Comparing The American Dream In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

The American Dream is the idea that Americans can work really hard to achieve their values and goals and eventually become very satisfied with their financial and social situations. Blacks’ desire to achieve the American Dream started when they migrated up North, leaving behind their plantation fields in the South. These were the first acts of Black Power, or self-determination. But when Blacks attempted to achieve the American Dream, they were often pushed back by White supremacy, stereotyping, and greed, forces that constantly stood in the way of Blacks ever reaching their full potential. This is seen through the play, A Raisin in the Sun, where the Younger family is not welcomed into a White neighborhood and when Walter Younger loses the family’s insurance money. The idea is also seen in the story, The Street, where the Johnson family is also not welcomed into a Black neighborhood and when Lutie Johnson struggles to achieve her dream as a singer. Both families from separate sides of America struggle to attain the American Dream, which is a

The Younger family is a low-middle class family who has money and support to help them move forward. With all of the working adults in the family, they all prepare to move into their dream home in Clybourne Park until Walter makes a startling speech to Mr. Lindner, which shocked the family. Walter telling Mr. Lindner that they are moving symbolizes freedom because they are acknowledging their right to choose a home at an all-White neighborhood, despite the issue of racism. “Brick by brick” is a metaphor used by Walter which represents hard work and the building foundation of their new home. In relation to Blacks’ labor and structural quality, Walter’s deceased father, Big Walter, helped build the family’s dream home which compensated for Big Walter’s service as a slave to the Whites for many