A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry: An Analysis

"A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry in many ways is related to a poem by Langston Hughes called "A Dream Deferred". The poem and play are alike in many ways; the dreams of the family members begin to control their lives. The dreams must be kept alive to keep faith in the house, and some of the family's dreams have to be put off in order for them to continue on with life. "A Dream Deferred" is about the thought of wondering what happens to a dream once it is deferred, much like the Younger's situation (Cheney, pp. 67-89). In "A Raisin in the Sun" a family's dreams are put off because of various reasons. The Younger's, a poor African American family back in the 1950's are graced with the presence of 5 wonderful family members. Mama, the oldest family member living in the house, receives a $10,000 check. Everyone else in the house wants the money for various reasons, which is tearing the family apart and making them defer dreams because of the little amount of money that the house has because of various reasons (Cheney, pp. 67-89). Through time the family grows farther and farther apart yet is hold together, by Mama. Dreams controlled the lives of the Younger family, and tore the family apart at times.

In "A Raisin in the Sun" the families dreams begin to be the center of their lives and even start to control their lives. Walter, Mamas son, knows Mama is getting a check for 10,000 and from the point he found out that she was getting a check, he was obsessed with wanting the money to do what he wanted to do. Walter said, "You see, this liquor store that we got in mind cost seventy-five thousand and we figured the initial investment on the place "˜bout thirty thousand, see." This goes to show that he is only thinking about himself and what he wants to do with his mother's money. He really doesn't care about what her or other people in the family wish to do with the money because the thought of having a liquor store to him is just controlling his life. Mama asks Walter, "Son "“ How come you talk so much "˜bout money?" and he responds, "Because its my life!" (Hansberry, pp. 56-69). Again, this goes to ...