A Raisin In The Sun American Dream Research Paper

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A major theme in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is the American Dream. The idea and definition of the American Dream have shifted throughout time, but its most constant facet has always been freedom. Our founding fathers set out for the New World with the dream of a home without persecution, where they could maintain their freedom of religion. When Forbes Magazine asked her opinion on the American Dream, poet Maya Angelou stated, “The American Dream, whether attainable or not, is to have freedom, freedom in all things. To go as far as ambition impels us, in work, in play, and religion and even in love...Everyone is looking for freedom, freedom to live their lives, to control their own destiny.” Although the concept and parameters of the term freedom have altered, the essence of the Dream are the same. The most prominent role freedom plays in the modern American Dream is in the quest for equality. When Forbes asked her opinion, Condoleezza Rice said, “The American Dream is being dealt with and considered on your own merits...there should be no obstacles–not race, not creed nor color.” Today more steps than ever before are being taken to ensure that all races, genders, and socioeconmic groups have equal opportunities and rights. Although the system is not…show more content…
Before this decade, Americans were becoming very pessimistic. Despite affecting all Americans to some degree,the Great Depression of 1929 emphasized poverty and the restrictions that being lower class included. Previously stable families now found themselves struggling to survive. Dreams and future thoughts were put off by the prioritizing of making it through this nationwide period of unemployment. Lower class families felt they could not hope for financial or social elevation. In the 1940s, the war held the energy and attention of the American people. Instead of looking to the future, suvillians were working to support the
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  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

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    A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry and whose title was derived from the poem Harlem, by Langston Hughes, is a tragic play taking place in South Side, Chicago, where it portrayed the life of an African-American family known as the Youngers in the 1950s. It follows the American Dream, a motif conveying the idea of belonging to the upper class of society. However, only the fortunate few are able to achieve this, while the majority remains staggered at searching for other opportunities. The play

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