Preview

Obstacles of American Dream

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
819 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Obstacles of American Dream
A Raisin in the Sun

The American Dream is why many people find themselves attracted to this country. For some, it can be the desire to become more than their parents. For others, it is the desire to excel beyond others expectations. No matter the reason for a person 's desire to reach the American Dream there are obstacles that sometimes seem overwhelming. In the story a raisin in the sun an African-American family living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s where racism and prejudice was a serious issue. The Younger 's family had to embrace the hard reality that comes with the American dream. In this essay I intend to prove why the "American dream is a myth not a destiny".

The romantic formulation we all dream about a home where we can provide for our families and everyone wants to have the equivalent of picket fences, front yards, and two-car garages. We 've known for some time that the degree of social mobility in the US is much less than people believe. The American dream myth is a false perception that there is equal opportunity that allows us to be more accepting of unequal outcomes than we would be if we knew how stagnant social outcomes actually are. The evidence that rebuts this belief is worth repeating. In the story A Raisin in The Sun the Youngers family are about to receive an insurance check for $10,000. This money comes from the deceased Mr. Younger’s life insurance policy. Each of the adult members of the family has an idea as to what he or she would like to do with this money., Mama, wants to buy a house to fulfill a dream she shared with her husband. Mama’s son, Walter Lee, would rather use the money to invest in a liquor store . He believes that the investment will solve the family’s financial problems. Walter’s wife, Ruth, hopes that she and Walter can provide more space and opportunity for their son, Travis. Finally, Beneatha, Walter’s sister and Mama’s daughter, wants to use the money for her medical school tuition. Each person



References: Hansberry, Lorraine. "A Raisin in the Sun." New York: New American Library, 1966. Brown, Lloyd W. "Lorraine Hansberry as Ironist: A Reappraisal of A Raisin in the Sun." Journal of Black Studies 4.3 (Mar. 1974): 237-247. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 192. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 Nov. 2011.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Since the beginning of the year Mrs. Byars class has been learning about the American Dream. During this time span they have read Two books to help them further understand some of the generalizations in the American dream. Both books represented the generalization of: The American Dream involves choice and personal decisions. Thanks to October Sky by Homer Hickam and The Pact by Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins and Rameck Hunt, they now have a better understanding.…

    • 594 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    People flocked to America from countries all around the world in search for a dream of success called the American Dream, but it was not limited to strictly foreign immigrants. The citizens of the United States grew up and started their personal search of achievement. However, the path was never easy, as roadblocks would interfere with their chase. People gave all their effort and dedication, yet the dream did not turn out as planned. Many people attempted to achieve the American Dream, but many obstacles stood in their path.…

    • 882 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although the term “American dream” was coined in 1931 by James Truslow Adams in The Epic Of America, the ideology behind the American dream started back in the sixteenth-century when Western European settlers came to this land at great risk to build a better life for themselves. In Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, the American dream is at the heart of the novel as the book is mainly based in Kansas- the heartland of America. As a whole, the American dream consists of the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity to be held for every American. Different perspectives from all the characters in the novel show how deceptive the American dream can prove to be.…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The idea of the American dream began when immigrants migrated to America in hope to become successful, have financial stability, and receive rights they could not in their country. The American dream however was not only fancied by immigrants. Americans also had faith and wanted to pursue the American dream. The confidence in the American dream has diminished over time due to several economic developments and government policies that has widened the gap between the rich and the poor. The American dream is basically dead due to serveral factors. In chapter 18, I came upon several essays that support my argument that the American dream has ended. I have realized that there are ample obstacles one has to endeavor to achieve…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The goal of reaching the “American Dream” is sought after by many all around the world. The “American Dream” is what minorities view as the ideal life. The difficulty and problems that can can occur while trying to obtain this goal were highlighted in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. It highlights the many issues that face minorities while trying to obtain the “American Dream” such as discrimination, poor education, and lack of money as well as many other obstacles they have to overcome to obtain their goals.…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American Dream is described as the perfect lifestyle. No one wants challenges or problems; they want the ‘perfect life’. This idea is stabilized by the different desires, wants, and needs for each person trying to obtain it; every individual has a different dream but it still can be obtained, as we see from Gatsby and Nick. The people in this country all have different backgrounds, they have come from different situations. The dreams of each of these people are different and the journey to achieve them can be challenging.…

    • 620 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    What are the obstacles to the american dream? You have to think about would that life work for you,because some people say that lifestyle is the best but in reality it's not how they have it pictured.…

    • 214 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The stereotypical American dream is often portrayed as being perfectly average or having a life better than the previous generation. For example many may say that being married, having two children, and living in a three-bedroom home with a white picket fence is their American dream. Rather than being based on wealth or success, this version of the dream is based on avoiding poverty and loneliness. We use these myths to encourage our own dreams, and to feel, we to hold the key to success as did our ancestors.…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Blood, sweat, and tears of the poor working class, built this great nation of ours, we call America. And it is those American people who fought a war of liberation, that seemed impossible, but they were still able to go beyond the situation and reached their dream. Another example of this is those people who risk their lives, to better themselves and have brighter futures. Although some may believe that the American dream is only for the few and cannot be accomplished by everyone, in reality with the right attitude, people can overcome their obstacles to find their dream, their American…

    • 102 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The phenomenon of American dream is widely known all around the world. Although, there is no clear definition or precise interpretation of the term, almost every human being dreams about it. The essay is to set out to discuss what the American dream is and how it is understood.…

    • 365 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The American Dream is defined by hard work. If one works hard, it will pay off and one will live comfortably. If one works even harder, it will lead to wealth. This definition is especially evident in “A Raisin in the Sun”. In the play, we read about the desperation that results when the characters realize that this definition doesn’t hold true for them, especially Walter Lee. He, as well as his parents, worked very hard, but had nothing to show for it. They lived in their cramped apartment with a sole tiny window. Furthermore, the play showed that making the American Dream a reality is even harder when your race is a minority.…

    • 1387 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The “American Dream” is the ideal that every American citizen should have the equal opportunity for freedom and prosperity regardless of class, race or gender. In the novella, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck writes of multiple people that pursue their dreams, but often fall short. The theme of the dreams and hopes of the lower class in regards to the “American Dream” is shown in George and Lennie and their goal of owning a farm, Crooks with his lack of rights, and Curley’s Wife with her aspiration of being an actor. The first of many examples of the dreams and hopes of the lower class are the main characters, Lennie and George.…

    • 736 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Two-thirds of the American people say the American Dream is becoming harder to achieve, especially for young families, and they point to financial insecurity and poor quality public education as the most significant barriers, according to a new survey released today by the National League of Cities (NLC).…

    • 685 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thesis: The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry show that there is great struggle in reaching The American Dream.…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Gilbert ,Sandra and Gubar ,Susan .The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination . New Haven: Yale University Press, 1979 .…

    • 4462 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics