Summary:
The book follows the life of Kwang Meng, a young 18-year-old who has just graduated from junior college. He currently works as a clerk, a job which he hates and finds monotonous. Two of his junior college friends, Hock Lai and Nadarajah (the latter nicknamed Portia), follow different career paths in their diverging lives. Hock Lai becomes a white-collared worker, determined to climb the corporate ladder, while Portia intends to further his studies in the UK. Kwang Meng meets and strikes up a relationship with a local bar girl, Lucy, at Paradise Bar. Unfortunately, owing to their very different social backgrounds, the couple break up (initiated by Lucy). Hock Lai tries to matchmake Kwang Meng with one of his female acquaintances Anne. Kwang Meng meets Boon Teik and Mei-I, neighbours who are both teachers, and whom Kwang Meng finds an ideal couple. Hock Lai himself gets married with Cecilia, whose father is one of the richest tycoons of Singapore. Throughout all this, Kwang Meng comes across as a rather passive figure, preferring merely to observe and seek solace through activities like swimming in the sea, smoking and drinking in bars. At the novel's end, Kwang Meng's father suffers a stroke, which destined him to take up the burden of supporting his family.
THE END
Goh Poh Seng's work depicts a person's journey through life, which is admirable since everyone can relate to it.
And now, after finishing my studies, my journey will begin, and I will need the teachings it offers in order to have a perspective on life. It's challenging when we're ready to embark on a new way of life entirely unfamiliar to us. After graduation, we'll need to find work, support our families, and eventually locate our place. We'll be up against a lot of obstacles along the road. But, to get to the top, we need to take the stairs, and to do so, we'll need someone to provide a hand.
One of my brothers has a similar personality to Kwang Meng. He previously struggled to find work since he was bored all of the time and was uninspired because he was merely going to quit and look for a new career in a few months. However, he learned and respected his career now that he has a family to feed. Also, we had a recent difficulty, especially for him, since one of his sons had recently died from heart and lung complications. And it was then that he began to discover how to mature independently.
It might be difficult at first, but we should all be aware that we should not give up no matter what it takes. It's fine to make mistakes as long as you learn something from them, which you should treasure.
And I, for one, have a voyage ahead of me. It is certain that I will struggle with growing up, boredom, family, and my love life, but I am confident that I can accomplish it all and that my hard work will pay off as long as I have my bravery, hard effort, and patience with me.
Source:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_We_Dream_Too_Long
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