dreams deferred:
hughes’s “harlem” &
hansberry’s a raisin in the sun
anne cunha
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun?
The “American Dream” for
so many people sometimes
remains just that, a dream.
The lofty expectations
people hold for themselves
and their families often
become merely “dreams
deferred,” as exemplified
symbolically and
thematically in the poem
“Harlem,” by Langston
Hughes.
In Lorraine Hansberry’s
play A Raisin in the Sun, the
members of the Younger
family each have dreams
of their own that conflict
or become continually
overlooked whether because
of family concerns or
individual selfishness.
The theme of deferred
dreams in “Harlem” parallels,
line-by-line, with the
different dreams of Big
Walter, Walter Lee, and
Mama Younger and the
effects of their dreams on
the family’s morale.
This simile shows Hansberry’s inspiration for her play’s title and suggests that Big Walter’s dream for his family—a home of their own—motivates the characters as well as the play itself. However, that dream is continually put off, left to dry in the sun until it becomes like a shriveled “raisin.” The Youngers feel they can do nothing to reverse the damaging effects of the heat and dryness of black urban life; thus, Big Walter’s dream remains exposed to the harsh light of day, further depleting it of any lingering inspirational power.
Or fester like a sore— / And then run? / Does it stink like rotten meat?
Walter’s dream of owning his own business has been so long deferred and left “festering” –Šƒ–ǡ™Š‡Š‡ϐ‹ƒŽŽ›ˆ‡‡Ž•Š‡‹‰Š–„‡ƒ„Ž‡–‘ƒ…Š‹‡˜‡‹–ǡŠ‹•Š‘’‡•‹ˆ‡…––Š‡ƒ•’‹”ƒ–‹‘•
of his family. The “open sores” of his deferred dream blind him to the consequences of his actions and to the ache he causes Mama Younger.
Or crust and sugar over— / like a syrupy sweet? The sugary sweetness of Walter’s dreams “crusts over” as life gets in the way, causing him to fear putting off his dream again and leaving him with a bittersweet reminder of what he wants. He wants his son Travis to share in the renewed dream. Intoxicated by its tantalizing sweetness, Walter Lee spreads his sweet tooth to Travis, planting dreams in his head of “Cadillac convertibles” and the “great schools in America…in the world” Travis could attend.
Maybe it just sags / like a heavy load.
Mama Younger feels that she has fallen short in taking care of her family, and this weighs on her. She sags under the pain, wishing she could have done more for them. This feeling of ‹ƒ†‡“—ƒ…›‹•”‡ϐŽ‡…–‡†‹ƒƒǯ•…‘–‹—ƒŽ—”–—”‹‰‘ˆŠ‡”’Žƒ–‘–Š‡™‹†‘™•‹ŽŽǤŠ‡
plant symbolizes something that she can take care of: she places it in the only bit of sunlight in the apartment as a way to nourish it, if only partially.
Or does it explode?
This image brings forth ideas of dreams so long bottled up that, given the slightest ‘’’‘”–—‹–›ǡ–Š‡›™‹ŽŽ‡š’Ž‘†‡ƒ††‡•–”‘›‡˜‡”›–Š‹‰ƒ”‘—†–Š‡Ǥƒ––‡’–‹‰–‘ˆ—Žϐ‹ŽŽ
his dreams, Walter Lee ruins not only his own chances, but also the dreams of his mother and his dreams for his son’s future. He feels he is being held responsible for singlehandedly causing the “explosion” of his family’s dreams: he realizes his world is spinning out of control, and he feels powerless to stop it.