American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Picture this: A husband and wife, two kids, a dog, and a nice house with a white picket fence. This was the cliche American dream. It is what most people think of when they think of the American Dream. The definition of American dream is the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every american. Well does it exist? If people work hard enough towards the dream yes, it does still exist. Moving on from the big picture, two contributions of the American dream are personal happiness and material comfort. For example, material comfort and personal happiness in A Raisin in the Sun is Mamas dream of her buying a nice house with a yard Travis could play in during the summertime also with a nice little garden for herself and money gets put away towards Beneathas school.(Hansberry 44) That is her dream that she will be able to achieve when the check arrives. But, she wants a nice house in a white neighborhood while she has a small apartments now. Mama wants a yard where Travis can play, not play with a rat in a concrete jungle. She also is going to pay for Beneathas medical schooling which she couldnt pay for before the check arrived. Another example of personal happiness and material comfort is in the article  ¨Dream Believer. ¨ Milt Campbell was the  ¨First African American to win Olympic decathlon... he had also been a noteworthy swimmer, professional football player, motivational speaker...and is known for positive attitude. Those wereShow MoreRelated The American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry1020 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Check coming today?† The Life Insurance check that Mama will soon be receiving is the source of all the dreams in the Younger family. A major argument that Lorraine Hansberry makes in her play A Raisin in the Sun is the importance of dreams. Dreams are what each member of the Younger family is driven by. Mama wants to have her own home in a nice part of town; she does n ot want her children growing up in a place with rats. Walter wants to have a successful business so he can surpass the povertyRead MoreChasing the American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry972 Words   |  4 Pages Chasing the American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun A Raisin in the Sun is a play about an African-American family living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. This family is going through many struggles, both within the family and financially. The family is awaiting an insurance check. The story focuses on the individual dreams of each family member and what they want to do with the money. The family struggles to mend their family issues along with deciding what they will do with the money.Read MoreEssay on Compare Contrast a Raisin in the Sun1026 Words   |  5 PagesCompare and Contrast A Raisin In The Sun Essay In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, and 1961 movie written by Lorraine Hansberry and presented by Columbia pictures, one of the most important themes is the American Dream. Many of the characters have hopes and dreams. They all strive towards their goals throughout. However, many of the characters have different dreams that clash with each other. Problems seem to arise when different people’s dreams conflict with one anotherRead MoreLorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun1260 Words   |  6 Pagesinevitable, people still dream of catching a mirage. There is a fine line that separates those who are oblivious to this fact, and to those who are aware and accept this knowledge. The people who are oblivious represent those who are ignorant of the fact that their dream will be deferred. This denial is the core of the concept used in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. The perception of the American Dream is one that is highly subjective, but every individual dream ends in its own defermentRead MoreThe Great Playwright s Life Story2415 Words   |  10 PagesBefore the relatively short life of Lorraine Hansberry tragically ended, the African-American playwright distinguished herself in American theatre and literature as she creatively and unknowingly challenged the views of African-American life, among other inescapable issues of the nation and the world, on the theatrical stage. The great playwright’s life story began on May 19, 1930. 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In this great American play written by Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun, Opportunity for the Younger family is being told without the death of a relative or family member, money will always be a complication when reaching for higher possibilities. As, said in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.† But if all menRead More Racism and the American Dream in Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun1340 Words   |  6 PagesA Raisin in the Sun is written by a famous African- American play write, Lorraine Hansberry, in 1959. It was a first play written by a black woman and directed by a black man, Lloyd Richards, on Broadway in New York. The story of A Raisin in the Sun is based on Lorraine Hansberry’s own early life experiences, from which she and her whole family had to suffer, in Chica go. Hansberry’s father, Carol Hansberry, also fought a legal battle against a racial restrictive covenant that attempted to stop African-Read MoreRacial Segregation, By Lorraine Hansberry1248 Words   |  5 Pagesbut dreams – but He did give us children to make the dreams seem worthwhile,† once stated by Lorraine Hansberry. Racial segregation has been a huge topic in our society. Believe it or not, just a few decades ago African American people did not have the basic equality rights that white citizens were given. Something as simple as having a dream to become an author seemed out of reach; even impossible some might have said. Living in this kind of a world was unfortunately a reality for Lorraine HansberryRead MoreLorraine Hansberry1192 Words   |  5 PagesLorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun The characters in Lorraine Hansberrys play are very significant in understanding the play. The characters are examples of they way Lorraine lived day by day her live when she was a kid. The success of the play was brought out by the characters and her way of keeping our interest with each one of them. They characters are very critical in understanding the play. There were four main characters that made the play a sellout, Lena, Ruth, Beneatha and Walter