A Raisin in the Sun American Dream Analysis
Submit this document to Turnitin.com when completed
Name:
Class Period:
Intro: As we discuss together as a class, mark important lines and add your analysis to Hughes poem “Harlem”. You
may do so by highlighting lines, changing the text color, or making notes in the margins. - 5 pts.
“Harlem” by Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
Part 1: As you watch the movie, identify the characters’ dreams and the obstacles preventing them from achieving
their dreams. - 8 pts.
A Raisin in the Sun
Characters
Ruth Younger
Walter Younger
Beneatha
Younger
Lena “Mama”
Younger
Dreams
Obstacles
Part 2: As you watch A Raisin in the Sun, document important/specific scenes and its purpose to each of the family
members' dreams. Make sure you include in your analysis the character(s) being mentioned in the specific scenes
and how their dream is affected in the movie - 10 pts.
Specific Scene
Ruth - When Ruth reveals that she and
Walter are having problems and all she
wants is to support him in his dream in
order to make him happy. She also wants a
safe place for their son Travis to grow up.
When Lena reveals that she has bought a
house, we see Ruth the happiest she has
been in a long time. It reinforces her hope
to one day have a place of their own that is
not falling down, to have a kitchen of her
own, to have a safe environment for their
children.
Analysis
We see the struggle Ruth has between
supporting her husband and doing what
she feels is right - letting Lena decide how
to spend her money. She tries to reach out
to Walter in order to figure out what will
make him truly happy. She worries about
Travis running around in the neighborhood
they live in. Despite the cockroaches and
cracking walls, she struggles to make a safe
and comfortable place for herself and her
family.
Walter - He reveals to his mom that he
wants to use the money to buy into a
partnership for a liquor store. He reveals
how tired he is scraping buy, being ignored
and treated as an object by his boss,
longing to have more for his family and for
himself. Mama shoots him down and will
not even consider the idea of a liquor store.
She sees liquor as a root of evil for Black
men and wants no part of it.
Walter is devastated by his mother’s refusal
to even consider his dream. We see him as
someone who is giving up, who is tired of
fighting the stereotypes against people of
color. He just wants to be seen as a man
who provides for his family.
Beneatha - Beneatha hopes to one day
become a doctor so she can help people.
She shows what a strong person she when
she blaphemes in her mother’s house by
saying there is no God. In the scene
Beneatha shows the strong woman she is,
who can stand up to anyone, but she still
has a few things to learn. She also confronts
Walter when he talks about her wanting to
help people. He asks why not be a nurse
Beneatha has a lot of grit. She wants to be a
doctor despite being a Black woman in the
1950s. She doesn’t have a fear of bending
gender roles and stereotypes. She also is
proud of her African heritage. She isn’t
afraid of speaking her mind, whether that is
declaring there is no God or putting George
in his place when he wants more from her
than she is willing to put out. She
understands that he treats her as an object,
We finally see him becoming a true man
when he refuses the money for the house
from the Claiborne Neighborhood
Association.
instead of a doctor. She goes after him
accusing him of thinking this all along.
not a strong, Black woman.
Lena “Mama” - The scene is when Mama
comes home and reveals that she has put a
downpayment on a house. She says this is a
fulfillment of a dream both she and her
husband had for many years, but could
never make happen. She says it’s what he
worked for all his life - to have a good
home, a safe place for his family. She also
reveals a more personal dream - to have a
yard where she can grow things.
Mama is someone who loves her family
fiercely and only wants the best for them.
She dismissed houses in Black
neighborhoods that cost more and were in
worse shape than the one she bought. She
loves to nurture and watch as people and
things grow healthy and strong. We see this
as well in the plant on the windowsill that
she is always trying to nurture.
She’s also willing to admit when she is
wrong. She shows when she gives the
leftover money to Walter. She finally realizes
she hasn’t seen him as the man he has
grown into. Giving him the money was an
act of trust and love (nurturing).
Asagai - Not a central character but one
who makes a strong point toward the end of
the movie whe he is consoling Beneatha.
He says there is something wrong when
dreams depend on the death of a man.
This illustrates just how narrow sighted
Beneatha and Walter especially have been.
Thinking that the money was the only way
to achieve their dreams.
Part 3: While watching A Raisin in the Sun, choose one character from A Raisin in the Sun and one character from Of
Mice and Men. You will complete a comparative analysis of the two character’s dream(s) and abilities to achieve their
dream(s). - 12 pts.
A Raisin in the Sun character’s dream
What is their dream?
What would it take to
make their dream a
reality?
What obstacles
stand/stood in their
way of achieving the
dream?
How could achieving
Of Mice and Men character’s dream
the dream impact
(help or hurt) the
people around them?
What could happen if
they don’t achieve
their dream? What
happens if it gets
deferred?
What are they going
to have to do to
ensure the dream
comes true?
Total: /35