The American Dream Deferred In Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

Aisha Craig
Professor Campbell
English 112-07
September 19, 2014
The American Dream Deferred
Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun is titled after a line in Langston Hughes’ 1951 poem, Harlem (A Dream Deferred). Back in the 1950’s, African Americans were oppressed by the belief of the principle ‘separate but equal’ and because of this system, many African Americans perceived their claim on their ‘American dream’ was ‘deferred’ or forced to be put off. Hansberry’s play is set in Chicago’s Southside. It focuses on the Younger family, where three generations, five family members, live under the same household of abysmal conditions. Hansberry infers how the lack of money contributes to these conditions. Hansberry relates how each family member
She is a woman in her early sixties, strong and robust. (Hansberry 347). She is a strong Christian woman. This is evident in her daily speech, where she consistently refers to God and Christian behavior and that is which is right in the eyes of God. A powerful example of her faith is the scene where her daughter is discounting and discrediting God to the very point of His existence. The mother outraged by the statement, slaps her daughter and had her recite, “In my mother’s house, there is still God” and added “There are some ideas we ain’t going to have in this house. Not long as I am at the head of this family”. (Hansberry 356). Lena’s dream was the American dream of home ownership. She wanted to live in a nice neighborhood and have a garden. The plant that she has been caring for years is a symbol of her lifelong desire to have a garden. Here she says, “Well, I wanted me a garden like I used to see sometimes at the back of the houses down home. This plant is close as I ever got to having one”. (Hansberry 357). Lena didn’t share Walter’s vision of entrepreneurship as financial security and success. She stated, “We ain’t no business people, Ruth. We just plain working folks”. (Hansberry 349). She was particularly opposed to the business of selling alcohol. Lena felt that selling liquor was somehow
Hansberry focuses our attention on the individual dreams of family members and their view of how money could fulfill them. We see that money divides the family and interrupts everyone’s goals. In the end, Hansberry shows us that family unity above individual dreams is where we find happiness. In the end, Lena gets a house with a yard that she can garden; Ruth gets space for her and her kids; Beneatha gets the opportunity to continue her education and last, but not least Walter steps into his role of responsible head of the household, truly becoming the