Chasing the American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun by...

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. This play shows a family trying to achieve the American dream. Although the American dream has changed slightly since this time period, readers can relate to the familys dreams and aspirations. Lena Younger is referred to as Mama throughout the†¦show more content†¦This event took place four years prior to the setting of A Raisin in The Sun. This event along with many others, helped shape the setting and mood of this story. This family is struggling to live in a world that until very recently was not at all accepting of African Americans. The majority of whites still had negative attitudes towards African-Americans. This is shown when Mama buys the family a house in an all white neighborhood. The neighbors would rather bribe the Younger family into living elsewhere, instead of accepting the fact that times were changing. In the play, the Younger family stands their ground and move into the neighborhood. Although this is a new beginning and will provide a plethora of opportunities for the family, they will have to overcome the racism and segregation the neighbors put upon them. Another example of how the Younger family is chasing the American dream is Beneatha going to school to become a doctor. In this time period, it was uncommon for women to aspire to be in such a prestigious career, especially African-American women. Without the actions African-American’s took before her, Beneatha would have never been able to have this dream. Beneatha shows that with hard work and dedication it is possible to break out of social stereotypes and prove her worth. Since the 1950’s America has come a very long way with equality. America is a melting pot of many different races, cultures, and religions. This is what makes America uniqueShow MoreRelatedLorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun1260 Words   |  6 PagesThe chasing of a mirage is a futile quest where an individual chases an imaginary image that he or she wants to capture. The goal of this impossible quest is in sight, but it is unattainable. Even with the knowledge that failure is inevitable, peo ple 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. 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A Raisin in the Sun, a play by Lorraine Hansberry, is a commentary on life and our struggle to comprehend and control it. The last scene in the play between Asagai and Beneatha contrasts two contemporary views on why we keep on trying to change the future, and reaches the conclusion that, far from being aRead MoreThe Strength of Family in Death of a Salesman and A Raisin in the Sun1198 Words   |  5 PagesThe American Dream is a vision of economic opportunity available to all those who work for it, regardless of race or class. However, as seen in Arthur Miller’s â€Å"Death of a Salesman† and Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, perverted conceptions of the American Dream convince certain characters that they are entitled to the fruits of miracles. 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Hansberry expresses her different views on the American Dream through the characters and she portrays the daily struggles of a 1950 black family throughout A Raisin in the Sun. In this play, she is able to effectively show the big impact that even smal l decisions can make on a family. Hansberry shows the many different attachments that come with the fulfillment of this American DreamRead MoreA Raisin In The Minds, And Innocent Is Irrelevant1015 Words   |  5 Pagesland their dream job. However, the only thing standing in the way from pursuing that desireable dream is the government who defines the color of your skin. Unfortunately, people of all skin colors get denied the right to pursue a happiness that they desired base on their skin color rather than their personalities. The Declaration of Independence tells us that the we should be able to have the right to pursue happiness including chasing a dream that was once an aspiration. In reality, American governmentRead MoreThe Pursuit of a Dream in A Raisin in the Sun, The Achievement of Desire and Fences1340 Words   |  6 PagesSelfish Dream Everyone has their dreams and whoever puts all his or her efforts and determination to pursuit that goal is the one who will succeed. However, there are dreamers who have misconceptions about the art of dreaming. In three pieces of literature I have encountered: â€Å"The Achievement of Desire† by Richard Rodriguez, â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry and â€Å"Fences† by August Wilson, its characters fight for their dreams regardless obstacles in their life. Nevertheless, when manyRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 1343 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† is play written by Lorraine Hansberry about a struggling African American family. Set in the nineteen-fifties, the play explores the dynamics of how the family operates in a time era Chicago that challenges the family with poor economic status and racial prejudice. Hansberry uses dreams as one of her main themes in this play. Three of the character s, Walter, Beneatha, and Mama, all have a similar goal in their respective dreams, to improve the life of the whole family, butRead MoreLorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun1850 Words   |  8 PagesIn Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† (1959), she reveals the life of the Youngers family. In doing so, there surfaces a detrimental ideology that destroys the family financially and in their overall happiness. In Act II Scene I, Walter, the father figure of the family, says, â€Å"Why? You want to know why? Cause we all tied up in a race of people that don t know how to do nothing but moan, pray and have babies!† (Hansberry 532). By way of explanation, the family and much of the African-American