The American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun

Introduction: Two Visions of the American Dream

As J. Charles Washington notes, Mama and Walter hold two very different ideas of what the American Dream means in A Raisin in the Sun. For Mama, the dream is simply about change and doing what is necessary to protect and preserve one's family. Her version of the dream "sets her at odds with her son Walter," whose dream is far more influenced by the white Americans he observes — their opulence and prosperity, their ability to be upwardly mobile (Washington 113). Walter dreams of wealth; Mama dreams of family. The American Dream is manifested differently for each of them, yet in the end it is the dream of family that prevails, demonstrating how the materialistic American Dream is empty when it is not accompanied by love and human connection.

Mama's Dream vs. Walter's Ambition

Washington describes Mama's dream "as a second-class version of it reserved for Black Americans and other poor people. Considering all the obstacles she has had to face as a Black woman, one can hardly fault her for what she does. Nevertheless, her dream is unacceptable to Walter, who will have nothing less than the complete American Dream" — that is, the dream in which prosperity and wealth are the defining attributes (114).

The family is far from prosperous, and this is evident from the very opening of the play, when Travis is described as being "asleep on the make-down bed at center" in the family living room of a one-bedroom apartment (Hansberry 27). The fact that the boy sleeps in the family room rather than in his own bedroom represents the reality of Walter's life: his family is poor, with barely enough room for one child, let alone two. The possibility that Walter may be bringing another baby into the home adds tension to the play, as another mouth to feed threatens his dream of prosperity. It is not a threat, however, to Mama's dream of caring for the family. When it comes to family, being together and supporting one another is what matters most.

Travis and the Heart of the Family

This idea is personified in Travis, who possesses none of the materialistic ambitions of his father. When he wakes up one morning, Travis tells his mother he needs fifty cents to pay a school fee. His mother scolds him — though it is not his fault the family owes the money. Travis asks whether he might go to his grandmother for the money, and his mother reprimands him again. He then suggests another approach: "Could I maybe go carry some groceries in front of the supermarket for a little while after school then?" (Hansberry 32).

By seeking to help rather than sulking, and by looking for ways to contribute, Travis represents the spirit of heart and goodness that Mama wishes to preserve in the family — because no dream is worth anything without that spirit. Travis understands that his family is poor but does not grow angry or hold it against them. He loves them and offers to make himself useful by earning his own money. His genuine good nature stands in sharp contrast to his father's self-centered ambition to get rich quickly. A Raisin in the Sun uses this generational contrast to underscore the play's central moral argument.

Conclusion: The Most Important Dream

A Raisin in the Sun reflects a variety of different manifestations of the American Dream throughout the play. There is the American Dream of wealth and prosperity that Walter dreams of. There is the American Dream of family, safety, and togetherness that Mama dreams of. There is the American Dream of heart and unity that Travis embodies. And there is the Dream of inclusivity and equality represented by the family's move into the neighborhood.

While the move does not go entirely according to plan and encounters resistance in the form of the buyout offer, it does proceed — and the Youngers come to understand that all these different manifestations of the American Dream will not be realized all at once, or perhaps ever in full. It is therefore vital to identify the best and most important dream and to pursue it with clarity and purpose. The dream Mama identifies as most important is the dream of family, and Walter ultimately comes to share that understanding. It is the dream that matters most if a family is going to make it in America.

Works Cited

Brown, Lloyd W. "Lorraine Hansberry as Ironist: A Reappraisal of A Raisin in the Sun." Journal of Black Studies 4.3 (1974): 237–247.

Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun.

Matthews, Kristin L. "The Politics of 'Home' in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun." Modern Drama 51.4 (2008): 556–578.

Washington, J. Charles. "A Raisin in the Sun Revisited." Black American Literature Forum. Vol. 22, No. 1. 1988.