Lorraine Hansberry was an African-American play writer, and the first black female author to have a play performed on Broadway. Langston Hughes was an African-American poet. While Hansberry was spending time in Harlem, she met Hughes. His poem, Dream Deferred, inspired Lorraine Hansberry to write her play, Raisin in the Sun. Her play is a response to “What happens to a dream deferred?”(Hughes 1). Hansberry shows what it is like for a black family to live in poverty during the 1950s, and how when your dream is set aside, there are negative consequences that come with it. In her play, Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry uses Walter, Ruth, and Beneatha to show the negative consequences that occur when you put off your dream. First, Hansberry uses Walter to show the negative consequences that occur when you put off your dream. Walter Lee Younger is husband to Ruth, …show more content…
Ruth is wife to Walter, and Mother to Travis. Ruth is an emotionally strong woman, and takes care of the apartment. Living in a two bedroom apartment with five people, Ruth’s dream is to live in an actual home with her family. Finding out that she is pregnant, Ruth struggles with the fact that she might not be able to provide for the new baby she is about to bring into the world, and considers getting an abortion. Mama says to Walter, “Son- do you know your wife is expecting another baby? That's what she wanted to talk to you about… I think Ruth is thinking ‘bout getting rid of that child” (Hansberry 74-75). This shows how because Ruth’s dream is set aside, she is worn down, and has to accept the fact that she might not be able to provide for another baby. This connects to the line in Hughes’ poem “Maybe it just sags like a heavy load” (Hughes 9-10). Her dream being deferred crushes her into feeling like she can’t move. The fact that Ruth can’t provide for a new baby weighs heavily on her, impacting her