A Raisin In The Sun: Poem Analysis

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A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a realistic fictional drama in which the play’s title and character’s actions reflect the play’s theme. The play focused on Black American struggles to reach the American Dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness during the 1950’s and the 1960’s. The idea of everyone having the chance to achieve a better life should exist for all. Hansberry created her title using a line from Langston Hughes’ poem “A Dream Deferred”. The original poem was written in 1951 about Harlem. Hughes’ line from the poem claimed that when dreams are deferred they dry up like A Raisin in the Sun. This meant that they disappeared or vanished. Hughes’ poem further suggested that when dreams and goals are denied to …show more content…
Lena’s American Dream was to buy a nice big house so that Travis can play on the lawn and her family could be happy. She was going to do that by taking some of the insurance money and making a down payment on a new house that is in a white neighborhood. Her dream was deferred because of Karl Linder that represented the Clybourne Park Improvement Association, and they didn't want the Youngers moving into their neighborhood. Linder makes a comment that, “Our association is prepared, through the collective effort of our people, to buy the house from you at a financial gain for your family” (118). Linder tells the Youngers that his community doesn't want any African Americans. That the community will pay the family to not move into their community because of their race. That deferred Lena's dream and the Youngers were angry. Lena’s American Dream of having her own garden, was also deferred because of society separating African Americans and whites. Then surely Lena Said, “Them houses they put up for colored in them areas way out all seem to cost twice as much as other houses. I did the best I could”(93). Lena explained that it was difficult to find a nice cheap house because of the racist laws. Lena was telling Ruth that the houses were double the regular cost. With that it made it harder for African Americans to move out of the ghetto. …show more content…
Walter Younger was a real example of Black American’s struggle to reach the American Dream when he tried to get out of his dead end low paying, job and it was deferred because at the moment Walter didn’t have the money. The money got robbed and he couldn’t pay for ownership of the liquor store. He tried but he failed. Beneatha Younger was a real example of Black American’s struggle to reach the American Dream when she was going to school and trying to get her doctorate’s degree, because she was going to become into a doctor and save her race from ignorance. Then she changed her mind and gave up on that dream. She lost her faith in the human race. She didn’t have any motivation and she changed. Lena Younger was a real example of Black American’s struggles to reach the American dream when she made a down payment on a new and big house, because she wanted Travis to play on a lawn and her family could be happy. It was deferred because of Karl Linder who was trying to convince her to not move into his white neighborhood. Karl was being racist and was afraid of an African American in his community, so was his community as a whole. All three characters showed the insight of how it is difficult for African Americans to achieve the American Dream. So what? Why does it even matter, all of it? It is

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