Dreams and Struggles: A Comparative Study of 'A Raisin in the Sun' and 'Harlem'

Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun and the poem, "Harlem," written by Langston Hughes expresses the challenges and pressure felt to fulfill dreams. The Younger family is an African American family that lives in Chicago, spending their lives trying to achieve their dreams. A Raisin in the Sun was named after the poem "Harlem" because Hughes communicates how devastating dreams can be. A Raisin in the Sun and the poem, "Harlem" exhibit controversy between the poem and the book, but during certain points, they agree with each other rather well. Overall the play and poem exemplify Lena's dream of owning a house, Walter's dream of being successful, and Beneatha's dream of a normal life.
Lena, who is also know as Mama, certainly has her dream obtained, contradicting the poem "Harlem". Mama has a dream to have a house so she can provide the opportunity for her family to be happy. Mama has a symbolic, small and almost lifeless plant, that represents her dream and,

as she says, it expresses her. Mama wants her plant to have the possibility to have sunlight and a chance to grow. She knows in a house of her own, her plant could become bigger and stronger and continue to strive in the sunlight. Mama finally gets her house and of course it is not the ideal living situation, and Mama realizes that and she even says, "Course I don’t want to make it sound fancier than it is … It’s just a plain little old house—but it’s made good and solid—and it will be ours" (Hansberry 2.1.143). To describe a deferred dream Hughes writes, "Doesn't it dry up/Like a Raisin in the Sun" (Hughes 2-3). Mama's dreams contradicts Hughes poem because by the end of the play Mama reaches her dream, not letting it begin to shrink up and go away, but starting a new life in her home and keeping her dream alive.
Walter's dream becomes out of reach and deferred, agreeing with Hughes writing in "Harlem". Walter has a dream not only to be successful, but to also be financially successful. Walter conveys his dream to be successful when he says, "I want so many things that they are driving me kind of crazy" (Hansberry 1.2.144). As Walter said, he believes that money is life and that is the main reason he feels pressure to succeed. The insurance check that Mama receives is the symbol of Walters dream since his dream revolved around that money because he knew it would give him the opportunity to succeed. Walter dream coincides with "Harlem", especially when Hughes writes, "Or does it explode?" (Hughes 11). After Walter lost all of the money he was going to use in his plan for success, his dream became impossible almost as if it had exploded.
Beneatha's dream corresponds with "Harlem" as Beneatha gives up her dream as it becomes more difficult to reach.

Beneatha puts a lot of effort in to fitting in to the American culture and is even accused of being an assimilationist. Beneatha's hair is a symbol that she wanted to fit in because she straightened her hair and let it grow long, but when her dream is deferred, her hair is cut short and left curly to represent her own culture. One of Beneatha's ways to fit in was to become a doctor, but after trying she no longer feels the same and says, "I wanted to cure. It used to be so important to me. I wanted to cure. It used to matter. I used to care" (Hansberry 3.1.204). Her dream relates to the poem "Harlem" when Hughes writes, "Or does it fester like a sore" (Hughes 4). Beneatha's dream relates to this so well because the reason she gave up on her dream is because she knew it was something that was never going to get better just as the poem describes a sore that will never change or get

better.
Mama's dream to live in her own house, Walter's dream of success, and Beneatha's dream of fitting in were certainly found within the play and were expressed by the poem. Mama was very fortunate and was able to live out her dream, opposing the poem "Harlem". Walter's deferred dream was described by the poem rather well. Beneatha's lost will to pursue her dream correlates her dream to Hughes writing in "Harlem". It is evident that the poem "Harlem" both coincides and deviates the play, A Raisin in the Sun.