"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-- And then run?". In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hasberry the Younger family lives in a small apartment in Chicago in the1960's even though they don't have a lot of money they still have dreams they would love to achieve. The Younger family consists of Mama, who's dream is to buy a house. Walter Lee who's dream is to own a liquor store. Ruth, who's dream is like mamas to have a bigger home for her family. Beneatha, who's dream is to become a doctor, and there is Travis he doesn't really have a dream. A theme that is seen in the play is never give up on your dreams good things will come. In the play it was really hard for the Younger family to achieve their dreams because of the struggle they had with money. For example Travis wanted money but, Walter Lee wouldn't give him any because they don't have a lot to go to waste. Hasberry writes, "No! And I want you to stop asking your grandmother for money, you hear me?" (6). This quote shows that the younger family …show more content…
has no money to spend on Travis. Another example of how the Younger family doesn't have a lot of money is that they live in a little apartment and they have to share a bathroom with other families. An example from the book is when the Younger received a $10,000 check and they were very happy because they really needed the money. These examples show the theme don't give up on your dreams good things will come because even though they didn't have a lot of money they still haven't given up on their dreams. When the Younger family receives the check of $10,000 their dreams start to become a reality. For example Mamas dream comes true when she buys a house for the family with some of the money. The author writes,"She went out and bought you a house!" (49). Mama buying a house is a clear example of her dream coming true because that's what she really wanted and she got it. Another example is when Mama gave Walter the extra money and he invested in a liquor store. The author writes, "He made an investment! With a man even Travis wouldn't have trusted with his most worn out marbles" (78). This quote shows Travis followed his dreams by investing in a liquor store with the leftover money. These examples show the theme don't give up on your dreams good things will come because Mama never gave up on her dreams of buying a house and she actually got to buy one and Walter really wanted to own his own liquor store and with the money he got to invest in one even though it didn't work out. At the end of the play almost everyone's dreams become reality.
One example is that Beneatha got the opportunity to go to Africa and become a doctor. The author writes, "to go to Africa, Mama to be a doctor in Africa..." (91). This quote shows that since Beneatha never gave up on her dream of becoming a doctor the opportunity finally came and she can become a doctor in Africa. Another example of how they accomplished their dreams is at the end of this play when the Younger family is moving into the new house and that's when Mama and Ruth's dreams come true. These examples show that the theme never give up on your dream good things will come because they never gave up on their dreams and good things came, Mama and Ruth got a new house, Even though the liquor store didn't work out Walter still had to opportunity to achieve his dream, and Beneatha gets the opportunity to become a doctor in
Africa. In conclusion throughout the play the Younger family all had dreams they wanted to achieve. Even when they could just give up they never did. When they got the check for $10,000 that shows that good things will come if you wait and they did and a good $10,000 check came. Therefore the theme never give up on your dreams good things will come is very true for the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hasberry.
While Mama is talking to Walter, she asks him why he always talks about money. "Mama: Oh--So now it's life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life--now it's money. I guess the world really do change . . . Walter: No--it was always money, Mama. We just didn't know about it." Walter thinks that the world revolves around money. He wants to believe that if his family were rich they would have perfect lives. This isn't true though, and Mama knows it. She knows that no matter how much money Walter has, he will never be happy unless he has a family that loves him. Before Walter goes out to invest in the liquor store he has a talk with his son. "Walter: You wouldn't understand yet, son, but your daddy's gonna make a transaction . . . a business transaction that's going to change our lives. . . ." Walter thinks that this transaction will make their lives better. What he doesn't realize is that he already has a good life and he doesn't need more money to make him happy. He should be grateful for what he has instead of worrying about money.
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.
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...
When your dreams are set aside, delayed or deferred you can experience a number of different emotions. You might feel frustration or angst, angry at the obstacles that might be holding you back from pursuing your dream and worried that you may never be able to reach your goals. You may feel stuck or defeated, if you think that your dream has no sustenance to keep it alive. You could feel defensive if those who you would expect to support you in your pursuit of happiness are instead turning against you and resisting the actions that you are taking in order to reach your goals. When being presented with a life changing amount of money, a family can be torn apart in conflict or brought together in a unified front towards happiness.
Walter wants to have a successful business so he can surpass the poverty that has plagued his family. And Beneatha wants to get a good education, become a doctor, and marry a nice man. Dreams are especially important to the Younger family as they come from a poverty laden family and desire to live the “American Dream.” Every member of the Younger family has a dream but each one is different with a different view on what the true “American Dream” really is.
... buy the family a new house so that Travis would have a better place to grow up. Mama could have spent that money on something she wanted, but instead bought something that would make the whole family happy. After she buys their new house, Mama gives Beneatha $3000 dollars towards college and gives Walter $3500 dollars to better his future. Mama has given all of the insurance money to the people she cares about, and kept none of it for herself. She thought about her children’s future and decided to invest the money towards a better life for them. This is a very unselfish act on Mama’s part, a perfect example of putting family before oneself.
...have some money. The Younger’s were well aware that they were not wanted in the white neighborhood. At this point, there is a feeling of dislike towards Walter because he had blown off all the money. So what was expected was the he would continue worrying about money and sell their dream house. But instead he does an unexpected, honorable thing. He surprises the family by changing his mind and deciding to move into the house. I was also moved by what Mama said. “Son—I come from five generations of people who was slaves and sharecroppers—but ain’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay ‘em no money that was a way of telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the earth. We ain’t never been that poor. We ain’t never been that—dead inside.” Walter finally showed pride in his family and let go of his dream for the good of his family.
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.
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore– And then run?" (Langston Hughes). It is important to never lose sight of one’s dream. Dreams are what keep people moving in life, but if they are ignored, they may morph and lose their prevailing form. This is evident in Lorraine Hansberry’s "A Raisin in the Sun", as Walter’s, Beneatha’s, and Mama’s dreams become delayed, distorted, and blurred.
Throughout Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, we see the positive and negative effects of chasing the American Dream. Hansberry expresses her different views on the American Dream through the characters and she portrays the daily struggles of a 1950 black family throughout A Raisin in the Sun. In this play, she is able to effectively show the big impact that even small decisions can make on a family. Hansberry shows the many different attachments that come with the fulfillment of this American Dream. Throughout A Raisin in the Sun, each family member has their own pursuit of happiness, which is accompanied by their American Dream.
It represented the values of people living in the 1950s and 1960s. Everyone wanted to be successful. Everyone wanted to achieve life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Walter Younger was a real example of Black America 's struggle to reach the American Dream when he wanted materialism and wealth because he believe that money is the key to life 's happiness. Beneatha Younger was a real example of Black Americans struggle to reach the American Dream when she wanted to go to a medical school because she wants to have a career and not depend on someone else. Lena Younger was a real example of Black Americans struggles to reach the American Dream when she desire a garden because she wants to keep her husband 's legacy alive. People can relate to their struggles to achieve the American, because everyone has their own version of the American Dream that they are striving to
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.
A Raisin in the Sun is basically about dreams, as the main characters struggle to deal with the oppressive circumstances that rule their lives. The Youngers struggle to attain these dreams throughout the play, and much of their happiness and depression is directly related to their attainment of, or failure to attain, these dreams. By the end of the play, they learn that the dream of a house is the most important dream because it unites the family.
Mama’s dreams were first deferred when she moved into the small apartment that the Youngers family stay in through out most of the play. She became too busy that she couldn’t accomplish her dream. She also could not for fill her dreams since she did not have enough money to do so. Her dreams were even more shattered with the death of her husband, but when she got the money from her husband’s death her dreams then became a reality again. Mama wants Travis to be happy and play in the garden but she cannot do this since they live in a dirty ghetto.
Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that is about a family of five that lives on the south side of Chicago in a small cramped apartment where they have to share the bathroom with other tenants. Some of the characters' dreams that are revealed throughout the play, some examples are Mama's dream of owning a home where she can have her garden, another dream that is revealed is Walter Lee Young and that is for him to own a liquor store that will help his family, and the last dream revealed is beneatha’s dream that is that she wants to be a doctor. For example, one quote that reveals Mama's dream of owning a home is “But Lord, child, you should know all the dreams I had about buying that house and fixing it up and making me a little