ipl-logo

The Raisin In The Sun American Dream Analysis

452 Words2 Pages

Dreams make the world go round, and add a sense of ambition and diversity. People have dreams to show their beliefs, and eventually be successful. This dream in particular, The American Dream, is the idea that anyone regardless of social status, race, or religion can have a chance to create a better life through hard work and determination. In the play “The Raisin in the sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, Walters dream is to have his own Liquor store, to make more money to support his family, and gain the independence, freedom, and happiness that describe the American dream. Part of the American Dream is that anyone can have their own property, or business, and be independent. This connects to Walter because he wants to have his own Liquor store, …show more content…

Walter wants to be free and be able to support his family, himself. “This morning I was looking in the mirror and thinking about it… I'm thirty five years old; I been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the living room, and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live(Hansberry 16). Walter wants to make a better life for his son, and the freedom to be able to do that, since he is a black man. Another part of the American Dream that Walter wants is happiness. Walter wants to be happy and his family to be happy for him. “That is just what is wrong with the black woman in this world… Don't understand about building their men up and making them feel like they somebody, like they can do something” (Hansberry 16). Walter feels that his wife doesn't support him, and doesn't want him to be happy because she is not on board with his dream to own a liquor store. Walter is a good example of the American Dream because he works hard, and strives to try to accomplish his dream. Even though he doesn't actually accomplish his goals, through no fault of his own, he still puts an effort in. The American Dream is valuable because everyone wants to be better than the next one, and the American Dream definition in one word would be success, which is valuable. Walter shows that dreams could come true but there will always be bumps in the

Show More
Related
558 Words | 3 Pages

It is the matter of common knowledge that the American Dream is a conception referring to a desire of having a social regulation in which every male and female individual is capable of reaching the fullest importance that is normally unattainable, and be distinguished by the community for their true substance, despite the fortunate conditions of the status. Moreover, this idea denies any limits or boundaries and provides equal opportunities for people of any age, gender, or race. “The Great Gatsby” and “Bodega Dreams” feature characters that most clearly represent a desire or indifference to join such a society. After all, the American dream is not different for a person of color in “Bodega Dreams” and “The Great Gatsby” because both characters view it as money, love, having a knowing name as well as being successful. There is no reason for the dream to be divergent for a person of another race.

Read More
778 Words | 4 Pages

(Hansberry 495). Some argue that his attitude isn’t solely because he’s choosing to be pessimistic, perhaps he is also tired of living the life he’s living. Walter works as a chauffeur for a rich white man and feels that

Read More
714 Words | 3 Pages

By comparison, they will do anything to be able to fulfill their American Dream. Without a doubt, Walter would give up anything for wealth, since money runs the world. While Walter was having a conversation with his mother she says, “So now its life. Money. Money is life.

Read More
811 Words | 4 Pages

In the text “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, the author uses the writing strategy of conflict to develop the central idea of how oneself can become selfish when trying to achieve the American dream. The text shows that the central idea is selfishness because circumstances are presented where various characters fail to take into consideration others while seeking their dreams. For example, Walters says, “ Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ’bout messing round with sick people, then go be a nurse like other women-or just get married and be quiet…. ’’. This example of greed shows that the ambition to obtain a dream brings out the selfishness is true in the instance of Walter.

Read More
600 Words | 3 Pages

He wants to be a businessman and own a liquor store. He wants to be able to provide for his family and give them what they have never had. Walter also wants to take his mother’s position as the head of the house and make the financial decisions for the family. Walter can be seen as selfish as instead of putting the money for him and his sister in the bank he uses it all and loses it trying to fulfill his own dreams with no regard to his sister’s dreams or the rest of the family’s.

Read More
1414 Words | 6 Pages

He believes he is “..see[ing] life like it is” (141) in order to rightfully take his place as the head of the family by making this decision for them, regardless of the hope this house brought them all. The rest of the Younger family is disconcerted by this new business deal, and asks Walter if this is what he truly wants and believes is right, to which he responds that he’s “Going to feel fine…[like] a man…” (144). Due to internally knowing he still had prove himself but not physically doing so, Walter’s delicate, false pride in being a man doesn’t allow him to consider how his actions affect

Read More
909 Words | 4 Pages

What exactly is the “American Dream?” Allow me to enlighten you. The American Dream is the underlying idea that anyone in America can fulfill through the requirement of hard work and can attain the accomplishment of contentment and success. It has been developed throughout the years and now embodies the objective of acquiring wealth and power. However, during the 1920s the American Dream became more and more about materialism within the possession and how it would be used to show one's social status and level of wealth.

Read More
866 Words | 4 Pages

(...) A man needs for a woman to back him up…” This shows that Walter feels that it’s his full responsibility to provide for his family and give them the money without being the “man” (head) of the family and make decisions about the money or take it and achieve his dream which collapsed in the end after the money was stolen by his best friend Willy Harris. Walter Lee wanted to achieve his dream by buying the liquor store with his family insurance money and prove that he is a man to his family after

Read More
613 Words | 3 Pages

He wants a liquor store because he wants to have more money for his family. Walter is talking to his wife about wanting to own a liquor store “I got me a dream,” (Hansberry 1. 1). And Walter continues by saying “I got to change my life, I'm choking to death baby!” (Hansberry 1. 1). Walter is saying this as he argues with his wife because he wants her to understand why he wants to own a liquor store.

Read More
907 Words | 4 Pages

thinking his mom didn’t trust him before she had said she trusted him and thinking that his mama didn’t want him to have any of the money. Another line Walter relates to in the poem “Harlem” is the line that says “What happens to a dream

Read More
699 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More
1127 Words | 5 Pages

Walter dealt with a hardship in his live as well. Walter was faced with racial discrimination. He wanted to have money to be able to to what he wants, follow his dreams. The only problem is that he didn 't have a high paying job. Your probably thinking to yourself why doesn 't he just get another job.

Read More
1123 Words | 5 Pages

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-

Read More
466 Words | 2 Pages

In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, by Loraine Hansberry, both Walter and Mama have great dreams and encounter barriers on the path to achieving their dreams. Walter dreams of owning a liquor store and being able to better provide for his family, a dream that changes when he faces the barrier of his money being stolen by Willy Harris. Mama dreams of living in a real house with a garden and also encounters barrier of her money being stolen by Willy Harris. Walter dreams of owning a liquor store and being able to financially support his family. Walter’s dream is shown in act 1, scene 1 when he explains to Ruth how the liquor store he and his friends are buying will help their family have enough money to do more than just make ends meet (32,33).

Read More
779 Words | 4 Pages

Walter’s statement tries to tell the women that he didn’t try to make the world the way it is now. Yes, he wants luxurious items for him and his wife. However, even though he seriously messed up, he’s still the man in the family and will continue to make the decisions for the

Read More

More about The Raisin In The Sun American Dream Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document