M.C. Higgins, the Great Theme of Dreams, Hopes, and Plans

M.C. Higgins, the Great is definitely not escapist literature, so you can pretty much expect to read all about how our main man's dreams, hopes, and plans get dashed. But all that failure is important because it's what drives M.C. to become the gritty, strong character he becomes by the end of the book. He might only be thirteen, but he needs to decide how his family's dream of land ownership coincides with his own dreams for himself—and it's only once he does this that he can settle down and start building his future.

1. How do M.C.'s nightmares influence his hopes and plans?
2. What's with all the negativity in the book? Why do M.C.'s dreams, hopes, and plans keep failing?
3. How do Jones's dreams affect M.C.'s dreams?
4. How does Lurhetta Outlaw influence M.C.'s plans?

Since this book's a realist novel, there's just no way that M.C.'s hopes and plans can work out the way he wants them to.

This book is way too negative about M.C.'s dreams; in fact, the negativity makes the book completely unrealistic.