The elusive American dream is something that people began pursuing before America even existed. There is something in human nature that pushes us towards the unknown in order to provide us with a life free of conflict and difficulty. Throughout American history, we can find examples of success through adventure. However, stories of failures caused by the pursuit of the American dream often go untold. Although there are many differences between the time periods and characters, A Raisin in the Sun and The Pastures of Heaven demonstrate the dangers of focusing too much on the American dream (or any aspect of it) and the great tragedy that could result. of the American dream.A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of the Youngers, an African-American family from Chicago who is struggling to make ends meet. However, when Lena, the family's grandmother, receives a $10,000 insurance check, the hard times seem to be a thing of the past. While Lena wants to invest in a house to get the family out of the cramped building, Walter, Lena's son, wants to invest in a liquor store. Each of these characters is chasing the American dream. The dream of owning land stems from the feudal land system where owning land was a position of power. Rather, Walter was chasing the American dream of being able to be his own boss. However, when Walter tried too hard to force his dream of owning a liquor store to come true, he ended up losing his dream and potentially ruining his family. Lessons of the dangers of the American dream permeate A Raisin in the Sun in multiple ways. The first is the warning to seek happiness in the form of financial well-being...... middle of paper ... possibility of failing and finding an American nightmare. Works CitedBrown, Lloyd W. "Lorraine Hansberry as Ironist: A Reassessment of A Raisin in the Sun." Journal of Black Studies 4.3 (March 1974): 237-247. Rep. in 20th century literary criticism. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Flight. 192. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Gale Library Resources. Internet. April 19, 2011. Hansberry, Lorraine. A raisin in the sun. New York: Vintage Books, 1994. Print. Kasser, Tim and Richard M. Ryan. “A Dark Side of the American Dream: Correlates of Financial Success as a Central Life Aspiration.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65.2 (1993): 410-422. PsycARTICLES. EBSCO. Internet. April 19, 2011. Steinbeck, John. The pastures of heaven. New York: Penguin Books, 1995. PrintWinn, Harbour. “Steinbeck Pasture Community Unity.” Steinbeck quarterly 22.3-4