A Raisin In The Sun Deferred Dream Analysis

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. In order to keep her family together she decides to give up on her dreams so that her children

Although Beneatha is determined to achieve her dreams, she also realizes that because of; the color of her skin, her sex, and her financial difficulties becoming a doctor will take her longer than expected. Walter has dreams of becoming a business owner, making a lot of money, and being able to provide for his family, giving them the life they deserve. Given Walters lack of funds to start his business, his dream of becoming a business owner seems to be further away than he had hoped. Ruth (Walter’s wife) in turn has dreams similar to Mama, although she rarely speaks of them. Ruth dreams are of living a better life, moving to a better neighborhood, and having the finances needed to provide for her growing family. Given the time period Ruth lives in, the odds of her achieving her goals are slim to none. Ruth is expected to do house duties and be the best mother/wife she can, not chase her

When Beneatha decides to channel her African roots she is seen by her family and friends as comical. Although Beneatha is portrayed as a controversial women, she has some of the same tendencies of an American Women. Culturally Beneatha had become Americanized because of her lack of knowledge of her African culture. Her family being born and raised in America became victims of assimilation, adapting to a culture taught to them for generations. Beneatha dressed like an American, wore her hair like an American, and even spoke like an American. Because of the way she was raised she believed the American culture was of her background until she met Asagai. Asagai was a young man who attended Beneatha’s college and was born and raised in Africa. Shortly after Asagai and Beneatha met he began to teach her about her African culture. He didn’t sit her down and give her a history lesson but he pointed out her African traits that she had Americanized. Such as her hair, her wardrobe, and her way of thinking. As a result of Asagai’s teachings Beneatha no longer looked like a traditional American women, she began to take on her African culture. With her family and friends conformed to the American culture, they ridiculed her new look, believing it was a phase she was going threw just to impress a