This title of this play comes from the Langston Hughes poem, "Harlem," in which he asks
What happens to a dream deferred / Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun?
Three generations of the Younger family live in a cramped apartment full of faded furniture. An anticipated insurance payout check might change all their lives forever.
Though first performed in 1959, the themes of justice, hopefulness, and the grinding weariness of inescapable poverty remain relevant.
I am considering using this book in our senior spring as a substitute for Invisible Man, which I pre-read earlier in the school year and decided not to assign to First Son. The play is obviously much shorter, so I would also find some additional resources. I still have a few years before my second child will be a senior.
I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I received the book as a gift. Links to Bookshop are affiliate links.
