Raisin in the Sun Essay A Dream Deferred - 1327 Words

Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun What happens to a dream deferred? (l. 1) Langston Hughes asks in his 1959 poem Dream Deferred. He suggests that it might dry up like a raisin in the sun (ll. 2-3) or stink like rotten meat (l. 6); however, at the end of the poem, Hughes offers another alternative by asking, Or does it explode? (l. 11). This is the view Lorraine Hansberry supports in her 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun. The drama opens with Walter reading, Set off another bomb yesterday (1831), from the front page of the morning newspaper; however, he is unaware that bombs will soon detonate inside his own house. These bombs are explosions of emotion caused by frustration among members of Walters family who are†¦show more content†¦I drive a man around in his limousine and I say, Yes, sir; no, sir; very good, sir; shall I take the Drive, sir? Mama, that aint no kind of job . . . that aint nothing at all (1855). Once the check arrives, Walter can think only of investing the money, which to him is life (1856); co nsequently, he does not give Ruth a chance to tell him she is pregnant and has decided to abort their baby. Mama interrupts Walter to encourage him to listen to his wife; however, this causes a detonation of Walters anger when he yells, WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE LISTEN TO ME TODAY! (1854). Ruth has made a habit out of not listening to Walter: rather than exploding in a fit of rage, the timid Ruth releases her frustration by nagging and ignoring her husband, but at times she explodes with joy. Ruth is tired and worn out like her house in the ghetto, and nagging Walter has become part of her daily routine; for instance, each morning Ruth complains, Why you always got to smoke before you eat in the morning? (1832). When Walter says he wants his eggs Not scrambled (1831), Ruth ignores him and automatically begins to scramble his eggs. She gives similar treatment to Walters sister: Ruth pesters Beneatha about cleaning her room and makes fun of her experimentation with different forms of expression (1843) by reminding Beneatha of her fifty-five-dollar riding habit thats been hanging in the closet (1842). Because she is afraid ofShow MoreRelatedA Raisin In The Sun: A Dream Deferred Essay1609 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† (Hughes l . 1) Langston Hughes asks in his 1959 poem â€Å"Dream Deferred.† He suggests that it might â€Å"dry up like a raisin in the sun† (Hughes ll. 2-3) or â€Å"stink like rotten meat† (Hughes l. 6); however, at the end of the poem, Hughes offers another alternative by asking, â€Å"Or does it explode?† (Hughes l. 11) This is the view Lorraine Hansberry supports in her 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun, in witch she examines an African-American’s family’s struggle to breakRead MoreEssay on Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun1050 Words   |  5 PagesWhat Happens to a Dream Deferred? 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. Walter has long dreamed of making his family’sRead More A Raisin in the Sun Essay: Importance of Deferred Dreams734 Words   |  3 PagesImportance of Deferred Dreams in A Raisin in the Sun      Ã‚   A dream is a hope, a wish, and an aspiration. Young people have dreams about what they want to be when they grow up. Parents have dreams for their childrens future. Not all of these dreams come true at the desired moment - these dreams are postponed or deferred. A deferred dream is put on the back burner of life(Jemie 219), and it matures to its full potential, and is waiting when you are ready to pursue it(Jemie 219). It isRead MoreEssay on Dreams Deferred in Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun915 Words   |  4 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lorraine Hansberry, the author of A Raisin in the Sun, supports the theme of her play from a montage of, A Dream Deferred, by Langston Hughes. Hughes asks, â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† He suggests many alternatives to answering the question. That it might â€Å"dry up like a raisin in the sun,† or â€Å"fester like a sore.† Yet the play maybe more closely related to Hughes final question of the poem, à ¢â‚¬Å"Or does it explode?† The play is full of bombs that are explosions of emotion set off by the frustrationRead MoreAnalysis Of A Raisin In The Sun1185 Words   |  5 PagesWilliams-Smart English 1B Professor Quinn Final Essay The epigraph to A Raisin in the Sun is Langston Hughes poem called A Dream Deferred which was written as an example of life in harlem. The lines are a introduction to the white societys actions to take away equal opportunity from black citizens. Hughes main point is that there could be consequences when peoples frustrations build up or accumulate to the point where they have to either surrender their dreams or allow strenuous circumstances toRead More Power of Langston Hughes Harlem (A Dream Deferred) Essay674 Words   |  3 PagesPower of Langston Hughes Harlem (A Dream Deferred) In our journey through life, we all have certain expectations of how we would like our lives to be. All of us strive to reach a certain level of self-actulization and acceptance. It could thus be said that all of us live a dream. Some of these individual dreams inevitably become the collective dream of many people. In Harlem (A Dream Deferred), Langston Hughes makes use of symbolism as well as powerful sensory imagery to show us the emotionsRead 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 MoreThe American Nightmare: Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun1011 Words   |  5 PagesIn Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, she uses the African American Younger family as a representation of the entire race’s struggle for the American Dream. America has always had slogans such as â€Å"the land of the free† and â€Å"liberty and justice for all†. The Younger family is finding out, like generations before them, the American Dream isn’t at all what it seems if you’re black. The family eagerly awaits the insurance check from the death of their father, while living a life of constantRead MoreThe Dream Deferred By Langston Hughes1020 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Dream Deferred,† is a poem written by Langston Hughes discussing what may become of a dream that is put off, delayed, or postponed by external influences. Throughout the poem, Hughes uses questions about concrete things in everyday life and compares them to the ignored dreams. Langston Hughes isn’t referring to the dreams we have when we go to sleep at night, he’s referring to an aspiration or a desire. â€Å"Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun?† (Hughes 970) The vision of his dream is vanishingRead MoreA Dream Deferred - a Literary Comparison1878 Words   |  8 PagesThe Dream Deferred – A Comparison Kristy Andrews Axia College of University of Phoenix 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