Dreams: The Navigator of Our Lives

"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up? Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore--And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat Or crust and sugar over--Like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags Like a heavy load Or does it explode?"

Our dreams are what keep us going; they motivate us to wake up every morning and put our best foot forward. In the low points of our lives, dreams are what tell us to get back up and keep trying. But what would happen if these dreams were taken away from us and we weren't given a chance to chase them? How would we go on?

In the poem above by Langston Hughes, all the lines imply that the "dream" is already somewhat dead and unattainable. To show this, Hughes uses the words, "dry up, fester, stink, crust, sag and explode". The poem portrays the dream as "lost" and unattainable. However, the dream is being lost not because the chasers were not hard-working but because they were never given an or opportunity or a chance to achieve them. In other words, the chasers lacked resources that would help them live their dream.

This poem preludes the novel, "A Raisin in the Sun". The novel mainly focuses on African Americans and how they often lacked resources or had opportunities taken away from them simply because of their race. Because of their skin color, there already was a racial prejudice against them from other people of the society, so they were discriminated and isolated from mainstream society. This fact already diminished their chances of reaching their dreams. Furthermore, they often were pushed into poorer neighborhoods and cities where opportunities weren't available to them. If somehow, they were able to make it to cities with opportunities, they were turned away because of their race.

Through their times of darkness, the dreams are what helped the African Americans and other minorities to keep going and prevented them from giving up. However, after multiple rejections, these minorities often lost sight of their dream and their dream faded away. Their dream died as a result of discrimination and racism. This highlights the importance of racial equality, so that everyone has a chance to chase their dreams and reach the top.