Similarities Between A Raisin In The Sun And Their Eyes Were Watching God

Both Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God critique the idea of the American Dream by. Within these literary works the normative hierarchy found in a family makes it exceedingly difficult for two parties to coexist and both reach their separate interpretations of the American Dream, one side is commonly oppressed in order for the other to achieve their dream, and this can be seen through relationships observed in both readings. While both parties are striving towards their ideas of the American Dream, the gender based power struggle that occurs between the two parties constantly forces one side into a subservient role that has to conform to the others ideas. The social spheres highlighted in A Raisin in the Sun and Their Eyes were Watching God critique the American Dream by showcasing that relationships hinder people from freely acquiring their American Dream due to responsibilities …show more content…
With this division, two separate spheres were created- the public sphere of the man and the private sphere of the woman. The men were considered the “breadwinners” and the women were expected to both take care of the house and to assist men. By placing women into the private sphere, it takes them away from all responsibilities outside of the family. Myra Marx Ferree agrees with this idea in her article “Beyond Separate Spheres: Feminism and Family Research” when she says, “…much conventional research on families treats (women) as more or less closed units that can be understood in isolation from other social institutions” (Ferree, 866). With the division between the two spheres, one sees a strain on relationships because the political or economical goals of a male will not always align with the goals of women, who are more focused on the