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

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In the play, “A Raisin in The Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, the question “What happens to a dream deferred?” is repeatedly shown throughout. The many ways this is shown is through lack of freedom economically and socially like for example, housing and education discrimination, social separation between white and black people, and the overall discrimination and oppressive social system. The play, A raisin in the sun is also shown to answer the question of “what happens to a dream deferred” more specifically in instances like that of Walter Lee’s dream of investing into an alcohol business, Beneatha Younger's dream of becoming a doctor, and both Ruth and Mrs Youngers dream of owning a home with a big backyard.
In the play, “A Raisin in The Sun …show more content…

It is shown in the play when Walter tells Beneatha about why she chose to be a doctor and she should much rather be a nurse or just get married like other women (Hansberry act 1 scene 1.) Lorraine Hansberry chooses Beneatha as the young girl with aspiring dreams to become something that many other people would see as strange or unnormal at the time for …show more content…

More specifically in Walter Lee’s case he wants to own a liquor store but Mrs Younger is not fond of the idea. He ends up taking the majority of the insurance money and giving it to his friend Bobo who then gives the money to his friend Willy, Willy ends up taking the money for himself and flees. (Act II scene III) In “Staging Generderd Radicalism at the Height of the US Cold War: A Raisin in the Sun and Lorraine Hansberry’s Vision of Freedom,” by Erin D Chapman, He brings the idea that Hansberry's women characters like Lena Younger, Beneatha, and Walter Lee’s wife challenge and push Walter to be a “better” man. Because of this Walter has a shallow value of money and he only wants to spoil them, (Chapin 454.) He buys the liquor store without telling them to become the “better” man and due to not having any economic freedom and the social discrimination of white and black people, he gets scammed and loses all the money. This can be more explained in, “In search of equality: a dream deferred for African Americans in A raisin in the Sun,” by Tayebeh Nowrouzi, Sohila Faghfori, and Esmaeil Zohdi. The authors mention that Walter has no experience with business nor is educated to run one. It is also mentioned that young colored men rarely get positions above a certain level so running a business is an absolute no considering the racial prejudice that

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“Well we are dead now. All the talk about dreams and sunlight that goes on in this house. It's all dead now” (143). This illustrates that Beneatha has given up on her dreams, saying that they are dead because she can't become a doctor. The reason she can't go to medical school is because Walter gave away Big Walters insurance money to Willy Harris, who then stole it.

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600 Words | 3 Pages

He wants to be a businessman and own a liquor store. He wants to be able to provide for his family and give them what they have never had. Walter also wants to take his mother’s position as the head of the house and make the financial decisions for the family. Walter can be seen as selfish as instead of putting the money for him and his sister in the bank he uses it all and loses it trying to fulfill his own dreams with no regard to his sister’s dreams or the rest of the family’s.

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1135 Words | 5 Pages

Walter Younger Jr. is an example of economic oppression and the effects of said oppression, Walter being ineligible for higher wage jobs, his demeanor, and actions with his father’s life insurance money are examples of economic oppression. In act one, scene one of “A Raisin in The Sun”, Walter brings up his idea and wants to use his father’s life insurance check to invest, fully knowing that money is not his, in his idea is to invest in a liquor store with two other men who believe it is a good idea. Throughout the story, his idea of opening a liquor store is constantly shut down and considered a bad idea, mainly because of the people involved. In the play, Walter’s mother, Mama, gives him the rest of his father’s life insurance after buying a house for them, he was told to put some money aside for Beneatha’s schooling. He was given and trusted with this money, instead of being responsible with the money, he uses all of it to invest in an untrusted business deal.

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934 Words | 4 Pages

Walter, believes Beneatha should give up on her dream of becoming a doctor. In the story, he states, ¨If you so crazy ´bout messing ´round with sick people- then go be a nurse like other women- or just get married and be quiet...¨(Hansberry 38). Her attitude towards his response was very fitting for the situation. She is tired of his attitude toward his dream and lets him know by telling him to give up. It seems as if Walter was the reason for Beneatha 's dream to become deferred.

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866 Words | 4 Pages

(...) A man needs for a woman to back him up…” This shows that Walter feels that it’s his full responsibility to provide for his family and give them the money without being the “man” (head) of the family and make decisions about the money or take it and achieve his dream which collapsed in the end after the money was stolen by his best friend Willy Harris. Walter Lee wanted to achieve his dream by buying the liquor store with his family insurance money and prove that he is a man to his family after

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1138 Words | 5 Pages

Walter has a dream to own a liquor store so that he makes money from that business and is then is able to financially provide things for his family like he believes a man should, but him being blacks affects his dream. (add more words b4)Walter brings

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1. What are the three branches of government? Please explain the concept of "checks and balances". In the United States, under instruction from the Constitution, there are three branches of government. The three branches are: the Executive branch, the Legislative branch, and the Judicial branch. Each branch is involved in slightly different parts of governing.

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Hardships of the Youngers In Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, the characters of Mama, Walter ,and Beneatha are faced with hardships associated with their dreams being destroyed by discriminatory housing,racial inequality and lack of support from her family towards her education. In the play all the characters have some kind of dream. Mama wants to get a house for the family, Walter wants to have money to provide for his family and plans to do that with a liquor store, and Beneatha wants to become a doctor. Beneatha is going to school and at the same time she’s trying to discover herself,but her family is not supportive of this.

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1123 Words | 5 Pages

He has a wife, Ruth, a sister, Beneatha, a mama, Lena, and a son, Travis. His ultimate dream is to illegally sell liquor with a couple of his friends so he can become the main provider for his family and give them a better life. Walter’s father has recently passed away and the family is waiting on an insurance check of ten thousand dollars. Walter says, “Yeah. You see, this liquor store we got in mind cost seventy-five thousand

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690 Words | 3 Pages

( Hansberry 74). Walter always dreamed of having a successful business and being able to provide for his family. However, he could not achieve that as easily, just because of his skin color. No matter how hard he worked, he was never given equal opportunities as someone who was white. Consequently, African Americans being seen as less than white people left them struggling to achieve their

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765 Words | 4 Pages

She wants to be able to break down the racial barriers that have divided everyone up. Knowing there will still be limits, she is willing to work through the challenges to provide a better life for her family. On the other hand, Walter wants what money can bring him “… as a means of acquiring education, decent housing, human dignity…” (Cheney). Walter is a chauffeur for a rich white man. He envies him because he sees how much joy, opportunities, and success money can bring someone.

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1396 Words | 6 Pages

In the poem Harlem, by Langston Hughes, Langston references a deferred dream which over time; either dies or flourishes. In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the main characters; Walter, Beneatha, Mama, and Ruth are all experiencing a deferred dream. While Walter and Beneatha are willing to take any means necessary to fulfill their dreams, Mama and Ruth aren’t so ambitious. Mama (Walter and Beneatha’s mother) dreams of one day owning her own home, in a beautiful neighborhood, big enough for her family to live comfortably. Mama finally has the finances needed to buy her dream home, but faces the possibility of breaking up her family.

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732 Words | 3 Pages

In Susan Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, the themes identified are dreams and faith that each character signifies throughout their struggles in their daily lives. The theme dreams refer to how each of the main five characters: Ruth Younger, Walter Lee Younger, Travis Younger, Beneatha Younger, and Lena Younger dealt with different oppression situations that took part in their lives that put the dreams on hold. Furthermore, the theme also connects towards the faith that each main character had to pursue to keep their family together after the death of a love one. The characters’ in A Raisin in the Sun tries to chase after a separate dream, unfortunately their dreams are utterly pushed away to realize the importance of their family

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466 Words | 2 Pages

In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, by Loraine Hansberry, both Walter and Mama have great dreams and encounter barriers on the path to achieving their dreams. Walter dreams of owning a liquor store and being able to better provide for his family, a dream that changes when he faces the barrier of his money being stolen by Willy Harris. Mama dreams of living in a real house with a garden and also encounters barrier of her money being stolen by Willy Harris. Walter dreams of owning a liquor store and being able to financially support his family. Walter’s dream is shown in act 1, scene 1 when he explains to Ruth how the liquor store he and his friends are buying will help their family have enough money to do more than just make ends meet (32,33).

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779 Words | 4 Pages

In the play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, there are many examples of sexism throughout its entirety. The character, Walter, demonstrates the acts of a sexist human being. Walter is sexist to not only women in general, but to the women in his family. Not taking into consideration of other people’s sayings and their feelings, Walter generally only thinks about himself, says what he believes, and truly only cares about money. Walter constantly is fighting with all of the women in the family as well.

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