Slam is all about dashed hopes, failed dreams, and foiled plans, so it's easy to presume that this book is going to be a downer through and through. Sam's mom dreams about him being the first in the family to go to college, but instead he knocks up the first girl he goes to bed with. Oops. But the book is just as much about how human willpower and endurance can create new and different dreams, hopes, and plans—like, say, ones that involve a bundle of joy. In some ways, Slam asks us to think about creating a new kind of beauty (ahem, a baby) out of a total wreck.
Questions About Dreams, Hopes, and Plans
- What are Sam's plans for the future? What are Alicia's? How much of their plans are their parents on board with? Does this change at all over the course of the book?
- Do Sam's hopes and dreams for his future come from his mom or reflect his own desires? Compared to other people in his family, how does he talk about his plans? What does this tell you about Sam's connection to his own future?
- How are Sam's dreams connected to his trip to the future? Does that prepare him for what's to come? Why or why not?
- What dreams and plans does Sam have at the end of the book? How have these changed? What does this tell you about how Sam's changed?
Chew on This
Sam's dreams and plans for the future suffer initially, but then he just takes on a new path that includes becoming a dad.
Alicia and Sam's parents are more devastated by the loss of their children's future than anything else when they learn about the pregnancy.