Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun - Dignity and...

Dignity and the American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun The American Dream, although different for each of us, is what we all aspire to achieve. In Lorraine Hansberrys, play, A Raisin in the Sun, each member of the Younger family desperately hopes for their own opportunity to achieve the American Dream. The American Dream to the Younger family is to own a home, but beyond that, to Walter Younger, it is to be accepted by white society. In the book entitled Advertising the American Dream, Roland Marchand refers to the American Dream as the belief that if you work hard and play by the rules, then you will achieve your goals (Marchand 1). In the play, Walter Lee Younger does not do either one of these things. Walter†¦show more content†¦Unconsciously, Walters American Dream is to assimilate into the mainstream and become a part of the affluent hegemony. Walters frustration festers and his anger turns inward towards his family who, in Walters eyes, do not understand him. Walters family members do understand him and they also want to amass material dreams, but Walters family members know that it is going to take work to get there. Walter begins to drink, stay away from home, and to constantly argue with his wife, Ruth. Walters life is contrasted by the role of his recently widowed mother, who holds to more traditional values of acceptance of lifes lot and of making the best of any situation. Walter Lees Mama holds Walters father up as an example of a man with pride and a man that, despite racial injustice in a dualistic society, worked hard to provide for his family. This adds to Walters frustration. Walter now feels incapable and small in his mamas eyes. Mamas inheritance of ten thousand dollars left by her deceased husband provides fodder for conflict in the family. Each of the family members, envisioning their own American Dream, has an idea of how the inheritance should be spent. All of these ideas, of course, conflict with Walters get rich quick scheme. Mama, Ruth, and Travis all have the dream of moving to their own home with a white picket fence, a garden, a place for Travis to play outside and a bathroom that is not shared by otherShow MoreRelatedThe 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. Although born during a time of hards hip introduced by the Great Depression, Hansberry grew up rather comfortably inRead 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 Chicago. Hansberry’s father, Carol Hansberry, also fought a legal battle against a racial restrictive covenant that attempted to stop African-Read MoreEssay about A Raisin in the Sun1559 Words   |  7 PagesIn 1959, American Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev came together at the American National Exhibition in Moscow, a â€Å"showcase of American consumer goods† (May 18), for â€Å"one of the most noted verbal sparring matches of the century,† aptly coined the â€Å"kitchen debate† (16). As Khrushchev applauded the Communist system and its hardworking women, Nixon â€Å"extolled the virtues of the American way of life† (16), emphasizing America’s â€Å"successful breadwinners supporting attractiveRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s Life As A Whole1461 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"I was born black and female.† These two words black and female identified Lorraine Hansberry’s life as a whole. Hansberry was born on May 19, 1930 in Chicago. She was the third youngest out of seven siblings. Her parents contributed a large amount of money to NAACP and the Urban League, because of this Hansberry was never comfortable with her rich girl status, so instead she identified herself as â€Å"poor†. She was admired by the children who were so often independent and matured which she imitatedRead More Social Conflict and Rebellion in Lorr aine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun982 Words   |  4 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lorraine Hansberrys play, A Raisin in the Sun, relates the story of a working-class African-American family with dreams. They are willing to rebel against the position that society has forced on them because of their race and class in order to fulfill their dreams. Walter Younger is a chauffeur who can find no peace with that part of society which seems to permit him and no entry into that which has willfully excluded him (Willie Loman 23). He wants to rise into wealth and live as his employerRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin1474 Words   |  6 PagesLorraine Hansberry created the play A Raisin in the Sun. A Raisin in the Sun recounts an anecdote about The Youngers who is a poor African American family living on the Southside of Chicago. A chance to escape from neediness comes as a $10,000 extra security watch that the female authority of the family (Lena/Mama) gets upon her significant other s passi ng. Lena s kids, Walter and Beneatha, each have plans with the cash. The most established child, Walter (a man of 35 with a spouse and a youthfulRead More A Comparison of the Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun and Harlem1407 Words   |  6 PagesA Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun and Harlem In Lorraine Hansberrys 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. Each of the characters in A RaisinRead Moreresearch paper to raisin in the sun3138 Words   |  13 Pagesï » ¿May 5, 2014 Eng- Sunday Evening I have a dream†¦ â€Å"A dream deeply rooted in the American Dream.† â€Å"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live without the true meaning of its creed: â€Å"we hold these truths to be self- evident: that all me are created equal.† â€Å"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judge by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.† â€Å"I have a dream that one day little black boys and black girlsRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun Essay1752 Words   |  8 PagesA Raisin in the Sun Creativity of Hansberry played a crucial role in the development of African-American drama since the Second World War. A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by African-American author which was set on Broadway and was honored by the circle of New York theater critics. Drama of A Raisin in the Sun (1959) brought Hansberry to the Award Society of New York Critics as the best play of the year. A Raisin in the Sun shows the life of an ordinary African-American family which dreamsRead MoreComplexity of Privilege and Domination1682 Words   |  7 PagesThe Complexity of Privilege and Domination Privilege always occurs at the expense of others. Allan Johnson states, â€Å"The trouble we’re in privileges some groups at the expense of others. It creates a yawning divide in levels of income, wealth, dignity, safety, health, and quality of life† (Johnson 7). Allan Johnson states this in Chapter 1 of his book Privilege, Power and Difference and it is one of the most powerful statements in the whole book. Privilege creates a great divide between people