Loraine Hansberry’s iconic play A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of the beleaguered Younger family, who face racism and interpersonal strife in their life on Chicago’s south side. Given the title’s status as a line from a Langston Hughes play, “A Dream Deferred,” A Raisin in the Sun is itself about dreams, and the ways in which they are denied to people of color in America. The dreams of Walter, Benethea and Mama Younger are ‘deferred’ in this way throughout the play, showcasing the unique struggle that black families have to get ahead in American life.
Walter Younger is one of the most industrious people in the family, working hard to make enough money so that they can achieve the American Dream in the kind of way that would make them more respectable to whites. Money is directly tied to the fulfillment of dreams – in Act I, Scene II, Mama says that “Once upon a time, freedom used to be life – now it’s money,” to which Walter replies: “No - It was always money, Mama. We just didn’t know about it.” When Walter admits this, he points out that American families must work hard and sacrifice to fulfill their dreams, and more often than not do not achieve it.
Mama also looks for the American Dream, wanting a good house for her family, and is dedicated to taking care of them: “You just name it son and I hand you the world!” (Act II, Scene II). However, even in her search for a nice house in an affluent neighborhood, the racism inherent to American life works hard to keep it from her. In this respect, the primary theme of A Raisin in the Sun is about the deferment of dreams to the disadvantaged in American life, and the anxiety that causes.
Works Cited
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Random House, 1959. Print.
