A Raisin in The Sun
A Raisin in the Sun is a classic American piece in which establishes the struggle in striving for the American dream. Both hope and delusion play into how the characters face their lost dreams. Read the poem below to introduce yourself to the tragedy of a "dream deferred."
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?
A Dream Deffered
By: Langston Hughes
The Mesuam's interpretation:
In "A Dream Deferred" there is an implied sense of possibility. Like previously seen in Gatsby, a dream deferred can be piousness. As Gatsby believes, one may lose access to a dream, but the possibility of it accruing still remains through hard work. Although like rotten meat, it begins to smell if not disposed of. And like a sore, it can fester in one's brain, eventually "exploding" when all hope of attaining it is lost. This idea is extended in A Raisin in the Sun.
As seen the picture, the furniture and upholstery have been washed and dusted so many times to keep the possibility of one day fulfilling the dream of an affluent life style. The family, although without money, still believes that if they work hard to make their home look suitable, then one day they might be able to purchase the items that would make their dream a reality. This brings forth a tone of hopefulness and demonstrates the tension between the reality of the pas and the present.
In the past, the apartment of the family and the furniture inside was a symbol of hope for a soon better future, as it was assumed that the family would soon move onto something new and better. Yet, their dream was left deferred and the furniture grew old and worn. The family tries desperately to make it seem new again to preserve hope, symbolized by the open window in the apartment. Although the family is hopeful, the house brings forth a tone of defeat, as a dream deferred is harder to bear as time goes on. Tension between hope and defeat brings forth a "conflicted tone" in both "A Dream Deferred" and the picture.
“A Dream Deferred” sets a dreary yet conflicted tone matched by the characters in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in The Sun. Ruth’s dream “festers like a sore”, for it infects her daily life. Her dream turned ill once she stepped inside the cramped apartment, and for every day the dream is deferred, the “sore” grows.” Ruth is left feeling defeated a she says to Walter “I listen to you every day, every night, and every morning, and you never say anything new” (34). Ruth’s lost dream has infected others around her causing the family’s hope to “sag like a heavy load.” She wishes for a better future, yet is conflicted with the notion that “life is a barrel of disappointment” (Hughes 45). The reality of her situation is recognized, yet the appearance of the apartment brings truth to the perception of a perfect home and satisfied family.
The reality of the apartment can be seen in the photo below
Walter Lee is conflicted with a deferred dream illustrated in the fact that he takes out his dissatisfaction on everybody around him; “You, tired, ain’t you? Tired of everything. Me, the boy, the way we living” (Hughes 32). Ruth absorbs most of the abuse, yet seems to be afraid of what will happen between them if Walter doesn't get the chance to attain his dream. Ruth knows that he is dying slowly from his dream deferred and says to Mama “He needs something, something I cannot give him anymore. He needs this chance” (Hughes 42). Both Walter and Ruth are clinging to this false hope of one day obtaining the lifestyle they crave, yet are conflicted by the reality of their financial situation and their dry, shriveled dream. Once a dream has gone bad, there is nothing left to do but throw it out, which both characters refuse to do. Although, the presence of hope will forever remain if the possibility of the dream coming true exists. this is demontrated in both A Rasin in the Sun and the poem below.
Mother to Son
BY LANGSTON HUGHES
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now—
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
In Hughes’ “Mother to Son,” hope is present even when a dream is deferred to near distinction. Hope still lives “where there ain’t been no light”, which is illustrated through Walter Lee’s belief in his son’s bright future. Walter Lee is stuck in the maze as described in the poem, but he is hopeful that his son will be the one to show him the way out. He believes that it is Travis’s responsibly to keep on climbing and to gain a fulfilling life, for Walter’s life has been “no crystal stair.” Walter feels obligated to give Travis the opportunity he never had, believing in the false hope of becoming rich to please his son and nurture his dream. This is extended by Walter’s speech to Travis in the end of Act2 scene2 , showing that Walter is indeed hopeful yet conflicted by his false perception of the future.
Walter is in delusion, for he believes that his dream can be revived through Travis. This is clarified through Big Walter’s saying, “seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams, but He did give us children to make dreams seem worth while” (Hansberry 36). In reality Walter is fighting the tragedy of the common man, for he refuses to let his dignity to be sacrificed. As a result, he is fighting for his dying dream and pride through his son.
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