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Comparing Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun And I Have A Dream

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The original poem "Harlem (Dream Deferred)" had a significant impact on both Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream." The narrator of "Harlem (Dream Deferred)" questions what happens when dreams are postponed. Both Lorraine Hansberry and Martin Luther King Jr. studied the effects of a society where everyone is unable to pursue their ambitions. Both works of literature highlight the difficulties faced by African Americans in realizing the American Dream by significantly referencing the themes and imagery found in "Harlem (Dream Deferred)". King's speech and Hughes' poem both examine the concept of stalled ambitions and the effects of a society that does not permit everyone to realize their dreams. In his address, King used the analogy of a check that all Americans had received, but that only African Americans had received the full value of. “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds” (I Have a Dream). This passage demonstrates King's conviction that America has not yet upheld its promises of justice …show more content…

The "American Dream" is the notion that anybody may attain success and prosperity through hard work and effort, and Mama's desire in Hansberry's passage was to possess a home with a garden. “And maybe we could get a house with a yard where Travis could play in the summertime” (A Raisin in the Sun). This passage illustrates Mama's hope for a future in which her family owns a home. Similar to this, the speaker in Hughes' poem inquires as to what happens to a postponed dream. Following that, it says it will "fester like a sore/ And then run." Both pieces emphasize the value of having dreams and the terrible consequences of living in a society where not everyone is given the opportunity to realize

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