An Analysis Of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

In the poem “Harlem,” Langston Hughes asks, “What happens to a dream deferred?” (Hughes 1). Mr. Hughes question is answered by the play Raisin in the Sun. The play follows the Younger family as they attempt to achieve their dreams. Hansberry uses Mama, Walter, and Beneatha the show the negative consequences that occur when your dreams are deferred.

First, Hansberry uses Mama to show the negative outcome when Mama 's dream of getting a house was cast aside. Mama 's dream was to move out of her tired old apartment of about 45 years into a better neighborhood. Hansberry uses the line “ Or does it explode?” (Hughes 11). Over the course of the play Mama grows extremely frustrated about the family 's living situation. Near the end of the play when Walter gives away all of the money from his father 's life insurance, Mama burst with emotions she has bottled up for years. When this happens Mama hysterically rants at Walter.
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Finally, Hansberry used Langston Hughes line “Does it dry up/ like a Raisin in the Sun” (Hughes 2-3) in correlation with her character Beneatha. Nebraska’s dream was to be a doctor, but she was robbed of the chance to achieve her dream when her brother Walter gave away their fathers check. After that Beneatha’s hope and faith not only in herself, but in humanity also wilted. Beneatha now has a different outlook on how humans live their life. She now thinks all humans are selfish. Hansberry shows that in Beneatha’s conversation with Asagai. Asagai: Asagai, while I was sleeping in that bed there, people went out and took the future right out of my hands! And nobody asked me, nobody consulted me- they just went out and changed my life.” (Hansberry 134). This leads Beneatha to think, that life is a dark circle where humans walk in circles chasing a dream that they never accomplish, never making any real progress. Hansberry shows that people aren 't always in control of their dreams and at any moment a dream can be desiccated with or