The Strength of Family in Death of a Salesman and A Raisin...

The American Dream is a vision of economic opportunity available to all those who work for it, regardless of race or class. However, as seen in Arthur Miller’s â€Å"Death of a Salesman† and Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, perverted conceptions of the American Dream convince certain characters that they are entitled to the fruits of miracles. Despite their best intentions for supporting their families, Walter Younger and Willy Loman encounter unsurpassable obstacles and are unable to fulfill their dreams. When all hope has been lost, family is the only thing that these characters have left. â€Å"Death of a Salesman† and â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† portray family as asylums of safety amidst the hopeless ambitions of tragic heroes. Both Lena†¦show more content†¦Lena tells Beneatha to love her brother when he is in a time of crisis and to understand what tribulations he had to go through (hills and valleys) out of love for his family. Lena’s establishes peace between Walter and Beneatha by teaching them to forgive each another and value family harmony above all else. The family peace is thus preserved and ultimately this unity allows the Youngers to stand by one another at the end of the novel in the decision to move into their new home and persevere against racial pressure. Lena’s diplomatic skills come into play again during this climax and empower the tragic hero of the story to make a redeeming decision. A major source of tension within the story comes from disagreement over how the money should be invested, but that question becomes meaningless when a crook dupes Walter and runs away with the money. Desperate, Walter is tempted to acknowledge racial inferiority by staying out of Clybourne park in return for money, but ultimately Lena convinces Walter that family is more important than money. As Walter prepares to seal the deal, Lena tells her son to â€Å"make [Travis] underst and what you doing, Walter Lee†¦ you show where our five generations done come to† (147). Lena challenges Walter to submit like that of his slaveShow MoreRelatedComparing the Plays, A Raisin in the Sun and Death of a Salesman902 Words   |  4 PagesIn history there have been an uncountable amount of plays made, but there have only been two that fully captured the American dream like A Raisin in the sun and Death of a Salesman. In both plays the protagonist is trying to achieve the American dream, but it is near impossible when neither of them has the respect of their superiors or the people around them. It is amazing that two different plays can so closely parallel each other when they have a time gap of over 10 years. Both Miller and LorraineRead More Comparing Light and Growth in A Raisin in the Sun and Death of a Salesman2358 Words   |  10 PagesLight and Growth in A Raisin in the Sun and Death of a Salesman.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, both authors use motifs of light and growth within their settings to convey messages about the intrinsic values and potentiality of their characters. A Raisin in the Sun begins with a faint little light, filtering through the kitchen window. Its not much of a light, but it is successfully kindled by Lena Younger to keep her little plantRead MoreGender Roles : The Great Gatsby, The Mystery Of Heroism, And The Scarlet Letter1862 Words   |  8 Pagesliterature are adversarial to characters in their search for fulfillment. The concept of gender roles obstructing success is ubiquitous in the many works, including The Great Gatsby, The Mystery of Heroism, The Scarlet Letter, A Raisin In The Sun, and The Death of A Salesman. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, gender has a large impact on Myrtle, Gatsby, and Jordan in their pursuit of prosperity. Myrtle, much like the main protagonist of the novel, Gatsby, was aspiring and wanted to haveRead MoreThe Great Playwright s Life Story2415 Words   |  10 Pagesgrew up rather comfortably in a middle-class African-American family from the Southside of Chicago (â€Å"Lorraine†). Her father, Carl Augustus Hansberry, not only established Lake Street Bank, one of the first Chicago banks to solicit black patronage, but also established himself as a successful real-estate businessman (Jacobus, â€Å"Lorraine† 1223). Despite the middle-class status, the family experienced racial tension, especially when the family bought and moved into a home in a racially restricted covenant—whichRead MoreCompare/Contrast Willy Loman (Death of a Salesman) and Walter Lee Younger (a Raisin in the Sun)2823 Words   |  12 PagesHansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman through the portrayal of main characters Walter and Willy in their struggles for happiness and prosperity. Although the two characters have similar dreams, Walter, a dynamic character, breaks through the fantasy while Willy, a static character, remains trapped in his illusion. Willy Loman has a very specific dream, a contorted version of the American dream. Willy dreams of being successful and providing for his family, but alsoRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesespecially like to thank Kim Norbuta, Claudia Fernandes, Kelly Warsak, and Judy Leale of Prentice Hall; and Sharon Anderson of BookMasters for her expert assistance with this edition. Finally, and most importantly, we express appreciation to our families for their ongoing patience and support, which is reflected in their willingness to share their time with this competing â€Å"labor of love† and to forgive our own gaps between common sense and common practice. David A. Whetten Kim S. Cameron PREFACE Read MoreMarketing Management 14th Edition Test Bank Kotler Test Bank173911 Words   |  696 Pagestrains his companys sales force to go after the consumer. He repeatedly asks his team to bear in mind the essential fact that it is the sales teams responsibility to rouse the consumers interest and make him feel that he needs the product. A true salesman is one who can convert an indifferent consumer walking into the store into a new customer. Johnson believes in the ________ concept. A) product B) production C) selling D) marketing E) social responsibility Answer: C Page Ref: 18 Objective: