Born in 1930 was the talented writer named Lorraine Hansberry. She came from a wealthy African American family, although despite their wealth, Hansberry and her family still experienced discrimination in schools and her neighborhood. After she attended University of Madison in Wisconsin, she moved to Harlem where she soon became friends with Langston Hughes, the writer of Dream Deferred. Hughes was one of the most talented poets from the Harlem Renaissance. In 1958, Hansberry wrote the play Raisin in the Sun which was meant to present the answer to what happens when a dream is deferred. In her play Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry uses Benetha, Walter, and Mama to show the negative consequences that occur when a dream is deferred.
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Walter is the son of Big Walter and Mama, brother to Benetha, husband to Ruth and Father to Travis. Walter wants to own a liquor store and to be the breadwinner of the family. Walter’s plan with his friends Bobo and Willy does not go as planned and Willy ends up taking all of the money and disappearing. Walter decides that he will Mr. Linder’s offer instead of moving into the house. Mr. Linder is part of the board in the neighborhood where the Younger family is supposed to move. Linder gave them two offers: to either move in and live where people do not like their kind of people or two take double the money and live somewhere else. Walter says, “don’t cry man. Understand. That white man is going to walk in that door able to write checks for more money that we ever had.” (Hansberry 143) The quote shows that Walter has given up and is willing to the the white man’s bribe to not move in. This is similar to how Judas took blood money to kill Jesus. His father’s life insurance money being taken away causes Walter to be at one of his lows, he is broken. Hughes asks, “Maybe it just sags/like a heavy load.” (Hughes 9-10) This line is asking if your dream gets deferred does it crush you? It causes you to be broken, it breaks you. Walter rather side with the white man and take the money than continue to overcome and try again with his family. Walter siding with Linder shows …show more content…
Mama runs the household, her children are Walter and Benetha, daughter-in-law is Ruth and her grandchild is Travis. Mama’s dream was to own a house with her late husband Big Walter and to have a garden. At first Mama’s dream is deferred due to her husband dying. Although, when she gets his life insurance check, Mama think she will be able to achieve her dream, she buys a house. Reluctantly, Mama gives the rest of the money to Walter hoping that he will be responsible with it. When Walter loses the rest of the money to Willy, Mama realizes her dream may not become a reality. Mama says, “I seen him grow old before he was forty...working and working... killing himself...and you-gave it all away in a day.” (Hansberry 129) This shows that Mama is furious that despite her putting her faith in Walter to take care of the money, he gave it away to be put forth into a skeem. After this, Mama knows that she will never be able to get the house and garden she wanted for her family. The check that Mama had after Big Walter died was all the money his life was worth, when she holds that check in her hands, it is Big Walter. Hughes asks, “Does it stink like rotten meat?/Or crust and sugar - like a syrupy sweet?” (Hughes 6-8) This line is asking dopes your deferred dream haunt you? In Mama’s case it does, that check that is extremely important to the whole Younger family is Big Walter’s
Walter is the son of Big Walter and Mama, brother to Benetha, husband to Ruth and Father to Travis. Walter wants to own a liquor store and to be the breadwinner of the family. Walter’s plan with his friends Bobo and Willy does not go as planned and Willy ends up taking all of the money and disappearing. Walter decides that he will Mr. Linder’s offer instead of moving into the house. Mr. Linder is part of the board in the neighborhood where the Younger family is supposed to move. Linder gave them two offers: to either move in and live where people do not like their kind of people or two take double the money and live somewhere else. Walter says, “don’t cry man. Understand. That white man is going to walk in that door able to write checks for more money that we ever had.” (Hansberry 143) The quote shows that Walter has given up and is willing to the the white man’s bribe to not move in. This is similar to how Judas took blood money to kill Jesus. His father’s life insurance money being taken away causes Walter to be at one of his lows, he is broken. Hughes asks, “Maybe it just sags/like a heavy load.” (Hughes 9-10) This line is asking if your dream gets deferred does it crush you? It causes you to be broken, it breaks you. Walter rather side with the white man and take the money than continue to overcome and try again with his family. Walter siding with Linder shows …show more content…
Mama runs the household, her children are Walter and Benetha, daughter-in-law is Ruth and her grandchild is Travis. Mama’s dream was to own a house with her late husband Big Walter and to have a garden. At first Mama’s dream is deferred due to her husband dying. Although, when she gets his life insurance check, Mama think she will be able to achieve her dream, she buys a house. Reluctantly, Mama gives the rest of the money to Walter hoping that he will be responsible with it. When Walter loses the rest of the money to Willy, Mama realizes her dream may not become a reality. Mama says, “I seen him grow old before he was forty...working and working... killing himself...and you-gave it all away in a day.” (Hansberry 129) This shows that Mama is furious that despite her putting her faith in Walter to take care of the money, he gave it away to be put forth into a skeem. After this, Mama knows that she will never be able to get the house and garden she wanted for her family. The check that Mama had after Big Walter died was all the money his life was worth, when she holds that check in her hands, it is Big Walter. Hughes asks, “Does it stink like rotten meat?/Or crust and sugar - like a syrupy sweet?” (Hughes 6-8) This line is asking dopes your deferred dream haunt you? In Mama’s case it does, that check that is extremely important to the whole Younger family is Big Walter’s