Final answer:
Father's dream in Dragonwings reflected his belief in positive omens and prophecies, which seemed to materialize with the birth of a beautiful boy. Dreams in literature, including Dragonwings, often signify deeper meaning and serve as a symbolic device to foreshadow events or reveal character insights.
Step-by-step explanation:
Whether Father's dream in Dragonwings 'really happened' is a matter of perspective within the narrative. Father interpreted his dream of the thunder and the dragon as a good omen and a positive prophecy about a forthcoming blessing, which he hoped would be a son. The subsequent birth of a beautiful boy to one of his concubines aligns with his hopeful interpretation, suggesting that he believes the dream was a precursor to this event. The nature of dreams in literature often serves to reflect deeper truths and premonitions, and within the context of the story, it acts as a symbolic narrative device rather than a factual occurrence. Father's belief in the dream's significance is evident in his actions and the value he places on the dream's outcome.
The narrative demonstrates that dreams can have profound meanings and can act as harbingers of the future in fictional contexts, which may resonate with other references to dreams in different texts where characters grapple with the duality of dreams and reality, such as Zhuang Zhou's philosophical question on the nature of dreams and reality, and other literary examples where dreams play a significant role in foreshadowing and shaping character motivations.