The American Dream In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

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 a concept that has been instilled in the minds of citizens for much of America’s history. The Dream is the idea that everyone is equal and that anyone can start with nothing and become successful through hard work and perseverance. Unfortunately, due to prejudices and discrimination, the American Dream has not been attainable for all races and ethnicities that have immigrated to this country in search of a better life. Instead, it has been quite the opposite: no matter how much hard work and perseverance one puts forth, he/she is always beaten down by those in a higher social class. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird explores the concept of the failing American Dream by examining discrimination, prejudice, and social hierarchy in 1930’s Maycomb, Alabama.

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

    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.

Why was the American dream so important to some people or even families? Or some that don’t really care about it because they’re already living that American Dream. Hard work isn’t easy nobody said it was easy but putting the time to work hard will get anybody a better life its takes time for those results. What I think and feel about the American dream? Is if you want to live a better life then you should chase the dream and put the time & work but not only that you will have to go through tough times and fail many times. But if you still have the dream, then at the very end everything you worked for will pay off you will live it to the fullest no matter what. American dream is about you approach if you approach it with a positive attitude and willing to work until you reach the goal you will even you fail to the first time. You get back up and try and keep trying until you reach it.

Bruce Springsteen once mentioned that, “[He has] spent [his] life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream.” It is difficult for people to know if they are living the American Dream. Sometimes, reality can be harmful to someone trying to achieve their goals. Unhappiness with life, money, family, and more are aspects that could potentially ruin one’s chances of achieving the American Dream. In the play, Raisin in the Sun, the Youngers have to face reality when Mr. Younger dies. They all have dreams, but with the limited resources they have, not all of them can come true. In fact, money is a limited resource and numerous economists say that as the economy changes, so does the ability to achieve the American Dream.

Everyone in this world has some sort of dream , many people have an American dream. The American Dream is a dream of living happily, and being able to enjoy life great adventure. In the play The Raisin in the Sun, Written by Lorraine Hansberry, three main characters stood out in showing their American Dream. Walter stood out because of his dream of having his own business. Beneatha showed her dream of becoming a doctor. Finally, Mama showed her dream of her family being happy and living without worries. These three characters' dreams show us that, despite obstacles the American Dream is still possible.

The American Dream, an ideal that every US citizen and U.S. immigrants have the same opportunities to achieve success through only hard work and determination. As time passes however, American literature has allowed us to have a completely new perspective of many different social groups and individuals with their own struggles to accomplish this idealism that has been the embodiment of our very nation to this day. Two classic examples in American literature of a struggle to achieve the American dream include the classic play ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ written by Lorraine Hansberry and ‘Of Mice and Men’ written by John Steinbeck. A Raisin in the sun, written and first performed in 1959, follows the Younger family whom have received a 10,000 check

“ American Dream” as defined in the Google dictionary is “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. (“American Dream” def 1) . Walter Lee had his own view on the American Dream and how it can be achieved. Walter Lee wanted to achieve his dream of opening a liquor store and thought his father’s life insurance money would be his perfect opportunity. Since it was Mama’s decision on what to do with the money, she ended buying a house and giving the rest to him which Willy Harris stole.

Do you know what life was life for average African American families in the 1940s? In the play Raisin in the Sun the Youngers lived a small apartment with 5 people. This play was taken place in the 1940s and as a poor African American family living in this time is a hard struggle. Each member of this family has a dream yet they all struggle to achieve it due to their economic status and racism of this time so they are forced to put there dreams aside. What gives their family hope to achieve their goals and over come their obstacles is the insurance money from “Big Walter’s” death.

Picture this: A husband and wife, two kids, a dog, and a nice 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.

Centuries ago, Americans were fighting for their freedom from Britain. Then, the American dream was to have freedom. To American then, being free and having their own individual country was enough. Up until a few decades ago, African Americans were fighting to have equal rights. They thought this was all they needed and they would be truly happy. Somewhere over the course of time; happiness had a new meaning for all Americans. Now material possessions are what it takes to be happy. The American dream is to be rich.

“Check coming today?” The Life Insurance check that Mama will soon be receiving is the source of all the dreams in the Younger family. A major argument that Lorraine Hansberry makes in her play A Raisin in the Sun is the importance of dreams. Dreams are what each member of the Younger family is driven by. Mama wants to have her own home in a nice part of town; she does not want her children growing up in a place with rats. 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.”

What Most of the American population wants in life is wealth, it's been like that in the past

A quest is simply defined as a long search for something, whether it be materialistic, rational, or metaphorical. Throughout African American literature, a thematic quest of self-discovery seems to be a common trend among authors. Dating back to the slavery, African American authors seemed to have greatly focused on the importance of ‘being somebody’, and making it in a world that seems so against equality. A Raisin in The Sun, a 1959 script written by Lorraine Hansberry, focuses on just that; making a man out of a mockery. Each character in Hansberry’s novel strives to overcome a generalized social stigma, and one particularly sets out on a quest for the American Dream. The achievement of the American Dream, focusing greatly on external finances and beyond, is a common quest that is greatly perceived through A Raisin in The Sun.