Blog #114 – What is the American Dream?
Raisin in the Sun gets its title from a line in a Langston Hughes poem, “Harlem”:
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.Or does it explode?
Raisin in the Sun was the first place produced on Broadway in 1959 written by a Black woman, Lorraine Hansberry, as well as having a Black director, Lloyd Richards. Throughout the play, each of the main characters has a dream that they would like to see fulfilled. The arrival of an insurance check for $10,000 (from the death of Big Walter Younger) could just make those dreams a reality for the main characters. But what is to be done with the money? That becomes the major focus and source of conflict within the Younger household. They live in a dingy apartment on the south side of Chicago, and all of them (except Beneatha) are working in menial jobs. When Mama decides to buy a house, the Clybourne Park Improvement Association sends over Mr. Lindner to offer to buy their house back from them in order to keep their neighborhood white. This takes place before the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act) which would have prohibited such practices. However, the Youngers and many other urban African Americans are hemmed in by decades of redlining.
The playwright, Lorraine Hansberry, drew on her family’s own experience in the 1930s when they integrated a white neighborhood in Chicago. This excerpt comes from her autobiography, To Be Young, Gifted, and Black:
“Twenty-five years ago, [my father] spent a small personal fortune, his considerable talents, and many years of his life fighting, in association with NAACP attorneys, Chicago’s ‘restrictive covenants’ in one of this nation’s ugliest ghettos. That fight also required our family to occupy disputed property in a hellishly hostile ‘white neighborhood’ in which literally howling mobs surrounded our house. … My memories of this ‘correct’ way of fighting white supremacy in America include being spat at, cursed and pummeled in the daily trek to and from school. And I also remember my desperate and courageous mother, patrolling our household all night with a loaded German Luger (pistol), doggedly guarding her four children, while my father fought the respectable part of the battle in the Washington court.”
Hansberry’s parents had their own American Dream, and they went to court to fight to keep it.
The American Dream has meant a lot to people throughout our history. For many, it has meant finding a little bit of success, achieving a level of comfort that maybe their parents couldn’t afford. The promise had always been that if you work hard, keep out of trouble, do your duty to country, then you’ll be rewarded. Included in this is the concept of upward social mobility, something the Youngers desperately want to do but their neighbor, Mrs. Johnson, comes along to remind them what happens to African Americans who try to move on up.
Writer James Truslow Adams described the American Dream and popularized it in his 1931 book, Epic of America, thusly:
“But there has been also the American dream, that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position… The American dream, that has lured tens of millions of all nations to our shores in the past century has not been a dream of merely material plenty, though that has doubtlessly counted heavily. It has been much more than that. It has been a dream of being able to grow to fullest development as man and woman, unhampered by the barriers which had slowly been erected in the older civilizations, unrepressed by social orders which had developed for the benefit of classes rather than for the simple human being of any and every class.”
During the time period we’re studying (1929 – 1991), the Dream was put on hold by the Great Depression and World War II but came charging back with the creation of the GI Bill (1944) and the pre-eminence of the American economy after WW2. Working in a factory during the 1950s – 1970s could allow a man to afford his own home. Many veterans went to college, and many Americans became entrenched in the middle class after WW2, but not everybody. That’s what this play is all about – those folks, usually people of color but not always – who did not share in the American Dream. Not sharing in the American Dream did NOT mean that these people didn’t have dreams, but in many cases, they had to defer those dreams like mentioned in the Hughes poem. Sometimes, the emotions from not being a part of the American Dream showed themselves in anger, bitterness, or in very rare cases, violence. In Raisin, we see what happens when that American Dream of the Younger family is threatened and to what lengths they are willing to go to get it.
Your job:
- What is your American Dream? Explain.
- Describe the American Dream for each of the four main characters – Walter, Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha – in detail using specific examples from the book.
- How does the play capture the American Dream of ordinary folks? Explain w/ specific examples from the play.
Due Thursday, November 1 by class. 400 words minimum for all three questions.
1. My American Dream is to be successful in my line of work, whatever it might be, and also raise a great family in the future. First, I would want to go to a good college that fits me well. From there I would get my undergraduate and maybe a graduate’s degree. With that I can be successful in the future. After my schooling, I would want to get married and have kids. I would want to be able to support them so they could live a happy and comfortable life, and to go to college, with no debt on their name.
2. The American Dream for Walter was to be a business owner. He wanted to buy a liquor store with his 3 friends. He described to his son that he wanted to come home from an office job one day and be able to make all of Travis’s dreams come true. Ruth’s American Dream is that she and her family can all be happy together. That would start with living in a bigger house instead of the cramped apartment. Mama’s American Dream is for her family to live in a better area, not in the ghetto. She wants a good area where Travis could play in the yard and the insurance money would allow her to do it. Finally, Beneatha’s American Dream is to be a doctor and help her culture. Also as a doctor she is going to Africa, where she will help many people.
3. The play captures the American Dream of ordinary folks by portraying the American Dream of four different people. Having four different American Dreams shows different peoples hopes who all live in the same situation. The view of the father who wants to become successful and treat his family well, like Walter wanting to buy the liquor store. The view of a mother who cares for their children and want better for them than to herself, like Mama and Ruth wanting to move into the new house for Travis. The view of a woman who wants to break boundaries and help people around the world, like Beneatha traveling with Asagai to Africa to help the people of Africa. All of these dreams are wanted by people who are poor too. With many all the different dreams of the Younger’s family, and no money to interfere with them, it should hit every ordinary folks American Dream.
1. My American Dream is to one day be successful beyond my means and to raise a nice family. However, I do not want to settle in the suburbs, such as many families do as a part of their American dream. I instead want to live in a big city, and be a doctor with my own practice. My American dream does not include being a housewife of a working man, but instead being an independent woman who has the support of her husband. My American dream includes providing for my family, and creating great bonds with the people around me. My American dream is to grow old comfortably and to leave a legacy behind.
2. The American Dream for Walter is to provide better for his family. Money is tight, they live in a small house, and Walter is ashamed of this. He has the idea to go into the liquor business and fantasizes about life as a rich man who can send his son wherever he wants to go to school and never has to worry about money again. This doesn’t work out as the man he trusts his money with runs away with it, leaving him with nothing. Ruth’s American Dream is also to live a better life with her family, but she does not want mass amounts of wealth to do this. She just wants a house where her family can live, and where her son can grow up happily. She wants her son to have a good life and not have to worry as she does; in essence, she wants her son to have a better life than she did. Mama’s American dream is to be able to provide her family with a house to call their own. She accomplishes this goal with the money she receives from her late husband. In the play, she purchases a home, and even though the family is struggling with other issues, she is able to give them a safe haven of their own. Beneatha’s American Dream is to be successful, but not in America. She wants to move to Africa, be a doctor, and learn about the place where her people came from. She had wanted to be doctor since she was young, but decided to go to Africa because of an exciting man she meets from there that convinces her of the idea.
3. The American Dream of ordinary folks is visible in this play in the way that it is achievable for Ruth and Mama. People want the Dream to be accessible, and it is present in the story because Ruth and Mama are able to move with their family in their own home. In addition, ordinary folks want to be able to live in their own house with their family as a part of their Dream. This story also shows that the American Dream takes time and hard work, as Mama and her husband had worked hard their entire lives for their dream of owning a house to finally come true. Mama worked her entire life as a domestic worker and her husband served in the War. Finally, it shows that anyone can achieve the American Dream, no matter the color of their skin because Mama was able to reach her Dream, even though she faced some backlash from the white neighborhood she was planning on moving into.
1. The idea of the “American Dream” is based off of the concept of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” My American Dream is to achieve success in life. Success to me is not just being able to find a decent paying job, but also being able to provide for my family, and healthiness and happiness for my loved ones and I. This dream applies to me throughout my whole life but especially when I reach adulthood and have to figure things out on my own. I wish to be able to live a good life, love what I do, and make the people I love happy.
2. In the play Raisin in the Sun, the four main characters, Walter, Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha all have their own idea of an American Dream. Walter had an obvious liking of the idea of money, but I think his American Dream was more than that. Throughout the play he was depressed because he could not afford to make an investment in a liquor store. Walter took his anger out on others, especially his wife, Ruth. However, later in the play, Mama finally gives Walter some money and he is as happy as can be. He then describes his “American Dream” to his son, Travis. Walter goes on and on how eventually him, Ruth, and Travis will have a perfect life. Walter will buy a plain black Chrysler, Ruth will have a sportier car, they will have a gardener, Travis will get to pick any school and job when he turns 17 and attend it, and Walter will provide everything. He clearly wants the best for his family and I think Walters true American Dream is not gaining pounds of money, but making his family happy. Ruth’s American Dream is to provide a good life for her kids. Ruth is always looking out for Travis and wished he could live a better life. She soon finds out that she is pregnant, but goes straight to a doctor for abortion. Ruth knows that Travis doesn’t have the best life, he eats cold food, can barely afford bringing a few cents to school activities, and doesn’t even have a real bedroom. She knows that if she were to bring another child into this life that they might suffer, even more so than Travis. When Walter find out that she was thinking of abortion, he says that Ruth would never do that. Mama responds with when the world gets ugly enough a woman will do anything for her family, the part that’s already living. Mamas American Dream is to live in a house. She mentions early in the play to Ruth that the day her and Big Walter moved in where they live now, they planned to live in it no more than a year. They were going to move to a little place in Morgan Park and even had picked out a house. When mama receives $10,000 the whole family is desperate to find out what she will do with it. She ends up giving some to Walter and Beneatha, but the part for her goes to what she wants most in the world, her very own house. Mama is as happy as ever when she gets to tell Travis that he gets his very own bedroom and that she can have her own garden. Beneatha’s American Dream was one that many did not believe that she could do. She wanted to go to school and be a doctor. For a colored person, especially a colored woman to have an occupation such as a doctor was rare. At the beginning of the play Walter and Beneatha have a fight over her medical school expenses. Beneatha responds to Walter that all she wants to be is anything at all. Beneatha wants to be more than a nurse, maid, or gardener. Her dream is to prove to the world that she can do whatever she wants.
3. The play Raisin in the Sun captures the American Dream of many ordinary folks. Many of their dreams were related to happiness and success. People want to achieve these things in life, not only back then, but now. Ruth and Walter want the best lives for their families, and that’s what any loving parent wants for their kids. Beneatha wants to be successful and follow the career path she loves. Beneatha relates to many college students trying to figure out what they want to do in life and how they can achieve it. Mama just wants to be able to live in a house. You have to work hard to be able to provide you and your family with a shelter that is safe. This play doesn’t only capture the American Dreams of Walter, Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha, but many ordinary folks today.
1. My American dream is to become successful, it seems as if so many people in America are rich and are living the dream. They are successful but yet there are so many people who aren’t successful and or are middle class and have to still worry about money. I want to be living the dream i want to be able to go out and travel the world without having to really worry about money or get things that i want without thinking about my bank account going down a lot. When i was younger I wanted to be an actor but than i gave up on that dream when i got older because there are so many white people or light skin people taking on huge roles but yet where are the darker complexion people in those big movies besides “Black Panther”. It’s not easy notice that so many lighter skin tones are on the big screen because we are so accommodated to that its like no big deal. Like back in the 1950’s or 1060’s seeing a black person on screen was a shocker but now we have more black people on screen they just aren’t a dark complexion, for men you will see a that there are all types of complexions. But for women you don’t see that many darker tones you mainly see the lighter skin tones. But my dream has changed, it may be hard to become as successful as the people all over the internet but I want to reach there level one day and see what it’s like to be living lavish like they do. Going on shopping sprees at high end retails, traveling the world, eat at expensive restaurants, go boating on a yacht, living in a big house big enough for parties with a pool, movie theater, and a basketball court. Those may seem large but if people have done it i think anyone can because it doesn’t matter the extent of your dream it’s how hard you work for your dream.There may be setbacks but you just have to get back up and keep going. Some may say setting your dreams high isnt good while setting your dreams low and achievable is good, but you want to push your barriers and explore and fail to succeed not work until your done you keep working harder to achieve more and better.
2. Walter dreams of owning a liquor store, and he shows this throughout the whole play. Walter feels that “don’t nothing happen for you in this world ‘less you pay somebody off!” Owning a liquor store is Walter’s American dream, he believes that it will provide him and his family with a greater income so they don’t have to live in poverty anymore. Walter wanted to give more to his family he didn’t want to be a cab driver anymore being a servant to a white man driving them around like how back to slavery African Americans would tend to their masters needs or demands. Walter wants to get out of tat estate and be his own boss have his own business, and have a Cadillac and 2 more cars and live in a nice house. Making his dreams even more realistic he tells his son about his dreams and what he’s going to do for his, how he’s going to make sure he gets into any school he wants and get him new clothes. He wants his son to have the world while he works hard to provide that world for his son. Mamas American dream is to spend the money on a new house instead.
Mama wants to have something she could’ve never imagined having when she was younger, but now can have for her and her family which she will give to her grandson when he turns 17. Mama is proud that she purchased the house and wants to garden, she wants to live the way she would always see around rich white men or just the average white family living in a four bedroom house instead of a two bedroom house with a small kitchen with a kitchen table in the middle the living room off to the side and one bathroom with 5 to six other people inside of it. She wants to give what her husband provide for them but more, her american dream is to live like a white family, living better, living out of poverty.
Ruth’s american dream is similar to mamas wanting to build a happy and healthy family. And her step towards that is to live ina bigger and better place. But her dream is restricted due to the lack of money the family has having people sleep on the couch.
Beneatha’s American dream is to become a doctor and save her race from ignorance. Beneatha wants to study but their family doesn’t have enough money to send her to college but she could achieve that dream when her boyfriend offers her to live with him in Africa where she can study and work in Africa. She desires to set herself aside from her family, she wants to work instead of being an at home mother. Her dream is to surpass the norms of a woman, she wants to be an intelligent young women who refuses to allow her race or gender to affect her ability to have a successful career. She would rather be happy than to fit in with the norms of society.
3. The play captures the American Dream of ordinary folks by portraying the American Dream of four different people. One is starting a business and living like the rich white men. Two are living in a bigger and better house for the family to live in. The last one is to become a doctor and save the African American race from ignorance.
My American Dream is many things. After high school I want to go to college. I would like to go to the university of Michigan. After college I would like to earn a job in whatever profession I choose. I want this job to be something I like, money aside I want to be able to enjoy what I’m doing. I would like to focus on what’s meaningful to me, not stuck doing work constantly. I want to spend time with family and friends. I want to contribute to my community and society. I would like to try not to focus on material things. Being able to be happy saving instead of spending to impress others. My American Dream also includes the success of America. For a decrease in violence, shootings and hate across the country. The divide created between us through these actions hinders the strength of our country. So in my American Dream the country can once again be united without discrimination and hate of one another.
Walter grew up in the same apartment where he now lives with his family. This small space is the best he can provide for the family with his menial work. Walter comments on human nature and his thoughts on his outlook of the world. Walter feels that money is what everyone is built upon and it’s what controls the world. He wants the break the line of poverty in his family. He would like to make an investment in a liquor store with his friends. He thinks this would help his family in the long run and make them rich. An example of this is in the first act, the only thing that seems to make Walter excited is the $10,000 check that is soon to come because he plans to invest the money into the store with Willy Harris. Next, Ruth’s American Dream is that her family can all live a good and happy life together. An example of this is in scene 2 when Ruth talks about her and Walter. She talks about how they used to be much happier, and why they can’t live like they did when Travis was first born. Mama’s Dream was to buy a house for herself and Big Walter. They worked and never had property to show for it. She is now able to accomplish her dream because Big Walter has died and with his $10,000 check mama can buy a house. Lastly. Beneatha’s Dream is to become a doctor. She is at school to get her degree to pursue this dream. She needs some of the money from the $10,000 check to get her through school. One example of her dream is in scene 1 when she sarcastically drops to her knees and apologizes to Walter. She is apologizing for having dreams and wanting to become something in her life.
The play captures the ordinary person’s dream because the Youngers exemplify many goals of the ordinary American Dream. The American Dream is that all people have an equal opportunity to achieve success through hard work. While the story of the Youngers may not show equal opportunity it does show the hard work of a working class family. Goals like buying a new house, making money in a business, and going to school or furthering education are goals many Americans have for themselves. The Youngers are often reminded by their neighbor Mrs. Johnson that many of the things they are trying to do are crazy. The Youngers show perseverance and a hardworking attitude by ignoring her and doing whatever it takes to follow their dreams.
1. My American dream is that every person in this country will have equal opportunities, be free, be save, and be happy. I hope no one will be ever again excluded or looked down upon because of their religion, culture, race, gender, or anything else. Everyone should have equal possibilities and society shouldn’t have roles that every person must fulfill, rather every person should do what they please. Furthermore, I dream of an America without hate and violence, where everyone would accept the different. I hope the government will be fair, and honest and do what’s best for the country and the people, not for themselves and their political party. My American dream for myself is to be successful in life and to raise a nice family. I am not sure where I’ll want to live and I’m not sure what I’ll be when I grow up. However, I’m certain that I’ll strive for a good job and work hard to prevail there. I want to impact my surroundings for the better and I want to help solve problems and overcome difficulties.
2. In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, there are four main characters: Mama, Walter, Ruth, and Beneatha. Each of them has a different American dream. Mama’s dream is to live in a nice house. Mama wants to buy a house to fulfill a dream she shared with her husband. When mama received an insurance check for $10,000, (the money came from Mr. Younger’s life insurance policy, who died) she used some of that money to buy a house. Walter’s dream is to invest in and own a liquor store. He believes that the investment will solve the family’s financial problems forever. He hopes that by openning a liqour store, He will be able to provide for himself and his family so they don’t have to live in poverty. His overall goal is to make his family happy and help them live better lives. Ruth’s dream is to provide a good life for her children and family. Ruth knows that her son, Travis, does not have a good life and that the family was a financial problem. Ruth wants to make Travis’s life better and happier. This is shown when Ruth discovered that she was pregnant but was afraid that if she had another child, she would put more financial pressure on her family members. Beneatha’s dream is to use the money for her medical school tuition. Many didn’t believe Beneatha was able to achieve such a goal because she was an African American woman. Beneatha often challenged the system and society.
3. The American dreams of ordinary folks are shown in this play in many different ways. Ordinary folks, like mama, wanted to live in a nice house with their family. Furthermore, Walter really shows the American dream. He has an ambitious and determined spirit and wants to progress. Walter doesn’t challenge the system and society as Beneatha does. He rather tries to progress up the social ladder into a higher class. He doesn’t like his job as a chauffeur and prefers an office job.
1)I do not have a very complicated American Dream. It may be the same dream as a lot of other people. My dream is to be happy in life. I would rather wake up in the morning and go do an OK paying job that I love, than a high paying job that I hate. One quote that has stuck with me my whole life that fits my American dream was one from none other than John Lennon. “When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” This quote has stuck with me because I see happiness as the key to life. Without happiness you are not living your life. You can’t live your life being sad 24/7. That’s why my American dream is to be happy in life.
2)The American dream throughout the play is different for each character. I loved how Hansberry really shows each characters American dream in a different manor. For Walter his American dream is to own a liquor store and make a living. Walter is not very fond of his living conditions at the moment. He would love to leave the Chicago apartment and move to some place bigger. His dream is also to never worry about money ever again. One way he says is an example of how he knows he has made it is if he can send his son to any school he wanted. Ruth’s Dream on the other hand is to live a happy life with her family without the vast amount of wealth Walter wants. But along with Walter she see’s a bigger living space as a necessity for a happy life. Mama on the other hand wants something that she can give to someone in the long run. She is very happy that she bought the house and now has a chance to garden like all the “other white folk” she sees out and about. Beneatha is like no other in the family. Her American dream is to become a successful doctor. The only thing stopping her dreams is that the family can not afford to pay for her to go to school. This is all changed when her boyfriend who lives In Africa invites her to live with him and study in Africa.
3)Like I said earlier I loved how Hansberry portrayed the American dream of 4 people. It really helped portray the American dream for ordinary people. This is shown in Walter because wealth and success is the American dream for many people. Walter finds this through the liquor store and for other people it may be a different job but same dream. I feel that Ruth’s dream of a happy family is very common among moms. Mama’s American dream is common as well. Her dream is to fit in which many people believe that struggle to do. She tries to fit in by gardening. Many others nowadays do it by clothes or shoes, but it is the same dream.
A Raisin in the Sun Blog
Lily Abraam
What is your American Dream? Explain.
My American Dream is to be successful in whatever my job field is. I would also want to be able to provide resources for my family. The American Dream for me also means having equal opportunities as everyone else and also the same chance of success.
Describe the American Dream for each of the four main characters – Walter, Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha – in detail using specific examples from the book.
Mamas view of the American dream is to be able to live where she wants. When Mr. Lindner from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association Mama came to tell the Younger family about how the neighborhood didn’t want an African American family Mama was enraged. All that Mama wanted was to become equal with white people. Later the Younger’s go against what Mr. Lindner wanted, they bought the house. Even though Mr. Lindner offered them money instead of the house, they took the house. Ruth’s view of the American Dream is being able to be financially stable. During the book, Ruth was had a hard time with fighting poverty and domestic troubles. Ruth also has a similar view of the American Dream as Mama because when Mama tells her about the down payment she made on the house she becomes ecstatic. Ruth is very happy to hear this because she has always dreamt of moving out of the house. Walter’s American Dream was to invest in the liquor store with his friends using a check. Walter also wanted the best for his son Travis. This soon changed after Mama said she would be very disgusted that Walter would be investing in the liquor business. Walter is given $3,500 from Mama for himself, Mama thought to give this to Walter it would make him smarter and useful. Later, Walter spends this money on investing in the liquor company. Walter doesn’t just spend the $3,500, but he also spends the $3,000 that was supposed to save for Beneatha. Beneatha’s American Dream was being able to go to college, become a doctor, and get a well-paid job. This is soon cut short because of when Walter spent the money for Beneatha’s college on liquor company. All of the characters have a similar American Dream, they want what’s best for them and their family.
How does the play capture the American Dream of ordinary folks? Explain w/ specific examples from the play.
The play captures the American Dream for ordinary folks because it shows dreams that are very realistic and reachable. Like how from the beginning of the book Mama and her family wanted to get out of the house they were in. By the end of the book, the goal was completely reachable and the Younger’s were getting able to move to the new house in the “white neighborhood.” Even though it took lots of convincing the goal to move soon became a reality.
My American Dream is about opportunity to better your life. I think that the only thing you can really expect in America is a chance. The beauty of America that if you move here with virtually no money to your name, there is still a possibility for you to find work and build a life for yourself.
Walter, Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha have very differing American Dreams. To Mama, this dream is about freedom while for Walter its about money. This is supported by this argument between the two in Act 1, Scene 2: “Mama: Oh—So now it’s life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life—now it’s money. I guess the world really do change . . . Walter: No—it was always money, Mama. We just didn’t know about it.” (1.2.229) Beneatha’s American Dream is quite similar to my own. She wishes for equal opportunity for her to pursue her dreams as anyone else. In Act 1, Scene 2, Beneatha says “forgive me for ever wanting to be anything at all!” (1.1.123) While Ruth wishes to spend the money on the same thing as Mama, her dream is more about the traditional, middle class, American family. In Act 2, Scene 1, Ruth says to Walter: “Honey…life don’t have to be like this. I mean sometimes people can do things so that things are better…You remember how we used to talk when Travis was born…about the way we were going to live…the kind of house…(She is stroking his head) Well, it’s all starting to slip away from us…” (2.1.133)
A Raisin In The Sun captures the American Dream from multiple common perceptions. Whether you prioritize money, freedom, traditions, opportunity, and etc. the play shows them all without giving a definitive correct outlook. The ideas presented are open for interpretation. It relates to the average Americans money struggles through the family. In Act 1, Scene 1, Ruth reflects the stress that comes from these struggles: “They said Saturday and this is just Friday and I hopes to God you ain’t going to get up here first thing this morning and start talking to me ‘bout no money – ‘cause I ‘bout don’t want to hear it.”
1.) My American dream is to be able to provide for myself and my family, and to love what I do, being able to make a substantial living for myself as an artist, or whatever I end up doing when I grow up. I would like to go to a college where I can find great professors who will teach me not just the subject I’m taking, but things I need to know to live a meaningful life. My American dream is to move to west coast, to a beach-side town, and live the rest of my days living a happy life, with a great family and supportive friends.
2.) For Walter, his American dream is to be a business owner, and to own a liquor store. Later in the book he says he wants to be able to send his son off to a good college, and give him a better life than what he grew up in. “Just tell me what you want to be- and you’ll be it… whatever you want to be- Yessir! You just name it, son… and I hand you the world!” (Hansberry, 109) Ruth’s American dream is a little simpler than Walter’s. Ruth’s dream is to be able to leave the home that they’ve been living in the past 10 years or so, and move to a neighborhood that will be suitable to raise her kids in, and not have to deal with cockroaches and a place that’s falling apart. “All I can say is- if this is my time in life- MY TIME- to say goodbye-… then I say it loud and good, HALLELUJAH!” (Hansberry, 93) Mama’s American dream is to be able to see her grand-kids grow up happy, to help her daughter go to college, and for her son to finally become more like his father. “…and take three thousand dollars and put it in a savings account for Beneatha’s medical schooling. The rest you put into a checking account- with your name in it.” (Hansberry, 107). Finally, Beneatha’s dream is to become a successful doctor and (possibly) marry a man out of love, but not for his money. “Listen, I’m going to be a doctor. I’m not worried about who I’m going to marry yet if I ever get married.”
3.) The play “A Raisin In The Sun” captures the “American dream of ordinary folks” as just that, ordinary. They encompass the true “American Dream” which is, to make a living and move into a nice suburban neighborhood. These “ordinary” people were white, middle class Americans. These ordinary people were portrayed as the other people who lived on Clybourne Street. They sent a man to the Younger’s house, and the basis of what he said was that the white people felt uncomfortable with African American people living in the same neighborhood as them, raising money so they could buy the house from the Youngers, instead of them living in it. This can be seen by a quote on page 117, “Well- you see our community is made up of people who’ve worked hard as the dickens for ears to build up that little community… Our association is prepared, through the collective effort of our people, to buy the house from you at a financial gain to your family.” (Hansberry, 117-118)
My American dream is having a great family with a solid job that I am happy working at. Even if it is not the highest paying job, that’s what matters to me is that I’m happy there. Also, I want to go to, and graduate college with no less than a masters degree. In the book, Walter’s American dream is to be as rich as possible, without a care in the world. He just seems to hate being poor and working in service jobs. He brings this up multiple times throughout the book when he mentions investing in the liquor store. It is also hinted at when he talks about how much he hates his chauffeur job. Mama’s American dream is probably to live in a house, big enough for her family with a large garden. It seems she doesn’t want to be rich, she just wants to have enough money to live comfortably, not in a roach-infested apartment. The proof for this is when she, rather than live lavishly with the insurance money, buys a home for her family in a nice neighborhood (with not nice people). She also will not part with her scrawny old plant when they move to the new house. Ruth’s American dream seems similar to Mama’s in that she wants a comfortable life for her family and a good education for her son. She continuously seems against her husbands want to gamble their money in investments. This makes it seem like she wants a secure life with nothing left to chance. Beneatha strongly wants to be a doctor and she seems to not care where she lives as long as she’s happy there and she’s happy with who she’s with. The evidence I have for this is just her personality and how she talks about her relationship with her rich boyfriend. It seems as though she doesn’t really care that he’s rich if she doesn’t like him as a person. She seems to like the African intellectual much more even though he is not as rich. The play exemplifies the ordinary person’s American dream in that it shows a (for the most part) happy family living in suburbia. Mama receives a large sum of money for the time and helps the family start a new life where they are happier. This seemed to be what Mama worked towards with her husband her whole life.
In my opinion, the American Dream is becoming financially successful and achieving some sort of dream in America. Whether it be becoming the CEO of a billion-dollar company or simply having the ability to provide a stable life for your family, lots of Americans and American immigrants have created their own American Dream. My American Dream would be going to college and medical school, becoming a doctor, and eventually being able to give my family a comfortable, joyous life. The most important part of my American Dream would be having the ability to give my family, specifically my children, an enjoyable life. To me, it doesn’t matter what I do for a living, as long as I can give my children the same opportunities I was given and more.
In the play, each character had their own American Dream. Walter’s dream was to open a liquor store with his friends and become rich. He was motivated by the hardships he had endured as an African American during the 1950’s. He wanted to use his father’s money to open the liquor shop with his friends, but he unwisely gives the money to his friend, WIlly Harris, who runs off with it. Mama, who is in charge of the money, has a different dream than Walter. She thinks Walter is reaching too far with his dream of opening the liquor store, and thinks a simpler life would suffice. She is tired of the discrimination she has faced throughout her entire life, and wants to live a more comfortable life. Mama’s dream is to move into a bigger house with her family and enjoy simple luxuries such as having a porch and garden. She ends up using part of the money to do just so. Beneatha’s dream, on the other hand, is more focused on personal fulfillment rather than her family’s; she wants to become a doctor and be able to independently support herself. She wants to use the money to pay for her medical school tuition. Walter’s wife, Ruth, doesn’t have much of an opinion of how the money is earned, but her dream revolves mostly around giving her son a better life. In the beginning of the book, when Ruth discovers she is pregnant, her dream becomes even more apparent.
Even though all of their dreams differ, they all share the desire to be financially stable enough to provide for their loved ones. I believe this is the common underlying aspect of everybody’s American Dream, including my own. Though the social and political circumstances that people lived in in the 1950’s are vastly different than today’s, the American Dream depicted in the play is very similar to ordinary folks’. For example, Mama has been experienced more life than any other character, and dreams of an uncomplicated life where her only focus is happiness. She doesn’t need anything huge or to be better than anyone else. This is the case for a lot of older people. Typically, when people retire, they move into a smaller house in a place that will provide the simple pleasures in life. Ruth’s dream is also very similar to that of any ordinary mother’s. Throughout the play, she stresses that Travis, her son, will not have the life she wanted to give him if they stayed in their prior financial situation and home. All mothers share that same goal: giving their children a good life. In addition, the typical young American is very similar to Beneatha, who is excited and ambitious for the future. Beneatha’s dream is to become a doctor and possibly travel to Africa to explore her culture. Many young people share the same desire to learn about their roots and travel the world, and they also share the desire to be self-reliant.
Looking at the bigger picture, almost everybody’s American Dream embodies the same values: family and stability.
1. The American Dream, in my opinion, is possessing the opportunity to come from nothing, but still be able to obtain the essentials. By essentials I mean, being able to easily provide for yourself, loved ones, and the community. Easily providing for yourself and your loved ones go hand in hand. In my American Dream, providing for yourself and loved ones means easily being able to pay for a house, granting my family with a no fear mentality when it comes to purchasing clothing or food, and lastly the ability to sustain my self and partner throughout our lives and retirement. Next comes providing for the community. In my eyes, this means being financially stable enough to give back to those around you, or abroad. For instance, giving back to the community around you can include building an ice rink in your yard during the winter. Not only can you and your loved ones benefit from the rink, but the entire neighborhood can. When it comes to providing for those abroad, one example Is donating money to the less fortunate in another country. In conclusion, my American Dream not only grants myself with the ability to pamper and sustain myself and my family but being able to provide for my nearby community and those in a need abroad.
2. Throughout the play Raisin in the Sun, we see different ideas and views of the American Dream by the four main characters, Walter, Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha. I think Walter’s idea of the American Dream can be misleading. At first, it seems as if all Walter’s American Dream is just to satisfy his need for cash, but later on, in the play, we read about Walter’s idea of going into the liquor business and becoming very wealthy. Granting his son, Travis, the ability to choose any school he so pleases. In the End, Walter’s American Dream is just to make enough money to allow his family to choose their own lifestyle. Ruth’s American Dream is clear, make enough to provide for her family. We see this when Ruth Becomes pregnant, instead of even thinking about birthing the child, she heads straight for an abortion. Ruth knows that her family is struggling to get by as it is, and bringing a baby into the mix would just make it more difficult for them. Mama’s American dream is buying her own house. When Mama obtains a substantial amount of money from her late husband she distributes a small portion to Walter and Beneatha, and the rest goes towards the purchase of her house. Lastly, Beneatha American Dream is to be able to pay for school and become a doctor. We see Beneatha’s dream when she explains that she will become a doctor and travel to Africa.
3. Raisin in the Sun captures the American Dream of ordinary folk by proving through the main characters, that all their American Dreams are extremely similar. The Character’s dreams all include providing for themselves and their families. Walter and Ruth want the ability to sustain a living for their family, while Beneatha and Mama wish for the opportunity to better themselves and achieve their goals. Walter and Ruth both want what’s best for Travis and their family. Walter fantasizes about being able to give Travis the choice of where he goes to school. Mama and Beneatha however, want to not only better their family, but themselves. We see this with Mama wanting to buy a house of her own and Beneatha wanting to become a doctor. In the end, the play shows that essentially, ordinary folk has a very similar idea of the American Dream, Providing for not only their selves but their family.
To me, the American Dream is being able to achieve whatever I set my mind to through hard work and determination. America is the land of opportunity. My American Dream begins with graduating from college. Perhaps I will go to the University of Michigan. After that, I will go to med school somewhere else. Then, I will become a successful oncologist. I will live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood with my beautiful family of six. We will have a puppy too. In America, it seems as if anyone can accomplish whatever the put their minds to. In the scheme of things, my American Dream is to be happy and successful.
In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, the four main characters each have their own personal American Dreams. Unfortunately at this time, racial discrimination made success much harder for African Americans. Walter’s American dream was to invest in a liquor store. He thought he could rack up cash fast and become rich. He just wanted to make a decent living for his wife, Ruth, and his son, Travis. In the book, her risked everything just to try and invest in a liquor store. When it all came crashing down, he was crushed and confused. Ruth’s American Dream was to make the best life possible for her kids. She already had a son, Travis, and was pregnant with another one during the play. She constantly worried about being able to provide for the children. Her dream was to provide a decent life for her kids. In the book, she considered getting an abortion because she didn’t think she could provide an adequate life for her child. Mama’s American Dream was to live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. Often times, red lining prevented this. In the book, when she received her late husband’s insurance check, the first thing she did was buy a house in a white neighborhood. She didn’t care that this action sparked outrage; this dream was too important to her. She wanted her family to live comfortably in the new, big, beautiful house. Beneatha’s American Dream was to become a doctor. She was well-educated and in college. In the book, a portion of her father’s insurance check was supposed to be for medical school. Her brother, Walter, accidentally lost all of her medical school money due to an unwise decision. She wanted to defy societal norms and become an black, female, educated doctor.
Most of these characters’ American Dreams are similar to the American Dreams of ordinary folks. A common theme between Walter, Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha’s dreams were to be successful and happy. They all wanted the best lives they could possibly have for themselves and their families. Many ordinary folks have American Dreams similar to Beneatha’s. Beneatha wanted success in the medical field. Whether it be a doctor, lawyer, artist, or writer etc., most ordinary folks strive to achieve their career goals. If you love your job, you never work a day in your life after all. Success and happiness come with a career you love if you work hard enough.
My American Dream of success revolves around me working with computer in some way. For that past few years technology has risen greatly and the need for more people to manage the flow of current and future technologies is required. Even if I am not leading a company dealing with computers I still hope to lean towards having a high title relative to others.
In the Book, the main characters all embody the American Dream in some way. Walter, wants to invest in a Liquor shop in order to have a stable income source. This may allow his family to gain another source of income, and possibly change their situation for the better. Walter, on page 73, says in response to Mama that money is life, “(With immense passion) Because it is life”. Is reasoning in response to the question shows that the money can help achieve his dream a lot quicker than from the job as a chauffeur he currently has now. Beneatha, in the first scene of the book (Page 36?), defends her position in studying medicine despite her gender. This may show that Beneatha believes in an equal opportunity of education and occupation despite being female during a time where being this gender offered less opportunities. Mama, as described near the end of page 44 and start of 45, was said to have put great thought into buying a house in Morgan Park then fixing it up and adding a garden, but none of that ever happened. Mama, for a long time believed that she could make it out of her current neighborhood and actually envisioned her making a garden at the house she could have bought.
A Raisin in the Sun does a good job at explaining the American Dream from the eyes of normal people at the time. Characters from the book express their feelings of their dreams, either fulfilled or unfulfilled, in their life. One example is Mama and big Walter never actually buying the house in Morgan Park, despite their previous longing to buy the house after no more than one year in the family’s current living space. This shows that there is some struggle to the American dream and that there is sometimes a chance that it will never be accomplished. Expectations from dreams not coming true can be depressing at times, and this is shown through the story with some of the characters’ dreams never really becoming reality.
1. To me, the American Dream means to be happy and do what you love while being able to afford a standard living for you and your family. I believe it means that you can have any job that you love and want to keep working at while earning a comfortable living. I think the American dream means having a place to call your own, get a house paid for, have a job you liked, transportation, and take a vacation now and then. Those things didn’t seem so out of reach, but nowadays there is some much pressure. Part of the reason is that society puts pressure on people to have a lot of money and the perfect family, that we never rest. America is so go, go, go, that we try and accomplish what society displays as the American dream, but in reality, we end up not being happy, which is the most important part of the American Dream.
2. In the play Raisin in the Sun, the four main characters, Walter, Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha all have their own idea of an American Dream. Walter dream is to own a liquor store. Throughout the play, Walter is very upset because he can’t afford to invest in a liquor store. Walter feels that “don’t nothing happen for you in this world ‘less you pay somebody off!” Owning a liquor store is Walter’s American dream, as he believes that it will provide him and his family with a greater income so they will not have to live in poverty anymore. Walter talks about how eventually him, Ruth, and Travis will have a perfect life. With sports cars, perfect schools, and gardens. He thinks having money from the liquor store will make his family happy. Although Walter thinks the liquor store is a good idea, Mama thinks the liquor store would be un-Christian like and that they should spend the money on a new house instead. At the beginning of the play, Mama mentions her dream house. They were going to move to a little place in Morgan Park and even had picked out a house. She didn’t want her family to live in the ghetto and to live in a good neighborhood. Ruth’s American Dream is to provide a good life for her son. She knows that Travis doesn’t have the best life. He eats cold food, can barely afford to bring a few cents to school activities, and doesn’t even have a real bedroom and sleeps in the living room. When Ruth finds out she is pregnant, she thinks about getting an abortion because she does not want to bring a child into the world that she can not provide for. Finally, Beneatha’s dream is to go to college. She wants to become a doctor and go to Africa. She wants to learn about her culture and see where she came from.
3. The play captures the American Dream of ordinary folks by portraying the American Dream as many different things. The play shows how the American dream can be to have a good education, make money, or provide for your family. The characters want to provide for their families and give them the best life. Beneatha also wants to go to college. Her scenario is much like college students today. She doesn’t have the money, but she still wants to get educated. The play also shows how achieving the American dream can take time. Mama and her husband had worked their whole lives and are just now achieving their dreams.
1.) My American dream is to be happy. To me, it does not matter the amount of money I’m making, the size of my home, or the perceived intelligence of my career. If what I’m doing is making me feel good, and not negatively impacting any other person, that is the most important thing. One thing that I think is focused too heavily on by people when directing the American dream is university and higher education. Obviously, college is a good thing, and can lead you to have a wonderful job, and your pick of what you would like to do one day. But, I don’t think it is the only road to that. College is no longer the only way to have a happy, healthy, and successful life, but the second anybody talks about the future and jobs, it is focused majorly on college, where you will go, what you will study, and what you’ll do after, and it is my opinion that this idea is more of a hindrance than a help to a lot of students. Personally, I don’t know exactly what I want to be when I’m older. Whether I decide to go to college or not though, I have to make the decision regarding what will be best for me and my future endeavors. Another part of my definition of the American dream is the equality between all people. I don’t individually have explicit experience with prejudice and discrimination, but I know that it is a big part of this country, when it clearly shouldn’t be. There are a lot of examples of attempts of have this reversed, such as the various marches and campaigns for equality throughout the past few years. My American dream does not necessarily have to have grand luxuries or exceptional additions, because although they are nice, and I will work hard to have those things in my life, they are not parts of the fundamental aspects of what is important to me in life. The important things are who I am as a person and how I lead my life accordingly.
2.) The American dream of Walter is to be a business owner. He struggled with money growing up, so he knew that with his own family, he wanted to be able to provide for them, with the business he could do so. He pestered his relatives about this idea and put larger than life plans into his son’s head to show to him that as a father, Walter was able to do what he set out to accomplish. In Act 2, Scene 2, Walter sits with Travis and says “You wouldn’t understand yet, son, but your daddy’s gonna make a transaction…a business transaction that’g going to change our lives.” He is making all of the plans and his dream is that they will become a reality soon. Mama’s American dream is along the same lines as Walters. She doesn’t want to be a business owner, but she does want to be able to provide for her family. Since they did struggle somewhat when her children were young, the check they receive allows her to make a big difference in their lives. Her main priorities in life are her family, and her religion. In Act 2 Scene 2 she tells Walter to take a portion of money and put it all towards Beneatha’s future medical school costs. She wants to allow her family to depend on her for whatever is necessary. Ruth’s American dream is also family centered. She loves her family and wants to be able to do what is best for them. In Act 3 when it seems as though the family will not be able to buy their new house, or have any money, Ruth claims she will clean every kitchen in America if it means the family can have it easier than they currently did. Lastly, Beneatha’s dream is her education. She is one of the first of the family to go to college and this combined with the fact that she is a women of color in the 1950s adds a lot of stress for her. She spends her time, working, studying, or doing others things that will push forward her future. When she was out with George during Act 2, she chose not to have a particularly romantic relationship with him. Instead, she wanted to talk about the social issues facing Americans at the time.
3.) This play captures the American dream of an average person because that really is what this family is. None of them are particularly “special” in any capacity and are merely going about their everyday lives. Most people, unless you are in one of the minor percentages of the exuberantly rich, or drastically impoverished, have lives that go much the same way. Ruth works and takes care of her family, which, at the time was a very common way of life for a young wife and mother. Mama was retired and she also spends her time focusing on keeping her family well, and also devoting herself to religion. Again, a lot of the ordinary Americans of this age and at this time in history were doing similar things. Walter was the main bread winner for the family. He was the man of the house and due to the rigid social and gender roles, that was very common. Lastly, there was Beneatha who is actually mildly different. It wasn’t impossible, but it was mildly uncommon for women and especially women of color to be pursuing such high level careers. It definitely did happen though, and still represents a portion of Americans and their American Dreams.
My American dream is to get an exceptional education, make my family proud, and one day, give my offspring the right upbringing to also fulfill their dreams. I want to get into a good college and meet the love of my life. I want to travel the world. I wish to be happy, wealthy, and independent. My American dream is to be somebody in life. By any means, I’m going to achieve above and beyond the average goals. I want to leave a legacy for my family so those around us will be thrilled to have known us. I don’t want to be burdened with debt and stress, but rather have a carefree way of living.
Each character had a different view on what the American Dream truly is. Starting with Beneatha, she wanted a good education, a stable career in the medical field and didn’t mind if she did or didn’t get married. Beneatha didn’t believe in the woman depending on the man and would never let one downplay her. For example, in scene two, when she and George were talking, she questioned George’s thought process on not want to listen to her speak. She questioned why he’s even in college if he didn’t think the things she was discussing was even a little interesting; And with his answer, she ended the night with him. Additionally, Beneatha had her own social views on many topics and concepts in the society at the time: talking with Asagai about idealists, colonialism, and how being a doctor is the one decent thing she believes a human being could do and was very passionate about every one of them. Next, the American Dream of Ruth was very simple. She wished to live a happy marriage, healthy, successful children, in a stable house. For instance, after she found out Mama bought that house, she was ecstatic, regardless of finding out moments later that it was in an all-white neighborhood. In addition, in scene three, when Mama suggests canceling the move, she goes into a state of panic. Ruth volunteers many impossible tasks just to get her mother-in-law to see how desperately she needs to move. She speaks about how everyone can chip in on the house note and how she’ll even work extra. She states that she’ll work 20 hours a day in all the kitchens of Chicago, strap her baby on her back to scrub all the floors and wash all the sheets in America if she has to if they can take the risk and move out of their cramped apartment. Thirdly, since Mama grew up in a different time period, her American Dream is extremely different than her children’s’. When she and Big Walter were growing up, they dreamt of getting to the North safely and raising a functional, God-fearing family. Mama, unlike her children and other individuals in that generation, didn’t dare worry about money the way they did. The only thing that worried her was her husband’s distraught. Finally, Walter had probably the biggest American Dream in his family. He wanted to be wealthy. Walter had big hopes of owning a liquor store. He claimed that with the help of his mother’s money, he’d earn it all back and then some. Countless times, he’s told Ruth about his ambitions. He continued to badger and pester his mother to help him out and give him money for a loan. Eventually, his mother involuntarily gave him the funds that he tried to use to get the store and the permits. However, Willy Harris taught him that dreams can be destroyed in a blink of an eye.
The play captures the ordinary American Dream many times throughout the movie. In a brief sense, it shows the ambitions of 3 different classes of African Americans. It shows the goals of a young woman, determined to be a prosperous individual in America despite already having to work twice as hard to be noticed, (Beneatha). She wants the break boundaries and exceed even the highest expectations of herself and those around her. It reveals the urgency of a mother’s heart. Both Mama and Ruth want the best for Travis, along with Ruth’s upcoming addition to the family. Mama wants her children to do better and stop being troubled over money. Ruth wants to keep her marriage in-tact, better herself/maintain sanity, and, (if she decides to keep it), have a good life for her new child. Finally, this play shows the struggles of an ambitious black man. Walter wants to get out of the black hole but always seems to take 30 steps backward after every 2 steps forward. Walter tries to fight everyone around due to their judgment of he and his ideas. This play displays the American Dream of numerous groups among the Black Community.
1. The traditional American dream is not exactly what my dream that I have. In the normal American dream one would get a suburban house, start a family and have a job. My version of my American dream I would have a job, I would preferably not live in a suburban house like the one I live in today, I would Prefer to live in a much more rural and quiet area with a woods I could do what ever I want in. I also would start a family probably. I would also go to college and find a well paying job which is part of the originally American dream I guess.
2. All of the characters in Raisin In The Sun have there own Version of the American dream. Walter is ashamed of him and his families Living arrangements and economic status. Walter wants more money and to make his family happy, to fix him and his families’ problems he becomes a manager of liquor store. He Quits his job as taxi Driver and Opens up his liquor store not jus t to raise money for himself but to give some to his future children to but a better place to live in. Mama’s American dream is to get her own home to live in and to not live in very poor conditions. Mama wants to have enough money to buy a home and start a garden. Her Dream is to one day be able to live in conditions like that of a white American family. Ruth’s Version of the American dream is much like Mamas version of the American dream. Ruth does not require collect a large collection of money to fulfill her version of the American dream. This dream being that she wants to buy a house to raise her son and give him a better life then she had. Beneathas Version of the American dream is not exactly a American dream. Her Dream is to move back to Africa and become a doctor. She desires to learn more about her ancestors before they arrived onto the American continent.
3. The American dream portrayed by ordinary people in the play is to buy a house, get a job to provide for family and make be able to produce enough money for their children to be able to fulfill their version of the American dream. Examples of this dream are closest to Mama and Ruth, Mamas dream was to buy a house and make enough money to raise her son and live like rich white men which is very close to and arguably the same as the ordinary folks American dream.
An American Dream can consist of many things that brings people happiness. Everybody has different desires and contrasting ideas of the American Dream. My American Dream is a land of equality and peace. Much of the world is full of hate and prejudice with negative people and cruel actions. Everybody would be happier and living better with a more positive environment. When all of mankind are genuinely compassionate, loving people, that is my American Dream. I think our world today still struggles with the idea of everybody being equal with the same opportunities. People disrespect anybody that doesn’t fit the norm of society. On top of that, being a woman, equality is even worse. Americans still disrespect women and favor men over them. We are paid less, given fewer opportunities, and treated worse. In my “perfect world” everybody would be given the same opportunities and respect from all people. Another desire of mine is to reach true happiness, no matter what stage of life I am in. However, in order to fulfill this need, my country must allow it. Not only with the given freedom, but with the actions of other people. Like I previously stated, if everybody was treated kindly and our environment was more peaceful, I believe all Americans would be much happier and living the true American Dream.
In Raisin in the Sun, the desires from most of the characters are related to the $10,000 check that Mama receives. Each person has a different idea of how to spend it and to fulfill their own interpretation of the American Dream. Walter wishes to use it to invest in a liquor store. He believes that the only way to be successful is to earn money and provide for his family. His goal is for the store to become extremely successful and to allow his family to no longer live in poverty. The liquor store symbolizes power as it would give Walter a sense of dominance in the world. He wishes to be the head of the family and the “man of the house” to live up to his dead father’s duty. In Beneatha’s eyes, the American Dream is getting a good education, pursuing a good career, and marrying a good man to later create a family. This is shown when as we experience her dating journey. She wants to marry the best man who would set her up for a loving relationship in the future. She also wishes to travel to Africa to learn more about her culture. Medical school is another dream of hers. She would like to use the money to help her through the expensive classes. She wants to be a very successful African American women and prove the social norms wrong. Ruth’s American Dream is simply a safe, healthy family. All she wants is the best for her family. Although more money is definitely needed, she will support and love her family through thick and thin. Her son, Travis, eats cold food and sleeps on the couch. She wishes for the day to come where she won’t worry about not having enough resources to aid Travis. She is always anxious and worried about their lack of money. When she gets pregnant, she contemplates an abortion because of her nervousness about not being able to support another child in this world. Mama’s goal is to provide the life she never had to her family. She wants them to have more money, better life experiences, and to learn from her mistakes. She wants to use the money to buy a new house in a new, fresh neighborhood. She wishes to begin a new life and lead her family to great success. She also wants her son to step up and fill the role of her dead husband, his father, and learn to take control of his family. She tries to guide him by trusting him with the rest of the money. Sadly, she was let down as he did not follow her orders and ended up losing the rest of the money.
This play captures the American Dream of ordinary people in the sense of money. The family was very poor, living in an extremely small apartment, and struggling to get by. The American dream for most people is to have a supporting job, provide for your family, and live comfortably. This is shown when Walter wants to invest in the liquor store to increase his salary and help dig his family out of the poverty hole they are in. Ruth wishes for her family to one day have a stable income and to no longer worry about not having enough money. However, the Youngers monetary struggle doesn’t affect their relationships. There is a ton of love and respect for each individual and the family as a whole. The play shows that every family can achieve the American dream no matter the color of their skin or how much money they have. The American dream is achievable however it takes hard work and the play shows this throughout all of the characters. Mama, Ruth, and Walter work extremely hard for their family and do their best to supply a steady income.
The American dream for me is to be successful. I would like to attend a good university where I can get an undergraduate degree and then move on to a different university to get my graduate degree. I would want to move to a big city with lots of opportunities as soon as I finish college. I want these degrees to earn me a job where I can make a lot of money and be happy. I want my job to be able to support me and help out my family as well. I value my happiness so I would like my job to be something that makes me happy and isn’t something I do for the rest of my life just to make money. Eventually I would like to move to suburbs and get married and have kids. I would like to be making enough money to be able to support all of them and the rest of my family. I want to be able to travel to places throughout the world and not worry about the expenses of it. Lastly I want to be remembered as a smart and successful person who left a great life for my family.
Walter’s American dream was to be a successful business owner in America by buying and owning a liquor store with his three friends. He also wanted to be able to provide better for his family because they don’t have a lot of money and Walter isn’t proud of it. Walter believes that owning a liquor store will be able to make him more money and he dreams of becoming rich. Mama’s American dream is to give her family a nice house that they can live in and be happy. In the play mama completes this goal and buys a house that they can enjoy. What Ruth wants for her American dream is to be able to live happily with her family and live a nice big house instead of a small apartment. Ruth does not want to have a lot of wealth like Walter but wants to be comfortable and give her son a better life than she had. Beneatha doesn’t really have an American dream but has a dream to move to Africa and become a doctor. She wants to learn about Africa and where her people originated from.
The play captures the American dreams of Walter, Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha. It captures the four different American dreams and shows that everyone has a different American dream. Walter wants to be able to own a business and become rich and provide his family and himself with a better life. Mama wants to be able to provide her kid’s with a house and a place where they can be safe from all their troubles. Beneatha wants to be able to become a doctor but doesn’t want to live in America anymore. And Ruth wants to be financially stable and give her son a life which was better than her own. I think the play shows that everybody’s American dream is to become wealthier and be able to provide better for their families but everybody wants it in a different way.
1. My American dream is to be successful and to have a happy healthy family. To me, being successful isn’t just having a high-paying job. Instead, I want to love my job and be happy while I do what I love. I want to be able to provide for my family, as well as make my children’s dream come true. My American dream is to be happy and have the ones I love to be happy as well. I would like to live in a nice house with a good relationship to the people living around me. My American dream includes doing what I love while being surrounding with the people I love. I want to be able to provide for my family and have a healthy, happy relationship with them. I would also love to travel the world and do what I love without having to worry about money. My American dream includes being successful and having a happy healthy family. My American dream also includes America as a whole. My dream is to have a peaceful world, filled with love and not hate. My dream also includes equal rights for all.
2. In the play, Raisin in the Sun, there are four main characters who express their idea of an American dream. Walter has an attraction to money and being able to start his own business. Although throughout the play, it was obvious Walter was obsessed with making money, his American dream goes beyond that. Specifically, Walter’s dream is to own a liquor store, and eventually earn enough money to properly provide for his family. Besides becoming wealthy, part of Walter’s American dream is to give his son Travis a better life and more opportunities as he grows up. He feels helpless because of his job being a chauffeur, he can’t properly support his family. He feels bad that his son Travis has to live in a small, dingy apartment, while sleeping in the living room. I believe Walter wants to own a liquor store, not only to earn money, but so he has a purpose in life. I think he needs something to keep him going and so he can work towards providing for his family. He wants to make something great of his life, such as owning a liquor store, something that he can call his own.
Mamas American dream is to live in a nice house along with her family, which she has a loving relationship with. In the play, Mama specifically expressed that her and her husband were never able to afford to move out of the small apartment. Mama has always wanted to live in a cute house along with her family. She said that she wants to fix up the house and create a little garden in the back. I believe Mamas American dream is to live happily with her loving family in a house. Throughout the play, she expressed multiple times that money wasn’t as important to her than it was to the rest of her family. Mamas American dream includes living in a cute little house surrounded with the people she loves. Mamas American dream is having the best for her kids, as well as her kids being able to live out their own dreams
Ruth’s American dream is to provide for her family. Ruth’s dream includes having a happy family. Throughout the play, Ruth expresses that she wants a better place to live while being surrounded by the people she loves. In the play, she can’t wait to move out of the apartment, and it ecstatic when she learns mama has bought a house for them to live in. I believe Ruth wants to provide for her kids and wants them to have the best life they can. When she learns she’s pregnant, her first thought is to get an abortion because she knows they might suffer. Ruth is concerned they won be able to provide for the baby, especially when Travis is sleeping in the living room. Ultimately, Ruth’s American dream is to provide for her family and live in a house with her loving family.
Beneatha’s American dream is to be successful. At the beginning of the play she talks about going to school to ultimately becoming a doctor. She wants to be successful, but she has a hard time finding what’s right for her. Beneatha is mocked by mama for trying multiple things before finally deciding she wants to become a doctor. This leads me to believe that Beneatha not only wants to become successful, but make sure she is doing what she loves. Her mind changes once again when she decides that moving to Africa would be the right thing for her. Her long-standing dream is to become a doctor but carry out her dream while living in Africa.
3. The play captures the American Dream of ordinary folks, by telling the story of four people with different dreams they want to explore. Although Walters dream is to become wealthy, it is also shown in the play that he ultimately wants the best for his son, and to be able to provide for his family. Ruth and Mama are a perfect example of how achievable it is to follow your dreams. Although Ruth and Mama don’t have the best paying jobs, or come from a wealthy family, they are still able to achieve their dreams. For most people the American Dream is to be successful, or at the very least provide for their family. The play shows that It is possible for anyone to accomplish their goals and follow their dreams no matter their economic status or color of their skin. Mama was finally able to carry out her dream of moving into a nice house with her family. Ruth and Mama were able to work hard and push through the obstacles to achieve their dreams, showing that ordinary people can accomplish their dreams as well.
1.The American Dream is the belief that any hardworking american can reach their desired dreams if they put in the hard work and determination. I think that is true, and that every american can reach their goals but I disagree with the fact that we all start on an even playing field. Some people could aspire to become a surgeon but won’t have steady enough hands to do the job, while others never have to worry about money because they have millions of dollars through inheritance. You can Reach your dreams but you may have to put in even more effort than someone else. My American dream is to become successful and provide for a family in a nice environment.
2. Walter, Mama, Ruth, and Beneatha all show their own american throughout the story. Walter’s American Dream was to use the inheritance money to own a liquor store and solve all of his economic problems for him and his family. Providing for his family is his main concern, but he wants to take a risk with the store knowing that he has that opportunity. Ruth, Walter’s wife, aspires for a better house and life for her family, but doesn’t want a lot of money like Walter. Mama’s american dream is to live in a better house for her family and she achieves this goal by the end of the play with help from the money from her husband. Beneatha’s american dream is to become a doctor and help “That was what one person could do for another, fix him up – sew up the problem, make him all right again. That was the most marvelous thing in the world…I wanted to do that. I always thought it was the one concrete thing in the world that a human being could do. Fix up the sick, you know – and make them whole again” (Pg. 133). She wanted to use the insurance money to pay for her medical school and achieve her dream.
3. This book captures the American dream of ordinary people because it shows a couple different ways people express their dream. Walter for example wants to buy the liquor store and become successful for his family. He wants to make it in the land of opportunity and is willing to put in the hard work for his American dream. Beneatha has a different vision of the american dream where she wants to become successful with her work and help people out, opposed to helping herself.
1.The American dream varies for each person in this nation. Although for me it’s quite simple, I want to be happy and be able to provide for my family, current and my future family with kids. I don’t seek much, what I mean by being happy is that I want to be happy in my later life, not worrying about negative things. This may come with making a certain amount of income, for me to help pay for some stuff for my Mom, and brothers are the most important thing to me. I see so much struggling with my family and it would honestly be a dream to just take those worries away, even if it is for a second. To do this I would need a successful job. I want to make enough money so that my Mom wouldn’t have to worry for her whole life about paying a debt off, and enough money to just help when my brothers need some. Also with having this much money, I would not want to have to worry about money later in my life. This type of money is a large sum but it is a dream isn’t it? And if it’s an American dream I’ll reach for the stars with my goals. This is just my personal American dream, but I dream for more for example. I want to live in an America where everyone is accepted for exactly who they are, and where freedom is still a core value in this country. This is a utmost importance when it comes to my dream, I dream of living in a country where my kids won’t have to be worried about being hated for who they are. A healthy environment, a successful career, and a happy life is all I seek for my American dream.
2.Each of the four main characters to A Raisin in the Sun had different ideas of the American dream. Firstly being Walter; Walter wanted to invest in a liquor company with his friends, he heard stories of how they knew people that got rich of off it. He wanted to be the sole provider for his family so his wife and children wouldn’t have to worry about working their whole lives. He says in the book to his son Travis that whatever he wants he will get it for him once they become successful, that he didn’t want Travis to have to worry about the problems that he did growing up. Altogether his American dream was just being able to provide for his family and living his life a little extravagantly. Ruth had a similar dream to Walter, except it wasn’t filled with so much greed about money. She had a simple plan for her life, she just wanted a nice house where Travis could grow up comfortably. She didn’t want her children to worry about their problems and enjoy being a kid while they could. Beneatha, on the other hand, had one main dream that was her characters passion. She wanted to help people. She talks about how one day she and Walter were going down a snow pile and one of the kids got a huge cut on their head, she continued to say how the ambulance arrived and brought him back with just a stitch on his head. She wanted to fix up and cure people. This is why she went to college to become a doctor, she also wanted to be connected to her heritage and her roots. Mamas dream was to just provide for her family. She wanted her family to all be apart of each other’s lives and live a nice happy life. She talks about how all she ever really wanted was a nice garden that she could call her own. She wanted a house so her family wouldn’t have to worry about that type of stuff and could live happily.
3.This play captures the American dream of average folk through some of the characters. Most people in the play wanted a dream that was accessible and reasonable, not something that was totally out there that seemed a little too good to be true. In the play, we can see that Ruth just wanted a house where she could raise her children, nothing too glorious but something that could change one’s life for the better. I feel that in the play the American dream transcended between races, it was, for the most part, the same. Whites and blacks wanted almost the same dream, which was to live a noble life, live in a comfortable neighborhood, and give their children an easier life than they had.
1. I think the American dream is to come to earth with nothing but yourself. You have nothing, but because it is America you are able to find a job and then get a steady paycheck to help you eat, find shelter and grow a family. My American dream would be to go to a good college that would get me my undergraduate degree, then go to an even better college to get my graduate degree. I’d get a job in something I like to do, but also something that makes a lot of money. I want to get married when I’m older and expect to have kids of my own. I’d want to be able to provide for my family in the best way I possibly can. I’d want a big house but not a mansion. I would want a job that both supports me but also supports the community. I would push to end racism, and violence around the world, not just the United States.
2. In A Raisin in the Sun, a play by Lorraine Hansberry, one of the main characters, Walter, has a dream. He wants to start his own liquor store and make lots of money. He doesn’t just love money for himself, he wants to make money so he can provide for his family and give Travis a better life and greater opportunities than he had. He doesn’t want Travis to grow up poor. Ruth’s dream is to be able to provide for her family. She has one child, Travis, and another on the way during the play. She was thinking about getting an abortion because she thought they wouldn’t have enough money to support another child. She does not want to live in their small apartment any more and believes if they choose for the money to be used for a new house, she will be able to care for her family better. Mama’s dream is to move out of their apartment they had been stuck in for years. She doesn’t think money is important to her and thinks it should be used on the rest of the family. She wants the best for her kids and wants to live with them in a house so they can all care and love each other. Beneatha’s dream is to become a good and well-off student. She wants to get a good education and become a doctor. She wants to pursue a job in which she loves. She thinks moving to Africa would be the right thing for her and she pursues the career in being a doctor, but also living in Africa.
3. The play shows the American dreams of ordinary people by showing the different perspectives of four different people. They all have the same situation in front of them. They are both not completely poor and they are not rich. They are just ordinary. The father wants to open a liquor store so he can provide for his family with a steady job. Ruth and Mama want a larger house so they can raise their families better than they were raised. They want their children to have better opportunities than they had living in that small apartment. Beneatha’s dream is to be a successful student and follow her dream of becoming a passionate doctor. The play shows that people can achieve great things and follow their dreams not worried about how much money they have in their bank account or the color of their skin.
My American Dream is to get a good education, be able to provide for my family and be able to enjoy life. I would like a good education and to go to an exceptional university so I can be successful in whatever profession I go into. I would also like to raise a family and be able to live in a nice neighborhood. I am not really concerned about being rich but, I would like to earn enough money to help support my parents and the rest of my family. I would also like to take trips and be able to enjoy life instead of working all the time. When I die, I would like to know that I helped set my kids up to enjoy their lives and be successful in America.
Walter’s American Dream is to be a successful entrepreneur. He wants to own a liquor store and help his family. Walter’s dream is so important to him that he gets defensive when he thinks people are trying to end his dream. Walter even tells Travis that he will be working in an office as an executive and he will own a black Chrysler. Walter fantasizes about having a gardener and being able to buy Ruth a Cadillac convertible and getting Travis into a good university. Ruth’s American Dream is to have a better more spacious place for her family to live. Throughout the story, Ruth discusses how she would like a bigger place for her family to live. Ruth was delighted when Mama announced that she bought a new place for them to live. Ruth was so passionate about this new house, that when Mama suggested that they don’t move Ruth started to get upset. Ruth even offered to work 20 hours in Chicago kitchens if they could move. Mama’s American Dream was similar to Ruth’s dream. Mama wanted a better house and to be able to provide for her family. To help this dream come true, she even bought a house in an all white neighborhood even though it could cause them problems in the future. Mama also instructed Walter to use $3,000 for Beneatha and gave some more to Walter so they could focus on their dreams and be able to provide for themselves. Beneatha’s American Dream was to become successful and happy. Beneatha was trying to be a doctor but she also tried a few other things before that. Beneatha was trying different things because she was trying to be happy with herself and her decisions.
The play showcases how people can have different interpretations of how to achieve the American Dream but most people want the same basic thing. Walter only cared about being rich with his family. Mama and Ruth had a different interpretation. They didn’t care about money much and cared more about providing for the family. They didn’t want to set the family up to fail in life. Beneatha cared more about self-fulfillment. She tried to have different experiences so she could find out what made her happy. They all had one major goal in common though, they wanted to be happy but that had different ways of reaching that happiness.
1. The American Dream is the freedom of prosperity and success, to move upward in society as long as you work hard. My American Dream Is to get into Harvard and study in Engineering. Once I get my master degree I would want to build something I would really enjoy. Do I have an idea of what I’ll build none once so ever but it I’d imagine it will be marvelous. Another dream is to become a millionaire and spend my retirement in luxury once my time has passed I imagine my children will be able to live the life I wish I had as a child and never have to worry anything money related.
2. In the play Raisin in the Sun the American dream is alive and vibrant and the main characters are proof of it. Walter the hard-headed worker has the most evident American Dream who wants to invest in a business in order to become rich and provide his family better than he ever could as a limousine driver. Walter just isn’t satisfied with his life he’s obsessed with money and all of its tales but he can never seem to grasp it. Ruth, Walter’s wife, doesn’t have that big of an American Dream but hers is as good as any other: Ruth just wants her family to be happy. Does that mean she wants Mama’s money? No, Ruth doesn’t like what the money is doing to the family it changed them it’s all Walter and Travis talk about like it’s theirs. Beneatha dream is to become an aspiring doctor who’ll help anyone whos in need of her knowledge. However, no one in the house seems to support it especially Walter who’s aggressively against it due to all the sacrifices they made to help her get into the school. Not only does Beneatha want to be a doctor she also wants to try really anything, but she also wants to experience the world and all that it holds. The Parent of Walter and Beneatha, Lena is the owner of their quaint apartment and owner of the 10,000$ check. The only thing Lena wants is a big house and a nice little garden to come along with it.
3. The play Raisin and the Sun can relate to many people especially those of the middle class who also aspires to move upward in society themselves. Walter can relate extremely close to this perspective of the American Dream being that his Dream was also to get out of the chauffeur biz and take a step in investments to become a rich man who’ll never have to cater to some else beck and call. Another dream anyone parent can relate to is the dream of living in a nice big house with a peaceful neighborhood and safe school. This Dream has to go to Ruth and Lena because all they want is a house with enough rooms for all of them so Travis doesn’t have to sleep in the living room anymore. Finally, one that I and many other students can relate to is the Dream of pursuing their own dream career, which Beneatha wants to do following her dream to become a doctor.
Blog #114- What is the American Dream?
1. When people say “The American Dream” everyone has a different opinion to what that means to them. Whether it mean success, happiness, money, freedom or whatever you imagine. To me “The American Dream” means to live a happy life and successful life. To me that means that I would graduate from a good college. Then move on to a profession that makes me pleased with my life. I would also like to be married and have kids one day.
2. In the play, A Raisin in the Sun the four main characters all have different dreams for what they want in life. When Walter finds out about the check his mother is receiving he knows right away what he would do if he got the money. Walter’s American Dream is to own a liquor store. He believes that if he were to invest him money into a liquor store, eventually it would grow and be enough to help provide for his family. However, his dreams didn’t work out due to him losing the money, when Willy steals it. On the other hand, Walter’s sister Beneatha dream is to get a good education and help cure people. Beneatha seems like a hard-working woman who desires to accomplish her dreams. With the opportunity to go to Africa with Asagai, for practicing medicine, her dreams seem not far away. Mama’s American Dream is to fulfill her and her husband’s dream. Which is moving into a better home where there is a nice garden that she can look after and a big yard where the children can play. With the money her husband worked for, she seemed to be able to move into a nicer home. Ruth and Mama’s American Dreams are quite similar, Ruth wants a happy family, where she would get along with her husband. She also seems to want to move to a better place so Travis can have his own room.
3. This play captures the essences of ordinary people dreams because they are attainable. For each character, the could reach their goal through hard work. For an example, the mother’s dream is accomplished at the end through the hard-work her and her husband put in throughout their lives. Their family now get to live in a nice neighborhood, with a garden.
1.) The American dream is often described as being an equal opportunity for every man or woman, regardless of race or sexual orientation, to achieve success or move up from their social class. My dream follows these guidelines, and I hope that as an adult I will be free to pursue my goals without prejudice due to my gender and sexual orientation. More specifically, I hope to freely marry whomever I please without active judgement, even if we are the same sex, and to pursue a career in medicine without my identity affecting my chances of being successful.
2.) The American Dream for the cast of Raisin in the Sun differs for each character. Mama came from the most humble beginnings of all of the characters, therefore her dreams are the most humble. The most important thing to Lena Younger is family, and though she often has difficulty connecting with her children because of her conservative values, her dream is to provide them the tools to rise up from their circumstances. She wishes to purchase a more suitable house for a family of five. She also gives portions of the insurance check to Beneatha’s college fund and Walter’s investments. This funds her children’s American dreams. Beneatha’s hopes are to study medicine and become a doctor, and to emancipate African Americans from their ignorance of their original culture. Assimilation into white society is something that she is disgusted with, and even more so disgusted that other people of her own race are perfectly fine with it. This is expressed very clearly when she cuts off her hair, or dresses in traditional Nigerian clothing. She hopes to enlighten them, and reintroduce African culture in American society, even though the actions she will take to do so remain unclear at the conclusion of the play. Becoming a doctor will eventually raise Benny from her current socioeconomic status, which also ties into her brother’s dream. Walter wishes to rise from his family’s poverty, and provide what he has never been given to his own family. This wish is expressed through an investment of a liquor store with his mother’s insurance money. He believes that his race inhibits his goals, which to a point is in fact true, but is often used as a crutch to excuse his lack of prosperity. His wife, Ruth, has similar dreams to Mama. She wishes to be able to raise her family in better place to live, which is impossible due to the lack of money in their household (until Mama buys one with the life insurance reimbursement). The dreams of all the characters in this play are deferred by their race and socioeconomic status, contrary to what the American dream preaches.
3.) The American Dream in this play is portrayed in a very realistic sense. We are often so busy getting through our lives that we don’t have time to rationalize our goals into an attainable goal, or we’re like Walter, and blame our shortcomings on our oppression from society. The play also represents achieving the American dream, such as with Ruth and Mama. They eventually buy a house with the money from Mr. Younger’s life insurance. The play shows that our hopes do not easily come true, such as with Walter’s failure, and that we have to work hard to keep them, such as with the new house.
1.) My American Dream is to actually be able to live freely and equal as this country frequently promises. In America we love to flaunt how free we are and how we can be anything we want to be because this is the land of opportunity. However, time and time again I have seen people being judged and treated unfairly for their differences (gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc). It hurts my heart to see that I have basically been lied to when I have been promised this great wonderland of freedom and equality, yet what I have received is completely lackluster in comparison. I just wish to be able to live without fear of being hurt mentally or physically by those who refuse to uphold the promise of the United States.
2.) Walter desires to become rich and formulates a plan with his friends, but mostly Willy Harris, to gain more wealth. He wants to invest his father’s money that was meant for insurance into a liquor store venture. Ruth wishes to rekindle the love that she and her husband, Walter, share. Their marriage is clearly problematic, as demonstrated in their little squabble in the first Act, and she wishes for Walter to be the man that she fell in love with again. Lena, or “Mama”, dreams for her family to move up in the world and out of poverty. She is clearly creating some sort of plan to make this dream a reality, as she wants to use her husband’s insurance money (which also wants to be used by Walter) as a down payment on a house with a backyard. Beneatha, who is an intellectual, dreams of becoming a doctor, and is working hard to achieve that dream as she is better educated than any member of the Younger family as attends college.
3.) The play captures the American Dream of “ordinary folks” by demonstrating how hard work can eventually lead to a desired result. Each main character has a specific dream they would like to make into a reality. Although their dreams are more personal, the play still shows how each character is working hard to achieve them, the ideal manner of an American at the time. Whether it’s Beneatha’s college work to become a doctor or Walter’s desire to become rich, the play captures how each of them are working to achieve their dream.
My American dream is to live a comfortable life with a successful job to support a family. Firstly, I want to graduated high school with all of my friends and family and be happy for it. Next, I want to go to college and study in some type of science, and get a master’s degree for it. I want to live near my parents, wherever they choose after I move out, and hope to have the support of them for whatever I believe in. I would contribute and help out my community. Additionally, I’d like support of my new family as well. Essentially, my American dream is to be successful, make people happy for themselves and others, and make a difference or a positive impact on the nation.
In the play, it was described that Walter’s dream was to open a liquor store, and be able to live a great and happy life. He believed that the American dream was about making money and proving your wealth to others, which was shown when him and Mama were conversing on their views. Walter also wanted his son to have a better life because of it. Unlike Walter’s dream, Mama’s point of view on the American dream was freedom, and what she gained in terms of rights because of it. Her dream also consists of supporting her family and giving them a house to live in. She attempts this when receiving a large check, and put all of it to good use, such as saving money for her children to go to college. Though this, she also wanted to move her family to a different area, and was able to do so near the end of the book when the family moved into Clybourne Park, a white neighborhood. Beneatha’s dream of America consisted of her want for America to be equal in terms of gender roles in the workforce. This was demonstrated in the novel when she openly stated she wanted to become a doctor, rather than a nurse, which puzzled everyone at the time. She also wanted to help people. Ruth’s dream consisted of her family living in a home together happily, rather than accumulating large amounts of money.
The book captures the American dream of ordinary folks because the four main characters were ordinary folks. All four characters consisted of realistic dreams, of which may have been achievable through effort. Though having different views on how to achieve it, whether it be through wealth for comfort and happiness, Walter and Ruth both believed in securing the best possible lives for themselves and their family, which was common at the time. Beneatha wants to make a difference and change society by helping people in way by which were not thought to be “standard”. Mama believed in improving conditions for her family, and was a great example of following your dreams. Each of the members of the Younger family believed in a different American dream. The family was ordinary, and represented the different ways to and ideas of this dream.
Let me redo my comment since I posted too soon:
My American Dream is to actually be able to live freely and equal as this country frequently promises. In America we love to flaunt how free we are and how we can be anything we want to be because this is the land of opportunity. However, time and time again I have seen people being judged and treated unfairly for their differences (gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc). It hurts my heart to see that I have basically been lied to when I have been promised this great wonderland of freedom and equality, yet what I have received is completely lackluster in comparison. I just wish to be able to live without fear of being hurt mentally or physically by those who refuse to uphold the promise of the United States.
Walter desires to become rich and formulates a plan with his friends, but mostly Willy Harris, to gain more wealth. He wants to invest his father’s money that was meant for insurance into a liquor store venture. Ruth wishes to rekindle the love that she and her husband, Walter, share. Their marriage is clearly problematic, as demonstrated in their little squabble in the first Act, and she wishes for Walter to be the man that she fell in love with again. Lena, or “Mama”, dreams for her family to move up in the world and out of poverty. She is clearly creating some sort of plan to make this dream into a reality, as she wants to use her husband’s insurance money (which also wants to be used by Walter) as a down payment on a house with a backyard. Beneatha, who is an intellectual, dreams of becoming a doctor, and is working hard to achieve that dream as she is better educated than any member of the Younger family as attends college.
The play captures the American Dream of “ordinary folks” by demonstrating how hard work can eventually lead to a desired result. Each main character has a specific dream that they would like to make into a reality. Although their dreams are more personal to them, the play still shows how each character is working hard to achieve them, the ideal manner of an American at the time. Whether it’s Beneatha’s college work to become a doctor or Walter’s desire to become rich, the play captures how hard each of them are working to achieve their dream.
1. The American Dream to me is coming up with an idea, working hard, and reaching your goal. One goal is to work hard enough in school to get a scholarship for a college that will set me up for success. Receiving a scholarship to a school would take some of that pressure off of my parents to send three kids to college at the same time. Even though I would like this assistance, my dream is to get a degree in something that I love and want to do for the rest of my life, not something I’ll hate going to school for and working as. After my degree, my dream would be to be financially stable enough to get married and raise a family. Although I do want this family, my American dream does not consist of sitting at home and falling into the housewife role. I want to be independent and not reliant on only my husband to work to support our family.
2. The American dream differs for each of the four main characters. Walter wants to open a liquor store and is adamant about this throughout the whole play. This is his American dream as he feels that if he makes this company successful, he will be able to provide for his family and be able to climb out of poverty as well as will finally be his own boss. Although he is rude to many members of his family and most of them think it is unwise or unchristian to invest in a liquor store and his white partner, Willy Harris, this is Walter’s dream and he sticks with it. Ruth is Walter’s wife and has a very different dream than her husband. Ruth’s American dream is to move houses, keep her marriage stable and provide her kids with better opportunities. Overall, she wants what is best for her family and doesn’t really put her needs first at all throughout the play. Even when faced with the decision of abortion, she puts her families needs (money) before her own and originally decides to get rid of the baby even though she wants to keep it. Mama’s American dream is similar to Ruth’s as she wants what is best for her family to have a good life. She also agrees that a new home would be best for her family and she would feel accomplished because her dream would be fulfilled. Beneatha’s dream is different than all the rest. She is a college student who wants to go to med school. She faces challenges because she is black and a woman which make it seem like a pretty impossible task. But, given Beneatha’s personality and beliefs, she still wants this for her life and it is her American Dream.
3.The play focus’ on many different “American Dreams” of the common person, whether they are working for yourself, getting out of a certain neighborhood, doing what is best for your family or going to college. By having these four takes on the American Dream every person should be able to connect and relate, no matter your race, religion, gender, etc. This play also shows that your dreams are possible as shown by both Mama and Ruth. Mama’s dream was to move houses while Ruth’s was providing better opportunities for her son. Both Mama and Ruth succeeded in these dreams, even after Walter lost a huge chunk of the money to his “friend” and facing discrimination by their new neighbors. Furthermore, this play encompasses that even when faced with harder challenges than other people, you can overcome them and achieve what you want in life. This is what the American Dream is all about and what many people still today strive for.
My American Dream is to be successful. Money is definitely important, but besides that I would like to be able to have a family that I can care for. Once I finish high school I would like to attend a good college, then I want to get a job with two elements. First, it has to pay well, and second, I need to enjoy it. All my life my parents have told me “If you get a job you enjoy, you won’t have to work a day in your life” and I really want this in a job more than the salary. After I get a good job, I would like to be able to have a family that I can afford a nice home and nice things for. Over all of this though, I want to be happy, and that is really what the American Dream means to me; To be happy based on what you define happiness as, and be able to achieve that happiness with hard work.
The American Dream for Walter is mainly about money. He wants to be able to invest in a liquor store with his friend Willy Harris to be able to escape the poverty that the rest of his family faces. His Dream is also to be successful, as he wants to be seen as the man of the house, especially after he loses the money that Mama trusted him with. This is also an example of his obsession with wealth, as he cares more about his investment to make money than Beneatha’s doctor education, when he spends the $6,500. Ruth’s ideal American Dream is to be able to love. She wants a nice house for her family, and also so she can love Walter carefree. She shows this in the end when even though Walter and her went through rocky times, she still loves him and dances with him. Mama’s Dream is similar to Ruth’s, but differs as she wants mainly to care for her children. She wants the $10,000 for a nicer house for Travis to play in, and cares deeply for her own children. She supports Beneatha when she calls George a fool, and even gives money to Walter to invest when she has extra money. She wants a perfect family, but cares more about being a good mother figure than lover. Beneatha’s American Dream is to be accepted and have equal rights as a Black women. Unlike other characters, she does not fit into the typical poor African American stereotype, and seeks to better understand her culture. She shows this when she hangs out with Asagai. He is very in touch with his African Heritage, and she looks up to him in that regard. She also wants to be successful, similar to Walter as she wants to be a doctor and make money, but at the same time different as she wants what almost no Black women have been before.
The stereotypical American Dream is that no matter your background, you can work hard to be successful, in terms of wealth and happiness, as well as having a nice family. I think this play shows these facts very well, through each of the main characters dreams. Walter desperately wants to make money, and to escape poverty. He wants to move up in the world, as he is ashamed of his job as a chauffeur. The wealth aspect of the American Dream is shown through Walter, who wants to invest in the liquor store to make money, which is his version of success. Beneatha shows the equality part of the Dream. America was known for the fact that it has many opportunities for everyone, and Beneatha seeks those opportunities through becoming a doctor. She also explores her African culture, showing the diversity that is supposed to be seen in the idea American Dream. Lastly, many families in the 1900’s wanted to have a family with children, and Ruth and Mama both want the same thing. Ruth wants to be a loving wife to her husband, and Mama wants to be a wonderful mother. These are both what the ideal women would want in the sixties and seventies, and what many women did actually do.
1. My American Dream is simply to be as successful and happy as I can be. Anything that I can do to help others is a dream that I would like to live out to its fullest. Every day I’m surrounded by teachers helping students, coaches guiding players, and parents aiding children as they progress through life to become the best human they can be; someday hoping they can live out their American Dream as well. I want a piece of the action; I want to help out others not just for the good of the cause, but for a living. Not only is having a job where I can help people part of my dream, but starting and supporting a healthy, happy family is another part of my dream. Having kids and trying to provide them with everything that my parents have spoiled me with and more is a huge goal. Going on family vacations or eating Sunday dinner with a family is my American Dream. In addition to all of this, part of my dream is to be able to take wonderful care of my parents when they need it. I want to be in a position where I can talk or visit with them regularly, almost as a way of paying them back for everything they have done for me. Finally, the last but not least part of my American Dream is to become closer to God before I die. God is the explanation for everything in my life right now that is going well. He gives me strength when I need it, even when I may not deserve it. The least I could do to repay him is help others and practice what he preaches.
2. The Main four character in the play A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry all have an American Dream, but none of them are the same. Walter, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, and his mother Lena (mama) are all depending on Walter and Beneatha’s dead father’s insurance check to fulfill their dream, but the four of them can’t come to a conclusion of what they want to do with it. Walter really wants want to open up a liquor store and believes that doing so will help the family make enough money to be financially stable for the rest of their lives. Walter talks to his wife Ruth about the idea in the very first scene, saying how he was talking with his buddy about investing, but Ruth doesn’t support his idea. Walter faces some adversity in his plan when he takes the left over that mama has trusted him with to keep (not to invest) and he goes and invests it into liquor store at his friend Willy’s request. Walter’s companion Willy takes Walter’s investment money and skips town with it, leaving Walter with no money, no investment, and a lot of explaining to do. Next, Beneatha wants to become a doctor. Beneatha is going through medical school throughout the play, facing adversity through it all. In the first scene Walter shows no support for Beneatha’s dream of finishing med school, and George Murchison (who hopes to win Beneatha’s heart) doesn’t show much support for her aspirations either. In addition, Ruth, Walter’s wife, just wants whatever is best for her son Travis. She would like a new home to raise Travis in, but is also his with some adversity of her own when she discovers that she is pregnant with another child, but doesn’t want to add more financial burden to the family. Finally, Mama wants to move out of their apartment into a newer and nicer home that she feels will benefit everyone. Mama puts a down payment on a house in an all-white neighborhood, and faces possibly the most adversity when the neighborhood send a man by the name of Mr. Linder who offers Mama money to not move into the neighborhood because she is black. In the end, the Youngers do move into the house Mama bought, and go against the segregation that they were faced with. All in all, the Youngers accomplished something that wasn’t easy, fun, or even normal for the time period. The whole family faced adversity, but was able to “beat the odds” and make their dream come true, which is why it’s an American Dream.
3. Finally, the book exemplifies the common American Dream because of how they accomplished something that wasn’t easy with grit and determination. The Youngers live in a beat up apartment in the Southside of Chicago, and end up in a wonderful new house in an area where young Travis can grow up and have a chance to be more successful. All kinds of immigrants come to this country from all over the world with almost nothing, and work their way to having success and supporting a family. In the book, Mama doesn’t give in to Mr. Linder’s bribe to keep her black family out of the white neighborhood. Mama stands behind her want for a better house and life just how many American immigrants don’t give into racist views, they just keep working to accomplish their American Dream.
1. Personally, my American dream is to become successful. For starters, I would like to attend college in the near future. I want to focus somewhere in the engineering department, hoping to get at least a masters degree. With this, I want to work in a decent facility and be able to live comfortably. In order to do this though, I hope to end up being interested in what I chose to learn. I also want to be able to live and grow a healthy and nice family. It would be one of my biggest goals to be able to support those around me, and be able to impact the lives of others.
2. For starters, the American Dream for Walter was to be able to provide and support his family. To do this, he had a dream of opening a liquor store, which he spoke about what he pictured his life as after the store opened: No money issues, and his son could go to school wherever he wanted. He attempted this with the help of a nice portion of his mother’s check. Ruth just wants her family to be able to grow up happily and comfortably. She wants her family to be able to have a better life, while not having to worry about financial problems. Mama’s interpretation of the American Dream is to move her family to somewhere with more potential, and a place the can make theirs. The money from her recently passed husband allowed her to do this, helping the family get through a struggle of their own. Lastly, Bethany’s interpretation of her American Dream is the ability to become what she wants. Throughout the play, she stressed many times of her desires to become a doctor, as she went to college and constantly talked about this. Her boyfriend had also offered her to come and stay with her in Africa after finishing her degree. She had no intentions of just becoming a single “stay at home” mother like the rest of her family.
3. The play “Raisins in the Sun” captures the American dream of ordinary folks by conveying too many different audiences of people. Each member of the family has a different goal: Bethany wants to be able to go to college, as she wanted to become a doctor. Walter wanted to start and grow his liquor store business to help maintain and take care of his family. Mama wanted to help her family live to their potential by buying a new house in an area full of possibility. Finally, Mama just wanted to be able to sufficiently raise her children for the real world by any means. Each character had a very different viewpoint, symbolizing some of the many different interpretations of the American Dream.
My American Dream is to live a content life. I hope that throughout my life I strive to find people who keep me smiling all day. I want to make sure that my future family’s lives don’t ever have to take a toll for my sake and I hope that I will be able to provide for them. I also want to be something I know my kids will be proud of one day. I want to be a good enough parent to gain their trust.
Throughout the play, Mama is portrayed as a hard-working and down-to-earth woman. Her dream is for her children to be happy and for them to have a good life. In the play, she tries to buy a house for the family using the 10,000 dollars from the death. She believes the home will bring pride to Walter and their family, which will ultimately make Walter and his family’s life much better. Although she thinks the house is for the best, she keeps her dream alive and lets Walter invest in the liquor shop so that he will be happy. Ruth’s dream is similar to Mama’s. She wants to build a happy family and believes one step toward this goal is to own a bigger and better place to live. Throughout all her struggles in the play, she constantly chooses the options that would most benefit her whole family, not just her. Like when she found out she was pregnant, she didn’t want to abort the baby, but even knowing that it was illegal and expensive, she was planning on having an abortion to save her family from the economic stress another child would create. Walter’s dream is to be a valuable human being and is shown when he desperately wants to use the money in hopes of starting his liquor business. Walter wants to be respected and live a happy lifestyle for this family. He wants to be the head of the household and sees himself with a liquor store as having power. It isn’t until the end until he rethinks his values and his family’s future and realizes that he doesn’t just want to be rich, he wants to have what’s best for his family. Beneatha’s dream was to make a difference in how her race was treated. She also dreamed of becoming a doctor ever since she was young. She wants to break the gender barrier and make women and men equal. We see Beaneatha fulfilling her dream by traveling to Africa as a doctor with her boyfriend Asagai
The American Dream is accurately portrayed in this play by not just focusing on one person’s dream but a whole family. Each family member has a different personal goal set for themselves. Many of these we seem to be similar, like wanting to do what’s best for your family. Many minorities at the time thought of something different when they heard the American Dream than what white people thought of. In all the movies in this time period, we see what life is like for the average, middle-class white family. In the play we see that that was not what it was always like for everyone; it gave us a true understanding of the American Dream.
1. My American Dream is to go to college and after have a successful job. I want to raise a nice family in the city. I have always loves the city and there is so much opportunity there. Though I have not figured out what I want to do yet, I know that I don’t want to be a housewife. I want to do something that I will find fun and is not the same routine over and over again. I would much rather spend time making sure that my family is living a good life, with the things they need while having fun.
2. Walter’s American Dream is he wants to create a better life for his family. He wants to pull them out of the rundown life they are living in. He wants to let his mom rest and have her not work two jobs. When Walter wants to take the insurance money to invest in a brewery, he wants to create a successful business where he not only works for himself, but is able to pull in a higher income for his family. He wants to be able to send his kid to school and make everyone happy. He believes that it is better to work for yourself then be a servant to others. Ruth’s American Dream is to live a comfortable, happy life with her family. Unlike Walter however, Ruth does not need a large wealth and income to achieve this dream. She wants a house so that they aren’t living on top of each other and somewhere where her son can have a stress free childhood. She wants everyone to be happy with what they have and are doing, she does not want anyone to be overworked but they are still making enough to live comfortably. Mama’s American Dream is to have a house to call her own in a nice neighborhood. When she puts down money for a new house from the insurance money, she is very excited to come home and share the good news with her family. When they find out that the house is in a white neighborhood Mama is a little upset because she was trying to get a comfortable living space for her family in a good area and they kinda shot it down. Also, when Lindner tried to get the family to sell the house she was upset because she spent her time and money picking this cheap house and now she is told that she is not wanted. Beneatha’s American Dream is to be able to help people and express herself. She is going to school to become a doctor. She explained at the end of the book that her friend got hurt and people were able to just fix him up and leave only a little scar. She is fascinated with learning about Africa and where she came from. Later in the Book she decides that she wants to move to Africa to learn about the culture, and go into the medical field there so she can still help people.
3. The American Dream that the book captures is reflecting ordinary people’s dreams. People want to set goals of success and happiness that are realistic. In the book all of the character’s dreams are reachable with enough hard work, and they all make them happy. Mama and Ruth’s dreams for example both came true. They got to move into a house in a nice neighborhood where Travis can hangout safely. People like setting reachable goals because if the task is too hard they will get board and give up.
My american dream is to able in to work in a field of interest to me like astronomy. The american dream is that anyone can be anything. If you work hard enough you dream can be achieved. I think this is why so many people come to america. They come to get freedom or asylum in our incredible nation, but they also get jobs and people can go to school. The american dream is a concept that has been around for a long time. It was conceptualized during the 50’s,and was spoken of much earlier than that. People have been coming to america for hundreds of to achieve their own american dream. Everyone’s american dream is different, for some it might be sending their kid to college for me its to work in a field i enjoy, and i feel like if effort and hard work is put toward these achievable goals fuels the american dream. Those who work toward their american dream can achieve it but there will always be ups and downs on the journey that’s alright its like that for everyone. Another thing the american dream means to me is being able to work hard to make a living, some places people can would 40 hours a week and barely get by, but in america people can grow their wealth and provide for their families. This is the beauty of it coming from nothing to something with hard work.i think walter has achieved his american dream, he can provide for his family he has a job and a wife. I do think that he wishes there was more racial equality, but he does talk about that it would take time. I also think he wishes he had more money so he could gamble and buy more things for his family. I think mamas american dream is that her whole family will achieve the american dream, i mean that mama is very selfless and isn’t much of a materialistic person like when she got the money and didnt wanna go on vacation, but she bought a house for her family in a nice neighborhood. I think ruth’s american dream is that her and walters child can become whatever they want and achieve the american dream, i also think that ruth wants to get rid of racism from society and mistreatment. Ruth likes that her husband works she keeps the house together and provides meals for the family. I think bennies american dream is to go to medical school and become a doctor to go help people in other countries like in africa, with hard work beneatha can work toward her goal and break social and racial barriers in that work field. I feel like the family is a relatable concept for a large majority of americans, being able to have a house and a healthy big family is a huge goal that is set y many americans, and is something everyone works for. Like when walter has to go to work and beneatha wants to go to school .The american dream is to be a hard working person that can support their family and i believe this is achievable for everyone of the hard working people in america.
My American dream is not a given reality, but something that we can see in the distance, something that every citizen can look to as a means for hard work and determination. America is a place that should represent equality and fair opportunities, We should welcome all and ignore none. A leader who acts in the ways of a bully and uses put down tactics should never find a way to power, but often is elected anyways. America’s society may not be perfect, but Society is not what makes a dream, but the certain people who decide to stand up and make a difference. People who represent a generation such as Martin Luther King, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Malala Yousafzai. My American dream is that one day, every generation of America is represented by not one hero, but many. I wish to see a future in which other countries do not laugh at our leader, but that both America and other nations respect each other equally. Most importantly, my American dream is the success and wealth of all people. Wealth, in my dream, is something that cannot be obtained from money, but something you must earn; weather that be enjoying the natural beauty of America’s parks and wildlife, or wealth from the experiences of time spent well. My hopes are that in 20 years, America will not be a money driven, greedy country, but a naturalist, transcendentalist outlook on life. Each individual in America should be given the tools to succeed, regardless of who they are. No person should suffer from racism and the ways of the 1900’s should be left behind. Families like the Younger’s should not have to work in an unfair economy where white people are far favored to any other race. People like the Younger’s should not be crammed into small apartments and be threatened by racist people who want the best for themselves and not for others. America is said to be the land of the free, the home of the brave, and in my American dream, this is finally a true statement. In my American dream, people like the Younger family do not have to live in fear or worry about others wants to be higher than theirs, everyone in my American dream will be safe. No more racist acts of policemen, no more innocent lives taken, no more discrimination. In my America, Nothing comes free, but nothing costs the price of someone’s life.
Living together, you would expect a family like the Youngers, Walter, Ruth, Beneatha, and Mama to share the same dreams and to share the same outlook on America. However, if one looks closely into the novel, A Raisin in the Sun, each of its characters have a different image of the American dream. Walter, the man of the family, dreams of his family being treated equally and living richly among others, Walter wants the best and dreams of owning a liquor store and earning fair pay and living somewhere nice. We can see Walter’s true dream when he and his wife, Ruth are arguing and Walter exclaims, “This morning, I was lookin’ in the mirror and thinking about it. . . I’m thirty-five years old; I been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the living room and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live.” (Hansberry 34) The author gives us a direct look into Walters mind and we see his dream is to own something of his own and live in a fair country, and above all, be proud of himself and have his family be proud of him.
Ruth, Walters wife, has a different American dream. Ruth just wants to live happily with her family, and eventually in the play, we get to see scenes in which Ruth is really happy and shows how happy she is spending time with her husband Walter. When Ruth proclaims, “Me neither. That’s how long it’s been. But we went last night. The picture wasn’t much good, but that didn’t seem to matter. We went- and we held hands.” (Hansberry 111) Ruth is talking about how long it has been since she and Walter have been to a movie together and how happy she truly is to have some good times spent with her husband.”
Beneatha, the younger sister of Walter is pursuing the career of becoming a doctor and disagrees with the views of her older family members. Beneatha distances herself from the old traditions of religion in her family and their thoughts that a woman can’t be a doctor. Beneatha’s dream, like Walter and Ruth’s views however, is equality, mainly for herself however. It is most clear that she believes in this when she confronts her family and says, “Why? Why can’t I say what I want to around here, like everybody else?” (Hansberry 51), this spotlights her anger at her mistreatment and her family’s disbelief and lack of faith in her.
Finally, the eldest member of the household, Mama, has a dream of her family living together in harmony, as she is worried about both her children Walter and Beneatha, who she fears are not normal and practice things differently than her. Walter is driven for the want for money and equality, while Beneatha does not have a religion and wants to become a doctor, which Mama does not think is a good or realistic idea. She just wants America to be a place in which she and her family can live together in a nice house and not be bothered.
The Play, A Raisin in the Sun captures the American dream of ordinary folks by displaying the Younger family in a post world war two societal boom. However, the youngers are not apart of this gain in wealth as were many African American families in the 1950’s. This would appeal to the downtrodden, ordinary non wealthy folks. Another idea from A Raisin in the Sun that would capture the hearts of ordinary folks would be the way Walter feels about society, for example, when Walter has a rant, talking about how he’ll never have anything to give his son other than stories of how wealthy white men live. An ordinary African American family post war would not be immeasurably wealthy and would face other problems in the play like red lining. Many African American families were affected by Red Lining and were forced to move from homes so that there could be ‘all white neighborhoods”. A Raisin in the Sun does an excellent job of portraying the struggle of a family like the youngers, which would appeal to many.
1.My American dream is to just be successful in whatever I do. That is a very broad statement but, I don’t even know what I want to do yet. One of the things I know for sure is that I want to have a family. And a responsibility that comes with that is being able to provide. Whether I make my own company or lead in another is something I will have to figure out when I get older. Also, I consider myself to have had a very good life so far, and I hope that I can do that for my kids someday. I hope that someday I can accomplish my goals of my American dream.
2.Overall, each of the characters dreams relate to one another. They each want to do something to help the family in someway. We can tell that they all care for eachother very much. Walter’s dream is to own a liquor store. But going further into that I think it is to be a successful business owner. Being a successful business owner comes with a couple rewards that I definitely think Walter is looking for. One of those being able to provide for the family. We get the idea throughout the play that he is kind of embarrassed at his family’s financial situation. Another part of him owning a business is just feeling happy and successful, and we can tell Walter is lacking happiness. Ruth’s dream directly relates to Walter’s in that it also has to do with her family. She wants her family to stay together and grow. She wants her son to be happy. Mama’s dream is to own a safe place where her family can be together. She is a very caring person and wants to provide a nice home for her family. Beneatha’s dream is to become a doctor. In this time period it is very rare for a colores women to become a doctor. So above this goal she wants to prove people wrong. She wants to show anyone can do anything they put their mind to.
3.The play captures the American dream for many people. I think that part of the American dream is having one big idea and finding little things to add to that dream. Also, different things come out of the dream despite what you thought. All of these characters had pretty basic dreams to begin with, but they all go deeper. Like walter, he wants to own a liquor store which is the surface part of the dream. If you really look deeper into it he wanted to make himself and his family. The liquor store would have been the first step to do it. And like Beneatha, she wanted to become a doctor. Deeper into becoming a doctor in that time for her, was showing anyone can do anything. A big part of the American dream is doing something to get a deeper meaning, and this directly applies today. We all do things because we have a reason.
My American dream is to able to achieve great things for me and my family. When I get older I want to graduate from the University of Michigan and be a doctor. After my residency, I would open up my practice. Then I would buy a big house in a nice neighborhood where I have friendly neighbors and good schools. I would like to get married to the right women and start a family. I would try to work as much as I can while I am young so i can invest that money later. My goal would be a good example for my kids. I want to always to help with school and help guide them on the right path. I would want to be a good neighbor, a good coworker, and a person that people always remember for a beginning a good person. In my American dream i have a voice and that it is heard by the politicians that i vote for. I have a say in how the country runs. I communicate to local and state politicians. I support the politicians that i believe will do good for the country. I would want to give back to the community, and help the needy.
The American dream for Walter is to give his family a better life than what they are living in. He wants to be a good provider for his wife and son. He wants to get out of poverty and will do anything to do it. Walter wants to own a business to get rich and he believes that an investment will fix the families financial needs forever.He wants to be his own boss. He wants a big house and nice sports cars for his family. An example is when he wants to own a liquor store with his friends. Ruth’s dream is to provide enough for her family. She wants to get her son a good education. She is tired of struggling for her family. She is very dedicated to her family. She even considers an abortion because she knows the family can’t afford adding a baby to their lives. Mama’s dream is to get out the apartment and buy a house a dream she shared with her husband. Her dream is a house with a garden so that Travis could play in. Her dreams are more important to her than material things. All she ever wants is to make her family happy. She always wants to see them smiling. Beneatha’s dreams are very independent and feminist. She is going to school to become a doctor wich at the time is very big for a african american women. She will work as hard as she can to be a doctor. She also wants to get closer to her roots
The American dream for ordinary people is being able to buy a house and start a family. Their house would be in a nice neighborhood and have good schools for their kids. In the play, Walter and Ruth have that same dream. They want the nice neighborhood and good schools for their son Travis. Walter’s dreams are ordinary for a man his age. He wants to have sports cars and a big house. Mama wants a house like most people’s dreams. She wants a house with a garden for Travis to play in. Beneatha’s dream is like many young college students. She wants to work hard to get the job that she wants. She wants to find the right person that she likes. Lots of ordinary people have the same dream of getting a job that they want and meeting the right person.
My American Dream is pretty simple. I want to be successful in what I want to do. I want to be able to wake up in my own house and go do things that I find fun or productive. To be an independent productive member of society who can decide what he wants to do on a whim.
Walter’s American Dream is pretty simple. He wants to be successful and provide for his family his conversation with Mama where he showed his sadness when mama went out and bought the house he showed how it made him upset that he wasn’t able to provide for his family and how he wasn’t the head of the family. Ruth wants her family to be happy and to not have to make sacrifices in order to live. Mama’s Dream is for all of her children to be happy and to be able to fulfill their own dreams she shows this when she gives Walter the other half of the insurance money and told him to go fulfill his dream. Beneatha wants to discover herself and express it as well as to embrace her own heritage.
The play captures and portrays the dreams of ordinary people through its characters, by making every character’s traits well laid out through subtle context clues and character interactions. All these characters in the play have a different dream and they are all vastly different yet common dreams. Anyone one reading or watching the play can easily pick one of the characters to represent themselves and that reflects their own personality and dreams lots of people dream of being able to provide for themselves and their family. These people could find their dreams reflected In Walter the man with the big dreams who could flip the city upside down if people would only listen to him. Mama represents the people who only want their family to succeed in life and who believe their job is to help them do so. Ruth reflects those who want a easy uncomplicated Happy life for themselves and their family in a nice house where everyone is content. Beneatha does the best job of reflecting dreams it’s basically her one character trait that she is very fickle and wants to express herself and find who she is. Most people want to know who they are and also switch between things they try to use to express themselves.
1.My American Dream is to go to a good college with a good scholarship. I want to go into aerospace engineering or petroleum engineering. I would like to get my master’s degree in one of these and then try and work for either a big organization. I would like to make more than comfortable amounts of money and be able to have a family and provide for them. My American dream is to be successful and leave behind something that makes an impact or helps on someone.
2.The American dream for Walter is that he solve the family’s financial problems and empower himself. The way he plans to do this is with the money to realize his American Dream is to invest it in a liquor store, he believes that by buying the store he will be able to provide for his family. On page 108 Walter describes how he thinks the investment will go for the family, and how they will become rich and have cars for everyone. Beneatha’s dream is to help people by going to medical school. On page 133 she talks about how she believes the only concrete thing in the world is helping sick people. Mama’s dream is that she wants to own a house. This was a dream shared by her and her husband before he died. On page 90 it talks about how Mama went and bought a house because she thinks it’s a good thing to put the money into. Ruth’s dream is to have increased living conditions. On page 140 Ruth says she needs to get out of the apartment and is willing to put in a lot of effort to stay out of it. All of these dreams became flawed because they required one thing, money, lacking money was what made all of these achievable until the insurance check but then that was stolen and their dreams faded away. However in the end they were able to get money and were able to pursue their dreams.
3. The American Dream is is having the opportunity to come from nothing and being able to get everything. The way the play shows this is by the way the Younger family comes up from an apartment and go to having money to pursue their dreams. This is representative of the American Dream of ordinary folks because it shows that you can rise up from nothing, shown by the way they lived in an apartment and unable to pursue anything to following your dreams, and to becoming a becoming a family that can pursue your dreams, shown by the way they were able to get money and able to do what their dreams were.
In my American Dream, I want to be successful and secure. I want to be able to go to college and pursue a career that I’m passionate about and make a substantial living by doing so. I not only want to be successful enough to provide myself with security, but I want to be able to take care of my parents and make them proud. Another aspect to my dream is being able to make a difference, no matter how big or small. Being able to meet new people and have different experiences in my lifetime all while making an impact, essentially raising my quality of life and creating memories that I can happily reflect upon at a later stage in my life. I don’t know what the future holds, so I want to make every second count.
Walter: His American Dream is one of success and great fortune. Walter loves to think outside the box and dream big, so he uses those skills to team up with his pals Bob and Willy in order to invest a liquor store, which would give them a secure premise on which they can build their future on, even though it was a reckless endeavor. But when Mama wouldn’t initially give him the money and threatened his American Dream, he became resentful and blamed women for holding back men, even though the reason she didn’t give it to him was because black people often didn’t get the same opportunities as white people. Mama: Her American Dream is based around the prosperity of her children. She wanted to devote her life to making sure she was able to provide her children with security and opportunity, alongside her husband Walter Sr., who unfortunately passed away. She also valued the simple things in life, such as her little potted plant that sat in the window, which symbolized her dreams of buying a house and creating a good future for her family; and as long as that plant was still alive, her dream was too. This is why she used the $10,000 in insurance money to buy a house for her and her family to live in, and gave the rest to Walter to use, half to pay for Beneatha’s schooling and half for him to invest in his store. Beneatha: Her idea of the American Dream included going to college. Beneatha wanted to go to college and be a doctor which, at the time, seemed far-fetched considering that gender norms and racial issues left people with the impression that she wouldn’t be able to achieve the goals. She also wants to be valued for her beauty and her intellect in her relationships, which is why she ends her relationship with George and aspires to marry Asagai and study medicine in Nigeria with him. Ruth: Her ideal American Dream is the have a happy, healthy family. She was the most distraught when towards the end of the book Mama wanted to give up on her dreams and not move to their new house because that would jeopardize the dream she had for her family. The new house symbolized security in her relationship with Walter because if they hadn’t gotten the new house, the wedge between her and Walter would’ve grown significantly.
Through the aspirations of the family, it shows that they all want to do something more with their lives and have good futures to provide them with safety and security. Being African Americans, a lower class minority, they wanted to challenge social norms and do anything to provide good futures for generations to come.
1. My American dream is to be able to do anything, while being myself. Of course i want success in whatever i do when i grow up, but i want to be myself while doing it. In America we have the privilege to be anything we want and that’s what i love. I want to be true to myself and be the real me around others and still be able to have a career. My dream is to surround myself with people that i love and have the best time of my life everyday. All i want is to be happy in the future and i don’t need money or a lavish lifestyle to reach that. I want a well paying job that i get right out of Michigan University, but i would through it all away if i had to do something that made me miserable. The American dream for me is just reaching your highest level of happiness, and staying there the whole ride.
2. All the four main characters had different ideas about the american dream, and all felt strongly about their ideals. Walter’s American dream was focused on money and business success. All he wants is to be able to financially support his family like when he gave his son 50 cents, even though money is tight. He fantasizes about opening up a liquor store and becoming very wealthy. He desires this so badly and sees this as the only way to break the poverty line. Ruth’s American dream is to create a great life for her family and make them happy. She wanted to use the money to buy a new nice home, and move out of the apartment. She wanted to make sure Travis got to have a good life, and grow up to be successful. She also wanted to strengthen her relationship with Walter, because she knows how much being successful is to him. Beneatha’s American dream is be successful and do what she wants. She wishes complete medical school and become a doctor thats practices in Africa. Her American dream also includes her being able to do anything, regardless of her skin color and gender. Doctors were mainly white males and she was not going to let this stop her from reaching her goals. In her eyes, if she worked hard at school and overall, she could could reach any goal she set. Lastly, Mama’s American dream is to provide for her kids and better them. To Mama, her kids are everything and she shows this by using her dead husband’s money to buy the family a new house, and put the rest of the money towards Beneatha’s school and Walter’s business.
3.This play captures the American dream of ordinary folks by showing dreams come true, just like Ruth’s. All she wanted was for her family to have a nice place to live and a good neighborhood to live in. She gets this when Mama buys the new home so they can move out of the small apartment. The ordinary American dream is also shown by the families dreams being about success and happiness. Most people want to be super successful and wealthy just like Walter, and most Americans want to create an even better live for their children like Ruth does.
1. My American Dream is to be happy and successful in life. I want to go to college and get a good education and a good stable job that I enjoy. I don’t think the American Dream is all about being rich and famous, but more about working hard and being happy. I want to be able to support my family and my kids. I don’t want to have to worry about financial problems, and just live life and be happy with my family. I don’t need to be a billionaire, just enough to not have to worry about anything. You can do anything if you put your mind to it.
2. In a Raisin in the Sun all 4 characters Walters Dream is to be successful and wealthy and be able to support his family. When the check comes, he wants to invest in a liquor company so he can work for himself. His father was shameful of working for other people basically being their servant, and Walter did not want to be like him. He wanted to be successful and wealthy enough so he could buy Travis, his son, anything he wants. Ruth’s dream is to be successful and support her family. However, unlike Walter, she doesn’t want to be rich, she just wants to have enough money to support her family. At the beginning of the book, Travis asks Ruth for a quarter for school, Ruth declines and says she doesn’t have a quarter to give him. Travis then asks Walter and Walter not only gives him one quarter but 2, one for school and one to “buy some fruit it take a taxi to school”. Mama’s dream is to have a place to call her own and for her family to be happy. When the check comes, Ruth tells Mama to go on a trip to Europe or Africa, but Mama declines and asks what purpose would that serve. Beneathas dream is to be able to help people and express herself. When she was little her friend got hurt, and the doctors were able to fix him only leaving a scar, and she was forever fascinated by this and wanted to become a doctor. She is very interested in Africa and learning about her culture.
3. Raisin in the Sun does a very good job with showing the American Dream in ordinary people. Their dreams are very realistic that they know they can achieve, because if you set your goals too high, you might eventually give up because you realize it might not be possible. Ruth has a very realistic American dream. She doesn’t want to be a famous millionaire, all she wants is to have enough money to support her family. Mama just wants her family to be happy. The Anerican Dream is less about money and more about achieving your goals and being happy.
1. My American dream is an America where everyone can move up in status with hard work. An America where, no matter what race, gender, or sexual orientation, people can achieve anything they put their minds to. It’s the story of past immigrants, moving to America for new opportunities and working hard to raise families and remain here. It’s the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that Americans should attempt to exemplify every day. A country of patriotism, kindness, and acceptance. That is what my American dream is, and hopefully I’ll live to see it.
2. For Walter, the American dream is to get rich. More than anything he wants money, and Is willing to do whatever it takes to get it. For example, Walters main grievance throughout the entire play is that Mama won’t give him the $10,000 check to invest in a liquor store. Even though he has no claim over the money he constantly asks her for it, belligerently badgering her. At first Ruth asks Mama about it, but when she says no, Walter is relentless. He believes so strongly in his need for money that it clouds his judgement. Ruth and Mama share the same American Dream. They both want to live in a large house and care for their family. But unlike Walter, they don’t have the same relentless ambition. They aren’t willing to rock the boat, and would rather live the same way than take a risk that could help them live better. For example, Mama says that she always wanted a big house with a garden, like she sees at the wealthy people’s homes. But she’s never made any effort to fulfill this dream. Lastly, Beneatha’s American Dream is to become a doctor. Although she’s unemployed and living with her brother, she is the only character willing to work hard to achieve her dream, and defy racial and gender stereotypes. She wants to become a black, female doctor in a time period where this wasn’t common or widely excepted. Even though she faced these problems, she was willing to put in the effort and succeed, without needing to annoy her family.
3. The play manages to capture the American dream of ordinary people in a very interesting way. When people think of the American dream, its usually a good thing. High aspirations of morality, hard work, and righteousness. But when I read A Raisin In The Sun, I interpreted a different dream. A more realistic dream, where people want what they want but aren’t all ways willing to work for it. I think A Raisin In The Sun portrays the American dream as what it is, the high ideals that many regular people use to make their selfish wishes seem selfless and idealistic. For example, Walters tenacity could be viewed as hard working spirit, but his selfish behavior and American dream greed push him to hurt his family, his pregnant wife, and his own future. Ruth and Mama are less tenacious, but their lack of motivation and fear of change prevent them from achieving anything. They personify the idea of American DREAM. That it’s only a dream unless you act on it.
My American Dream is to be successful and to be happy with what i’m successful at. I want to be able to provide for my family the best I can. I never want to worry about how I will feed my husband and kids. My American Dream Is to be the best wife I can and to always be a rock for everyone in my family. My American Dream is to have a relationship with my daughter better than what my mom has with me. I dream that I will be able to work hard at my job and see reward. My American Dream is to be able to take advantage of all the opportunities that come my way and to live out all my dreams and to be happy with this lifestyle.
The dreams of the people in A Raisin in the Sun are simple, and to most people, easily achievable. Mama wants to buy a house to live the dream she shared with her husband. Walter Lee would rather use the money to invest in a liquor store with his best friends, claiming it could make a plethora of profit and solve financial problems for not only their life, but their children’s lives too. Ruth agrees with Mama about owning a house and hopes that her and her husband, Walter, can provide a better environment and future for their son, Travis. Finally, Beneatha, Walter’s sister and Mama’s daughter, wants to use the money for her medical school tuition, although majority of the family does not agree with this situation and think’s to put the money towards that would be a waste.
Ordinary folks have different dreams than people of Birmingham, MI and I have been told this time and time again. This play showed the simple and real dreams that majority of America has. Reading this play showed a simple family that was working hard to improve their life. For example, when Ruth is sick and seems too sick to go to work, she says she will push on because she knows her family needs the money. Ruth knew success doesn’t come from quitting when it gets tough. She is working hard to achieve the goals she and her family have set their mind to. Another example of this family showing the American Dream of most Americans is when Walter loses the money because his “best friend” takes off and runs with it, however, the family still says no to the deal they are offered to not live in the house they want because they had a goal and the goal was to live in that house, it was their dream. The Youngers had struggles reaching their ultimate goal but they did not give into the easy way out, they worked hard and persisted through the challenge.
1. My American dream is a place where politicians aren’t bought and paid for by big companies. It’s where Americans take advantage of our democracy and push politicians to do things beneficial for the country and not themselves. And finally a country where people don’t generalize others and base people off their merits not someone who looks like them.
2. To Walter the American dream is a place where any man can rise up and become someone. To him it should be a place of opportunity, where you can rise up, no matter your situation and take what’s yours. This is shown in how desperately he wants the money for the Liquor Store and the other investments he’s gotten in.To Ruth, I guess, it’s a place that’s forever changing. Ruth wants to live in an America where it’s possible for her to be able to support her children and try to set them up for a good future. But the situations there living in change multiple times within the story. She displays this in the beginning when she’s talking to Walter about Travis and how she treats him all throughout the story, there both trying to support their kid however Ruth is much more direct about it. To Beneatha America is a place where if you work hard you can make something out of yourself but contrary to what Walter believed, that work isn’t with something quick, it takes a while and you have to be dedicated but if you strive for it you can accomplish it. This is shown all throughout the play with her obsession to become a doctor. To Mama America is a place of hope. Even if your dreams don’t come true and life seems to be going bad for you, it’s a place where hope is always present, even if you’ve lost it in yourself it’s passed on to your children and you hope for their futures as well. Her and Big Walter had hoped to buy a house after the apartment but it never came however she passed on her of a better life to her children and Travis
3. The play captures the American Dream in ordinary folks because it gives you many different types of people with different personalities. And though they all come from humble beginnings they all have different dreams of what they want their life to be. It shows you can be content with your situation and just try to live or try to advance and make as much out of your life as you want to. That could be through a get rich quick scheme or sheer hard work. Regardless I think the play embodies the American Dream in ordinary folks because there’s so many different things the American Dream can be.