Raisin in the Sun Shared Death of a

Salesman

Dream Walter’s dream to A dream to be To be a legend of a

own things and higher up in society salesman and to be
not work for other wealthy/well-liked
people

Pursuit of the An obsession with Makes rash, Never truly pursues

dream “investments”-- misguided his dream in a
giving all of his decisions meaningful fashion.
windfall cash to a He simply lies to
liquor store idea himself and does
vile things to
succeed, including
cheating on his wife

Role that $ plays in You need to spend A material The dream is

the dream money to make obsession money; Walter’s
money-- a liquor only desire is to
store needs an have more money
investment and things which
cost money

Impediments to Once Walter A lack of money He doesn’t make a

reaching the actually does get lot of money, and
dream the money the field has
through the death changed. He
of his father, it’s doesn’t have any
stolen from him, real skills to get a
financially better job or be
devastating him better as a travelling
and Beneatha salesman, so he
can never become
wealthy

Results of the End up defying None, really-- the Suicide, which

struggle racial norms and ending is very actualizes the
moving into a different between dreams which
traditionally white the two. revolve around
neighborhood money, and the
devolution of the
Loman family

Family/relationship Too close to each Everyone is lying to

struggles other, literally. The themselves. Willy
 issue of treats his wife fairly
matriarchy weighs poorly. Willy expects
heavily on Walter unrealistic things
and therefore the out of his boys and
family. Not enough they don’t have the
money. same dreams as
him.

Protagonists Walter is a man Both men place a Willy is a man with

who idolizes his lot of weight on their an obsession, if not
dream, but less in dreams and a fetishization, of
the sense that he consider them the money which tears
wants to make only thing that can him apart. He is
money than in the help them actualize becoming insane
sense that he themselves. with his age and is
wants to rise becoming more and
above racial and more detached from
economic factors reality, which tracks
keeping him with his obsessive
down. and neurotic
personality.

Women Mama is the de Traditional gender Linda is a powerless

facto matriarch of roles are something woman whose only
the family and is in valued by many of role in the family is
a position of the women during to inform the boys of
power almost this period, which is Willy’s mental state.
above Willy. Ruth most likely owed to She has no real
is also a strong the time period they demonstrated
woman, but more were written during. interest or strong
in her personality character traits
than in her role in through the play.
the family-- while
she isn’t
necessarily
subservient to
Walter, she
definitely
subscribes to
traditional gender
norms.
Beneatha is very
against gender
norms, and is
going to college to
become an
independent
woman who rises
above the label of
“weak woman”.