American Dream in a Raisin in the Sun - 4319 Words

CHAPTER III: The Impact of Identity on Dreams – 1. Identity in the Sight of Other People In actual fact, people have a certain view or conception about what somebody is. This view is quite different from what the individual himself has. But then the harm in all this is that this state of affairs has a great impact on what an individual is supposed to become in life especially when he doesn’t have a great sense of objectivity or when he is not determined to achieve his life goal regardless of the opposition or the influence exerted upon them by society. . . Often times, this conception of somebody makes him loose his self-confidence and try to comply with what others want him to be or think he is. In trying to reajust his nature in†¦show more content†¦His closing rhetorical question – â€Å"Or does [a dream deferred] explode?† – is incendiary, a bold statement that the suppression of black dreams might result in an eruption. It implicitly places the blame for this possible eruption on the oppressive society that forces the dream to b e deferred. Hansberry’s reference to Hughes’ poem in her play’s title highlights the importance of dreams in A RAISIN IN THE SUN and the struggle that her characters faced to realize their individual dreams, a struggle inextricably tied to the more fundamental black dream of equality in America. These dreams functioned in positive ways, by lifting their minds from their hard work and tough lifestyle, and in negative ways, by creating in them even more dissatisfaction with their present situation. For the most part, however, the negative dreams come from placing emphasis on materialistic goals rather than on familial pride and happiness. Therefore, while the Youngers shared a common dream of having a better life, each family member had their own dream in obtaining it. Unfortunately, their dreams had been deferred for so long that their frustration almost succeeds in destroying the ultimate dream. This frustration is best summed up when Beneatha, who has lost fait h in her brother, says, Well, we are dead now. All the talk about dreams and sunlight that goes on in this house. ItsShow MoreRelatedThemes Of The American Dream In A Raisin In The Sun1123 Words   |  5 PagesA Raisin in the sun shows the hardship many need to face in order to attain this notion of the American Dream. The book did more than then just show what everyone faced, she shows the struggles that many African American families had to face when trying to achieve the notion of the American Dream. She does this by showing the environment that many African American lived in when there was bombing in the neighborhood or when white people would force African American who finally bought a home, out.Read MoreA Raisin In The Sun American Dream Essay1669 Words   |  7 Pagesfree† and home of the â€Å"American Dream.† According to James Truslow Adams in Epic of America, the American Dream is defined as â€Å"that dream of a land in which life should be better and ric her and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.† It is based on the foundations of the Declaration of Independence: the rights to Liberty, Life, and the Pursuit of Happiness (Amadeo, What is the American Dream?). People have the right to pursue their dreams and acquire a betterRead MoreThemes Of The American Dream In A Raisin In The Sun709 Words   |  3 Pages‘A Raisin in the Sun’ is a story that focuses on an African American family in the late 1940’s that’s struggles through poverty and racism to find the American Dream. A life that should be better, fuller and richer for everyone with countless opportunities to each individual’s ability and achievement. A vision that appears to be too far to fully grasp, the Younger family struggles through life with the idea of the American Dream but come to terms that it means something a little bit different toRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun American Dream Essay 707 Words   |  3 Pages2011 Your Version of Success In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry you go back in time to when segregation was still aloud. In this play you meet a cast of people with dreams of a better life. The American Dream, to be specific. This dream is portrayed differently for each character, all of which impact the play. Two of these character `s are Walter Lee Younger and Lena Younger. In Raisin in the Sun Mama and Walter’s American dreams conflict and impact the family through materialismRead MoreExamples Of The American Dream In A Raisin In The Sun1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Dream is a term that is often misunderstood. Some people think that it is about having the kind of money that creates security. As a matter of fact, it is about things much more straightforward and significant. It involves the freedom to pursue a life where a person can be respected and feel like a contributing member of society. Meaning, that the only limits and possibilities on a person’s ability to g et ahead, have financial freedom, and gain the respect of others in his communityRead MoreExamples Of The American Dream In A Raisin In The Sun937 Words   |  4 Pagesyou know that most African Americans werent allowed to vote until 1965, just a little over 50 years ago? This was just one among many struggles faced by black people during the 1950s. Though slavery was finally no longer a hindrance, this did not put an end to racism and financial disadvantages. Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun follows a family of African Americans and how they attempt to overcome these racial barriers in order to live out their individual dreams. When a patriarchal deathRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun American Dream Essay1811 Words   |  8 Pages In the Lorraine Hansberry play A Raisin in the Sun she brings to light the life as an African American in a metropolitan area in the nineteen-fifties and sixties. At the time, her play brought insight to the African American plead for freedom to move up in their communities and to have equal opportunity to have their own American dream. Her understanding of African American family was really shown in this play with the formation of the family who was struggling with the loss of the father of theRead More Racism and the American Dream in Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun1340 Words   |  6 PagesA Raisin in the Sun is written by a famous African- American play write, Lorraine Hansberry, in 1959. It was a first play written by a black woman and directed by a black man, Lloyd Richards, on Broadway in New York. The story of A Raisin in the Sun is based on Lorraine Hansberry’s own early life experiences, from which she and her whole family had to suffer, in Chicago. Hansberr y’s father, Carol Hansberry, also fought a legal battle against a racial restrictive covenant that attempted to stop African-Read MoreAmerican Dream in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry827 Words   |  3 Pagesnice house with a white picket fence. This was the cliche American dream. It is what most people think of when they think of the American Dream. The definition of American dream is the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every american. Well does it exist? If people work hard enough towards the dream yes, it does still exist. Moving on from the big picture, two contributions of the American dream are personal happiness and material comfort. For exampleRead MoreDivergent Routes to the American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun2529 Words   |  11 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚   The American dream has been visualized and pursued by nearly everyone in this nation. Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun is a play about the Younger family that strived for the American dream. The members of the Younger family shared a dream of a better tomorrow. In order to reach that dream, however, they each took different routes, which typified the routes taken by different black Americans. Walter Lee Youngers route, which was filled with riskiness and impulsiveness, exemplified