Chasing the American Dream in A Raisin in the SunA Raisin in the Sun is a play about an African-American family living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. This family is going through many difficulties, both within the family and financially. The family is awaiting an insurance check. The story focuses on each family member's individual dreams and what they want to do with the money. The family struggles to resolve their family problems and decide what to do with the money. This comedy shows a family trying to achieve the American dream. Although the American Dream has changed slightly since this time period, readers can identify with the family's dreams and aspirations. Lena Younger is called Mama throughout the story. The check that is arriving is due to the passing of her husband. Mom suggests buying a house with the money and moving to a better part of town. Walter Lee Younger is a mama's boy. Walter is the protagonist of the play. Walter dreams of a better life for himself and his family. He hopes to one day live on par with wealthy white men. He would like to invest the money in business, particularly in a new liquor sales venture. His wife Ruth is the caretaker of the house. She is a strong woman and tries hard to keep her family together. Beneatha Younger is Walter's sister. He dreams of going to school and becoming a doctor. In this period the idea of ​​a woman doctor was not listened to, much less an African-American woman. The family faces diversity together and everyone has different dreams of how to overcome it. The common thread between each family member's ideas is that they all chase the American dream. James Truslow Adams first defined the American Dream in his book The Epic o...... middle of paper ......ars before the setting in A Raisin in the Sun. This set equality in motion between blacks and whites. A Raisin in the Sun shows the struggles that African American families faced in becoming equal to whites. While some argue that we are not completely equal in today's society, I believe that small improvements are being made every day. African Americans standing up for their rights and chasing their dreams and white people accepting all kinds of people are the key to how this world will change for the better. Works cited "American Dream". Investipedia. Np, nd Web. April 2, 2014. Banfield, Susan. “15th Amendment to the Constitution.” The Library of Congress. Np, 09 April 2014. Web. 10 April 2014. Cozzens, Lisa. “The Montgomery Bus Boycott.” Watson.org. NP, June 29, 2005. Web. April 8, 2014."The American Dream." Library of Congress. NP Network. 1 April 2014.