Theme of Sacrifice and Personal Goals in Ron Suskind’s “A Hope in the Unseen” (Essay Example)

Many dream of success, whether it be in their professional or personal lives, however, pursuing one’s goal is no easy feat, and comes with many obstacles. In the long run, it is often the one who is willing to sacrifice the most who will reach their goals, unlike those who choose security. By observing Cedric and Phillip, two very intelligent boys, from Ron Suskind’s “A Hope in the Unseen”,  and contrasting their religions and social values, the reader can further distinguish the novel’s underlying theme of sacrifice and personal goals.

Cedric and Phillip are both devout Christians with strong religious values, however, their denominations hold significant differences in beliefs, and therefore lead the boys in very different directions through life. Phillip’s family are Jehovah’s witnesses. His father, Israel, encourages Phillip to “shoot low” in life, and stay focused on “being close to God and appreciating life’s simpler values' ', as ambition is seen by the church as''sinful ``.  As a result, Phillip and his brother are discouraged from pursuing their passions, for tap-dancing and saxophone, as entertaining is the path to, “being poor, desperate, and losing your soul”. Unlike Cedric, who is supported by his church and encouraged to put his full faith in God in hopes of receiving something greater in life. As stated by Bishop Long, “Faith is taking the last $10 from your checking account and saying, ‘God, I give this to you because I have nothing but faith, I live on faith”, which is what Cedric and Barbara live by, constantly making sacrifices in hope for Cedric’s success. Thus sacrifice becomes a consistent norm in Cedric’s life, where Phillip chooses to take a less risky course of action as aligning with the values of a Jehovah’s Witness. 

 Furthermore, the value Phillip and Cedric place on social status is very different. Phillip witnesses a shooting, which took the life of an older boy whom he admired, as a result Phillip starts to make strong efforts to fit in with his peers at Ballou. Once being a “nerd” like Cedric, Phillip’s desire to fit in was primarily for safety rather than popularity as “being like Cedric is crazy at a place like Ballou”. Phillip soon becomes a “popular member of Ballou’s mainstream, sporting tough guy/clown demeanor”, and even was titled, “the next Richard Pryor”, by teachers. Contrary to Cedric, who is heavily motivated by his yearning to escape poverty and attend an Ivy League university, at the expense of his own personal safety. Cedric’s scholarly dedication makes him an outcast at Ballou and he is bullied for his ambitions. Even Phillip, who was once as studious, teases Cedric and titles him “the amazing nerdboy”. Instead of backing down, Cedric uses the bullying and ostracization as, “something to push against”, strengthening his motivation to succeed. While Phillip chooses safety over a chance for a better life, Cedric sacrifices his safety and sense of belonging in exchange for a chance at his dream. 

Eventually, Cedric’s hard work pays off and he is accepted into Brown University, where he can finally fulfill his dream of receiving an Ivy League education. He was even accepted into Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and received another master's degree from the University of Michigan. Over many years, Phillip’s safer approach to life allows him to slowly rise from a mail room worker to an administrative job, making him successful but perhaps not as much as he was capable of. Phillip chooses to stick to his Jehovah’s Witness roots and preaches his father’s “aim low” philosophy to his own sons, and condemns college “in favor of solid, reliable careers”. In the end, both boys proved to be successful, but the paths they took were very different, religious and social values, and had a tremendous role in the choices both made. In the end, both boys made great achievements, however, only Cedric was truly able to live his dream due to the culture of his religion, and the sacrifices he made along the way.