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Raisin In The Sun American Dreams

654 Words3 Pages

A Raisin in the Sun, a play by Lorraine Hansberry is about a black family in 1959 Chicago, is all about aspirations. It focuses on the American Dreams that people have in their life. In this story, it focuses on the different dreams of each member of the Younger family as they discuss what they can do with a $10,000 life insurance payment. This story is based on the idea that anyone can do well for themselves if they work hard and actually try to strive for the goal. The American Dream differs for each member of the Younger family because each one has different dreams forged from their life experiences. By the end of the play, all three characters see the American Dream as keeping the family together and having the self-respect to stand up …show more content…

Racial prejudices against blacks in that era and a low income are the root of conflict in the family. The family worries about Mama's decision to move the location of their new home. The family has hesitations about moving to an all-white neighborhood, allowing the separation between the two races to persist. Karl Lindner overtly states the racism present within the area. He says that the Youngers that they are not wanted in the white neighborhood because of the color of their skin. Mr. Lindner a man from the neighborhood comes to the Younger house trying to convince them to not destroy the white community, telling them it’s not a place for a family of their color and he tries to offer them money. The family, mainly Walter, thought it was a good idea to take the money and use it for bigger and better things. But after they thought long and hard, they all realized this is not what will make them happy. Money is the root of all evil, and those taking the money would only satisfy them for a short amount of time. The family being together is what they realized they all wanted in the dream, especially if they wanted to live the American Dream. In the story, the family basically lost everything but each other. They ended up moving into the house, because it was what was best for them. This act of standing by your family to achieve the American dream of succeeding no matter who you are and where you come from

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Most people who dream the American Dream, will dream of a life with a white picket fence, a happy family and a happy home. A Raisin in the Sun, a play written by Lorraine Hansberry in 1959 tells a story of one's man's American Dream of becoming weathy, so he can be happy. A second piece entitled "Narrative Life of Fredrick Douglas" discusses how Fredrick Douglass' American Dream about how he wants to have an education. Hansberry and Fredrick Douglass discussed the similar and differences and the idea of the American Dream.

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The American Dream is built on the ideal that any citizen of the United States can achieve wealth and success through hard work and perseverance. In the beginning of the novel, Mr. Clutter is characterized as a man who was “always certain of what he wanted from the world” and “had in large measure obtained it” (Capote 6). Due to the fact that he has succeeded in becoming prosperous, he is portrayed as the embodiment of the American Dream itself. The murder of his family had shattered the town’s perspective of the American Dream, as they are forced to face the reality of fate.

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They work hard against many obstacles to try to obtain the so called "American Dream", but it isn’t enough. In the end, America isn’t what they had hoped for as they feel cheated. Internal

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This shows that he thinks of himself and his white neighbors as separate from the Younger’s and shows racism, which will affect the family if they move. At this moment, everything about them moving to Clybourne Park is given a negative point of view from both Mr. Lindner and Mrs. Johnson; leaving the family in a ponder. Following this, their final aspiration to what they were lastly holding onto is blown when Bobo tells the family that their entire savings is gone and Willy Harris has stolen it. The family is left in a state of weakness and deficiency; the family is devastated and starts to fall apart. When the family start to fall apart, Mama will still be the one to pull everyone back together because she is the backbone of the family.

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The title of the play “A Raisin in the Sun” comes from the poem “Harlem” written by Langston Hughes. The poem is asking what happen to dreams that are not accomplished, What happens to a dream deferred?/ Does it dry up/ Like a raisin in the sun (Hughes) in the play many character have unaccomplished or deferred dreams. Mama dreams is moving her family out of their small apartment and into a house in a nice area with a yard for Travis and a garden for herself. She has had this dream for a long time but has never been able to accomplish it financially. After the death of her husband, the family receives a $10,000 life insurance check this money gives mama of the opportunity to buy the house she has always dreamed for her family.

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Historical Analysis: A Raisin in the Sun is a play about the author’s life. The segregation life and the event of moving into a white neighborhood are events from the life of Lorraine Hansberry, the author. The events that occurred in the play along with real life events relate to the Civil Rights Movement and feminist topics. Lorraine Hansberry moved into an all white neighborhood just like the Younger family moved into Clybourne Park. The author did not modify the major events of her own life but rather added a series of complications and details to fit the play such as the event of Walter losing the investment money.

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As well as using words that have meaning beyond their name. A summary of the story, A raisin in the Sun, is a story written about a family known as the Youngers. This family of five lives in a small apartment on the south side of Chicago. In the story, its described as “a

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In A Raisin in the Sun, a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, the audience was able to obtain a sense of the struggle for the American dream. We are introduced to the Youngerś a black family living in the Southside of Chicago around the 1950’s. Each member of this family has their own meaning to what is the American dream. A Raisin in the Sun teaches us that even though life might be full of conflicts, it is important to not give up on our dreams.

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Walter further shows his false pride when he flaunts his newfound sense of power when Mr.Lindner, one of the Younger’s soon-to-be neighbors, offers him an unjust deal. Now that Walter has control over the family 's money, he considers himself the head of the family and decision maker; this plays an important role towards how Walter treats others now that he holds himself to a higher standard. This theme applies to Walter when the chairman of the “welcoming committee” (115) named Mr.Lindner pays a visit to the family a couple weeks before they 're supposed to move into their new home in Clybourne Park. During this visit, Mr.Lindner makes the offer of the Clybourne Park community “buy[ing] the house from [them] at a financial gain to [the] family” (118). Mr.Lindner’s offer represents the racial oppression and how the white community looks down upon and doesn’t want African american people dirtying their communities.

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In his poem, he asked the question “What happens to a dream deferred?” Raisin in the Sun is an answer to his question. In her play, Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry uses Walter, Mama, and Beneatha to show the negative consequences that occur when you put off your dream. To begin, Lorraine Hansberry uses Walter to show the negative consequences that occur with putting off your dream. Walter Younger is a racist, sexist, selfish, dissatisfied man in his thirties who lives in a small two-bedroom apartment with the rest of his family.

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Reader Response: 3 “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, is a play about a black families experience in 1950s South Side Chicago. The story revolves around what happens to the family when Lena Younger, the matriarch of the family, receives a ten thousand dollar life insurance check upon the death of her husband. Everyone from the family has different plans for what they want to do with the money. Lena Younger serves as the head of the family. She is Walter and Beneatha’s caring mother so they and Ruth call her Mama.

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791 Words | 4 Pages

The Younger family, is a family who are honest and who also work hard for what they want, just because they are black, does not mean that they don 't deserve to live in a better neighbourhood. However, racism also impacted the Younger family beneficially in the way Walter rejected Linders’s offer at the end of the play. The example of racism gives Walter the opportunity to become the man he always wanter to

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It was harder for the Young family to do simple things, but they overcome their obstacles and stayed true to themselves throughout the

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The Younger family purchases a house in Clybourne Park and Karl tries to pay them over ten-thousand-dollars so that they would not move there. He feels as if it would be a threat for colored people to move into white neighborhood. Walter is in conflict with Karl. When Karl comes into the Youngers family house and starts to talk about the community not wanting colored people to live there, Walter kicks Karl out of the house because he feels that Karl is talking about nonsense.

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Overall, this story shows that even if you have money and success you may not necessarily have everything you need to have your American dream because everyone needs human interaction and love to be happy. In comparison, in The Boys’ Ambition, success seems like the only important thing in obtaining the American dream and that happiness doesn’t really play a role (Twain

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