“The American dream, to me, means having the opportunity to achieve, because I don't think you should be guaranteed anything other than opportunity.” What is the American dream defined as? Is it something that can be achieved by anyone of any race or social status? To some, it might mean a white picket fence, three kids and a golden retriever. To others, it might mean starting their own business from the ground up. In the play, The Raisin in the Sun, a family struggles to decide whose definition of the American dream is considered better than the others. The Raisin in the Sun, shows how a dream can be so important to someone even if there is obstacles to overcome to accomplish it through valuing a dream. Lorraine Hansberry’s short story, …show more content…
Walter’s family doesn’t support him with opening a liquor store, especially his mom. She believes it isn’t right to do for him or the family. Walter shows that he wants to fulfill his dreams in this quote, “Sometimes it’s like I can see my future stretched out in front of me - just plain as day. The future, Mama. Hanging over there at the edge of my days. Just waiting for me - a big, looming space – full of nothing. Just waiting for me” (Hansberry 382). Walter wants his life full of all the dreams he wants it to be, but he is frightened in a way because he feels like it won’t happen and he’ll just be left there without nothing to hope for. Walter eventually gets really upset and furious when he finds out that his dreams might not happen, he goes off on his wife out of anger about her being pregnant. Walter even goes as far as telling his sister to give up becoming a nurse. However, all Walter wants is a nice life for him and his family when it may not seem like it. Lena Younger wants to leave the filthy and torn down apartment to something better for her and the family. Lena puts her dreams off for her family so they can have everything they ever wanted like stated in this quote, “Big Walter used to say, he’d get right wet in the eyes sometimes, lean …show more content…
This plant that Lena has is struggling to live, because it receives no light in the dark apartment. Although, Mama believes that it will eventually get the sunlight it needs. Mama seems to always come to this plant when she is trying to overcome an obstacle in her life. “Well, I always wanted me a garden like I used to see sometimes at the back of houses down home. This plant is close as I ever got having one” (Page. 122). The plant represents as her dream to have a nice garden for tons of flowers and a well-suited house. Mama’s family have showed her where she shouldn’t believe in them anymore, but she kept believing in hope for her dreams and her family. The plant is the last thing to leave the Younger home which is significant because it represents that Mama has finally overcome her obstacles to reach her dream, which is her family is finally whole again. Mama continued loving her family like she loved her plant, she never gave up
Each woman in the Dead family is associated with their own wilted flower, which is significant because the flowers exist out of oppression and lack of affection. Before it is clear in the story that Macon and Ruth do not love each other, the flowers that Ruth interacts with beforehand serve as a precursor for the dead romance that is to come. Morrison notes the flower arrangement on Ruth’s dining table, which “once exposed, behaved as though it were itself a plant and flourished into a huge suede-gray flower that throbbed like fever.” The “suede-gray flower” is an artificial fabric flower associated with Ruth reveals that she is deprived of love. By following the life cycle of the “grey-suede flower,” the reader can understand the evolving position that Ruth has had in her home. When the flower was alive, her father was also with her, so she would communicate with her husband and dictate the matters of the household. When the flower was alive, Ruth and Macon were somewhat more in love. Macon was also kept quiet. As the flower weakens and dies, we see Ruth’s strength, independence, and love life dwindling and dying. Thus, it is clear that a
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 wants financial freedom, he doesn't want just enough money to provide for his family, but rather he tells his mother "I want so many things. " Walter is materialistic and greedy, corrupted by a superficial “American dream”. Walter has no desire to find out about himself through his African American heritage. He believes he can define himself through money, money is everything to this man.
In the beginning, the author explains how this young girl, Lizabeth, lived in the culturally deprived neighborhood during the depression. Lizabeth is at the age where she is just beginning to become a young woman and is almost ready to give up her childish ways. Through this time period she was confused and could not quite understand what was happening to her. In the end she rips Miss Lottie’s marigolds among the ugly place in which she lived. The marigolds were the only things that make the place a bit beautiful to the eye. In this scene the marigolds represent the only hope the people had for themselves in this time of depression. This could reveal how the author has experienced a loss of hope in times of need. In her explanation of how Lizabeth had torn up the flowers and destroyed all hope in that time of depression, might explain that she has also destroyed hope in a time of pain and grief. Later she writes, “And I too have planted marigolds.” This could mean she has learned from her experiences and that she has finally found hope and always tries to seek the good within the bad and the ugly. On another note, it could mean she just wants to act out on something, but she can’t, so she writes about her...
Walter Lee Younger's route, which was filled with riskiness and impulsiveness, exemplified the road taken by blacks who had been oppressed so much that they followed their dreams with blind desperation. Though Walter was the only adult male in his family, he did not assume the role as "man of the house." His mother, Lena was the family's backbone as well as the head of the household. Therefore, Walter felt less than a man. Not only did Walter not have a position of dignity in his home, but he felt disrespected by the world as well. Walter didn't feel good about himself because he was so poor that he struggled to support his wife, Ruth and son, Travis. Walter, though the did not fare unsuccessfully in that struggle, our he wanted more out of life. He told Ruth:
Additionally Walter is continuously setting everyone’s dreams aside for his own dream of owning a liquor store. And he is always arguing with his sister beneatha and he tells her that if she is sure that she wants to be a doctor. “ Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ‘bout messing ‘round with sick people- then go be a nurse like other women- or just get married and be quiet. . .” ( Hansberry 38). Basically what Walter is saying is that why did his sister have to decide to be a doctor and not a nurse that way mama wouldn't have to set
The garden is the vehicle in which the narrator reveals her reluctance to leave behind the imaginary world of childhood and see the realities of the adult world. The evidence supporting this interpretation is the imagery of hiding. The narrator uses the garden to hide from reality and the changes of growing up. When she no longer can hide from reality, she tries to hide from herself, which leaves her feeling disillusioned and unsure of who she is.
In the play Walter shows that he is concerned about money and has no morality because even though it was mama’s hard earned money he wants it for himself, mama, Ruth, and Benny all agreed on a house and he only cared about his liquor store, and lastly his sister needed the money for medical school and he wanted it for himself.
Walter, not wanting any part of her words, replies to her claim, saying, “No-it was always money, Mama. We just didn’t know about it.” (74) In order to receive money fast, and be able to escape the ghettos of Chicago, Walter sets out to invest in and own a liquor store with his friends, Willy and Bobo. Walter believes that the liquor store would be him and his family’s ticket out of their small apartment and into a much larger, more luxurious residency. Walter’s ambition to have his own liquor store pertains to be as intense as the desire of a cheetah to chase down
He had a family who counted on him to be the provider and family man. Ruth and Mama wanted Walter to be the man of the house just like his father was. Walter wanted a business that would make him rich, so that he could be the man his family wanted. Ruth was tired of giving up on her husband as she mentions to mama, “I don’t know what it is-but he needs something-something I can’t give him anymore. He needs this chance, Lena”
Her outlook on life is directly related to her family. Lena believes that the Younger can get through hard times and move out of their struggling neighborhood. Mama’s biggest dream is to see her future generations achieve more in life than she and her husband did. To attain this dream, Mama uses her husband’s insurance money to make a payment on a house. Because of her optimism, the audience believes that Mama too views life as a line that extends into infinity. Even though Lena almost always seems so positive, at times Mama can be pulled into the circle philosophy. For example, “Mama enters from her bedroom. She is lost, vague, trying to catch hold, to make some sense of her former command of the world, but it still eludes her. A sense of waste overwhelms her gait; a measure of apology rides on her shoulders. She goes to her plant, which has remained on the table, looks at it, picks it up and takes it to the windowsill and sits it outside, and she closes the window, straightens her body with effort and turns around to her children” (121). Mama’s loss of hope after her son loses the money is greatly expressed when she left the plant outside. This event shows that Mama felt there was no point in trying to fix the situation because life will just repeat itself, like a circle. Although Mama always seems to bring the family together and make them believe that life is like a line again, sometimes she cracks and thinks life will not get
...ontrol of his personal ambitions to benefit the whole or in Walter's case the family. Certainly it would be unfair for Walter give up his aspirations. The issue is whether Walter can distinguish between a fantasy of reality and a dream deferred.
Walter attempts to reinvent himself through his work and relationships to try and provide for his wife and family. Walter is fighting a battle within his household because he believes that Ruth, his wife, “couldn’t be on [his] side that long for nothing,” even though she is just trying to do what is best for everyone involved (Hansberry 32). Walter cannot see past his dream to realize the impact it would have on everyone else if it failed, so he drowns his sorrows in alcohol. Although “he knows the possibility of failure is also a vital part of the American success story” Walter is not just risking his own future, he is risking his child’s, mother’s and sister’s and without a second thought to his personal relationships, he blindly makes an investment on the chance of having the wealth and house he desires for everyone (Washington 98). Walter is so focused on reinventing his work life and having money that he loses sight of his family’s values and ideas. He does not care about Ruth being pregnant and the possibility of aborting their child as long as he can achieve his goals. Walter is living in a dream where he believes that “anyone can become anything he wants to be,” and that is not true in his case with the social and racial standards that are set against him (Washington 95). Walter sees wealth as ensuring happiness and having everything he desires, which is why he is pushing his family so hard for the money, causing issues. Even though all the odds are set against him in this time period, Walter cannot see past being able to provide for his family and having the American Dream that he most
To start off, Walter’s obsession with money is going to cost him a lot since it is the only thing he cares about. In the beginning, Walter starts out by only caring only about himself, but towards the end, he starts to care for everyone else as well. This shows that Walter is a selfish person. As Walter Lee states to Ruth, “Yeah. You see, this little liquor store we got in mind cost seventy-five thousand and we figured the initial investment on the place be ‘bout thirty thousand, see” is the dream that Walter Lee has for himself (Hansberry 33). Walter wants the money that the Younger family is getting from the insurance company to buy the liquor store. He thinks that the liquor store will make them rich and the family would not have to struggle anymore. At the end, Walter changes his whole point of view towards the insurance money. Walter declares to Mr....
This episode illustrates a major conflict throughout the story. As Walter dreams bigger and bigger he seems to leave the 'smaller' things such as his family behind. This movement away from the family is against the furtherance of the values and morals of the family. While his father would have been happy simply working and caring for his family, Walter is more concerned with becoming a 'mover and shaker' without thinking about the resulting consequences for his family.