A Raisin in the Sun, a play by Lorraine Hansberry includes many similarities to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. A Raisin in the Sun is about a poor African-American family who receives a life insurance check which could improve their life and make their dreams a reality. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of thousands of people in Washington, D.
C. as he demanded equal rights for all Americans. They both illustrate the long-awaited freedom that African-Americans want and also show the harsh realities that African-Americans had to face every day.The major similarities between Dr. King’s speech and A raisin in the Sun are racial injustice, living in poverty and dreams for a better life.
Racial injustice is definitely the major theme that A Raisin in the Sun and the “I Have a Dream” speech both display. The play and Dr. King’s speech both take place in the mid-1900’s when justice for racial equality was booming. Martin Luther King says in his speech “Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to make justice a reality”.
He is trying to say that segregation and racial injustice needs to end now and that people need to act and advance towards racial equality. A Raisin in the Sun also focused largely on racial injustice. The major scene referring to racial injustice was when Mr. Linder stopped by the Younger residence. He told the family that Clybourne Park was an entirely white town and that they would do anything to keep it way.
The residents intended to pay off the family so that they would not move into Clybourne.The community’s fear of the Younger family disturbing their way of life was extremely prejudice. When the Younger family heard this news they flew into a rage. Walter then demanded Mr. Linder to leave their house immediately.
This scene showed how angry and fed up the family was with how they were treated by white people. Martin Luther King’s speech and A Raisin in the Sun also demonstrated themes of living in poverty. Many people in the U. S. are affected by poverty every day but for African-Americans during the time period of segregation, it was excessively harsh.
In Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech he said “One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. ” This means that after one hundred years of slavery being abolished, blacks are still not free. African-Americans are living in poverty when the rest of America is prospering. He showed that it was possible for people to climb out of the financial hole that they were in but it was not possible for black people because of the oppression that held them back.
The Younger family went through extreme poverty.They were forced to live in a crowded apartment in which Travis the son of Walter had to sleep in the living room. They also had to work low paying jobs like Walter driving people and Mama doing domestic work for families. Both of these pieces show that African-Americans were forced to live in poverty during segregation.
A Raisin in the Sun and Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech both exemplify that everyone should be given a chance at their dreams. Martin Luther King quoted the Declaration of Independence saying that all people have “unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.He also says “ even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.
It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. ” Dr. King means that all people have the right to their dreams and right to accomplish those dreams. A Raisin in the Sun also mainly focuses on the Younger Family’s dreams.
Walter had a dream to open up a liquor store, Mama had a dream to live in a house, and Beneatha had a dream to become a doctor. Most of these dreams were not able to come true except one. They all had the dream for a better life.Both pieces support the dreams and the American dream for all African-Americans.
A Raisin in the Sun and Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech have many similarities. They both show the racial injustice and discrimination that African-American’s had to face. Dr. King’s justification of Black-Americans living in poverty closely related to the Younger family’s situation. The Younger family’s hopes for a better life closely resembled Martin Luther King’s speech when he started to say “I Have a Dream”.
These works of art show how important it is fight for what you believe in and keep fighting.
