‘A Raisin in the Sun’ is a play written by the Lorraine Hansberry in year 1959. The play is inspired by Langston Hughers’s poem “Harlem”. The play focuses on experiences of a black family. The poem also inform readers about the irrational and illogical world. The poem informs about the truth and reality of the real world. All the characters and story of the play is driven by the poem. One can easily find powerful connection between the circumstances and selections made by the characters in the poem and in the story. This paper intends to discuss the similarities between “A Raisin in the Sun” and poem “Harlem”.
Beneatha is a young women in the play who dreams for good medical education, freedom to choose the relations, and wanted to establish her own identity. However, she was not encouraged by her family to pursue her dreams. Beneatha in the play experimented with her interests, she learned guitar, and other pursue her interests. Beneatha explored the possibilities available in the world. In her conversation with Mama and Brother Walter she shows different types of her personality. She was aggressive, calm, frustrated and furious. Beneatha had dreams but she accepted the reality of life and her circumstances (Hansberry).
In the poem the author said that things that cannot be achieved or taken care in appropriate manner get fester. It is not possible to heal the wounds provided by differed dream. the author describe it by saying “What happens to a dream deferred?, Does it dry up, like a raisin in the sun?, Or fester like a sore—, And then run?” (Hughes). The author in few words describe how an un-fulfilled dream can create aggression and frustration that is depicted by Beneatha, Walter and other characters of the play when their dreams were broken. A person can not escape from a deferred dream even if he or she tries so.
In the poem the author says “Does it dry up” and “Maybe it just sags”; here author refers to the person who given up their dreams and their spirits are low. In the play Ruth is a person who is struggling to live happily, she is depressed with her conditions. In act one and scene two, Ruth shows her depression when she said Walter that she paid “five-dollar down payment” for the abortion (Hansberry). At that time abortion was not illegal hence Ruth paid money for the abortion.
“Fester” & “stink” are two verbs used by the author in the poem. These words reflect the personality of two male members described in the story. Both Walters i.e. father and his son reflect the meaning of “Fester” & “stink” in their actions in the play. Walter does not interact with his mother and wife in respectful manner when he realize that her mother brought a home from the insurance money to pursue her own dream. Walter wanted to invest that money in a business, hence, he was frustrated and in anger (Loos). On the other hand mama wanted an open, and safe place for her family where family members can enjoy sunlight and live happily in peace.
After analyzing both “A raisin in the sun” and “Harlem (A Dream Deferred)” it can be concluded that the tory is very much inspired by the poem. All characters in the play such as Beneatha, Walter, Mama, and Ruth display the same behavior under different circumstances as mentioned by the author is poem Harlem.
Works Cited
Hansberry, Lorraine. Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. USA: S. French, 1984. Print.
Hughes, Langston. "Harlem." 2014. poetryfoundation. Electronic. 28 November 2014.
Loos, Pamela. A Reader's Guide to Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. USA: Enslow Publishers, Inc, 2008. Print.
