3. Genevieve was obsessed with details. She felt that everything that she submitted to her teacher had to be perfect. For the final project in reading class, students were given one week to use their art skills to bring a scene from a novel to life. Genevieve decided that she would build a shoebox diorama. She spent the first two nights creating an intricately detailed scene far superior to anything that her classmates would produce, but she ended up throwing it away because she didn't like how tape was visible at the bottom of the diorama. The next two nights she worked on a similar diorama, but this time she used glue. Again, Genevieve produced a beautiful product, but she was troubled by how the glue looked when it dried, so she discarded her work again. Over the weekend and into the next week, Genevieve recreated the project a third time. This time she used a special adhesive putty to construct the diorama and was completely satisfied with the appearance. Unfortunately, her project was now several days late and her grade on the assignment was lowered to a C.

What is the theme of the story?

1 answer

The theme of the story revolves around the pursuit of perfection and the consequences of being overly critical of oneself. Genevieve's obsession with making her diorama flawless leads her to repeatedly discard her work, resulting in missed deadlines and a lower grade. This illustrates the idea that striving for perfection can sometimes hinder progress and achievement. Additionally, the story highlights the importance of balance between quality and timely completion, suggesting that embracing imperfection can be a healthier approach to creativity and learning.