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Balancing Love and Sacrifice in Zevin's Novel

This document provides instructions for students to write a personal response to the novel 'Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow' by Gabrielle Zevin. Students must choose one of three discussion questions and support their response with references to the novel and their own knowledge and experiences. The response should be in the form of a personal essay or journal entry and include planning and revision.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
9 views4 pages

Balancing Love and Sacrifice in Zevin's Novel

This document provides instructions for students to write a personal response to the novel 'Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow' by Gabrielle Zevin. Students must choose one of three discussion questions and support their response with references to the novel and their own knowledge and experiences. The response should be in the form of a personal essay or journal entry and include planning and revision.

Uploaded by

x4srm929jv
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

30-1 Personal Response to Text

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow


For your personal response to Gabrielle Zevin’s Novel, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow,
you will be asked to respond to one of the following questions:

● Discuss the ideas developed by Gabrielle Zevin in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and
Tomorrow, about the forces that inhibit or encourage an individual’s actions.
● Discuss the ideas developed by Gabrielle Zevin in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and
Tomorrow, about ways in which individuals struggle to balance love and sacrifice.
● Discuss the ideas developed by Gabrielle Zevin in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and
Tomorrow, about the significance of our memory of the past.

Support your idea(s) with reference to Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and to your
previous knowledge and/or experience.

You may respond in the following ways:


● Personal Essay
● Journal Entry

Be sure to:
● Include at least one direct reference to the text Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.
● Focus on Voice – Find an interesting point of view from which to speak. Direct
references are good, but indirect references are often more effective.
● Support your idea – Be sure your choice of form will allow you to represent a
well-thought-out response to the question.
● Plan and revise – Take time to plan, establish and organize an idea, always be revising,
and be sure to edit with the remaining time.

Preplanning:
Question Chosen ● Discuss the ideas developed by Gabrielle Zevin in
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, about ways in
which individuals struggle to balance love and sacrifice.

Character
Connection
(How do the protagonists’ actions
connect to your chosen question?)
Author’s Purpose
(What does Gabrielle Zevin suggest
in the novel, as it relates to the
question?)

Specific Passages
(At what point in the novel is the
chosen question most clearly
represented?)

Personal Experience
(How do your experiences connect
to your chosen question?)

Response
(Please write your response in the space below. Use this document for all of your writing. Do not copy and paste
from any other document, website, or app.)

In our society, our beliefs make up a large part of our lives. Our everyday
decisions, thoughts and actions are based on what we believe to be true and moralistic
in nature. And so everyone has their own vision about love and work. What can people
sacrifice for intimacy? Could the person be alone through their entire entity to be
successful at his job? In the novel “Tomorrow,and tomorrow, and tomorrow” by
Gabrielle Zevin, he uses character development and symbolism to suggest that even
though an individual may accept and try to live without any types of relationships, and
then regret giving up their personal life, a person will always be satisfied with their
decision after time.
After the beginning of the novel, Sam met his old friend Sadie by accident at the
train station. Sadie is an MIT student studying programming, while Sam is studying at
Harward. But they have one common pastime – video games. Based on this they
established their own company called “Unfair games” which specializes in computer
games. Both of them have their own point of view about personal life. Sam puts himself
in the first place, when at the same time the most valuable thing for Sadie is family. She
easily gave up her career. Sadie is a fragile character and has always had adversity
when it comes to balancing work and love. Despite their differences, Sam and Sadie
were able to make their company more successful than others. Actions that a person
took in the past can aggravate circumstances in the future, so they should always be
extremely careful with balance between vital things.
Like the author, I have examined my life, and now I can better balance different
aspects of my existence. It was not always this way, because when I was younger, I did
not understand how important it is to have personal life and work. As of right now, I
think that there are so many reasons to sacrifice something to value other aspects of life
more. I am pretty successful at my studying, and I have a superior personal [Link] all
people understand the importance of both and struggle a lot which leads to sacrificing
something. This question is complicated and society does not have an accurate
answer. In my opinion a person could not be happy without one or another aspect.
Puzzle is incomplete in the absence of the last piece.
Each and every character chose their own path with their privileges. The novel
“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” conveys the idea of complexity of
steadiness between tenderness of love and toughness of work. Characters were not
able to balance those things, but I personally believe in the suggestion that a contented
person is one who successfully preserved balance of personal and work relationships.
Humanity should realize why a person can not just give up one of their values for

another.
Rubric

Excellent Proficient Satisfactory Limited Poor


5 4 3 2 1

IDEAS AND The student’s


IMPRESSIONS The student’s
The student’s The student’s The student’s exploration of the
exploration of the
exploration of the exploration of the exploration of the topic is vague.
topic is minimal.
topic is insightful. topic is purposeful. topic is generalized. Perceptions
Perceptions
Perceptions and/or Perceptions and/or Perceptions and/or and/or ideas are
and/or ideas are
ideas are confident ideas are ideas are superficial and/or
undeveloped
and discerning. thoughtful and straightforward and ambiguous.
and/or irrelevant.
Support is precise considered. relevant. Support is Support is
Support is lacking
and aptly Support is specific adequate and imprecise and/or
and/or unrelated
reinforces the and strengthens clarifies the ineffectively
to the student’s
student’s ideas the student’s ideas student’s ideas and related to the
ideas and
and impressions. and impressions. impressions. student’s ideas
impressions.
and impressions.

Excellent Proficient Satisfactory Limited Poor


5 4 3 2 1

PRESENTATION The voice created The voice created


The voice created The voice created The voice created
by the student is by the student is
by the student is by the student is by the student is
undiscerning confused. Stylistic
convincing. distinct. Stylistic apparent. Stylistic
and/or unsuitable. choices impede
Stylistic choices choices are choices are
Stylistic choices communication
are precise and specific and the adequate and the
are imprecise and and the student’s
the student’s student’s creation student’s creation
the student’s creation of tone is
creation of tone is of tone is of tone is
creation of tone is ineffective. A
adept. The competent. The conventional. The
inconsistent. The unifying and/or
unifying and/or unifying and/or unifying and/or
unifying and/or aesthetic effect is
aesthetic effect is aesthetic effect is aesthetic effect is
aesthetic effect is haphazard or
skillfully capably appropriately
inadequately obscure.
developed. developed. developed.
developed.

Common questions

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Gabrielle Zevin portrays the idea that past actions significantly impact future events. In "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," the characters' previous decisions, such as Sam and Sadie's commitment to their gaming company, shape not only their professional successes but also their personal lives. The narrative suggests that each choice carries implications that can complicate or facilitate future endeavors, urging caution and deliberation when making decisions .

In the novel, Gabrielle Zevin utilizes the development of Sam and Sadie to explore the themes of love and work. Sam's character, who prioritizes himself and his career, contrasts with Sadie's, who values family and personal connections. This character dichotomy is used to illustrate the inherent tensions between pursuing professional ambitions and maintaining personal relationships, thereby highlighting the complex nature of balancing these aspects of life .

Zevin uses Sam and Sadie's contrasting values to reflect broader themes of how personal priorities influence life decisions. Sam's focus on career advancement over personal connections contrasts with Sadie's family-first approach. Their dynamic illustrates the complexities of reconciling differing values within relationships, emphasizing the need for communication and compromise in navigating these waters. This portrayal underlines the essential balancing act required for personal and shared success .

In "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," the theme of collaboration versus individual achievement is explored through the partnership of Sam and Sadie. Their combined efforts in creating 'Unfair Games' underscore the importance of collaboration in reaching greater heights than individual pursuit alone. Zevin illustrates how shared goals can lead to innovative successes, suggesting that the fusion of diverse strengths and perspectives is vital for overcoming challenges and achieving remarkable accomplishments .

The relationship between Sam and Sadie in the novel sheds light on the potential repercussions of prioritizing career over personal relationships. Sam's focus on his professional endeavors often leads to tension and conflict with Sadie, suggesting that excessive dedication to career goals can strain personal connections. The narrative implies that a balanced approach is crucial to maintaining healthy relationships without undermining professional aspirations .

The establishment and success of 'Unfair Games' in "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" serve as a symbol of the characters' willingness to sacrifice certain personal priorities for the sake of professional ambition. Sam and Sadie's partnership, despite their differing personal values, exemplifies how entrepreneurship often necessitates setting aside personal life for professional growth. Their company's success reflects how collaboration and compromise—balancing both personal sacrifices and professional goals—are essential for achieving entrepreneurial triumph .

In "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," the characters Sam and Sadie exemplify the struggle to balance love and sacrifice. Sam prioritizes his career over personal relationships, while Sadie places family above her professional ambitions. This dynamic portrays how their differing values lead to personal and professional challenges, highlighting the theme that individuals must navigate their unique priorities to maintain a balance between personal desires and relational commitments. The novel suggests that despite the challenges, understanding and prioritizing these aspects is essential for fulfillment .

The novel suggests that true fulfillment often necessitates compromise and balance. Through the characters' journeys, Zevin argues that neither love nor work should be entirely sacrificed for the other. Instead, individuals should strive to maintain a delicate balance that allows for personal satisfaction and professional achievement, fostering a sense of completeness and contentment without the exclusion of either aspect .

Zevin suggests that memory plays a crucial role in personal growth by depicting how the characters reflect on their past to make informed future decisions. For instance, Sadie's awareness of her previous sacrifices and the impact on her personal life incites her to reassess her priorities, enabling her to find a healthier balance between work and family in the future. This underscores the importance of learning from past experiences to foster growth and change .

Through her characters, Zevin critiques society's often conflicting expectations regarding love and work. Sam's and Sadie's differing approaches highlight the tension between societal norms and personal choices, suggesting that societal expectations can pressure individuals into prioritizing one over the other. The novel indicates that a societal shift may be needed to accommodate a more balanced approach to these aspects, promoting individual happiness and well-being .

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