Essay Questions

Is creating time for the family a priority for Einstein?

In the book Einstein's Dreams, the reader finds it satirical that Einstein is a married man with a wife and a child but he does not create time for them. In fact, Einstein says that he does not care about his family because he must spend all his time doing research. He further argues that the wife and the child are not part of his life because he is preoccupied with his work. Thus, the reader remains to wonder why Einstein married in the first place if he knew that what he needs in this world is working and doing his research work. The author is trying to put a cross the significance of balancing time for work and family. Failure to balance time between work and family can easily lead to family breakups because the wife and children might end up feeling that they are intentionally neglected by their father or mother who spends most the time working.

Do people have the authority of influencing and controlling time or it is just an illusion?

The perception of time is critical in the book Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman. Einstein thinks that time is powerful and it cannot be controlled by man. People are created to obey time and work according to its rules but not vice versa. The idea of reversing time to suit human perception and desire is an illusion. The book clearly outlines that time is irreversible and that is why people must use it wisely if they want to achieve certain goals in their lifetime. It is interesting to note that a clock cannot be reversed to favor anybody. Once time has gone, it can never be recovered. Therefore, it is significant to do the right thing at the right place and during the right time.

How is time symbolically used in this book?

The author uses the time to symbolize the inestimable ruler who must be obeyed by humanity at all times. It is not surprising that clocks are positioned everywhere to remind people what they are supposed to do at specific times. For instance, people work according to specified hours, and many activities are conducted according to timelines. Therefore, time rules the world, and its authority cannot be debated or reversed.