What Is The American Dream In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

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Everyone has their own type of dream and these help a person know who they really want to be in life. Dreams can go from just having happiness in your everyday life to having all the money you could ever want. People's dream are what motivate them to be better and work to accomplish them. During the late 1940’s a lot of people came to America, if not already here, wanting to live the American Dream. The people of the American Dream wanted to have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Walter Younger wants to own a liquor store because it will give him the pride, independence, and happiness that the American Dream can offer. Walter Younger is able to gain Pride by having his liquor store and …show more content…
Following his American Dream, the liquor store will provide him with ability to move out from living with mama and Beneatha, and be able to own his own place. For example, “In fact, here’s another fifty cents…”(Hansberry.13). Walter giving Travis the extra 50 cents gives the idea that he wants to be economically set. He is showing Travis that he won't have have to worry about money. Also, “Charlie Atkins was just a “good-for-nothing loudmouth” too, wasn’t he! When he wanted me to go in the dry-cleaning business with him. And now-he’s grossing a hundred thousand a year. A hundred thousand dollars a year! You still call him a loudmouth!”(Hansberry.14) When talking to his wife Ruth, Walter tells her about how much Charlie Atkins made from his Dry-Cleaning business to try and prove his point that the Liquor store will give him a better way to provide for his family. Walter's dream of owning this liquor store resembles the American Dream because it is giving him the opportunity to provide for his family, become economical set, and quit his
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