The play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, tells the story of a black family living in the Southside of Chicago. The family of five is excitedly waiting to receive an insurance cheque of ten thousand dollars. Walter hopes to open a liquor business while Benetha wants to attend medical school. Benetha defends her thought of going to medical school by stating (Hansberry 3.1.14),” That was what one person could do for another, fix him up – sew up the problem, make him all right again. That was the most marvelous thing in the world. I wanted to do that. I always thought it was the one tangible thing in the world that a human being could do. Fix up the sick, you know – and make them whole again. Lorraine uses Mama's plant to represent the family’s resilience in achieving their dreams of a better future. Just as the plant struggles to grow in a house under poor conditions, the Younger family strives to achieve their dreams despite their financial hardships. The play represents the following music types Nigerian folk songs, blues, and spiritual. As the Young families carry out their chores, they often listen to saxophone blues played on the radio. The sole natural light the family may enjoy in a day is only that which fights its way through this little window. “Although Mama was aware of the poor growing conditions, her house provided for her plant; she still catered to it each day. On several occasions during the play, Mama is seen tending to her plantSymbols used in A Raising in the Sun
The play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, tells the story of a black family living in the Southside of Chicago. The family of five is excitedly waiting to receive an insurance cheque of ten thousand dollars. The family hopes that the cheque will give them financial security and help them achieve their dreams. Lorrain uses symbolism to portray the family's resilience and unity as they struggle to turn their lives around.She uses the insurance cheque to show the family's moments of hope and despair. Music is also used to indicate the family's unity and African identity.
The insurance check mama Lee expects to get represents hope and the dream of economic prosperity to the Younger family. All the family members view the cheque as the tool to aid them in achieving their goals. Walter hopes to open a liquor business while Benetha wants to attend medical school. Benetha defends her thought of going to medical school by stating (Hansberry 3.1.14),” That was what one person could do for another, fix him up – sew up the problem, make him all right again. That was the most marvelous thing in the world. I wanted to do that. I always thought it was the one tangible thing in the world that a human being could do. Fix up the sick, you know and make them whole again. This was genuinely being God. I wanted to cure. It used to be so important to me. I tried to heal. It used to matter. I used to care. I mean about people and how their bodies hurt…” Mama views the cheque as her husband’s legacy and intends to use the money to get her family out of the slums and establish a legacy for Travis, her grandchild. She talks about Walters’s dreams by stating (Hansberry 1.1),” "Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams – but He did give us children to make them dreams seem worthwhile." Mama intends to fulfill big Walters’s dreams by paying for the down deposit of a house in Clybourne.
Using the insurance cheque Lorraine takes us through the family's highest and lowest moments. The family is happy and hopeful as they await the cheques arrival and dream of how they will use the money.Their lowest points are when they recognize the money might not make such a difference. After Mama receives the insurance money, she makes a down payment for a house in Clayman. Although the family is excited to move out of their tiny home with poor lighting, they are scares of moving into an all-white neighborhood.
Walter had hoped to turn around his family’s future by investing his portion of the money in the liquor store business. He is greatly disappointed after discovering his partner Bobo had run off with the money. In an angry fit, Willy cried out,” … don't do it … Please don't do it … Man, not with that money … Man, please, not with that money … Oh, God … Don't let it be true, Man … I trusted you … Man, I put my life in your hands …"
During the play, Benetha wears her natural kinky African hair. By rejecting the Caucasian perspective that beautiful hair must be straightened, Benetha wore her natural hair to show her pride and identify as a black woman. Benetha only began wearing her natural hair after Asagai comments about her straightened hair. He said, “You wear it well . . . Very well . . . Mutilated hair and all. “Benetha changed from straightened to natural hair to prove to Asagai that she had not adopted the Caucasian values and that she was still in touch with her roots. (Hansberry. 1. 2)
Lorraine uses Mama's plant to represent the family’s resilience in achieving their dreams of a better future. Just as the plant struggles to grow in a house under poor conditions, the Younger family strives to achieve their dreams despite their financial hardships. Mama‘s plant struggles to grow since the Younger’s house has poor lighting. Lorraine describes the house by stating (Hansberry 1.1),”, "The single window that has been provided for these "two" rooms is located in this kitchen area. The sole natural light the family may enjoy in a day is only that which fights its way through this little window."Although Mama was aware of the poor growing conditions, her house provided for her plant; she still catered to it each day. On several occasions during the play, Mama is seen tending to her plant. Mama's devotion to providing to her plant represents her devotion to seeing her family succeed. Her dedication paid off when she paid for the house in Clybourne, which had good light.
The play represents the following music types Nigerian folk songs, blues, and spiritual. As the Young families carry out their chores, they often listen to saxophone blues played on the radio. The blues are used to showcase the culture of black folks in the South Side of Chicago. Blues are often used to represent peace and unity during hard times.
The younger family is introduced to Nigerian songs by Asagai, who brings the music to Benetha. As seen two of the play begins, Ruth finds Benetha wearing a Nigerian robe while singing to the folk songs. Trough the songs, Walter and Benetha, are temporally unites. As Benetha sings the chorus to Ruth, a drunken Walter walks into the house and joins her in singing. As he enjoys the music, Walter states (Hansberry 2.2),” I’m digging them drums … them drums move me! … In my heart of hearts_, I am much warrior!"
In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine has effectively used symbolism to show how the young family uses the insurance money to secure their financial situation and get out of the Southside. The family uses music to drown their sorrow and to unite them despite their differences. Mama's plant and the limited sunshine in the house represents how Mama is determined to conquer different challenges to ensure her family’s dreams come true.
