When people hear the word “dream”, many tend to think of an immaculate desire for their future looming over their heads and pushing them through life. However, most tend not to consider the idea that dreams in nature can be far from immaculate or perfect; they can break relationships apart. It's the nature of aspirations to conform to both of these notions. Numerous authors have explored and worked these ideas into many pieces of literature as a central conflict. One notable author, Lorraine Hansberry, worked these postulations into a story about the American Dream. In Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, dreams are motivating in the way they foster kindness and generosity; however, they can also be divisive in the way they promote …show more content…
selfishness and the misunderstanding of different ideals. Beneatha’s aspirations for a more self regulated future of becoming a doctor, finding love, and choosing a faith, encourage generosity but also lead to misunderstanding between family members. First, Mama is inspired to give Beneatha some money for her education. Although Mama usually stays aligned with her generational beliefs, she eventually talks to Walter about putting her money into an account for Beneatha. Mama says: “I want you to take this money and take three thousand dollars and put it in a savings account for Beneatha’s medical schooling.” (Hansberry 107). This is evidence of the motivation for generosity because Mama could have spent that money on many other things, but instead decides to help Beneatha. Despite this, many of Beneatha’s dreams and ideals are frowned upon by both Ruth and Mama. When discussing her future plans with Mama and Ruth toward the beginning of the play, Beneatha says: “Listen, I’m going to be a doctor. I’m not worried about who I’m going to marry yet- if I ever get married.” (Hansberry 50). Mama and Ruth are very taken aback by Beneatha’s statement because of their generational upbringing and experience, and respond with “If! ” Their response shows disappointment with Beneatha’s decision. Due to this, Beneatha feels misunderstood. The difference in beliefs between the women causes divisiveness. Literary critic Rachelle S. Gold supports this by saying: “Beneatha [...] elevates her belief system over theirs, which highlights how Hansberry demonstrates the lack of "understanding" between the generations in the play,” once again showing how the different ideals hinder Beneatha’s relationship with the older women. Because of Beneatha’s desire to control her own future and beliefs, their relationships suffer. However, it also motivates Mama’s generosity to help Beneatha achieve her goals. Similarly to Beneatha, Walter has aspirations of his own.
Walter’s desire to open his own liquor store is schismatic in some instances, but it also inspires Mama’s magnanimity. Mama is motivated to financially assist Walter for his own dream. When giving the money to Walter, Mama says: ““It ain't much, but it’s all I got in the world and I’m putting it in your hands.” (Hansberry 107). The fact that Mama gave up much of her money to help her son shows her genuine motivation and desire to want to help her children reach their goals. This can be supported with a claim from critic Marie Louise Anderson. According to Anderson, “Mama would like to spend [the money] for a new house, [but] she realizes that by ignoring her son Walter's plea for money to invest in a liquor store venture, she has "butchered up his dreams"3 and has contributed to his emasculation”. Once again, this shows the motivation for generosity behind Mama giving the money to Walter, because she doesn't want to deprive her son of his own ideals and beliefs. However, when the money is lost, the family is once again torn apart. The devastation is felt by many members of the family, especially Beneatha, since her hope of garnering an upstanding education is seemingly squandered. Due to this occurrence, Beneatha blatantly and emotionally says to Mama about Walter: “Love him? There is nothing left to love.” (Hansberry 145). Beneatha claims that she no longer loves Walter because his dream lead to a terrible incident. Walter’s selfishness in giving all of the money to put into an account is what causes Beneatha’s melancholy. The fact that Beneatha says she no longer loves him shows that their relationship is being divided due to Walter’s selfish actions. So overall, Walter’s ambition to open his own liquor store gives way to both generosity and selfishness throughout the Younger
family. Mama dreams of buying a new house for her family. While this is not desired by Walter, Mama’s dream also motivates her to take the initiative to follow her own aspirations. Because of her dream, Mama goes and puts a down-payment on a house. When breaking the news, Mama, talking in third person, says: “She went out and bought you a house!” (Hansberry 91). The excitement shown in her words while she says this to her grandson Travis shows that her motivation to buy the house was fueled by her love for her family, specifically because she could have done many other things with the money she earned. (Mama was toying with the idea of donating the money, while Ruth suggested that she go to Africa.) And, because Mama followed her dream, the rest of the family was compelled to buy her gifts for her new house. In other words, Mama’s dream does not only motivate generosity within Mama herself, but the rest of the family as well. Even Walter was convinced to set aside his angst and pitch in with the gift. When giving it to her, Walter says: “Open it Mama, it’s for you. (MAMA looks in his eyes. It’s the first present in her life without its being Christmas.)” (Hansberry 123). This shows that although Mama’s dream causes Walter some self pity, it overall motivates the family to come together to show Mama kindness. However, Walter’s issue with Mama’s decision did initially put cracks in their relationship. When Walter first finds out about the down-payment on the house, he says to Mama: “So you butchered up a dream of mine- you- who always talking ‘bout your children’s dreams…” (Hansberry 95). Since Walter thinks that his dream was “butchered”, it shows a schism in his relationship with Mama. Even though the disagreement is at some juncture in the story patched up, the discord is still prominent throughout two-thirds of the play. Although it is simply and briefly discussed in an article by critic Dawn B Sova, the writer supports the claim that Walter and Mama’s relationship is overall affected by Mama’s dream of buying a house. According to Sova, “Walter Lee struggles against the decision [of buying a house].” This shows divisiveness because Walter initially resisted the completion of Mama’s dream due to his own selfishness of wanting to pursue his own dreams.. However, despite Mama’s aspirations initially pulling apart the family, they motivate the Youngers to become even closer in the long run. All in all, Beneatha’s, Walter’s, and Mama’s dreams are in some ways divisive since they promote selfishness and misunderstanding due to different beliefs, but are motivating in the way they inspire generosity and kindness. Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun, uses many characters and different hopes to portray both of these ideas in several different ways. However, one message is very apparent; dreams are not always perfect, but they never cease to play a major role in everyday lives, decisions, and relationships.
Mama talks to Walter about her fears of the family falling apart. This is the reason she bought the house and she wants him to understand. Walter doesn't understand and gets angry. "What you need me to say you done right for? You the head of this family. You run our lives like you want to. It was your money and you did what you wanted with it. So what you need for me to say it was all right for? So you butchered up a dream of mine - you - who always talking 'bout your children's dreams..." Walter is so obsessive over money that he yells at his mom for not giving him all of it. He doesn't know that what his mom is doing is for the family. He thinks that having money will make the family happy, when in reality the family doesn't need anymore than what they have to be happy.
The play depicts the feelings and thoughts of the people of their time. Their feelings are different then what we see today in our lives. The family had to deal with poverty and racism. Not having enough money and always being put down because of the color of their skin held them back from having a lot of self-respect and dignity. I think that Mama was the one who had the most pride and held the family together.
Walter feels as though no one in the family supports his idea of opening a liquor store, but they want him to be an entrepreneur, but opening a liquor store is against his mother's moral grounds. Walter's arrogance is clearer when he asks Beneatha about her decision to become a doctor: He asks why she couldn't just become a nurse or get married "like other women." When he comes home after drinking with his friends and Beneatha is dancing to the African music, he says, "Shut up" to Ruth, just before joining Beneatha in the dance. Walter is obsessed with getting money so that he can buy "things for Ruth"; he is unaware that treating Ruth more kindly and with more respect would be more appreciated and valued than any "gifts."
In the book “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, there were characters whose dreams were stated, some of which were shattered by greed and misfortune and others which would eventually come to be true. The first dream that came about was Walter’s dream of one day owning and maintaining a liquor store. He would do anything to attempt to get his dream to come true, but his mama wanted anything but that to happen. His mama had a dream of her own though, she dreamed of one day owning her own house, where her whole family could stay comfortably. She dreamed this because in the apartment that she resided in was too small, and dumpy, as Ruth called it. Her grandson Travis had to sleep on the couch, and all that she wanted was for him to have a bed of his o...
Throughout the play, Walters and Beneatha’s views on wealth clash because according to Walter, money is the answer to all of their issues while Beneatha constantly reminds him that the money was mama’s and she could do whatever she wants with it whenever he pressed on about buying the liquor store. In scene two of act two, after mama gives Walter the money, Walter explains to his son Travis in a long speech how he will invest the money and what kind of life they will live once the business is successful, this also included sacrificing Beneatha’s school money. This speech also shows Walters “American Dream”. Unfortunately, Walter trusted the wrong man with his money and ended up losing it all.
In Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun,” she uses the Younger family to show that as individuals strive to reach their dreams they often ignore the aspirations of others but they may eventually learn to support each other in an attempt to better their lives. Hansberry uses each character to express the different views people may have about the American Dream. Each family member has their own pursuit of happiness, which is accompanied by their American Dream. From Momma’s dream of having a better life for her family, Beneatha’s dream of becoming a doctor, and Walter’s dreams of being rich, the Younger family show’s typical dreams of an African American family in the 1950’s.
The civil rights movement brought enlightenment towards the abolishment of segregation laws. Although the laws are gone does segregation still exist in fact? “What happens to a dream deferred, does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?'; said, in a poem by Langston Huges. The story, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry showed segregation and its affects upon all races. This essay will show how Assimilationists and New Negroes fought for their own identity in the mid twentieth century. Whether they were being true to themselves or creating carbon copies of oppression was determined by one’s view upon society.
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a play that displays housing discrimination in Chicago during the 1950s. Housing discrimination was partially an effect of the Great Migration. This was an event during the 1950s that resulted in about six million African Americans “migrating” from the south to the north, Midwest, and west regions of the United States. This caused the population of black people in major northern cities to increase rapidly. They are then only able to live in certain neighborhoods, which keeps their communities segregated.
Walter and Beneatha’s relationship is very complex. The spiraling tension between the two siblings causes confrontation to form and creep into the Younger household. Walter needs his family to respect him as the man of the family, but his sister is constantly belittling him in front of his mother, wife, and son. This denigrating treatment taints Walter’s view of himself as a man, which carries into his decisions and actions. Beneatha also subconsciously deals with the dysfunctional relationship with her brother. She desires to have her brother’s support for her dream of becoming a doctor, yet Walter tends to taunt her aspiration and condemns her for having such a selfish dream. Mama as the head of the family is heartbroken by the juvenile hostility of her adult children, so in hopes to keep her family together she makes the brave move of purchasing a house. Mama’s reasoning for the bold purchase was,“ I—I just seen my family falling apart….just falling to pieces in front of my eyes…We couldn’t have gone on like we was today. We was going backwards ‘stead of forw...
In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, one of the most important themes is the American Dream. Many of the characters in this play have hopes and aspirations; they all strive towards their goals throughout the play. However, many of the characters in the play have different dreams that clash with each other. Problems seem to arise when different people’s dreams conflict with one another; such as Walter’s versus Bennie’s, George’s versus Asagai’s, and the Clybourne Park versus the Younger’s.
A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, has often been dubbed a “black” play by critics since its debut on Broadway in 1959. This label has been reasonably assigned considering the play has a cast that consists primarily of African American actors; however, when looking beyond the surface of this play and the color of the author and characters, one can see that A Raisin in the Sun actually transcends the boundaries of racial labels through the universal personalities assigned to each character and the realistic family situations that continue to evolve throughout the storyline. As seen when comparing A Raisin in the Sun to “The Rich Brother,” a story for which the characters receive no label of race, many commonalities can be found between the characters’ personalities and their beliefs. Such similarities prove that A Raisin in the Sun is not merely a play intended to appeal only to the black community, nor should it be construed as a story about the plights of the black race alone, but instead should be recognized as a play about the struggles that all families, regardless of race, must endure in regard to their diversity and financial disparity. A succinct introduction and excellent writing!
The chasing of a mirage is a futile quest where an individual chases an imaginary image that he or she wants to capture. The goal of this impossible quest is in sight, but it is unattainable. Even with the knowledge that failure is inevitable, people still dream of catching a mirage. There is a fine line that separates those who are oblivious to this fact, and to those who are aware and accept this knowledge. The people who are oblivious represent those who are ignorant of the fact that their dream will be deferred. This denial is the core of the concept used in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. The perception of the American Dream is one that is highly subjective, but every individual dream ends in its own deferment.
Walter is stubborn and pigheaded and spent the rest of the money. It ends up backfiring at him and all the money is stolen by a friend. At this climax of the story it shows the family being under a lot of stress and hardship because of Walter’s actions. However because they are a family they were able to overcome this hardship. When Beneatha is ranting negatively about Walter, Mama comes out and says “There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing. Have you cried for that boy today? I don’t mean for yourself and for the family ‘cause we lost the money. I mean for him; what he been through and what it don’t to him. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most; when they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain’t through learning-because that ain’t the time at all….” (528) Here at the climax of the story Mama is clearly bringing back the theme of family. Mama even though Walter made a huge mistake and it was extremely selfish, she still supports him. Mama is still teaching her family on how to be a family through such hard times. The family is what is holding all of them together. Moreover, after family as a theme is evident in the rising action it is also displayed in the
In ‘A Raisin in the Sun’, Lorraine Hansberry describes each of the family’s dreams and how they are deferred. In the beginning of the play Lorraine Hansberry chose Langston Hughes’s poem to try describe what the play is about and how, in life, dreams can sometimes be deferred.
“A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry is a play about an African-American family, who faces discrimination and financial struggles, but still remains united throughout their journey in buying a new home. Just like the Youngers, people create lifelong goals and dreams, in which they want to accomplish. When they do not fulfill their dreams, it simply becomes “a raisin in the sun” because just like a raisin loses its juice when kept outside for too long, a dream loses its significance as well. The Younger family all have distinctive dreams and throughout the play, they do not realize the importance of family until their dreams became deferred. The title “A Raisin in the Sun” is a representation of all the characters’ dreams being deferred.