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Essay raisin in the sun symbolism
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Noah Martin
ENG 112L
MWF 8-8:50
April 21, 2014
Younger Dreams
Like the Youngers do in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, living in Chicago during the 1950s was tough for an African-American family. In this play, Hansberry presents a story which demonstrates the effects of putting off one's dreams. Throughout this drama, the Younger family tackles trial after tribulation while they struggle to realize their aspirations. In the concluding segment of the story, while many of the characters’ dreams do not come true, some simply do. The poem “Harlem,” by Langston Hughes, embodies this concept of dreams and aspirations. It is apparent that Hansberry used Hughes’ poem as a direct source of inspiration, seeing as she named her story after the line "What happens to a dream deferred, does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" (Meyer 1730). A Raisin in the Sun is an appropriate title because it figuratively relates to the characters’ dreams.
Walter Lee Younger feels that he is on the bottom rung of the social ladder. As a man who makes a living by being a chauffer to those better off than him, he is constantly made to feel small and worthless while earning minimum wage. Due to the stress exerted onto him each day, he constantly argues with his wife and the other members of his family. Walter’s dream is simple. He wants to make something of himself; something his family can be proud of. To do this, he wants to use his deceased father’s insurance money to go into a partnership on a liquor store with his friend Willy Harris. When Walter finally tries to attain this dream by giving him the inheritance money, Willy runs off with the money, never to be seen again. Walter’s dreams, as well as his family’s, disappear wi...
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...runs away. This misfortune ruins all of the Youngers’ dreams which revolve around money, but sets those which are non-financial into motion.
The notion that dreams can either “shrivel up” or “explode” can be seen though the plant for which Mama cares. The plant stands for her family’s dream to own a house and, more specifically, to have a garden and a yard. However, despite how much Mama tends to it, the plant stays weak because there is so little light. In the same sense, the Youngers’ dreams remain in poor health because it is so difficult to make light of their present situation. Thus, the title is appropriate because of its relativity to the characters and the outcome of their quandaries.
Works Cited
Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 6th ed.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2002.
In “To a Mouse”, Robert Burns views dreams as if they are fragile things that are broken easily.
The American dream has been visualized and pursued by nearly everyone in this nation. Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a play about the Younger family that strived for the American dream. The members of the Younger family shared a dream of a better tomorrow. In order to reach that dream, however, they each took different routes, which typified the routes taken by different black Americans.
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore– And then run?" (Langston Hughes). It is important to never lose sight of one’s dream. Dreams are what keep people moving in life, but if they are ignored, they may morph and lose their prevailing form. This is evident in Lorraine Hansberry’s "A Raisin in the Sun", as Walter’s, Beneatha’s, and Mama’s dreams become delayed, distorted, and blurred.
Dreams deferred usually end up being diminished from existence. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck the characters dreams, which are put on, hold all get destroyed. Lennie's dream was to live on the land in which he owned and to tend the rabbits (pg.14). He finally was almost about to achieve his dream in a month but after working in a ranch for a few days he killed Curly's wife by accident (pg.94) so he dies and also loses all his dreams so his dreams are pessimistic. Also with Lennie's dream being destroyed also George's dream was which was also to live on a ranch so (pg.7). This happens because he can't make his dream reality without Lennie showing pessimistic out view on dreams. Dreams only can bring you so far it all depends on what your destiny is. This is because even though Lennie and George's dreams were crushed even though they tried there hardest to reach them also Candy, Crooks and Curly's wife dreams were ruined too.
Living in a society where the fulfillment of dreams is based upon material wealth, the Younger family strives to overcome their hardships as they search for happiness. As money has never been a way of life for the family, the insurance check's arrival brings each person to see the chance that their own dreams can become reality. Whether in taking a risk through buying a "little liquor store" as Walter wishes to do or in -"[wanting] to cure" as Beneatha dreams, the desires of the family depend upon the fate of Mama's check. In the mind of Walter Lee Younger, the check is the pinnacle of all, dominating his thoughts, as he does not wait a second before "asking about money "without" a Christian greeting." He cannot see beyond the fact that he "[wants] so many things" and that only their recently acquired money can bring them about. The idea of money and being able to hold it "in [his] hands" blinds him from the evils of society, as he cannot see that the Willy Harris's of the world will steal a person's "life" without a word to anyone. When money becomes nothing but an illusion, Walter is forced to rethink his values and his family's future, realizing that there is more to living that possessing material riches.
...s to flourish but she loves them both unconditionally. She doesn’t give up but instead she does all that she can to support it by having faith while hoping that one day it will truly prosper. Her faith is tested when she turns over the left over money to Walter. At first, Mama’s trust is unwise when Walter loses all the money. However, Mama says, “He finally come into his manhood today, didn’t he? Kind of like a rainbow after the rain…” (Hansberry 151). This shows that her faith is recovered when Walter refused the offer given by Mr. Lindner.
Some people believe that in life, you are supposed to take an opportunity when it knocks on your door...but what happens when that opportunity is something that may affect your life in the long run? The Youngers had a certain drive, one that not many people had. The drive to keep going, even when everyone around you told you not to do it. Not to push on, through the struggle and the hardship. Segregation was a big part in Lorraine Hansberry’s life, and with this play, she wanted to make a point, that not one black should have to stay in the dark, no one had to deny themselves of an opportunity that could possibly change your life. Was it the right decision? Will this affect my family? Am I ready to make this big leap without my family backing me completely? Or just trying to find that one thing that might or might not make your life completely better..
Living in a poverty stricken area, Walter can only think about one of the many things he lacks, money. On the contrary, there are African Americans on the other side of Chicago who do have money and run large businesses. This pushes Walter to not only want to provide more for his family, but also dream big and become determined. The only way that he sees fit for him to make his dream come true and earn more
Everyone wants their dreams to become a reality; however, the unfortunate reality is that more often than not, dreams are not achieved and become deferred. Langston Hughes let this theme ring throughout his poetic masterpiece “Harlem,” in which he posed many questions about what happens to these dreams. In “A Raisin In the Sun,” Lorraine Hansberry draws so many indisputable parallels from “Harlem.” Hansberry consistently uses the dreams of Mama Younger, Big Walter, and Walter Lee to allude to Hughes poem. The intensity of the dreams coupled with the selfishness of some characters eventually adds an abundant amount of emotional strain to the family, once again demonstrating Hansberry’s dedication to Hughes poem.
that a discontented individual is often unable to take ownership of his life until he realizes that he must set a good example for his children. Walter is a protagonist who seems to only care about himself. He is really dependent on his mama's huge insurance check. Walter wants his mama's check so he and Willy Harris can open up a bar. This character continues to go down the wrong path until something tragic happens.
In ‘A Raisin in the Sun’, Lorraine Hansberry describes each of the family’s dreams and how they are deferred. In the beginning of the play Lorraine Hansberry chose Langston Hughes’s poem to try describe what the play is about and how, in life, dreams can sometimes be deferred.
Langston Hughes’s poem, Harlem, inspired the title of A Raisin in The Sun for it’s close relation with the theme of dreams. His poem can also connect back with Disney’s quote; Disney states that anyone’s dream can come true if pursued, while Hughes talks about what happens when dreams aren’t pursued. He discusses many different things that can happen when dreams are deferred. Many times when they aren’t chased, dreams have a negative impact on that person. Harlem is definitely a negative poem, conveyed through phrases like rotten, crust, sag, and fester - all unpleasant words. The poem’s pace and placement of each guess as to what happens of a dream deferred is important to the message of the poem. In the beginning, Hughes talks about processes that are slower, like “...dry[ing] up like a raisin in the sun” (2-3) and “crust[ing] and syrup[ing] over -- like a sugary sweet”(7-8). At the end of the poem, the author talks wonders “...does it just explode?” (11), something that happens much quicker than all his other guesses. I think the reason for his choice of pace is because that’s often the path that a dream deferred takes; a slow process, the dream slowly fades away until, BOOM, there isn’t a dream left i...
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a play about segregation, triumph, and coping with personal tragedy. Set in Southside Chicago, A Raisin in the Sun focuses on the individual dreams of the Younger family and their personal achievement. The Younger's are an African American family besieged by poverty, personal desires, and the ultimate struggle against the hateful ugliness of racism. Lena Younger, Mama, is the protagonist of the story and the eldest Younger. She dreams of many freedoms, freedom to garden, freedom to raise a societal-viewed equal family, and freedom to live liberated of segregation. Next in succession is Beneatha Younger, Mama's daughter, assimilationist, and one who dreams of aiding people by breaking down barriers to become an African American female doctor. Lastly, is Walter Lee Younger, son of Mama and husband of Ruth. Walter dreams of economic prosperity and desires to become a flourishing businessman. Over the course of Walter's life many things contributed to his desire to become a businessman. First and foremost, Walter's father had a philosophy that no man should have to do labor for another man. Being that Walter Lee was a chauffeur, Big Walter?s philosophy is completely contradicted. Also, in Walter?s past, he had the opportunity to go into the Laundromat business which he chose against. In the long run, he saw this choice was fiscally irresponsible this choice was. In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee's dreams, which are his sole focus, lead to impaired judgement and a means to mend his shattered life.
Every one of the characters in “The Raisin in the Sun” had a dream which involved an insurance check they received after the death of Lena’s husband. Lena, who is also known as Mama, dreamed to have a home of her own and to see her children accomplish their own dreams and Beneatha dreamed to become a doctor and to find the correct way to “express” herself. Ruth dreamed to be wealthy and have a happy family and for the family to have a place to call their own. It is these dreams that serve to explain the personality of the characters, provide a meaningful context for the development and decline of conflicts between them, and help the readers either admire or dislike them.
In Lorraine Hansberry's play A Raisin in the Sun, the author reveals a hard-working, honest African-American family struggling to make their dreams come true. Langston Hughes' poem, "Harlem," illustrates what could happen if those dreams never came to fruition. Together, both Hansberry and Hughes show the effects on human beings when a long-awaited dream is thwarted by economic and social hardships.