The 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 get ahead, have financial freedom, and gain the respect of others in his community come from the individual. In A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family is subject to the prejudice against blacks, which keeps them from fulfilling their dreams. This was especially a problem in the 1960s, before the Civil Rights Movement established …show more content…
Walter is showing that he is willing to change to provide a better life for his kid by explaining to Travis, “No, daddy ain’t drunk. Daddy ain’t never going to be drunk again” (Hansberry 107). After Walter hears from Mama that Ruth is pregnant and considering an abortion, despite Walter’s pain he can show his willingness to face his problems rather than run away by insisting, “No-no-Ruth wouldn't do that”(Hansberry 75). Afterwards, when Walter realizes he can take pride in his family and be proud of where he comes from, he gains the self-respect to overcome his difficulties and achieve the American Dream for himself and his family. With Walter now understanding the actual concept of making his own future and achieving the American Dream, he is able to confess to Mr. Lindner with pride and dignity “we are very proud...and we have decided to move into our house...we don’t want your money” (Hansberry 148). Similarly, when Walter is able to take initiative with his family behind him and take pride in himself, he tells Mr.Lindner to “Get out of his house man”, he can make his own future and achieve the American Dream because the dream is measured in self-respect (Hansberry 119). Mama can also attain the American Dream because she is determined to stay strong for her family, stay hopeful, and keep them all together
People are born with everyone telling them they are destined for greatness. And they can achieve anything and everything if they put their mind to it. But in reality, there is no guarantee that they are destined for greatness, that they can do anything they want. There is only the chance they might succeed. The American dream is the idea every US citizen should have the opportunity to be successful and happy if they are determined and work hard to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, the American dream is not a reality for everybody as a result of poverty, humanity, and gender inequality issues. Someone that experiences this injustice is Beneatha Younger. Beneatha is a fictional character in the novel, A Raisin In The Sun, written by Lorraine
No matter what you perceive The American Dream to be, it is possible to attain it and be successful. The American Dream is whatever your dream of success perceives to be. Hansberry shows how hard it was for colored people to find their
that ain’t anything at all. Mama, I don't know if I can make you understand” (73). Walter is not able to provide for his family by American standards, and as a result, his family lives in poverty.
A 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. Lorraine also shows the struggles of the characters of the book like Walter who struggles with the decision he makes and the contradictions that stop him from achieving his goals of being wealthy or when Beneatha goes against the norms of society
A Raisin in the sun shows the hardship many needed to face in order to attain this notion of the American Dream. The play did more than simply show what everyone faced, she shows the struggles that many African Americans families had to face when trying to achieve the notion of the American Dream. She does this by showing the environment that many African Americans lived in when there was bombing in the neighborhood or when white people would force African Americans who finally bought a home, out. Lorraine also shows the struggles of the characters of the play like Walter who struggles with the decision he makes and the contradictions that stop him from achieving his goals of being wealthy or when Beneatha goes against the norms of society by becoming a Doctor and trying to do activities that men usually do.While American Dream is quintessential to America because you’re able to go from nothing to something, this notion is unique to African-American since the society work against them even with having the same aspiration because of the prejudice they faced from the society.
The American Dream is defined as the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination and initiative. However, in 1950s to the 1960s, when the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry was written, the American Dream was expressed slightly differently. Post World War II the idea of the American Dream was owning a home in a decent neighborhood; starting a business- becoming an entrepreneur; a good paying job with longevity; and family planning or controlling the number of offspring (Hansberry). Although, most may believe in having the American Dream or becoming successful in life, only a few seem to obtain it. Statistics
The American Dream is something many Americans desire. The desire to the mind – set or belief that anyone can be successful if they worked hard for what they’ve been yearning. It is considered to be a ‘perfect life’; it can be full of money, contentedness or even love. There are many divergent opinions given by people. Walter Younger from Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ and Willy Loman from Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of the Salesman’ both have their own views on the American Dream and how it can be achieved. Walter Lee Younger, a
Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun encompasses all the ideals of the American Dream through her characters: Walter, who embodies the quest for an opportunity for prosperity, Beneatha who wants the freedom to be herself and embrace her African heritage, and Lena (Mama) who buys a home in a white neighborhood pushing the boundaries of social mobility during that time. The Youngers are in a state of poverty, because of this as suggested by Lloyd Brown “their deprivations expose the gap between the American Dream and the Black American reality” (241). However the Youngers attempt to close this gap, challenging the status quo in an effort to better themselves.
The American Dream, although different for each of us, is what we all aspire to achieve. In Lorraine Hansberry's, play, A Raisin in the Sun, each member of the Younger family desperately hopes for their own opportunity to achieve the American Dream. The American Dream to the Younger family is to own a home, but beyond that, to Walter Younger, it is to be accepted by white society.
Mama concerns herself only with the fact that she and her family will own the house, and not have to dwell in the tired, old apartment on Chicago's Southside. In a sense, Mama's dream has "crust[ed] and sugar[ed] over like a sugary sweet" (Hughes Lines 7-8). Her dream has changed to fit the circumstances she must cope with. The character of Mama represents those who do not shrivel up and die just because their dream does.
Everybody has dreams. Some dreams are small, some are large, and some are seemingly impossible. The American dream is an individual's pursuit and completion of their own dreams through hard work and determination. In Lorraine Hansberry’s book A Raisin in the Sun, Bethena is given all three types of dreams and demonstrates the theme of achieving the American dream by working hard to achieve those dreams. Bethena, an African American woman, was very proud of her African heritage, and she worked hard to preserve it. One thing she made very clear was her hate for “assimilationist Negroes”(Hansberry 81). This was one characteristic that played a significant role in her choosing someone to marry. Her dream of marriage, however, was second to her primary dream of becoming a doctor. This dream of becoming a doctor was by far the most difficult of the three, as not only was she poor, but also living in Chicago in the 1950s and 60s when racism and sexism were still very prevalent. Despite this, Beneatha demonstrated the theme of working hard to achieve her American dream by progressing toward her small dream of honoring her African heritage, her large dream of finding a husband, and her seemingly impossible dream of becoming a doctor.
The American Dream is a complicated thing. It is a marvelous experience, but may also be a long, arduous journey. A lot of the stories that one might hear in history, are from immigrants coming from all over the world, seeking a new life in America’s warm, welcoming borders. However, the dream does not always have to come from the outside. In fact, the Younger family, in the well-known play, A Raisin in the Sun, written by Loraine Hansberry, lived right in the heart of the Midwest: Chicago.
The American Dream is a desire to succeed in life. Every individual’s view is different, but in order to obtain the American Dream one must go through barriers. Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, tells a story during the 1950s in the SouthSide of Chicago with the Younger family. They struggle to be content with life when their dreams are deferred.
“To realize the American Dream, the most important thing to understand is that it belongs to everybody. It is a human dream. If you understand this and work very hard it is possible.” However it is not always guaranteed. A Raisin in The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a story about a family who continues to struggle while reaching towards The American Dream. The American Dream is described as “The ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” The Youngers are a hard-working family who all have different interpretations of the American Dream. Mama, Walter, and Beneatha’s shared powerful dreams that give the a look into The American Dream. Despite
Having a dream plays an important role in one’s life and varies from person to person. It makes a person’s life purposeful. Some dreams are achievable and some aren’t, but hard work is essential for both of them. More, there are also some dreams that demand long time along with full dedication and devotion, such as dreams of getting freedom, dignity, status etc. In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry describes throughout the story that how the dreams of the Younger family become “dreams deferred”. The younger family actually represents to all African- Americans families, who after a very long time, hard struggle, and sacrifices are able to achieve equal rights in the society along with whites.