Essay About American Dream And Youngers Family

American Dream Through the Youngers Family
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American Dream through the Youngers Family
The idea of the American Dream still has truth in todays time, even if it is wealth, love, or
fame. The thing that never changes about the American Dream is that everyone deserves something
in life and everyone, somehow, should strive to get it. Everyone in America wants to have some
kind of financial success in his or her lives. The American dream is said to be that each man have
the right to pursue happiness and strive for the beat. In the play “A Raisin in the Sun”, the author
shows an African-American family struggling to get out of the poverty line, which is stopping them
from making financial stability, or the American Dream. Its main focus is on Walters effort to
make it, or be somebody. She also shows how race, prejudice, and economic problems effect a black
mans role in his family, how he provides, and his identity. It is also said that that the Youngers
family dreams were unreal and they couldnt attain there dreams due to their status in life.
The two most common American dreams that the Youngers family want to achieve is to be
accepted by the white society and to be financially stable. For example, when the Younger family
received the insurance check in the mail Mama went out and brought a house in the white
neighborhood. Shortly after she brought the house in the white neighborhood, which is known, as
Clybourne Park they quickly sent a representative by the name of Karl Linder. Linder was apart of
the New Neighbors Orientation Committee that welcomed newcomer in the neighborhood.
Unfortunately, since the Youngers were black Linder stated ” It is a matter of the people of
Clybourne Park believing, rightly or wrongly, as I say, that for the happiness of all concerned that
our Negro families are happier when they live in their own communities”. (Hansberry 407). This
basically states that Mr. Linder was trying to convince them not to live in their neighborhood
because they didnt fit into the description of that community. This is an example of them not being
accepted by the white society. Being financially stable allows you to have a better lifestyle, gain
respect from others and to obtain power. By being financially stable you can live better because you
can you dont never have to worry about how your going to eat, will all the bills be paid and maybe
you could own your own business one day. This relates to the story “A Raisin in the Sun” because
Walter wants to take the money that his mother received from the death of her father to open a
nearby liquor store. He wants to open this liquor to better his families life, but he gave the money
to one of his friends so they can start getting the liquor store started but the friend took the money
and fled with it. With having money it also brings you respect, it may seem funny because you
would never know that money would allow a person to gain respect. Also by being financially able
people will not look down on you as if youre another one of them poor African American peoples.
Another aspect of being financially stable is to obtain power. Having money will allow you
money and power it is sometimes good and its sometimes bad. Mentioned further up in the readings
I mentioned that having money allows you to gain power it allows you to gain power because
money talks. Not only do money talks when having power you can voice your opinion and
something could be done sooner than someone without the money. Powers also puts you in high
positions and allows you to obtain fame.
In todays society the American people view the American dream as “a dream of a land in
which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according
to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret
adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream
of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each
woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be
recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or
position.”(What is the America Dream?) It is said that some Americans view the American Dream
as a pursuit of material prosperity, that people work more hours to get bigger cars, fancier homes,
the fruits of prosperity for their families, but have less time to enjoy their prosperity. Others say that
the American Dream is beyond the grasp of the working poor who must work two jobs to insure
their familys survival. Yet others look toward a new American Dream with less focus on financial
gain and more emphasis on living a simple, fulfilling life. (What is the American Dream?). There
has also been much criticism of the American dream. The main criticism is that the American
dream is now misleading. These critics say that, for various reasons, it simply