Examples Of Deferred Dreams In Harlem

What exactly happens when a dream is deferred? What are the long lasting effects if a dream is lost? In the poem, Harlem, by Langston Hughes, it questions lost dreams by asking, “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun, Or fester like a sore-- And then run?”. August Wilson explores the ideas of deferred dreams in his play, Fences, as characters experience setbacks in their life goals and must cope with loss. Wilson explores the common life experience of deferred dreams, that can be perpetuated within families of color, in his characters, Troy, Cory, and Rose.

Troy Maxon, a man who has let deferred dreams invade his family, is the primary character of Wilson’s novel. Troy grows up with an abusive father figure in the home causing him to provide

Throughout the story, Rose is portrayed as a motherly character who holds everyone together, but by taking a closer look, it is clear that she is also falling apart emotionally and mentally due to the family around her. Rose strives to create a happy, loving, and respectful atmosphere in her family, but fails when her husband, Troy, puts limitations on her and her family views. When Troy announces that he has impregnated another woman, things go downhill for Rose. Due to Troy’s actions, Rose’s dream of raising and supporting a loving, truthful, and sustainable family is deferred. She feels that she has stuck by Troy and tries her hardest to love him through the tough times in life, and he has thrown that all away by cheating on her. Rose expresses, “I been standing with you! I been right here with you, Troy. I got a life too. I gave eighteen years of my life to stand in the same spot with you. Don’t you think I ever wanted other things? Don’t you think I had dreams and hopes? What about my life? What about me.” (Wilson 70). Wilson explores the common stereotype of a stay at home mother through Rose. She has worked tirelessly, despite the setbacks she has experienced to build a strong family. When Troy decides to cheat on her, everything that she’s worked for and everything that she has taken time to do for him, is thrown away. Her dream is crushed and there is nothing for her to rebuild it with since Troy and Cory are her only close family. Wilson explores the ideas of how much women in the family setting must sacrifice their personal goals and wants, just to make sure that the children and husband thrive. When Troy brings his daughter home, even though it is a huge devastation to Rose, it additionally provides a new opportunity for her to raise another child and continue on her lost dream. She explains to Troy, “Okay, Troy…you're