A Dwindling Dream or a Fantastical Fallacy?

 “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the starts”. The message of this famous saying is that if you have a dream or goal, go for it, try your hardest, and even if you fall short, you will still have accomplished something. Now, for most people this is true, but to those of a different ethnicity or race, their shots wouldn’t even reach the clouds. As we look throughout history, the constant discrimination shown towards those that are deemed “different” is appalling, and there seems to be some atmospheric boundary that’s placed to trap those of color from ever accomplishing their ambitious aspirations. No matter how hard one tries, only a small handful of colored people appear to succeed, while the rest are shot with the disappointing cruelty of reality. As society progresses, two groups of minorities begin to diverge, those who continue to pursue their dreams, and those who decide to give up. Racism truly asks the question; are the goals of those oppressed achievable or a simply fleeting illusion?

In A Raisin in the Sun, the theme of dreams and discrimination is present, displaying the extreme imbalance of wealth and lifestyle among African Americans and white families. In this text, we witness two characters that represent and believe in two very opposing ideals: Ruth and Walter. Walter is a dreamer, who is aching to drag his family out of their current situation. Waiting for Mama’s insurance money, Walter wants to use the $10,000 to invest in a risky liquor business with his friends. Ruth doesn’t believe that Walters dream would bring any benefit, instead viewing it as a way to worsen their conditions. This is where their love for each other seems to drift apart, as Walter is frustrated with Ruth’s lack of support, “Man says to his woman: I got me a dream. His woman says: Eat your eggs”. Ruth, more understanding of the risk Walter’s investment, gives up of Walter’s false hope, expressing that this isn’t the first time Walter has come up with seemingly hopeless endeavors, “Honey, you never say anything new”. In this story, we see one character continuing to dream, but is constantly met with rejection and disappointment, and another character who has given up of opportunities that seem to be a gamble. Racism is the root of their problems; Ruth has to clean white people’s houses and Walter is the chauffer to a rich white man. Both want to save their family from not only financial troubles, but also from tearing themselves apart.

Racism is rooted throughout the history of the United States, and those of color are victims to the lack of opportunities and progression. At every turn, people are constantly tormented with discrimination- whether that be through employment, health care or education-as racial inequality is ripping society apart. Their dreams and ambitions are violently taken from their grasp, and they are left questioning if there is any escape. Like the Younger family, those who are racially oppressed are seemingly eternally confined in their limited prison-like homes, looking out through that small window where the sun shines, wishing they were on the outside.