The Future of Us Theme of Dreams, Hopes, and Plans

Two things about hopes and dreams in The Future of Us: Everybody has different dreams, and dreams change. Josh and Emma are in prime dreaming territory: High school is a time of exploration and figuring out who you are, and since a lot of their life hasn't happened yet, there are so many different paths for them each to consider.

But when Josh thinks his life pans out as a dream come true, and Emma decides to try to tweak her future to satisfy her current dreams, well, things get messy in the present—until they realize that the best way to make their dreams come true is to invest in making sure their lives are meaningful right now.

Questions About Dreams, Hopes, and Plans

  1. What do Josh's dreams and plans for the future say about his character? What does Emma's future say about her? Are there similarities?
  2. What are Kellan's dreams? Are they at risk of being thwarted? What do you think of the fact that Emma opts not to tell Kellan what she sees in her future?
  3. In the end, does knowing the future change what Josh wants? What about Emma?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

This book argues that dreams don't matter—it's all about building the here and now.

This book argues that dreams do matter—it's just that the only way to attain them is to focus on the present.