Chasing the American Dream in A Raisin in the SunA Raisin in the Sun is a play about an African-American family living in South Chicago in the 1950s. This family goes through many difficulties, both within the family and financially. The family is waiting for 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 issues and decide what to do with the money. This play shows a family trying to achieve the American dream. Although the American dream has changed slightly since this time, readers can identify with the family's dreams and aspirations. Lena Younger is referred to as Mama throughout the story. The check that arrives is due to the death of her husband. Mom suggests buying a house with the money and moving to a better part of town. Walter Lee Younger is 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 an equal footing with rich white men. He would like to invest the money in business, including a new liquor store. His wife, Ruth, is the caretaker of the house. She is a strong woman and strives to keep her family together. Beneatha Younger is Walter's sister. She dreams of going to school and becoming a doctor. At that time, the idea of ​​a female doctor was not heard of, much less an African-American woman. The family faces diversity together and everyone has different dreams about how to overcome it. What each family member's ideas have in common is that they are all chasing the American dream. James Truslow Adams first defined the American dream in his book The Epic o......middle of paper ......ars before the setting of A Raisin in the Sun. This sparked equality for blacks and whites. A Raisin in the Sun shows the struggles that African American families faced to become equal to whites. Although some will say 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 types of people are the key to changing this world for the better. Works Cited “The American Dream.” Investopedia. Np, and Web. April 2, 2014. Banfield, Susan. “15th Amendment to the Constitution.” The Library of Congress. Np, April 9, 2014. Web. April 10, 2014. Cozzens, Lisa. “The Montgomery Bus Boycott.” Watson.org. Np, June 29, 2005. Web. April 8, 2014. “The American Dream. » Library of Congress. No. Internet. April 1 2014.