Emily Kwon

Ms. Storer
English 3H Block 1
March 13, 2020
My Biggest Takeaway from A Raisin in the Sun
Through the bitter struggles and unwavering love of the Youngers, Lorraine Hansberry’s
A Raisin in the Sun made me realize how the American dream of parents often revolve around
their children as they sacrifice their precious days to give their children the best opportunities.
The dream broadens in its scope as it is passed on from one generation to the next, allowing the
children to accomplish their parents’ unfulfilled dreams.
My family is what is typically called a “goose family” in South Korea. Just as the geese
migrate to find the best resources for their offspring, the “goose family” moves to secure the best
educational opportunities for the young. Father goose stays back home alone, working hard to
support the rest of the family halfway around the globe. My dad made the difficult decision to
send my mom, my brother, and me to America to nurture in us a global perspective and a more
tolerant mind. As an ambitious investment banker, my dad wanted to earn an MBA degree in the
United States. Likewise, my mom, who majored in English and broadcasting, dreamed of being a
professor. However, when my brother and I were born, they gave up their aspirations to support
us as much as they can. Their personal dreams were lost as a new dream grew in them of
educating their children in America – a literal American dream. To this day, my dad works hard
and saves as much as he can to make our education possible. My mom takes care of us in a
foreign country where none of her family members or friends are near. When I first came to the
United States at the age of ten, I hardly knew how lucky I was – not just because of the
opportunity to study in America, but because of the supportive parents I have. Their countless
sacrifices remain deep in my heart, making me want to reflect their love by becoming a human
rights lawyer who fights for justice. A dream of mine is to solve international disputes regarding
human rights violations, especially those of war atrocities, and I hope by doing so I can make my
parents’ lost dreams worthy.
The unconditional sacrifices are paralleled in the Younger family who possesses a
different American dream that also broadens as it is passed down a generation. Lena’s only
dream is to secure a happy life for her family through buying a sturdy house, and she and Big
Walter struggle all their lives to make it possible. That dream deferred for years, but she manages
to nurture her children with love, enabling Walter and Beneatha to dream of much bigger things.
Walter desperately yearns for taking part of the broader world as the man of the house: “Man
say: I got to change my life, I’m choking to death, baby!” (Hansberry 33) Beneatha, as an
ambitious and vigorous woman, seeks even more, wanting to break stereotypes and find her true
identity: “And forgive me for wanting to be anything at all!” (Hansberry 37) Their aspirations
are not restricted to putting a roof over their heads but center around personal standings and
accomplishments. With their precedents, Travis is opened to a world never before opened to
African Americans. He symbolizes the unlimited possibilities and opportunities that the new
generation of social minorities have due to their predecessors’ years of struggle.
Even though I am hesitant to call myself a minority because of the privileges I have
experienced throughout my life, I am nevertheless beyond grateful for my parents’ sacrifices.