Dreamers in "Raisins in the Sun"

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Dreamers abound in literature; people looking for a better way of life for themselves and their families, a better job, more money, a nicer home, or the ability to travel. The conflict arises when their dreams run up against the realities of life; at what point is the dream set aside? How far does one go to hold on to the dream when it becomes threatened? The characters in Raisins in the Sun and Paul’s Case are among the dreamers; they have different goals in sight, but their dreams are strong and their determination stronger, but, when they are confronted with adversity their reactions are fundamentally opposed. In Raisins in the Sun the reader is introduced to a black family shortly after the civil rights movement; there are three generations, five people, living in a two-bedroom home. Their dreams are varied, starting as simply as a larger home to as vast as lifting an entire race above the oppression of generations. They are living on poverty wages in an apartment arranged by their father many years ago. The story of Paul’s Case is a young man who never quite fits in; he is used to getting in trouble in the pursuit of his dream and has developed a persona of a man of wealth and influence in response to the people around him. His dream is not as broad as the Youngers’—he wants the theater, not to be on the stage but to be associated with those that are; while the Youngers’ dreams hinge on an insurance check from the death of their father, Paul is quite willing to do whatever it takes in the pursuit of his. Like Paul, Walter also dreams of the high life—he wants to invest the insurance money into a business venture, a liquor store that he and a couple of his friends want to buy and, like Paul, he is willing to go agains... ... middle of paper ... ... son above his dream, Paul places his dream above everything, including his life. There are many times in someone’s life when decisions like these are presented, the resilient person will rise above and take control of the situation, making the most of what is presented to them, where the weak-willed person will let the situation overtake them and turn to drugs or suicide to avoid the difficulties of life. The stories of Raisins in the Sun and Paul’s Case let the reader experience both choices in this dilemma and , hopefully, learn that there is always a reason to keep going. Works Cited Cather, Willa. "Paul's Case." January 2006. eNotes.com. 27 02 2011 . Hansberry, Lorraine. "Raisin in the Sun." McMahan, Elizabeth, Susan X. Day, Robert Funk, Linda Coleman. Literature and the Writing Process. Pearson, 2011. 1038-1093.

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