A Raisin in the Sun Review by Difan Li

A Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry. It appeared on Broadway in 1959 and still stands as a wonderful literary piece that conveys universal messages and themes. The play is set in Southside Chicago in the 1950s and centers around an African American family tied down by poverty and racism. The family awaits a life insurance check of ten thousand dollars, a financial shift that will open them to many opportunities. However, the money creates conflict between the family as each member has a different dream that they hope to attain.
Walter Younger, the protagonist of the book, is an ambitious and defiant man, obsessive over the idea of using the insurance money to open a liquor store as he believes it would mean an end to the family’s financial troubles. Walter is discontent and resentful of his life due to the lack of opportunity he faces as an African American and fear that he will never be able to get anywhere with his dreams. Though he often lashes out at his family, believing that they are holding him back or ignoring his dreams, Walter’s dream to start a business stems from a desire to provide for his family and his son, to grant his own children a better life, a life of opportunity. The play follows Walter’s development as a character until he is able to “grow into a man” and realize the value of family and holding onto your pride.
Beneatha Younger, Walter’s sister, and plays another major role in the story as she represents the arising generation of feminism. She struggles against gender oppression and has a dream of becoming a doctor, a career that did not have many females. Beneatha is the only thoroughly-educated member of the family, and her education is something that the family has sacrificed much for. Though she may be self-centered and often comes into conflict with her brother, symbolic of the struggle against oppressive masculinity, Beneatha becomes a more likable character as she connects with her African heritage and discovers her racial identity with the help of her Nigerian boyfriend, Joseph Asagai.
Lena Younger, also known as Mama, and Ruth, are the mother and wife of Walter. They both come into conflict with him as Mama’s dream is to use the insurance money to buy a house and move to a better environment. Mama’s dream comes from a place of selflessness, as she views money as a means to attain dreams and not the dream itself, something that Walter does not realize until the end of the play. Ruth, Walter’s wife, is beaten down by her life and works to support the family. She discovers that she is pregnant yet the family cannot afford to take care of a baby and, out of options, she contemplates abortion.
Mama purchases a house in an all-white neighborhood with some of the insurance money, however they are not received with enthusiasm. Karl Lindner, a representative of the neighborhood, offers them money in exchange to not move into the neighborhood, but they refuse. However, Walter loses the remaining insurance money, and overcome by desperation, thinks about accepting the offer. It is only with the realization of the importance of pride in one's racial background and the importance of standing fast against racism and poverty does Walter refuse Lindner’s offer, making the family move into the new neighborhood with hopes for the future.
Though it is a short play, every page has a wealth of depth and ideas worthy of discussion. Even the name itself holds a very special meaning, derived from a poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes, questioning what happens to a dream that is deferred and whether it dries up “like a raisin in the sun.” The play addresses social issues such as racism and gender roles that were prominent in the 1950s and still very present today. The book is very inspiring with realistically written characters with their own ambitions, motivations, and goals. Each character is representative of a different generation or aspect of society and the play is able to impress the importance of its themes, revolving around racism and social issues, with these characters. This book is incredibly thought-provoking but also easy to read and follow along. I would highly recommend giving it a place on your books-to-read list or just taking a chance by flipping through its pages and exploring its depths.