In Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun", the reader is taken back in time, to a time when segregation was still raging. Named after a line from Langston Hughes' poem "A Dream Deferred," the play focuses on the dreams of the Younger family. Every member of the family dreams of a better life, otherwise known as the American dream. Although each family member wanted a better life, their idea of ​​a better life was different. The matriarch of the family, Mom dreamed of becoming a homeowner in a better neighborhood and providing for her family. Walter dreamed of owning a liquor store, which would bring him a lot of money. Beneatha, on the other hand, wanted to go to college to become a doctor. These are all typical dreams, but the younger ones have the added problem of being black in a time that made their dreams more difficult to achieve. Lorrain Hansberry illustrates the many obstacles the Younger family must overcome to have their dreams “postponed.” Mom and Walter shared a desire to provide for their family and viewed money as a means to success. When the family patriarch dies, the family receives an insurance check for $10,000. Mom sees the check as a chance to move her family out of their cramped apartment and into their own home. Conversely, Walter becomes obsessed with opening his own liquor store, which he sees as a way to earn a better income to support his family. In the first scene, Walter's son Travis asks his parents for fifty cents and his mother Ruth tells him they don't have it. Walter, most likely sorry, gives his son some money anyway, saying, "Actually, here's another fifty cents... Buy yourself some fruit today - or take a taxi to school or something." something like that! (p. 450) » Lat...... middle of paper ...... that they are not ashamed of their complexion either. The youngest were very proud of Walter, especially Mom who said: “He finally became a man today, didn't he? A bit like a rainbow after the rain…(512) “The family was able to put their problems behind them by moving into their new home in Clybourne Park. They knew it would be a challenge to live in a place where they were not accepted, but they were more concerned about the better opportunities their family would have. Hansberry has successfully portrayed each of the main characters in such a way that the reader can see themselves in at least one of them. Everyone has a dream and faces many obstacles on the way to achieving it. The story of the Young People shows the reader to never give up on their path to achieving their dreams. Works Cited Hansberry, Lorrain. A raisin in the sun. New York: Random House, 1959.