Thursday, September 13, 2012

A Raisin in the Sun- Theme


A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
Theme

     A prominent theme in A Raisin in the Sun is the American Dream. The American Dream is about going after one’s dream with all they have and working hard to provide for their family and live a good life. It involves taking risk and resulting in a high reward. Walter has a dream of becoming a businessperson and working his way up in society. He wants to open up a liquor store with two of his other acquaintances Willy and Bobo.  This will not only give him a sense of accomplishment and pride, but also a better life for his family. This theme of the American Dream emerges almost immediately in A Raisin in the Sun when Walter’s dream occupies his thoughts and words when he is first introduced in this piece of pros. Walter reveals more of his typical American Dream in Act II Scene II when he describes it to his son, Travis. For example, “I’ll be pretty tired, you know what I mean, after a day of conferences and secretaries getting things wrong the way they do… ‘cause an executive’s life is hell, man,” (Hansberry, 502). The desire to work hard to get far in life distinguishes the theme of an American Dream from any other dream one can conjure.

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