Quote 81
I was standing in a re-creation of James Halliday's office, the room in his mansion where he'd spent most of the last fifteen years of his life. (37.120)
Here, Wade gets a chance to see the home of his hero, which we might think of as a kind of home for himself. He's devoted so many years to getting inside Halliday's head, and now he's actually standing in the dude's house. Well, virtually speaking, at least.
Quote 82
A new subculture was born, composed of the millions of people who now devoted every free moment of their lives to searching for Halliday's egg. (0.40)
A lot of people are banking their futures on a contest with odds in line with winning Publisher's Clearing House. Why hitch your dreams to such a rare wagon? Couldn't these people busy themselves making their real world better? Wouldn't that be a better dream to pursue?
Quote 83
My only plan after graduation was to become a full-time gunter. (2.12)
What would he have done if the egg were found by someone else? Unlike his idols, like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, who dropped out of school and became technology gods, this plan has a serious flaw in it, in that its success is dependent on the creations of others.
Quote 84
The kid who won [the Earthworld contest] melted [the prize] down to pay for college. (3.75)
Sometimes you have to realize that your dreams aren't practical and alter them accordingly. This kid did the same thing, using a big videogame win as a stepping zone to something bigger.
Quote 85
Even though it was initially marketed as a new kind of massively multiplayer online game, the OASIS quickly evolved into a new way of life. (5.25)
A lot of people have given up having any hopes and dreams in exchange for escaping from reality. No wonder the world is such a bleak place; no one is doing anything about it.
Quote 86
"I'd have a nuclear-powered interstellar spacecraft constructed in Earth's orbit [...] stock[ed] with a lifetime supply of food and water, a self-sustaining biosphere, and a supercomputer loaded with every [thing] that human civilization has ever created." (9.133)
Well, looks like Wade's given this some thought. It's a little like pinning your hopes on winning Publisher's Clearing House, but even more ambitious. And we're betting he won't blow the money on a condo in Boca. He's dreaming big here.
Quote 87
I'd stopped attending classes altogether when I fled the stacks. (17.165)
Dropping out of school to pursue your dreams—commitment or craziness? Shmoop amongst yourselves.
Quote 88
A lot of second-tier celebrities and pornographers [had their own OASIS channel], selling their virtual lives at a per-minute premium. (20.7)
D-list celebs and exhibitionist have hopes and dreams, too! And the OASIS lets them achieve these dreams without even leaving the comfort of their own home.
Quote 89
"[We] hit it off immediately, because we shared all of the same interests." (3.9)
One of friendship's strongest foundations is shared interests. This is how online friendship—when you don't even know the other person's real name, race, or gender—is possible.
"We're going to make the world a better place, right?" (39.33)
Wade only decides to make the world a better place because it's Art3mis's dream, not his own.