My Epiphany

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

One thing I noticed during today's discussion was that there are a total of six scenes in the play. There are also six images in the poem A Dream Deferred. Each image corresponds with a scene and those images are revealed through the deferment of Walter's dream. The first image of the poem states that a dream deferred might dry up like a raisin in the sun. When a raisin dries up, it becomes bitter and nasty. In the first scene, Walter's dream of becoming wealthy has made him bitter and nasty towards his family. The second image states that a dream deferred might fester like a sore, and then run. When a sore festers and runs, it has become infected and begins to ooze pus out. In the second scene, Walter has become restless. His dream has adulterated his mind and he is angry at his family. Walter results to drinking in the hope that all his problems will melt away. The third image states that a dream deferred might stink like rotten meat. If fresh cut meat remains unused for a while, it rots and emits horrendous  odors. In the third scene, Walter's dream has caused the family to fall apart. It is as if Walter is releasing a feeling, attitude, or air that drives the family apart. Furthermore, Mama sees this and tries to fix the problem. This only causes Walter to make a reference to meat: "So you butchered up a dream of mine" (Hansberry, 492). The fourth image states that a dream deferred might crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet. When something crust and sugars over, it becomes unusable. In the fourth scene, it is evident that Walter's dream has waited long enough and it has hardened. Rather than the dream forming goals so that it might be attained, the hardened dream forms destructive thoughts that will  only create a wake of destruction. Walter becomes filled with the destructive thought of spending the rest of the insurance amount on investment. He decides to make the foolish decision because his dream had crusted over so much. The fifth image states that a deferred dream might sag like a heavy load. That heavy load becomes a burden and slows the person down. The person's mind becomes lethargic and they might become depressed. In the fifth scene, Walter has realized that his invested money is gone. All his hopes and dreams have disappeared. The emptiness of an unfulfilled dream weighs upon him. He sees no hope in life and just goes off to his room. The sixth and final image states that a dream deferred might explode. An explosion creates devastation all around it. An exploding dream might cause a person to do something they have never done before. It might drastically alter the personality of the dreamer. Walter changes. He decides to take Mr. Lindner's money. Walter has changed so much that avarice has transcended to be the sole focus of his life. Although Walter becomes himself at the end of the play, the deferment of Walter's dream significantly impacts everything that Walter had held true.