Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

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Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

A dream deferred is a dream put off to another time, much like this essay. But unlike dreams sometimes, this essay will get fulfilled and done with. Each character from A Raisin in the Sun had a deferred dream, even little Travis although his dream was not directly stated.

Their dreams become dried up like a raisin in the sun. Not just dreams are dried up though; Walter Lee and Ruth’s marriage became dried up also. Their marriage was no longer of much importance, like a dream it was post-poned and it became dry. Their struggle for happiness dried up because they had to concentrate all of their energies on surviving. Their needs seem no longer to be satisfied by each other. But they both saw a resolution in the insurance check arriving in the mail. The money would let Ruth fulfill her dream of owning her own house and leaving the apartment. Walter would use the money towards his dream of owning a business and not having to work for someone. This would allow him to provide for his family. Emotionally, the stress from not having their dreams realized has left them despising each other.

Their sadness at unfulfilled dreams overlain with the burden of Ruth's pregnancy gets out of hand when Walter says, "Who even cares about you?" The two of them realize at that time that their relationship has dwindled to nothing but nagging and rude comments. Walter may be sorry for having said that to his wife, because he probably loves her, but he is at the end of his rope. He feels that every dream he has had has been taken away from him, either by bad timing or by the white man in general. Ruth, on the other hand, has never had any other dream except to keep her family together and in working order, and now that is falling apart.

Willy Harris was what festered like a sore and then ran away. He annoyed Walter Lee for money, causing Walter Lee to do the same but to his family. Mama was tired of listening about Walter Lee wanting to invest in a liquor store. Walter Lee's dream to own the liquor store and be his own boss caused his family much pain. A major reason being he lost all of their money in the investment. But because his family never listened to him about his dream, he would go out and drink. When Walter Lee came home drunk, most of what he had bottled up inside would lash out in a much more violent or ...

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...have some money. The Younger’s were well aware that they were not wanted in the white neighborhood. At this point, there is a feeling of dislike towards Walter because he had blown off all the money. So what was expected was the he would continue worrying about money and sell their dream house. But instead he does an unexpected, honorable thing. He surprises the family by changing his mind and deciding to move into the house. I was also moved by what Mama said. “Son—I come from five generations of people who was slaves and sharecroppers—but ain’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay ‘em no money that was a way of telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the earth. We ain’t never been that poor. We ain’t never been that—dead inside.” Walter finally showed pride in his family and let go of his dream for the good of his family.

The play shows how a family had to overcome and learn life’s lessons the hard way. Through Walter, the play showed that sometimes dreams have to be let go and through Mama itshowed that sometimes dreams have to be held on to. Through Beneatha, it was shown that things aren’t always how they seem. The family was able to overcome a major obstacle once they united.

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