Ways to Make Sunshine

Public speaking is a motif in the text that represents Ryan’s growth in overcoming obstacles and learning that trying is more important than succeeding. For much of the text, public speaking is a stressor for Ryan, and her challenges with public speaking cause her to struggle with her self-esteem. After technical difficulties make Ryan too nervous to give her Easter speech, she fears that she has failed to live up to her name. She tells her mother afterwards: “I’m not a leader. I’m a girl who gets so scared standing in front of people that I freeze and forget my words. That’s not a good leader at all” (68). Ryan’s parents have instilled in her the goal of always trying to live up to her name, which means “leader.” By not giving her Easter speech, Ryan feels she has failed in her goal to be a leader.

Her mother reminds her that “all I ask of you is that you try” (68), which inspires Ryan to perform her speech for her family on the ride home from church, knowing that her mother “is right about trying and trying and trying again” (69). This lesson, that trying is more important than success, encourages Ryan to take risks to become the leader she knows she can be and to overcome her fear.