Summarise the information on Lawrence.

Analyse how Roland’s reactions to Lawrence’s plans for his future are depicted. Focus on narrative techniques and use of language.

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In the novel Lessons by Ian McEwan, published in 2022, the reader gets information about Lawrence, Roland’s adolescent son, his personal life, work experience and future plans.

Lawrence lives in London with his father Roland and is in a relationship with his girlfriend Véronique, who works as a waitress and wants to become an actress. He enjoys spending time with his friends and often goes out after work. Like his father, he has a strong desire for pleasure and entertainment.

At the moment, Lawrence is working a summer job at Daphne’s housing association near Elephant & Castle. It is his first job and he mainly has to do simple tasks such as making coffee, running errands, typing letters and helping with a website. Although he works forty hours a week for little pay, he accepts the routine without complaining. He gets up early every morning and commutes to work by underground.

Regarding his education, Lawrence has earned a place at a sixth-form college specialising in maths. However, he has become tired of school and especially of maths. Even though he is considered talented, he believes that he is not brilliant enough compared to other students. Therefore, he no longer wants to continue his studies there.

Instead, Lawrence suddenly develops an interest in acting, probably influenced by his girlfriend Véronique. Although he has never been interested in theatre or television before and has not taken part in school plays, he now wants to apply to drama schools such as Rada or Central. His goal is not mainly theatre acting but rather working in television in the future.

The extract presents Roland’s reactions to Lawrence’s plans for his future through a third-person limited point of view. This narrative perspective allows the reader to gain insight into Roland’s thoughts and emotions and shows his worries, disappointment and inner conflict regarding his son’s decision to give up maths and pursue acting.

Roland’s concern about Lawrence’s future becomes clear through direct insight into his thoughts and feelings. When Lawrence hesitates to reveal his plans, the narrator states: “He didn’t want to say it. It was going to be a terrible plan.” (ll. 37–38). The interior monologue reflects Roland’s immediate negative judgement and shows how worried he is about his son’s future. In addition, Roland reacts physically to the conversation, for example when “His heart made an ectopic beat” (l. 18). This detail emphasizes his nervousness and emotional stress.

At the same time, Roland tries to understand his son and start a calm conversation. He addresses Lawrence directly and asks questions such as “All right. What is it you want?” (l. 36) or “So what have you been —” (l. 49). These questions show his genuine interest in Lawrence’s thoughts and feelings. Furthermore, he makes tentative suggestions like “Perhaps you need a year out.” (l. 33), which presents him as a careful and sensitive father who does not want to pressure his son too much. The colloquial imperative “C’mon. Spit it out.” (l. 39) also creates an informal father-son atmosphere and underlines Roland’s wish for honesty.

However, the passage also reveals Roland’s growing frustration and his difficulty in staying calm. He quickly realizes that Lawrence’s girlfriend Véronique has influenced his decision, which clearly irritates him. This becomes obvious in short comments such as “Yes, Véronique.” (l. 41). The reader also gains insight into Roland’s thoughts when the narrator explains that “He had to be careful … To oppose Lawrence now would raise his resistance.” (ll. 35–36). Roland is aware that arguing might push his son further away, but he still cannot stop himself from reacting emotionally.

This inner conflict is highlighted through repetition and contrasts. The sentence “He shouldn’t argue with him. He should hear him out. But Roland argued.” (l. 44) demonstrates the difference between what Roland knows he should do and what he actually does. A similar contrast appears in “It was important not to raise his voice. But he raised it” (l. 51). These structures underline Roland’s inability to control his disappointment and anger.

Roland also tries to convince Lawrence to continue studying maths by emphasizing his abilities. He uses positive language when saying “But you’re brilliant at —” (l. 23). Moreover, he refers to the opinion of Lawrence’s teacher: “Your teacher said you had more imagination.” (l. 30). By mentioning external praise, Roland attempts to strengthen his son’s confidence and encourage him to keep his place at the maths college.

At the same time, Roland strongly doubts Lawrence’s acting ambitions. His criticism is expressed through repeated negations and enumerations: “You’ve never been interested. You weren’t in a single school play. You don’t read plays. You’ve never wanted to come with me to any —” (ll. 45–47). The accumulation of negative statements highlights Roland’s disbelief and shows that he considers his son completely unprepared for such a career. Furthermore, exclamations such as “This is summer madness!” (ll. 54–55) express his shock and frustration. Towards the end, the imperative “Don’t go cancelling your place tomorrow.” (l. 59) demonstrates Roland’s desperate attempt to stop his son from making a decision too quickly.

In addition, Roland’s reaction is influenced by his own past failures. The narrator reveals that he feels “he was the one, not Lawrence, who was about to lose his sixth-form place — again.” (ll. 26–27). This flashback and contrast show that Roland partly relives his own disappointment through his son’s decision. As a result, the reader understands that his reaction is not completely objective but shaped by personal regret and missed opportunities.

Overall, the extract portrays Roland as a caring but emotionally conflicted father. Through insight into his thoughts, direct speech, contrasts and emotional language, the reader can understand both his concern for Lawrence and his frustration about his son’s unexpected decision.

In the extract, Roland asks his son Lawrence not to make a rushed decision about his future and encourages him to think carefully before giving up his place at the maths college. Roland understands that this is an important life decision and wants Lawrence to discuss it instead of acting impulsively, possibly under the influence of his girlfriend Véronique. This raises the question of whether young people should base decisions about their future on other people’s advice.

There are several arguments in favour of listening to other people’s advice when making important life decisions. First of all, parents and older people usually have more life experience and knowledge about education and careers. They may better understand the long-term consequences of certain choices and can help young people avoid decisions they might later regret. In the extract, Roland worries that Lawrence is giving up a valuable educational opportunity too quickly and without enough reflection. Therefore, parental advice can help young people make more informed and balanced decisions.

In addition, trusted people often know a person’s strengths and weaknesses very well. Family members, teachers or close friends may recognize talents that young people themselves underestimate. Roland, for example, repeatedly points out Lawrence’s mathematical abilities and tries to remind him of his potential. Advice from people who truly care can therefore provide both emotional and practical support.

Furthermore, peers and friends can also offer useful advice. Young people often understand each other’s fears, dreams and insecurities better than adults do. Friends may provide emotional support and fresh perspectives that are relevant to modern trends and lifestyles. Talking to others can help someone reflect on their plans more carefully instead of making decisions alone.

However, there are also strong arguments against relying too much on other people’s advice. Parents, for example, may pressure young people to follow expectations that do not match their own interests or passions. Out of concern, they can become overprotective and limit their children’s freedom. In the extract, Roland clearly struggles to accept Lawrence’s wish to pursue acting because he believes maths offers a safer future. As a result, parental advice may sometimes create tension and conflict instead of support.

Another problem is that older generations may give outdated advice because the world of work changes rapidly. Careers that once seemed secure may no longer guarantee success today, while new opportunities continue to emerge. Young people therefore need the freedom to discover their own path instead of simply following traditional expectations.

Advice from friends can also be problematic. Peer pressure may lead young people to ignore their own talents and priorities in order to fit in with others. In Lawrence’s case, Roland suspects that Véronique strongly influences his sudden interest in acting. Decisions based mainly on relationships or temporary emotions may later turn out to be mistakes, especially if the friendship or relationship ends.

Moreover, advice from influencers or social media personalities can be misleading. Young people are often confronted with unrealistic success stories online, which may encourage risky or poorly considered career decisions. Therefore, it is important not to follow advice blindly.

In conclusion, I believe that young people should listen to advice from others because it can provide valuable experience, support and guidance. However, they should not base their decisions entirely on other people’s opinions. In the end, young people themselves must take responsibility for their future and choose the path that truly matches their interests, abilities and goals.

Good morning everyone,

it is a great honour to speak to you today at the “Youth Future Summit 2026”. We are here because we all share one important goal: shaping our own future and becoming active participants in our personal development and in society.

The quotation by Bill Bradley states: “Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.” In my opinion, this quotation perfectly describes why both ambition and persistence are essential for personal fulfilment. Ambition gives people goals and dreams, while persistence helps them continue despite difficulties and setbacks. Without ambition, people may lack direction in life. Without persistence, many goals would never become reality.

First of all, ambition is important because it motivates people to improve themselves and pursue their dreams. Young people today want very different things in life. Some dream of a successful career, others want to travel the world, build strong relationships, live sustainably or express themselves through art and creativity. Ambition encourages us to think about who we want to become and what kind of life we want to live. It helps us set goals and gives our actions meaning and direction.

However, ambition alone is not enough. Every meaningful goal requires persistence. There will always be obstacles, failures and moments of self-doubt. Students may fail exams, athletes may lose competitions and artists may face rejection. Nevertheless, persistence allows people to continue working towards their goals instead of giving up immediately. In this way, setbacks can become opportunities for learning and personal growth.

Moreover, persistence helps people become more resilient. Life is unpredictable, and success rarely happens overnight. Those who continue despite difficulties often develop confidence in their own abilities. Persistence also encourages lifelong learning. In a rapidly changing world, people constantly need new skills and qualifications. Therefore, determination and willingness to adapt are more important than ever before.

Another important aspect is that ambition and persistence can help people find communities of like-minded individuals. People who share similar values and goals can support and motivate each other. Whether in environmental activism, sports, science or creative fields, strong relationships are often built on shared ambitions and mutual encouragement.

However, ambition and persistence are not the only factors that determine success and fulfilment. External circumstances also play an important role. Some people benefit from financial security, educational opportunities, strong networks or simply luck. Others face discrimination, poverty or political instability, which can make it much harder to achieve their goals despite great effort. Therefore, we should not judge success only by individual ambition.

In addition, ambition can sometimes become harmful. Some people become so focused on success that they neglect friendships, family or mental health. Others may act selfishly or ignore moral values in order to achieve their goals. Persistence can also turn into stubbornness if people refuse to rethink unrealistic plans or unhealthy lifestyles. This is why balance is extremely important.

So, to what extent are ambition and persistence crucial for personal fulfilment? I believe they are essential because they help people grow, overcome challenges and create meaningful lives. At the same time, they should be combined with self-reflection, empathy and a healthy balance between success and well-being.

Especially as young people, we should not be afraid to dream big. But we should also remember that fulfilment is not only about achievement. It is also about staying true to our values, maintaining healthy relationships and finding happiness in the journey itself.

Thank you very much for listening.