Essay Sample: The American Dream Of African Americans

📌Category: American dream, Philosophy
📌Words: 776
📌Pages: 3
📌Published: 26 June 2022

During the1950’s, a mass group of African Americans decided to protest against unfair treatment, injustices, and destitution. The rate of African Americans living in poverty was unmeasurable during the time, and many people were fighting to survive this difficult period. Becoming successful and obtaining a higher class status was a new goal black families set in order to have a better life, despite their circumstances. “A Raisin in the Sun'' gives an account of a family who wanted to escape poverty, but they struggled to do so because money was scarce. Consequently, when the opportunity of obtaining money presented itself, the family forgot about the meaning of unity. The overall message of the story proves that the aspects of living the American Dream appear to be nothing when family is not united in order to flourish.

The American Dream was frequently deferred during the 1950’s for the Younger family. They comprehended what intended to be a struggle together, and what it meant for their children to grow up with having not as much as the next individual. Throughout the story, an abundant amount of insurance money was to be given to the family. Be that as it may, the anticipation of this financial gain caused significantly more dissatisfaction. By virtue of everyone having their own dreams regarding how they needed to manage their portions, this money became a problem. Mama’s dream was to move her family out of their current environment to get something more prominent. She visualized having a house with an immensely wide yard in order for the children to play and so that she could care for her own garden. Ruth’s aspirations were comparative. She needed to fabricate a family and accepted that with the insurance money she would be one step closer to accomplishing the objective of purchasing something far more superior. Their dreams were more practical. They both ensured that family was the root to their desires because it would help them move further once everyone was able to accomplish what they wanted to do.

Beneatha and Walter Lee had dreams beyond family, yet the goals they set could help the family in the distant future. The dreams they wanted to accomplish depended on money, risks, and their success. Beneatha’s dream was to become a doctor. During this time, Beneatha lived in a world that believed women should be housewives and more submissive. This idea disregarded any woman’s dreams to work towards their goals, but Beneatha thought less of this ignorance and wanted to follow her dreams. Walter Lee’s American Dream was to move up in the social class. This idea made everything around him irrelevant. He had dreams of opening a liquor store in order to make more money to provide for his family. Walter, though, started spending money unnecessarily after his mother put money down on a new home. His spending habits caused the family to lose everything but the house. Despite this retraction, the family understood even more now that a family united was the American Dream. They knew that if they worked hard together to maintain and work towards a better life, it would pay off sooner than later for them.

“A Raisin in the Sun'' used symbolism to connect what the Younger family considered to be the American Dream. In Scene 1, Act 1, Ruth and Walter Lee had a conversation stating “Walter (Looking up at her) See — I’m trying to talk to you ‘bout myself — (Shaking his head in repetition) — and all you can say is eat them eggs and go to work.” This implies that Walter advocated the fact that every time he said something about achieving his dreams, Ruth wanted to diminish them or set them aside. He felt like she focused too much on him ‘eating his eggs’, than the dreams he was expressing to her. He simply felt that she could have been more supportive considering that it was an obligation as a wife. However, she was just frustrated about him going on everyday about his dream and not listening to what everyone else wanted to accomplish.

Conclusively, “A Raisin in the Sun” focused on the characters’ definition of the American Dream. Although each of them thought their dreams would help the family, the money ended up doing more harm than good in the end. The family had to go back to what they knew beforehand which was making it through with what was provided. Even with the new house, they still had to realize that they were not like those families in the neighborhood new to them. Never knowing what cards they would be dealt in the near future, they were left to wonder if their dreams would dry up like a raisin in the sun. Surely, the Younger family had one another to depend on to ensure they would be content with what they had, but working to be better. As time changes for the family, maybe the American Dream would happen for them and it would keep them united.

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