Dream Deferred Essay

What happens to a dream deferred This quote from the famous poem by Langston Hughes, ? A Montage of a Dream Deferred,? represents the core of the play A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry. When writing this Chicago set drama, Hansberry chose to use a line from Hughes? famous poem to create her title: A Raisin in the Sun. The entirety of the play is about an African American family living in the ghettos of Chicago. Mama, Walter, and Beneatha, three of the play? s main characters, all make their individual dreams known to the readers by stating them various times throughout the play (Kohorn 1). Hughes? poem ponders upon numerous questions that are surely on the readers mind as they venture through this particular play. Although Hughes offered many alternate answers to the question, ? What happens to a dream deferred,? as seen below, Hansberry supports the last view in this poem (Mauro 1): . . . The play depicts many different instances of dreams being ? deferred. In referring to Hughes poem, Walter? s dreams are not only deferred but they also ? sag like a heavy load (Hansberry 1). In addition to this, she also dreams of pursuing a medical education so she can become a doctor (Pink Monkey). These dreams are further destroyed when Mr. Once again, yet another dream has been ? deferred (Hansberry 1). ? The play answers Hughes? first question in his poem, ? What happens to a dream deferred,? by showing the characters reactions to their failing dreams. By now, the family has learned that the ? dream of a house is the most important dream because it unites the family (Kohorn 1). Ultimately, their dreams finally come into realization when they move into their new house. Dreams do not dry up as a raisin in the sun would. For him this would be ? he life? (Mauro 1). As Hughes? poem says, ? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load (Hansberry 1). At the beginning of the play, a determined Beneatha is studying at the local college and presents herself as an intellectual. In one particular case, he explodes on his sister, Beneatha by saying, ? Who the hell told you you had to become a doctor (Mauro 1) As Hughes states in his poem, a dream deferred may ? stink like rotten meat (Hansberry 1,? and to Walter it really does. She also wants the kids to receive a good, solid education.