Lorraine Hansberry gave A Raisin in the Sun its title based on a few lines in a poem by Langton Hughes. The poem inquired what happens to a “dream deferred”, and in A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry answers this question on four different levels from four different points of view. Walter Lee Younger’s dream was to be rich and powerful. In the book, since he has yet to reach that goal, he struggles to grasp at any opportunity to achieve it in a hurry and tends to let himself down in the process. After
imagination by engaging the reader’s five senses: touch, sight, smell, taste, and sound. His first speculation appeals to the reader’s sense of touch, in which he wonders if a dream deferred will “dry up / like a raisin in the sun” (ibid. 2-3). The comparing of a deferred dream to a raisin implies that the dream itself will age until it appears uglier and deformed. Hughes suggests that the dream will eventually feel weak and wrinkled to the touch. By the time you’ve recalled the dream you’ve postponed
to a dream which has been put off or forgotten about. He offers up suggestions to the reader of what may happen to the dream which has been deferred, questioning; “Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun?” (2-3) comparing a dream to a grape which transitions to a raisin when left out in the sun. The comparison of a dream to a grape is significant because fruit only has a certain amount of time that it is ripe for, which means that it will change and rot if it is forgotten about, or deferred. Langston
Chapter Overview One element of literature shared by all literary works is a theme. A theme consists of a “insight about a topic communicated in a work” (Mays A13). While some themes are unique, there are certain themes that are common throughout many pieces of literature. An example of such a common theme is the quest for identity. As people grow up and begin to experience the world, individuality and independence become one of many priorities. Through the analysis of literary elements, literary