Analysis of Harlem (A Dream Deferred) and A Raisin in the Sun

In Langston Hughes’ poem, the author gives us vivid examples of how dreams get lost in the weariness of everyday life. The author uses words like dry, fester, rot, and stink, to give us a picture of how something that was originally intended for good, could end up in defeat. Throughout the play, I was able to feel how each character seemed to have their dreams that fell apart as the story went on. I believe the central theme of the play has everything to do with the pain each character goes thru after losing control of the plans they had in mind. I will attempt to break down each character’s dream and how they each fell apart as the play went on. The first character we meet is Ruth Younger. Ruth is a hardworking mother who has had a†¦show more content†¦1483) It is evident that until the end of the play, we only see sadness in her character and the air of all of her broken dreams. The next character of Walter Lee Younger (Brother) is a man bound and deter mined to make money the fastest way possible. This is a man who values money above all else and ties his own self worth to how much money he has in his bank account. I believe the sentence â€Å"Does it stink like rotten meat?† (Line 6) can be best used to describe all of the dreams brother has. We see how he is at odds with his wife when she doesn’t want to join him in his most recent scheme that involves investing in a liquor store. He tells her quite blandly that she could care less about his dreams. â€Å"Man say to his woman: I got me a dream. His woman say: Eat your eggs.† (Pg. 1477) It is in this monologue that we can see that Walter has contempt for his wife and mother for not allowing him to follow his dreams to become a wealthy man. Hughes states â€Å"Or fester like a sore – And then run?† (Line 4) I believe this line could be used to describe Walter’s state of mind. Thoughts of other rich men fester in his mind on a dail y basis and he is constantly hating the fact that his job is something that he believes brings him shame. He is so frustrated throughout the play as his plans get shot down time after time. However, when he finally gets a chance to make aShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem Harlem 1303 Words   |  6 Pagesthe 1930s - 1960s. He is often credited as the leader of the Harlem Renaissance, and â€Å"famously wrote about the period that ‘the negro was in vogue.’† (Langston). Throughout his body of work, Hughes spoke eloquently to the full spectrum of dreams - both their inspirational power and their heavy burden, if not fully realized. His famed poem, â€Å"Harlem (Dream Deferred)† uses heavy symbolism, falling into three definitive categories: 1. Dreams; 2. Food and Domestic Life and 3. Violence and Oppression(Shmoop)Read MoreLiterary Analysis of Langston Hughess A Dream Deferred1028 Words   |  4 Pagescirculated, analysis of the poem must take place. It unveils and discusses the themes, figures of speech, word placement, and flow of the piece, and A Dream Deferred, is no exception. In Langston Hughess poem, A Dream Deferred, the theme is that no really knows to dreams if they are not reached, and very realistic figures of speech help convey this idea; the poem can be surprisingly related to Mr. Hughess life through the subtitle and quotes from Langston himself. The meaning of, A Dream DeferredRead MoreAnalysis of Harlem by Langston Hughes602 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of Harlem by Langston Hughes Through the turbulent decades of the 1920s through the 1960s many of the black Americans went through difficult hardships and found comfort only in dreaming. Those especially who lived in the ghettos of Harlem would dream about a better place for them, their families, and their futures. Langston Hughes discusses dreams and what they could do in one of his poems, Harlem. Hughes poem begins: What happens to a dream deferred... Hughes is askingRead MoreHarlem: a Dream Deferred1043 Words   |  5 PagesHarlem: A Dream Deferred Langston Hughes Literally Analysis Dreams are aspirations that we hope to reach on our lifetime. They are the day that gives us the drive to live our lives and accomplish our goals. When reaching our goals, we will do anything to get to our destination. But what happens when your dreams deferred and put on hold due to unseen circumstances? Or what do you so when someone tells you that you can not so the things you want to so because of the pigmentation of your skinRead More Harlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem Essay1405 Words   |  6 PagesHarlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem The short but inspirational poem Harlem by Langston Hughes addresses what happens to aspirations that are postponed or lost. The brief, mind provoking questions posed throughout the poem allow the readers to reflect--on the effects of delaying our dreams. In addition, the questions give indications about Hughes views on deferred dreams. Harlem is an open form poem. The poem consists of three stanzas that do not have a regularRead MoreAnalysis Of A Raisin In The Sun1185 Words   |  5 PagesProfessor Quinn Final Essay The epigraph to A Raisin in the Sun is Langston Hughes poem called A Dream Deferred which was written as an example of life in harlem. The lines are a introduction to the white societys actions to take away equal opportunity from black citizens. Hughes main point is that there could be consequences when peoples frustrations build up or accumulate to the point where they have to either surrender their dreams or allow strenuous circumstances to literally devourRead MoreThe Poetry Of Harlem And Women Have Loved Before As I Love Now925 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† is the opening statement of Harlem that grabs the attention of everyone who is reading this phenomenal poem. Of the two poems listed in this essay, this opening statement is more attention-grabbing and is a fantastic hook to being with. Harlem and Women Have Loved Before As I Love Now, are ideally comparable and contrastable. The meanings of the poems and the authors of the poems a re some topics that are different in these poems. The style of the poems and lengthRead MoreThe Poetry Of Langston Hughes1498 Words   |  6 Pagespoet Langston Hughes, whom by expressing his feelings of oppression in a racist environment, motivated many blacks to learn how to read, play music, and revolutionize civil rights. As a result, this paper will critique how Langston Hughes’ works of Harlem and I Too encouraged Black independence, and how they were used as frameworks for revolutionary concepts such as the achievement of civil rights and social equality. Langston Hughes was an African American poet in the 20th century who had significantRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Dream By Langston Hughes1909 Words   |  8 Pagesunique way as well. The two pomes are about dreams, the first poem, Dream is about what could possibly happen if we let go of our dreams and don t purse them. The second poem, Harlem is about the possibilities of what could happen when we postpone our dreams. Both poems do not exactly end with a happy ending, for they show the regret that we will be left with, possibly even death. The poem Dream by Langston Hughes is about following your dreams, because we never know what our near futureRead MoreAmerican Dream in a Raisin in the Sun4319 Words   |  18 PagesCHAPTER III: The Impact of Identity on Dreams – 1. Identity in the Sight of Other People In actual fact, people have a certain view or conception about what somebody is. This view is quite different from what the individual himself has. But then the harm in all this is that this state of affairs has a great impact on what an individual is supposed to become in life especially when he doesn’t have a great sense of objectivity or when he is not determined to achieve his life goal regardless