The American Dream In Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The...

The promise of America is that anyone, from anywhere, can live a free and prosperous life in the United States. As President FDR once said We are all bound together by a hope of a common future rather than by reverence for a common past. He and many others believed in the American Dream, that has drawn hopeful masses of people to this country in search of a better life. Although some believe that the American promise is still achievable, America no longer provides access to this dream. It has evolved to be a pursuit of money not liberation, and the discrimination of groups of people has masked the fundamental ideals that the dream is based upon. The American Dream is rooted in equality and success, and has become about riches. Everyone†¦show more content†¦It is now a competition of millions of selfish, greedy, and covetious people, searching for riches in America. Equally important, is a clear discrimination of people based on race, religion, class, and gender that is promi nent in American society. These inequalities undermine the idea of an impartial ambition permitted to all. Renowned poet, Langston Hughes, discusses this in his poem Let America Be America Again when he says, For all the dreams we’ve dreamed And all the songs we’ve sung And all the hopes we’ve held And all the flags we’ve hung, The millions who have nothing for our pay— Except the dream that’s almost dead (pg 44, line 55) He is arguing that no matter how hard they seem to try, people who are different, cannot get ahead. This poem was written in 1935, if the dream was gone then, it is most certainly not attainable today. Hughes writes America never was America to me throughout the poem; it really emphasizes the fact that equality (an essential part of the American Dream) is no longer something made available to various groups of people. In the land of the free white males have the upper-hand, cutting off of the dream from everyone else. In a different light, many argue that the American Dream is not dead, and is in fact thriving more now than ever. For example, many take this argument straight from the Declaration of Independence, which laid the foundation of theShow MoreRelated Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun - Dignity and the American Dream1248 Words   |  5 Pagesand the American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun   Ã‚  Ã‚   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 DreamRead More The American Dream in Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun and Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman 2744 Words   |  11 Pagesago, Americans were fighting for their freedom from Britain. Then, the American dream was to have freedom. To American then, being free and having their own individual country was enough. Up until a few decades ago, African Americans were fighting to have equal rights. They thought this was all they needed and they would be truly happy. Somewhere over the course of time; happiness had a new meaning for all Americans. Now material possessions are what it takes to be happy. The American dream is toRead MoreThe 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 hardship 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 MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin1288 Words   |  6 PagesLorraine Hansberry’s A R aisin in the Sun can be deliberated as a milestone in American art because it speaks on so many concerns vital during the 1950s in the United States. The 1950s are commonly ridiculed as an era of complacency and conformity, embodied by the growth of money-making culture and suburbia. Underneath the economic victory that followed America in the years after World War II brewed a rising racial tension. The stereotype of 1950s America as a land of black’s satisfied with theirRead 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 MoreRacial Segregation, By Lorraine Hansberry1248 Words   |  5 Pagesbut dreams – but He did give us children to make the dreams seem worthwhile,† once stated by Lorraine Hansberry. Racial segregation has been a huge topic in our society. Believe it or not, just a few decades ago African American people did not have the basic equality rights that white citizens were given. Something as simple as having a dream to become an author seemed out of reach; even impossible some might have said. Living in this kind of a world was unfortunately a reality for Lorraine HansberryRead MoreLorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun1260 Words   |  6 Pagesinevitable, people 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. The people who are obliv ious represent those who are ignorant of the fact that their dream will be deferred. This denial is the core of the concept used in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. The perception of the American Dream is one that is highly subjective, but every individual dream ends in its own defermentRead MoreEssay on Follow Your Dreams1914 Words   |  8 PagesDreams are aspirations that reflect a human’s wants and desires in life. They are a fundamental element that drives human beings to achieve the impossible. Dreams have the ability to motivate oneself to set goals and ideals for the future. Each person in some part of their life has had desires that they would like to accomplish. Without these desires, there is nothing to motivate one’s actions and attitude. However, most people believe that satisfaction only exists once a dream is achieved. LouisaRead MoreAnalysis Of A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry1158 Words   |  5 Pages Welcome to Windham High School’s very own theater production of the incredible play A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry. To further understand the play please read the text below about the background of Hansberry’s life, living conditions in the era that the play took place, and reviews written about the play. Lorraine Hansberry was a playwright and a writer. She was born in Chicago May 19, 1930 in Chicago, and she grew up in the Woodlawn neighborhood in the South side of Chicago