Essay on The Transformation of a Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes

“A Raisin in the Sun” and "Harlem (A Dream Deferred)," written by Lorraine Hansberry and Langston Hughes, respectively, represent the complimentary themes of dreams. “A Raisin in the Sun” depicts a family’s struggle for survival. The Younger family who lives in Southside, Chicago, fights for their civil rights during the 1960’s. They each have dreams and goals. Hughes illustrates, in “Harlem” that sometimes dreams dry up like raisins in the sun. Two stories analytically provide unexpected irony at the end. Jason Miller’s article, “Foreground and Prereading,” references these pieces to illustrate ideas and obstacles in the character’s lives – defining how obstacles strengthen the family’s perseverance while demonstrating how dreams and hopes can be deferred but are not soon forgotten.

Mama implies that the money was more than just currency, but what is left of her husband’s dream to bring success to his family. She is terribly disappointed with Walter for losing all of the money so easily, and not putting it toward to what he promised. Because of this great loss, Walter is still left with no money. His dream to become wealthy is now at the bottom of the gutter, all over again, and he has to work even harder as well as gain his confidence back in order to fish it out.

All in all Mama and Walters dreams both involve money. Mama shows us her longing for the acceptance of society when she immediately buys a house in a white neighborhood, to provide for her family. Walter shows us his desperation to be a valuable human being when he steals money in hopes of starting his liquor business. Walter wants to be respected and live a happy lifestyle for this family. He longs to be the head of the household. Walter see’s himself with a liquor store as having power. It isn’t till the end until he rethinks the values of himself and his family’s future about how there is more to living than just having material riches. Mama only yearns for her family to be respected and live up to what society perceives.

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 by Lorraine Hansberry, a novel about the life of a black family in Chicago after World War II, took an allusion to A Dream Deferred, a poem by Langston Hughes. Therefore the characters in the play and their dreams share similarities to the simile provided by Hughes. The simile of “a raisin in the sun” (2) encounters with Beneatha Younger, a young college student, who dreams of studying in a medical school but is criticized by her family. The dream seems aggravates the family conflict, but it represents Beneatha’s hope of helping the family.

       The epigraph and title of the play, A Raisin in the Sun, are taken from Langston Hughe's famous 1951 poem "Montage of a Dream Deferred." Hughe's poem questions whether people surrender to circumstances when their aspirations are frustrated or whether their dreams explode in unpredictable ways after the accumulation of continuos disappointments. Walter gets close to exploding. After spending many years trying to open a liquor store, it is only his father's life insurance check that may allow him to finally achieve his dream of being an independent man and his own boss. Walter was not

When Walter loses the money, his views change. He convinces himself that a man doesn’t need morals, and that the only thing that matters is how

“What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” This poem, Harlem, created a whole play based on one line (Hughes, 1055-1056). Langston Hughes wrote the poem Harlem due to his major role in the Harlem Renaissance. A Raisin in the Sun was concocted by Hughes one line, this play tells the story of an African American family living in the slums during a time when racial dilemmas were at an all time high. The family receives money from Mama’s husband passing away, but the family has disputes on how the money should be spent (Hansberry, 443-512). Throughout the play the title has significance by Hughes poem Harlem, African American lives in the 1950s, and the different dreams of the family members.

Halfway through the play, Walter tries to explain that he wants more out of his life, and Lena says that he has all he needs- a wife, a family, and a job. Walter then gets even angrier and says “Mama, a job? I open and close doors all day long. I drive a man around in his limousine and I say ‘Yes sir’; ‘No sir”; ‘Very good sir’; ‘Shall I take the drive sir?’ Mama that aint no kind of job” (Miller, pg 107). Walter’s dream to be rich drives him to the brink of insanity. Finally, Lena decides that she will give him the money to invest in a liquor store. She keeps part of the money to invest in a house, and gives him the rest of it. She tells him to put three thousand dollars in an account for Bonita’s tuition, and the rest is his to invest in the liquor store. Instead of putting any money in an account for Beneatha, Walter gives it all to one of his partners to invest in the store. He is told he will get enough of it back in a few days, so he can put the money in the account. As it turns out, his partner ends up leaving town with the money, and never coming back. Walter lost the bulk of the check. His dream to have money, to be somebody, to be rich; leads to his downfall. Instead, he ends up losing the money that could have helped the family as a whole. Not only did he set himself back, but he also set Beneatha back. Not only did he ruin his dream, but he also ruined his

     Walter dreams of owning a liquor store, and he shows this throughout the whole play. Walter feels that “don’t nothing happen for you in this world ‘less you pay somebody off!” Owning a liquor store is Walter’s American dream, as he believes that it will provide him and his family with a greater income so they will not have to live in poverty anymore. However, Hansberry shows through Mama how they have different views of the American dream when she tells Walter that the liquor store would be un-Christian like and that they should spend the money on a new house instead. Hansberry makes Mama more convincing by showing her carrying a Bible as she comes out of her room in the first scene. Mama also is seen asking God for help and talking about God throughout the play. This is shown when Walter admits that the money Mama gave him was gone because his partner took it and Mama says “Oh, God… look down here – and show me the strength.” Mama is very angry that Walter wasted all of Beneatha’s school money, but she doesn’t let her temper get the best of her and instead goes to God for support.

“What happens to a dream deferred?” In, “Dream Deferred,” Langston Hughes questions what happens to a dream when a dream is pushed aside. Lorraine Hansberry establishes how the Younger family deals with racial segregation throughout the play and how they rise above it. Walter has a dream of autonomy, in which he would risk everything to achieve it. However, when Walter has the inability to achieve his goals because of the backlash it causes, he pushes them to the side. This dream creates problems in the Younger household. Meaning, Ruth and Walter have the inability to have a non-bickering conversation. Beneatha also struggles with her idealist views in this new generation. In, A Raisin in The Sun, Lorraine Hansberry explores

Honestly, dreams can sometimes suck. Many people have different dreams in their lifetime but most of them either fail or give up. Dreams can consistently be shoved aside, but if you strive enough, you might just accomplish your dream. In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, she shows the struggles of the Younger family. The four main characters of the Younger family, Lena, Ruth, Beneatha (aka Bennie), along with Walter Lee Jr., all have dreams of their own. Each character's dream is deferred in a different way. Hansberry shows how the characters’ work and try to achieve their goal. Hansberry's play also relates to the poem “A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes. All of the characters dreams relate closely to one of the lines from Hughes’ poem.

I never really read poems, but my favorite one would be,”A Dream Deferred,” by Langston Hugh. The reason why “A Dream Deferred” is my favorite because of the meaning of it. What I mean is from this quote,”What Happens to a Deferred Dream”, (line 1) from this line it mean what happens to a dream that you put to aside or postpone it. That to me hit me hard because In my life, my mom and dad had to postpone their dreams to take care of me and my two sisters. And even then I have to put my dreams aside to help take care of my family. Another reason why I like “A Dream Deferred” is what happens in the end it quotes,”Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does is exploding?” (9/10/11) these three last lines make us stop and think to to our-self because It's asking we would the dream dies, or come true. When I first heard that I had to stop and think all the dreams to the side and let them die because of the things that Is happening to me in my life.

In the beginning of the play, Walter Lee Younger presents as a character that values money over his own family. He has plans of entering the world of business by investing in a liquor store; however, Walter does not receive full support from the other members of his family. Mama is hesitant on giving a portion of the $10,000 to

America is built on a dream, the idea that anyone has the opportunity for prosperity, success, and an upward social mobility when they work hard. This dream is a siren call to America’s shores for millions of people from across the world looking to forge a better life. Unfortunately, this dream seems to elude Blacks in America. The elusiveness of this dream is not because Blacks do not want to succeed or have the hunger to achieve their goals but because extraneous forces often causes it to be out of reach and ultimately deferred. But “What happens to a dream deferred?” in Langston Hughes’ seminal poem “Dream Deferred” the use of vivid imagery shows the regret, sadness, and the danger of forgotten dreams.