A Dream Deterred In Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

In the play A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry alludes to the lines “Maybe it just sags/ Like a heavy load.” (lines 9-10) from the poem Harlem through Walter’s character to convey that for those living in impoverished communities, dreams can bring on a lot of new responsibilities to provide for families and deferred dreams can have lasting effects on how Black Americans with little opportunity live their lives. In the poem Harlem, Langston Hughes uses the word “sag” to refer to a dream deferred. Through this reference, Hansberry emphasizes the negative effects deferred dreams can have on people who don't get a lot of opportunities to accomplish their dreams because of a lack of resources. Many of the negative effects, such as fear, can stick with

This has made Walter lose any opportunity he had for his personal dreams, which is why he feels so much disappointment. In Act 2 Scene 1 Walter says to Mama, “So you butchered up a dream of mine-you-who always talking ’bout your children’s dreams.” (95). This leaves Walter feeling betrayed by Mama because his dream has dried up due to her decision to spend the money on what she wanted and not give it to Walter. Walter’s reaction to disappointment and vexation reveals his selfish character because he is only considering his dreams and not the dreams of his family around him. Thus, leading Walter to be hurt as this loss of opportunity continues to sag on him. Walter’s hurt feelings come from the expectation that the man of the house should provide for the family, but this role has been taken on by Mama because she is the one with all the money. This leads Walter to feel ashamed and he begins to give up on his dreams. On account of Mama’s decision to not give Walter money for his dreams of the liquor store, it continues to have a lasting effect on Walter when he begins to want to escape and run away from his

This is just one example of how Walter's loss of his dream affected him. This moment represents the effects a deferred can have on someone. Specifically, it can lead to people wanting to avoid facing their problems and give up on all other dreams just as Walter is doing in this scene. Walter does this because of his discomfort and he pursues the pleasure he gets while being alone, foundationally revealing what happens to a dream deferred. Hansberry is using Walter's character as an example of how the lack of opportunity for success can bring people down and take away previous motivation. This is related to a deferred dream sagging in someone's life because of the lasting negative effects of disappointment. Most importantly, Hansberry conveys that life is full of unexpected experiences and encounters, ultimately leading dreams to come and go through life. Many unfulfilled dreams are what make people lose hope. In addition, Hansberry alludes to the words “heavy load” from the poem Harlem to emphasize the added responsibilities and pressure that come with wanting to achieve