Summary Of A Raisin In The Sun Beneatha

Throughout American history the phrase, The American Dream has been used to describe what most Americans strive for. The American dream has been a long-standing ideology throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It often contains versions of a loving family and a homemaker housewife. Recently, it has been changed. Citizens are moving past the original definition and striving for different goals. The American Dream is an ever-changing enigma, filled with hope and desire. According to Merriam-Webster, The American Dream is, “ an American social ideal that stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity; also: the prosperity of life that is the realization of this ideal.” The stereotypical American Dream often contains living in a house in the middle of Suburbia, a housewife
and respectable children. This often contains the patriarchal head of the family having a steady five day a week job, and the mother often staying home to take care of the children. Similarly, in The Great Gatsby, the women in this text take a secondary role to the men of the family. Daisy who has taken on the role as a wife, filling the stereotype states, “‘All right,’ I said, ‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” (Fitzgerald 20.)` This enforces the idea of the stereotypical American Dream. Daisy hopes that her daughter grows up to be just another housewife that conforms to the standard.
Famous Politician and Human Rights Activist, Bernie Sanders states, “For many, The American Dream is a nightmare.” As society progresses, more pressure is put on adolescents to strive for more.
Sanders is referring to higher education and living in America today. On average a medical student graduates from Medical School with up to $200,000 dollars worth of debt. For most people living in modern America, this is a life sentence of college debt. In A Raisin in the Sun Beneatha dreams of becoming a doctor. For her, this is her American Dream. She continues to strive towards her goal even through all of the hardships she has faced. Even though gaining and losing all of the funding. The stereotypical definition of the American Dream is taking a drastic change. The new generations of adolescents are raised believing that a higher education is the key to success. Beneatha states, “Get over it? What are you talking about, Ruth? Listen, I’m going to be a doctor. I’m not worried about who I’m going to marry yet if I ever get married.” (Hansberry 198) Beneatha is an optimal example of the change in the American Dream. She strives towards her profession and no one will get in her
way.
Just as America is ever changing so is the American Dream. People are starting to move past the stereotypical American Dream. Gregory Corso in his poem, “The American Way,” describes how Americans are stuck in the “way” of life. He describes that the only way to make change happen is to break out of the cycle.
There is no getting out of the Way The only way out is the death of the Way And what will kill the Way but a new consciousness Something great and new and wonderful must happen (Corso 4)
As Americans develop past a patriarchal based society and onto new and bright horizons so does the American Dream. The American Dream is no longer just a stereotypical phrase, it is a dream within everyone, unique to everyone. America is an ever-changing society just like the American Dream. It is filled with the hopes and dreams of the adolescents of this country. Citizens are moving past the original definition and striving for different goals. The American Dream is an ever-changing enigma, filled with hope and desire.