Harlem

from A Dream Deferred

by Langston Hughes, 1951
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?

Introduction to Lorraine Hansberry and the play

Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965) lived in Chicago with her parents, both of whom were very active in the Chicago
black community, including in social change work. Her uncle, William Leo Hansberry, studied African history. One of
Lorraine Hansberry’s brothers served in a segregated unit in World War II; another refused his draft call, objecting to
segregation and discrimination in the military.
Lorraine Hansberry attended the University of Wisconsin for two years, then left to work for Paul Robeson's
newspaper, Freedom, first as a writer and then associate editor. She attended the Intercontinental Peace Congress in
Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1952. Hansberry eventually left her position at Freedom, focusing mostly on her writing and
taking a few temporary jobs.
Raisin in the Sun was Hansberry’s first play, which she completed in 1957. She began to circulate the play in hopes of
interesting investors, producers, and actors. However, with a cast in which all but one minor character is African American, A
Raisin in the Sun was considered to be a risky investment, and it took over a year for producer Philip Rose to raise enough money
to launch the play. After touring to positive reviews, it premiered on Broadway at the Barrymore Theatre on March 11,
1959. A Raisin in the Sun thus became the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway, as well as
the first play with a black director (Lloyd Richards) on Broadway.

1950’s
A Raisin in the Sun is set during a fairly tumultuous period of American history. During 1950’s America, frustration
characterized the mood of American blacks. The Civil War in the previous century had liberated them from slavery, and
federal laws had granted them the right to vote, the right to own property, and so on. However, continuing prejudice
against blacks, as well as laws passed since the Civil War, relegated them to second-class citizenship. Consequently,
blacks had to attend poorly equipped segregated schools and settle for menial jobs as porters, ditch-diggers, servants,
shoeshine boys, and so on. In many states, blacks could not use the same public facilities as whites, including
restrooms, restaurants, theatres, and parks. Access to other facilities, such as buses, required them to take a back seat,
literally, to whites.

Dreams of each younger

Despite of all the above circumstances all the characters of a play had a dream that they wished to accomplish.
Walter Lee Younger (Brother)
Walter Lee grew up in the same apartment where he now lives with his mother, his sister, his wife, and his son. This
small, cramped space is the best he could do to provide for his family.

Walter Lee is an astute observer of the human condition. He feels that money makes the world go round. Walter is
looking for an investment to support his family in the long run, to provide for them the future he's always dreamed of.
He wants to invest in a liquor store. But after running into a grave obstacle, Walter slowly realized that what he wanted
wasn’t what he needed. Realization hit and he swallowed his pride set his dream, his goal aside and made the best
decision to benefit his family instead of himself
Mama (Lena) Younger Mama's dream when she was young, was to own her own home with Big Walter. They talked
about saving a little every week and buying a house. 
Instead, they worked their lives away with no home to show for it. 
Now, Mama is able to use the insurance money to purchase a home for her grown children and grandchild(ren). The
cost, Big Walter's death....

Beneatha Younger (Sister) Beneatha, also called "Benny", is the youngest adult member of the Younger Family. She
shares a room with her mother. Benny attends the local University and loves to experiment with new things such as
photography, horseback riding, and playing the guitar. 
Beneatha dreams of becoming a doctor during a time when women were typically nurses. She dreams of another life
that has meaning and focus, while she socially experiments with two different male companions, George Murchison
and Joseph Asagai.

Ruth Younger:Ruth is frustrated, tired, and worn down. Nothing in her life is as she hoped. She lives with her mother-
in-law, her son sleeps on a pull-out sofa in the middle of a shared apartment, and they are still scrapping by. 
In Act One of the play, Ruth discovers that she is expecting another baby. Full of worry and doubt, she visits a "doctor"
about aborting the baby.
Her dream is to shed this life and have something better, whether it be a new home or just a change of attitude, she
yearns for something else. The Younger Family the Younger family has struggled, suffered the loss of their patriarch,
and shouldered many more burdens.

Conclusion
Racism still exists today. But that's not the only challenge today for Mama if she was around. President Obama has
been targeted for being “black” and people view him differently than other presidents because of his skin color. 
Today money is hard to get and in this day in age people believe and think what Walter thinks *I NEED MONEY
NEED IT NEED IT!*