"A Raisin in the Sun": the Theme of Deferred Dreams in the Play

Introduction

In the poem “Harlem” Langston Hughes explores the idea of deferred dreams and suggests that when you defer your dreams, it will change your mindset and deteriorate your moral compass. Hughes gives different outcomes to a deferred dream in his poem most of them being negative like “stinking like rotten meat” or “saging like a heavy load.” In the play “A Raisin in the Sun” Bennie’s outcome for her deferred dreams to find her identity and become a doctor are influenced by the actions of others as she lets her dreams “dry up like a raisin in the sun” to then work towards accomplishing them. Being a black woman trying to be a doctor, Bennie keeps struggling to accomplish her dreams which suggest that dreams deferred by others can make you question their importance. This essay about dreams will explore the theme of deferred dream in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry.

“A Raisin in the Sun”: Beneatha's Deferred Dreams

Beneatha holds modern views on gender since her dream is to become a doctor and she also shows great interest in her African heritage. Bennie is a woman with an open mind; she does not want to be like every other woman she wants to achieve her dream. She is firm and knows she wants to be a doctor even though her brother Walter thinks she should just “be a nurse like other women” (Walter 38) but she doesn’t pay attention to these comments from him and reaffirms that she is “going to be a doctor and everybody around [her] better understand that”(Beneatha 50). Bennie shows she has a strong character and defends her dream. She knows her family is poor but she wants something and she is getting that no matter how hard she has to work. With this dream Bennie is also showing her perspective on gender; she thinks women and men should have the same opportunities. By pursuing her dream, she can demonstrate that women can also dream big. Her heritage is another thing she cares about a lot. She is interested in discovering her roots and who she is, where she comes from and more. Her heritage is part of what defines her, she is “looking for [her] identity”(Asagi 61), and she likes it so much that she wants “to become a queen of the Nile”(Beneatha 66). Bennie is a black woman trying to find who she is. She wants to know about her roots and the history behind her. All the details behind what could tell her who she is matter to her. The clothes, way of life, culture, and beliefs are things she wants to explore from Africa. She wants to be real and natural. She wants to be herself and to be herself she needs to achieve her dream and discover her identity.

Beneatha’s actions reveal her independence and the importance her motives have in her life. Bennie cares a lot about her heritage and wants to expand her knowledge on it. She is pretty reactive and always wants to prove her point. When Beneatha decides to cut her hair off her boyfriend George says surprised “What have you done to your [hair]” to which she firmly replies “nothing except cut it off” (80). Bennie is someone that when she wants something, she does not just talk about it but she does something in order to achieve or get what she wants. She cuts her hair off to show she is a Nigerian woman and she is proud of that. The reactions of the people around her show how they feel about their heritage which will help bennie know who is with her on discovering her heritage and identity. Bennie’s boyfriend George does not like his heritage, and he has no interest in it because of this they have many fights. After a fight with George Bennie calls George “a fool” and says goodnight to him so that he laves(97) and mama reflects her by suggesting her to “not waste [her] time with no fools”(98) to which she agrees. Bennie shows how she is an independent woman by clarifying her feelings for George and taking a decision. She did not let George decide over her; she stood up to him and told him her thoughts. This actions from Bennie towards her boyfriend show how open-minded she is because she does not depend on him to tell her what to believe, her believes, and thoughts are what she wants. Bennies actions demonstrate her independence and determination toward finding and being who she is without any filters.

Beneatha’s values have persisted in being the same ones, but the consequences of her actions and her brother’s actions have made them stronger. When Walter lost all the money, Bennie was furious and her dream to be a doctor seems almost impossible for her. Bennie is at a low point where she does not care about being a doctor anymore because her brother “gave the insurance money away”(132) she feels that “it [is not] deep enough”(133). For Bennie, her dream to become a doctor to help others is ruined and not because of something she did but because of what her brother did. She feels that without the insurance money she will not be able to become a doctor and fulfill her dream. The actions Walter took destroyed her dream to be more than just a nurse, to be able to cure people and to feel good about herself. This made her question the importance of her dream and think about all that would happen if she does not get the opportunity to achieve what she initially wanted. Bennie’s confidence is back up, and she is sure she wants to be a doctor again. She can fulfill both of her dreams and achieve her dreams because Asagai asked her “to marry him and to go to Africa to be a doctor”(149-150). Bennie now has the opportunity to become a doctor and discover more about her heritage. She is excited and wants to go to Africa with Asagi because of the great opportunity this is to her. She could now help and cure people of her race. Bennie can discover her identity while being in Africa and by being a doctor where she can meet new people that can teach her about their culture. A dream can seem unachievable, but sometimes there are opportunities that help you achieve them as this opportunity came to Bennie. The consequences of Bennie’s actions made her treasure and strengthened her dreams to give her more reasons to achieve them without relaing them on others.

Conclusion

At the beginning of the play Beneatha is not sure about her identity and has no support from her family mostly her brother Walter to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. She wants to know more about her African heritage and her dream to become a doctor is still a priority for her. Beneatha’s dream is held off because of the selfish actions of her brother to the point that she thinks of deferring her dream. Her hopes, to have a bright future seem to be unreachable after her brother's actions; the only good thing at this point is that she has found her identity. However, she realizes that the person with the dream to become a doctor is her and that she can keep working hard to achieve it with the support of her family. Dreams deferred by others can make you question their importance, but it is you that has to take action and work hard to achieve your dreams.