Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun Essay Example

A deferred dream is a goal in life that was never achieved. Deferred dreams follow you all the time, it scars you and constantly reminds you of what you can’t have. The play  A raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry shows this with Beneatha wanting to become a doctor and Lena wanting her own house. The play A Raisin in the Sun shows us that a deferred dream makes people depressed because they are constantly reminded of the life they can’t have.

When Beneatha finds out that she does not have any more money for medical school, she loses all her hope. Walter gave the money to willie without Beneatha’s permission. Now the money is gone. Beneatha has no money for medical school. While speaking with Asagai, Beneatha says, “...Asagai, there is only one large, circle that we march in, around and around, each of us with our little picture-in front of us-our owns little mirage that we think is the future”(3.1.842). When Beneatha refers to life as a circle it demonstrates hopelessness because a circle goes around constantly with no change. She believes that nothing will ever get better for her. Dreams can cause more harm than good. A dream is something people live for and work for, so when that dream is deferred, suddenly there is nothing, no will to keep moving forward in life. A deferred dream breaks people, tears them down. It makes people desperate and pessimistic. 

When Lena is finally moving out of the apartment, she feels hopeful for finally having her dream and scared of what the future might hold for her. In the play Lena is telling a story about her ambitions as a young girl, she says, “...Ever since I was a little girl, I always remembers people saying ‘Lena-Lena Eggleston, you aims too high all the time. You needs to slow down and see life a little more like it is. Just slow down some.’ That’s what they always used to say down home- ‘Lord, that Lena Eggleston is a high-minded thing’”(3.1.845). After years of hard work, struggle and sadness, she is finally getting her dream. She is so excited to have an opportunity to fulfill her younger self’s goal. Getting the house is a turning point for Lena because everything is finally paying off. Later at the end of the play, she hesitates when finally moving out. This implies that she is scared of what is to come. Although she is so grateful and happy to get the house, she shows fear. All she knows is this life, of working and struggling. The thought of stepping into a new environment frightens her. Her dream came true but she is still filled with doubt. A deferred dream makes people hopeful but also scared.

This play illustrates how dreams can be a beautiful yet pitiful thing. My mom is a prime example of this. My mom finished college, got her diploma, and got a job. She always wanted to have a job. She loved the lifestyle of always doing something, always working. My mom then got married and had kids. My dad works a full-time job as a doctor, so he would come home really late, he had no time to change our diapers or feed us. My mom made a compromise and quit her job so she could take care of my siblings and me. There was never a day where my siblings and I were neglected because she was always there. She gave up her dream to give us a better life, with her in it. Although her dream was deferred, another dream came true, and that was her family. Sometimes dreams are deferred for a good reason.