Question

Justin was jealous of his cousin Cassie when she was named valedictorian of her class. "Some people are just born smart," he told himself later as he watched TV on the couch. He had not been with Cassie all those times when she studied late into the night. Justin was also jealous when his cousin Victor was elected class president. "Some people are just more popular than others," Justin told himself as he played video games on the couch. He had not been with Victor while he tirelessly campaigned. Justin never noticed that Victor treated everyone he knew with kindness and respect. When Justin's cousin Matthew became the varsity quarterback, again Justin was envious. "Some people are just more athletic than others," he told himself as he played on his computer. Justin had not been with Matthew while he trained morning and night. Justin had never attended the long weekend practices with Matthew: "One day something lucky will happen to me too." Justin told himself as he snacked on junk food.

What is the theme of the story?
What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?

Answer 1

The theme of the story is that misconceptions about success often overshadow the hard work behind it. Justin is jealous of his cousins' successes but fails to recognize their hard work and commitment, erroneously attributing their achievements to innate talent or luck instead.

Step-by-step explanation:

Theme of the Story

The theme of the story revolves around the misconception that success comes from innate talents or luck, rather than from hard work and dedication. In the story, Justin feels jealous of his cousins' achievements, attributing them to intrinsic qualities, such as intelligence, popularity, or athletic abilities. However, he fails to recognize the effort they put into their successes. Cassie's late-night studying, Victor's tireless campaigning and kind treatment of others, and Matthew's long training sessions all highlight the true source of their accomplishments. Justin's hope for a lucky break, while neglecting any personal effort to improve his circumstances, illustrates the fallacy that luck alone is responsible for one's fate.

This leads us to believe that the story encourages readers to understand that behind every success, there's usually a lot of unseen hard work and commitment. Justin's incorrect attribution of his cousins' successes to innate talents or luck, and his lack of action towards his own goals, help underscore this message.

Answer 2

The theme of the story is that success comes from hard work and perseverance, not just luck or innate talent, as evidenced by Justin's misconceptions about his cousins' achievements.

Step-by-step explanation:

The theme of the story is that success is the result of hard work and perseverance rather than luck or innate talent alone. In the story, Justin's jealousy towards his cousins' achievements demonstrates a misconception he has about success. He attributes their accomplishments to luck or natural talent, failing to see the dedication and effort Cassie, Victor, and Matthew put into achieving their goals. His cousins' success is not just a matter of good fortune or inherent skill; it's also about the unseen hours of study, campaign efforts, and practice. This demonstrates that Justin's belief in success through luck alone is flawed, and that active effort is necessary to achieve one's goals.