In the play A Raisin in the Sun, one of the most important themes is the coming of age of the main characters, Walter and Benethea. In the beginning of the play, they are both very flawed and selfish characters – Walter seeks to help the family in the wake of his father’s death, but his decisions often lead to disastrous consequences. Benethea, on the other hand, must learn to make her own decisions and forge ahead in life, as well as change her already established preconceptions of race and identity. Hansberry’s play, like the Langston Hughes poem “Harlem” (from which the play derives its title), discusses the futile nature of the American Dream, especially when having to deal with the deeply entrenched racial prejudice of the 20th century. In this play, the ideals of the American Dream are shown to be foolish and idealistic, and that it cannot be a reality for everyone as long as systemic socioeconomic inequalities exist between black and white.
Many of the play’s characters represent the two opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of black-white interactions in America, showing their ability to assimilate into the traditional ideal of the American Dream. George Murchison, a wealthy black man, provides the Youngers with a strong example that black people can actually achieve prosperity and happiness in America; at the same time, however, the Youngers seem to dismiss him as no better than the rich white people who scoff at them. Racist whites and the rich are often equated; at one point, Walter laments that he will never get the same equal chances for success that white folks do: “sometimes when I’m downtown and I pass them cool-quiet-looking restaurants where them white boys are sitting back and talking ‘bout things - sitting there turning deals worth millions of dollars - sometimes I see guys don’t look much older than me” (Hansberry 61).
George Murchison is directly contrasted by Asagai, Benethea’s friend from native Africa; he represents a certain type of freedom from the racism African-Americans encounter. Instead of having to be afraid of his roots, and the same kinds of discrimination that tie the Youngers down and keep them from the American Dream, Asagai is proud of the differences between his skin and the Youngers, as well as his own country’s traditions. At one point, he criticizes the Western dog-eat-dog method of achieving success: “isn’t there something wrong in a house—in a world—where all dreams, good or bad, must depend on the death of a man?” (Hansberry 116). He provides an alternative to the whole system of the American Dream, which leads the Youngers to become competitive and spiteful to others like George Murchison. Between Asagai and George Murchison, Benethea chooses Asagai - and by extension, a closer connection to her African roots and a departure from the cutthroat chase for the American Dream.
At one point, the whites even offer to buy out the Youngers in order to stay away from their neighborhood; one of Martin’s more virtuous and transcendent moments in the play is when he chooses not to give into that bribe (and pursue the American Dream anyway): ““We have decided to move into our house because my father—my father—he earned it for us brick by brick. We don’t want to make no trouble for nobody or fight no causes, and we will try to be good neighbors. And that’s all we got to say about that. We don’t want your money” (p. 148). This action demonstrates Walter’s eventual maturity and perseverance in his pursuit of happiness. While the play does not reveal whether or not the Youngers succeed after moving out of their apartment, it does demonstrate the tremendous hurdles black people have to go through in order to chase the American Dream (which are more numerous than their white counterparts).
Langston Hughes’ “Harlem,” (from which the play’s title “A Raisin in the Sun” is derived) is indicative of the idea of race and the cultural elite, and the potential damage that can happen when one tries too hard to identify and assimilate into white culture (i.e. The American Dream). His opening line, “What happens to a dream deferred?” is evocative and rhetorical. He waxes philosophical about the things that black people wish they had the privilege to do, were it not for the interference of institutionalized racism and an oppressive white culture. Hughes’ continual questions relate to the black experience: he wants to know where his chance for equality has gone – whether it is gone forever, or whether the missed chance weighs him down; “maybe it just sags / like a heavy load” (Hughes, lines 9-10).
The final line of the poem, “Or does it explode?” is Hughes’ final bit of hope; perhaps, instead of festering and withering away, the disappearing dream explodes in a brilliant blaze, perhaps making those who deferred the dream notice it. It talks about going out in a blaze of glory, perhaps telling the African-American culture that, if their dreams will be deferred, at least that abandonment will be seen and observed. In some ways, it is a call to action to attempt to take what is theirs – their hopes and dreams. On the other hand, it may be exploding in their face, reminding them of the dream they cannot achieve.
The American Dream and how it relates to the black experience is also explored in the poem “Incident” by Countee Cullen. “Incident” is a frank depiction of racism and how it affects a small child in Baltimore. An eight year old black boy, just visiting Baltimore, runs across another little boy from Baltimore, a native, who calls him a racial slur. Despite all of the wonderful things that he encountered throughout the entirety of Baltimore, this one event sticks with him in lieu of all others. This incident ruins the innocence of this young boy, as he encounters racism, presumably for the first time, showcasing that the shadow of prejudice can often blot out the other happy experiences in one’s life (and cuts off his access to the American Dream).
The poem is titled “Incident” for good reason; this is not an accidental occurrence, and this once situation merits importance especially in this young boy’s life. Before this, he was “heart-filled, headfilled with glee,” but afterwards it is implied that this is the thing that stuck with him all that time (Cullen). Despite the fact that he saw a great many things for more than half a year, “Of all the things that happened there / That’s all that I remember” (Cullen).
Much like in “Harlem” and “Incident,” A Raisin in the Sun explores the impossibility of the American Dream for African-Americans, because of the systemic racism that gets in their way. The numerous obstacles that the Youngers must overcome – including questions of racial identity and the inability for whites to fully accept black families entering their neighborhoods – are shown to be tremendously prohibitive elements in their pursuit of the American Dream. The play, however, does show the Youngers taking some positive steps toward actualizing themselves as people and family members; Benethea draws herself closer to her family, learning to tolerate her brother’s decisions and way of life. She still remains fiercely independent, and it is entirely possible she will run away with her Nigerian boyfriend, Asagai, to be married and work as a doctor in Africa. This play shows the very limited opportunities afforded to African-Americans to achieve the American Dream, which then leads them to sometimes act out of desperation when one finally arrives.
Works Cited
Cullen, Countee. “Incident.” Literature: A Pocket Anthology. Editor R.S. Gwynn. Publisher:
Pearson/Longman, Penguin Academics Imprint. Fourth Edition. ISBN: 10-0-205-65510-6.
Hansberry, Lorraine. A raisin in the sun: a drama in three acts. New York: Random House,
1959. Print.
Hughes, Langston. "Harlem by Langston Hughes." Poetry Foundation. N.p., 1 Jan. 1994. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175884>.
