Everyone believes in the American Dream, however, everyone has a different belief in what the American Dream is. In A Raisin in the Sun, each family member’s dream is what drives the story. Through each person’s dream you learn about who they are and how they are working towards their dreams. The American Dream varies for everyone, but people use education as the foundation to attain it though they may face adversity in their endeavors.
The American Dream can be described as anything, yet some people may not understand why others have such a dream. To explain to Mrs. Johnson what is wrong with being a chauffeur, Mama says, “My husband always said being any kind of a servant wasn’t a fit thing for a man to have to be” (Hansberry 103). Mama …show more content…
Many educational systems have “...power structures of group inequality and multiple forms of oppression are notorious for their role in hindering rather than promoting the opportunities for ethnic minority, working class, and female students to achieve academic success” (Makkawi). Females and minorities in heterogeneous societies will face discrimination for the simple fact they are females or minorities which hinders them from obtaining an education, job, or reaching their goals. In Michelle Obama’s biography it says, “African American students recall newspapers slipped under their door with op-eds arguing that their presence on campus brought down university intellectual standards” (Mundy 66). At Princeton, Michelle and many African Americans experience racial discrimination that makes them feel unwelcome and unworthy of attending the university. Although they feel unwelcome, this feeling only pushes Michelle and others to work harder to prove their worth so they can make it. Ghada, a female student, gives an example of the sexism and discrimination, when she states, “Despite the fact that I was rated first in my class, when we had an open day in the school the boy after me gave the students' speech” (Makkawi). The superintendent would not allow Ghada to deliver the students’ speech because she is a female, fearing it would be a disgrace for her to stand in front of the village and give the speech. The superintendent’s actions acknowledge the sexism and discrimination of females in the community and lessens the value of the hard work Ghada put in to be first in her class. When Walter’s family is disappointed in his decision to call Mr. Lindner to accept the money instead of moving into an all white neighborhood, Walter responds, “I tell you I am a man—and I think my wife should wear some pearls in this world!” (Hansberry 143). Walter’s resents himself because he is not able to