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A Raisin In The Sun American Dream Essay

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The Dream
The American Dream is a concept that has long been ingrained in American culture. It is the belief that anyone, regardless of their background, can achieve success, prosperity, and upward mobility through hard work, determination, and perseverance. Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun" is a powerful exploration of the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of an African American family in the 1950s. In this essay, I will examine how the American Dream is portrayed in the play, through the lens of three key themes: money, family, and race.
One of the central themes of "A Raisin in the Sun" is the pursuit of money as a means to achieve the American Dream. This is seen most clearly through the character of Walter Lee Younger, …show more content…

Throughout the play, the Younger family is depicted as a close-knit unit that supports one another through difficult times. Mama, in particular, serves as a maternal figure who tries to hold the family together. One quote that demonstrates this is when Mama says, "Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most? When they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain't through learning—because that ain't the time at all" (Act II, Scene 3). This quote shows Mama's belief that love and support are most important during difficult times, not just when everything is going well. However, the importance of family can also create tension and conflict. This is seen in the relationship between Walter and his sister, Beneatha, who have different ideas about how to achieve the American Dream. Beneatha is a college student who wants to become a doctor and is critical of Walter's desire to invest in the liquor store. In response to Walter's dreams, she says, "Just for the record, I think that some of the most backward and reactionary elements in our community are those who talk about 'guiding' and 'directing' a struggling people, and never themselves have had to struggle" (Act II, Scene 3). This quote reveals Beneatha's frustration with Walter's narrow-minded focus on money and her belief that the pursuit of the American Dream should be about more than just financial

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Most people who dream the American Dream, will dream of a life with a white picket fence, a happy family and a happy home. A Raisin in the Sun, a play written by Lorraine Hansberry in 1959 tells a story of one's man's American Dream of becoming weathy, so he can be happy. A second piece entitled "Narrative Life of Fredrick Douglas" discusses how Fredrick Douglass' American Dream about how he wants to have an education. Hansberry and Fredrick Douglass discussed the similar and differences and the idea of the American Dream.

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In Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, we see the story of a young man who believes having money is the key to happiness. In the story, Walter recieves a check and with it, his excitement grows. However, his mother and wife do not share the same passion he does. " WALTER: A job.

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I believe both pieces of literature portray this very special detail. Moral responsibility also plays a big role in each piece. In A Raisin in the Sun , Walter believes that it is his responsibility to ensure better opportunities and a better future for his future generations. He wants to own his liquor store so badly, he goes through extreme measures and ultimately ends up losing all the money given to him from his father’s death. Their new home is just the next best thing for him to hold on to.

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In the text “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, the author uses the writing strategy of conflict to develop the central idea of how oneself can become selfish when trying to achieve the American dream. The text shows that the central idea is selfishness because circumstances are presented where various characters fail to take into consideration others while seeking their dreams. For example, Walters says, “ Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? 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…. ’’. This example of greed shows that the ambition to obtain a dream brings out the selfishness is true in the instance of Walter.

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