Posted by Emily Frost-Morgan (24.10.89.143) on June 22, 2005 at 8:43:32 p.m.:
In Reply to: Re: A Raisin in the Sun and "Harlem" Wednesday Discussion posted by Maggie Campbell on June 22, 2005 at 8:04:03 p.m.:
> Langston Hughes’ poem has a lot of correlation with “A Raisin in the Sun.” The Youngers who are always trying to achieve bigger dreams than they can carry is like when Hughes says, “Like a heavy load.” The load becomes heavy and sometime unmanageable. Somehow this family is stuck in a rut and is “dry [ing] up like a raisin in the sun.” This poem’s connection with the play is that the plot is I believe to be based around this poem. Possibly Hansberry used Hughes as inspiration since when she was a child he was one of the distinguished black men that visited her house as a child. Hansberry obviously looked up to Hughes, and I believe chose his poem to become close enough to reality by creating a play.
> “A Raisin in the Sun” is a dream that has been eaten away by the sun and is now “A Dream Deferred.” Dreams are what individuals are made of and Hansberry knew this when creating this wonderful story and plot. Hughes’ poem makes me think of when my dreams become reality and when my dreams become distant thoughts. Not all dreams are meant to come true, but keeping up the faith is what we can do as the dreamers. Some of my dreams “fester like a sore” until I make the decision to keep them in my reach or toss them out to sea. Hughes and Hansberry do a great job getting their message across that dreams are important even if those dreams take years to be fulfilled.
Maggie, I agree with you in that I think Hansberry wrote the play going off of Langston's poem. I didn't think about their dreams. I like what you said at the end too, dreams are important even if those dreams take years to be fullfilled, because i thnk that is totally true. You should never give up on your dreams, no matter how long they take