The American Nightmare Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in...

In 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 constant struggle and hardships, in a Chicago neighborhood, on the Southside of town. Each member of the family has their own dream which they believe would better their life and also keep happiness in the family. Hansberry uses the dreams of the main†¦show more content†¦The play focuses primarily on the dreams motivating its main characters. These dreams function positively by lifting their minds from their tough lifestyles and hard work, and negatively by creating even more dissatisfaction with their current situations and by placing emphasis on materialistic goals rather than on familial pride and happiness. Hansberry argues that if people attempt to do their best for their families, they can lift each other up. Lena, the matriarch of the family, wants to put a down payment on a new house with a yard, and fulfill a dream which she shared and conceived with her late husband, who had been worked to death like a slave. She also dreams of stability and happiness for her children. Ruth, mother and wife, has a similar dream to that of Lena. She would like a room for her son Travis, and their own bathroom. â€Å"She dreams as one of those triply oppressed by society—as worker, as African American, and as woman† (Baraka 13). Lena’s son, Walter Lee, has his own dreams. â€Å"He is the chauffer to a rich white man and dreams of owning all and doing all the things he sees ‘Mr. Arnold’ do and own† (Baraka 13). Walter Lee wants to be rich and he devises a plan, with his friends, to acquire wealth. He wants to use the insurance money to invest in a new liquor store venture. He thinks that an investment like this will solve his family’s financial problems for ever. InShow 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 hardship introduced by the Great Depression, Hansberry grew up rather comfortably in