A Raisin In The Sun American Dream Essay

Beneatha has dreams and a mindset of being a doctor. As an African American, low class, woman, a high class position of that type, wasn't widely known. In that time period, it was unheard of for the most part. Beneatha is remarkably outspoken. She lives in a family with all similar beliefs and morals, yet she doesn't fear to disagree with them.

Joseph Asagai The definition of “character” or “a character” is the mental and moral distinctive qualities to an individual, or a person in a novel, story or play (Dictionary.com). Usually as a reader or an audience focus on the main characters, the problems they are facing, the hardships they overcome, and the way their actions affect the other characters within the story. We as readers rarely think of the secondary characters that truly make the story a masterpiece. In the play A Raisin in the Sun, a character by the name of Joseph Asagai, takes an African American family back to their African roots during a time of American history where true African culture was not favored. Joseph’s character is extremely nationalistic and embraces Afrocentrism.

A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry and whose title was derived from the poem Harlem by Langston Hughes, is a tragic play taking place in South Side, Chicago, where it portrays the life of an African American family known as the Youngers in the 1950s. The play, A Raisin in the Sun, reflects modern thought by reconstructing the ideals of a modern family in American society through the idea of assimilation and its cause of cultural clashes, how wealth plays a role in social status, and how racial discrimination is still pervasive today even after movements that brought such changes of better equality to light. The assimilation movement that appears as the primary contender for cultural clashes within the play presents the social struggle

The entire family strives to live the American dream, but obstacles appear in their way. The racial attitudes present in the play, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry connect to how racial discrimination is prevalent in modern day. Discrimination is a battle that has been fought for many years and people in modern day still fight to rid of discrimination and bring justice. A civil rights group known as Black Lives Matter, has been a way for people to fight against discrimination and have their voices heard. This civil rights movement started “[i]n 2013, when George Zimmerman [ a white man] was acquitted of fatally shooting Trayvon Martin [ a black young man].

After she married her first husband a black man, they they treated her like a black woman so she was constantly discriminated, there nothing she could do but to deal with that because she couldn’t change the other peoples mind. Ruth shows her kids that they need to work with their problems rather than push them away, like Beth did. An example, of how Ruth felt about when she was discriminated but there is nothing she could do but to life with it, “She couldn’t stand racists of either color” (Chpt. 4, p.

Beneatha first finds herself struggling with sexism as she dreams of becoming a doctor. Lisbeth Lipari, a journalist, writes on how A Raisin in the Sun comments on racism and classism, but fails to mention the obvious sexism laced throughout (Lipari 87). During this time, overwhelmingly, women held the position of “stay at home mom” rather than a powerful position such as a doctor, societies opinion leads her family to believe the same—she is not doctor material. Her family’s opposition displays itself after Beneatha wakes and greets her family. Walter, Beneatha’s brother, asks her how school is going, Beneatha responds, “Lovely.

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a detail long fiction tragedy that traces the attitude changes of Janie. As an African American, she denies the social tradition, gender and racial discrimination.The pursuit of true love and independence prompts her to “watch God,” and follow her free will. To begin with, when Janie was a pre-teen girl, she was obviously afraid of the social pressure, the overwhelming gender and racial discrimination. It was Nanny who told her the significance of observing the social order and follow the will of the white. For example, Nanny had experienced the cruelty of slavery.

In one instance, a doctor she looked up to, Dr. Corydon Le Ford, said to her, “I wonder if politics is a matter for women?” when Elizabeth stood on the “Free Soil” side in a vote, every man on that side rioted for Elizabeth, while she just smiled and left, not bothering to fight (Pg. 118-119). Once, amongst talking to herself, Elizabeth said, “I can not go on living alone!” and her sister heard so asked her if she had meant marriage. Elizabeth insisted no because one career is enough to begin with (Pg. 179).

She expressed her feelings by telling Walter that "Something has changed. You something new, boy. In my time we was worried about not being lynched and getting to the North if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch of dignity too”(Hansberry 74). For Momma escaping slavery alone was a big step towards the American Dream for African Americans, but Walters generation was never satisfied with the little things in life, causing an issue amongst the different generations. Hansberry is trying to show how the American Dream was only obtainable for the Youngers because big Walter had passed away, and it was not achieved through hard

That women absolutely could not be themselves. How is being locked up and put away till "happiness" comes your way the answer and cure for depression, which is a major mental illness that is to not be played around with. Women in this era often wanted the freedom to follow their own desires and education was one of them. Women wanted to smart and educated like men, women wanted big roles in the houseold like supporting their family and making an income for their families, but yet again since women were often put on as too weak to handle a mans a job, they had no right to do so. In conclusion, women in the Realism Era (1865-1910) could not think for themselves, were controlled by men and had no right for an education.

Her grandmother told Janie that black women were the mules of the world (Hurston 14) , representing that they are the lowest of society and are used by people. Although the main ideas are clear, the symbolization in each of Janie’s marriages with Logan, Joe, and Tea Cake all symbolize different ideas. To begin with, Janie’s relationship with Logan was prearranged and she had no say whether she wanted to marry him. At first, she was optimistic and believed their marriage will be what she dreamed of. Soon reality sets in after her grandmother died and she realized her dream was not going to come true.

I just wanted my family to be happy, live in a big house like what those white people got, with a garden, and my son can go to any college he wants to, and even though I hate to say it, Bennie can’t be a doctor no more… all because of Willy. Why does people have to be like this, man. My father worked himself to death, and this is what I do with his money, no, his own flesh and blood. I’ve done messed up… nobody’s ever going to trust me again, oh God… I’m so sorry… All them white folks have sons with their own rooms, they can go to any college they want… not sleep on a couch, in a rat’s nest of a house, my selfishness that brought me down to this new low for me. Everyone makes mistakes, and me and my family will have our ups and downs… I just wanted my family to see me as the man of the family, you know?

I definitely would have access and the capability to get an abortion if I ever needed to, and so many woman don 't. Abortions really are a young middle class white women problem. The pro-choice, pro-life debate completely alienates those that do not have the capability of getting an abortion in the first place. Killing the Black Body, and the class discussions really made me see how privileged and ignorant I was before, it is always hard finding out you aren 't as great as you thought you were. I now have a better understanding and compassion for women who can and do chose to get abortions, and those that can 't and don 't.