing is using figurative language. The book is chock full of similes, metaphors, and poetic comparisons.
2. Imagery is also found throughout the story. From the poetic questions and observations that are present throughout the story to the words that are written to appeal to the sense of hearing, imagery is an ever-present quality.
Ryan, P. M., & Sís, P. (2010). The dreamer . New York: Scholastic Press.
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