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The American Dream has been widely sought after not only in the Americas, but on a global scale. It is so well known that even people from countries outside of the U.S. wish to achieve it. After all, who wouldn’t want to be able to work their way to greatness? However, the American Dream is not accessible to many people, which can create desperation and a compromised mental state in those that cling to it. This idea is explored in countless works of literature, but perhaps most notably in A Raisin in the Sun and poems by Langston Hughes through the use of symbolism, dialogue, and characterization.
At a glance, A Raisin in theSun by Lorraine Hansberry and poems by Langston Hughes are very different piecesof literature.From thetime period to the type of writing, many aspects of the works appear to not correspond.
Taking a closer look, however, one can see that the authors both convey a similar message: the American Dream, regardless of how ideal, is inconceivably elusive for many people.
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In “Mother to Son”, Langston Hughes writes:
“Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor
In this passage, Hughes’ metaphor quite clearly illustrates how toilsome and unjust life is for a multitude of people. Due to economic, social, or racial inequalities, many individuals don’t have the opportunities afforded to others around them. This tantalizing of dreams that are so close but so far can drive a person to madness with discontentment.
When being denied the American Dream, as so many are, one’s mental state can begin to decline.
The exhaustion and desperation that comes with having such limited opportunities is agonizing. As Langston Hughes so eloquently identifies in “Harlem”, “Maybe it [a dream deferred] just sags / like a heavy load. / Or does it explode?” . This is quite an astute recognition of the fluctuation of the human psyche through such stress. Looking through the glass to see peers become successful without being able to follow dreams of one’s own is wearing on the mind. Throughout A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee and his family appear to descend into unbalance, behaving increasingly erratic and hysterical. Even early in the book, Walter is arguing with his sister, Beneatha. Walter complains, “Nobody in this house is ever going to understand me. BENEATHA: Because you’re a nut. WALTER: Who’s a nut? BENEATHA: You-- you are a nut. Thee is mad, boy.” As such, it was already established that mental health was not blooming. Still, near the end of A Raisin in the Sun, the characters appear to be more mentally unstable. After her brother just lost a huge sum of money which would have funded her college tuition, Beneatha talks to Asagai, a friend of hers from Africa. Up to this point, Beneatha had been very curious about African culture and interested in helping people. In this moment, however, she rethinks that, exclaiming, “Independence and then what? What about all the crooks and thieves and just plain idiots who will come into power and steal and plunder the same as before--only now they will be black and do it in the name of the new Independence--WHAT ABOUT THEM?!”
Early in A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee does have an initial moment of clarity, saying“WALTER: (Straightening up from her and looking off) That’s it. There you are. Man say to his woman: I got me a dream. His woman say: Eat your eggs. (Sadly, but gaining in power) Man say: I got to take hold of this here world, baby! And a woman will say: Eat your eggs and go to work. Man say: I got to change my life, I’m choking to death, baby! And his woman say—(In utter anguish as he brings his fists down on his thighs)—Your eggs is getting cold!”. In thispassage, Walter Lee clearly articulates what he is feeling, foreshadowing his behavior later in the book. The reader learns that Walter Lee feels suffocated, trapped by the same cycle of poverty and discrimination that affects so many in our world today.
“The Weary Blues” addresses these ideas as well. In the poem, Hughes says, “He played a few chords then he sang some more— / “I got the Weary Blues / And I can’t be satisfied. / Got the Weary Blues / And can’t be satisfied—”. In this passage, it is revoiced that no matter how badly a person might want it, their American Dream could be out of reach. It is not a stretch to imagine Walter Lee saying this, and as a matter of fact, both A Raisin in the Sun and “The Weary Blues” illustrate this point exactly. Both works of literature support the claim that racial inequalities, among other factors, can get in the way of a person’s American Dream no matter how hard they work for it.
On the whole, In A Raisin in the Sun the American Dream is an idealistic concept that is not attainable for everyone. Though one can assume that a person can make their way up in the world if they work hard enough, there are factors outside of a person’s control that can make them more or less likely to take part in an American Dream of their own. This can affect mental health. These ideas, presented in A Raisin in the Sun and several poems by Langston Hughes, are still extremely relevant today. Though some of these works were written nearly a century ago, the desperation of not being able to achieve one’s goals is still quite real. Communities oppressed in some way have been and will continue to be a part of society. Knowing this, it falls upon the shoulders of those aware of this imbalance to take what can be learned from various pieces of literature and apply it towards positive change.
A Raisin In The Sun American Dream Written By Lorraine Hansberry. (2024, Feb 09). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/a-raisin-in-the-sun-american-dream-written-by-lorraine-hansberry-essay
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