The American Dream: A Raisin in the Sun
The American Dream is defined as the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination and initiative. However, in 1950s to the 1960s when the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry was written the American Dream was defined slightly different. Post World War II the idea of the American Dream was owning a home -in a decent neighborhood, starting your own business- becoming an entrepreneur, a good paying job- with longevity, and family planning- controlling the number of offspring (Hansberry, 1959). Although, one may believe in having only a few seem to obtain it. Statistics show in the earlier years a person was more likely to achieve the American Dream or at the least make more money than their parents. The main factor that matters when an individual or family’s progression in life and obtaining the American Dream depends upon their perspective- outlook on life you’re either a realist or idealist (Hansberry, p134).
To most achieving the American Dream is obtaining success and economic stability. To some obtaining the American Dream is making more money than their parents. According to David Leonhardts’ article “The American Dream, Quantified at Last”, New York Times (8 Dec. 2016) provides statistics that show 50 to 60 years ago an individual was able to drastically exceed the amount of money their parents earned. Thanks to rapid, widely shared