Lorraine Hansberry's classic play, A Raisin in the Sun, takes its title from the infamous poem "Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes, and both The works discuss what happens to a person when their dreams – their hopes, their aspirations, their life – are continually put on hold. For this analysis of Beneatha Younger's dreams and character in Raisin, I would like to draw inspiration from another dream poem by Langston Hughes called "Dream Boogie." Like all the characters in the play, Beneatha has dreams that are dear to her, but their deferral does not cause them to dry up, fester, rot, crust, collapse, or explode. Bennie's dream deferral is expressed more in his "dream boogie": in his sarcastic, biting wit and outlook on life that, to the outside world, can seem a little naive or mawkish, in the same way that Bennie's Jazz is described in "Dream Boogie". Through Beneatha's relationships and interactions with her mother, Walter Lee, and Asagai, we see the effects of deferring a dream on Bennie and the particular rhythm of his boogie. The mother-daughter relationship between Beneatha Younger and Lena Younger is one that, at first glance, appears to be the typical struggle between a rebellious daughter and her older, wiser mother. However, when we look closer, we see both women's deferred dreams come to fruition. One morning, after breakfast, Bennie confessed to his mother: “I don’t believe in God. I don't even think about it. . . I'm tired of him being given credit for everything the human race accomplishes through his own stubborn efforts. (51) This impetuous statement is immediately followed by some slapping action from the mother, who is understandably horrified by the blasphemous things coming from her offspring's offering...... middle of paper. ......her relationship with Asagai, who represents for her the embodiment of her perceived identity: intellectual, cultured and culturally aware. For Asagai, Bennie's quest for self is a little funny, a little unrealistic, a little sad, and as misunderstood as the rhythm of boogie to the untrained ear. As far as dreams go, few are achieved in A Raisin in the Sun. For Beneatha Younger, her dreams – of understanding, of education, of self-worth – are constantly put on hold, postponed indefinitely. The tension of these postponements is expressed in Bennie's interactions with his mother, Walter Lee, and Asagai, and Langston Hughes's "dream boogie" metaphor runs through his story. Beneatha is not a dried out, festering, stinking, crusty dreamer. She dances her dreams to sleep, works her way through her feelings and invents her own rhythm for her life..