Raisin in the Sun if

¶ … Raisin in the Sun

If you have read many African-American plays that focused on racism and how it destroyed the spirits of black people, then this play would definitely offer a much-needed respite. The play doesn't delve into victimization mode and instead focuses on strengths and weaknesses of the Youngers- a black family struggling desperately to keep hope alive when caught in financially tough times during 1950s. The epigraph of the play comes from one of Langston Hughes's most famous poems, "Montage of a Dream Deferred." Even the title of the play is derived from this epigraph. This is because the theme of the play resonates with the theme of the poem that raised questions regarding significance of dreams. The poet wondered if dreams serve as aids in times of crisis or do people give up their aspirations when faced with odds. This question serves as the basic premise of the play and this question is effectively answered by the author through her different characters. Lorraine Hansberry's play is an interesting and very original view of the life of blacks in 1950s. However it is not as much about life of blacks as it is about life of one family. The color doesn't make much of difference, since the family is moved and driven by the same hopes and fears as any family would be. But we cannot ignore the social environment altogether. This was a time of extreme racial prejudice, segregation, hatred and racial divisions. The society, predominantly white, was not willing to accept blacks as part of them and they were usually sidelined. Poverty had only acted as a catalyst in this kind of division since it kept most black families restricted to poor neighborhoods. One such unfortunate family was the Younger family that resided in a cramped apartment in Southside Chicago. But this family had dreams and pride.

The play is all about strength of one's dreams. The Younger family decides not to surrender their dreams in the face of stiff odds and this is what sees them through. The play opens with Younger family's financial problems. They are expecting some insurance money and each person believes that his/her dreams would come true with the help of that amount of $10,000. Beneatha wants to go to medical college and feels she can use this amount to get some quality education. Walter on the other hand wants to invest in a liquor store. Mama eventually decides that Walter should keep the money and spend it wisely since he has faced many misfortunes in his life. While the family doesn't approve of this decision, there is not much they can do since Mama is willing to risk this amount. Mama herself wanted a new house. However when Walter invests the money, his plans go awry and he suffers a major setback. The person he invested with runs away with the amount and the family is left with nothing.

Walter is now experiencing even greater embarrassment and shame. He has not only lost his own dreams but has also burned everyone else's dreams to ashes. This is a great burden and while we might feel angry towards Walter for destroying everyone's life, we cannot help feeling sad for Walter's own broken dreams. He had wanted a better future for his son Travis. He had promised Travis that they will one day own a Chrysler that is "elegant" rather than "flashy," and will also employ the services of a gardener. He also predicts that once Travis goes to college, his father would "hand you the world!" (625).

Under extremely tough conditions too, the family stays together because of Mama who acts like the glue. She refuses to allow everyone to lash out at Walter and instead teaches them the wise lesson: "Sometimes you just got to know when to give up some things" (626). She tells Beneatha to calm down and love her brother despite his grave mistake. To this Beneatha replies: "Love him? There is nothing left to love." Mama responds very wisely and with sagacious insight: "There's always something left to love. And if you ain't learned that, you ain't learned nothing. Have you cried for that boy today? I don't mean for yourself and the family 'cause we lost the money. I mean for him; what he been through and what it done to him. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most; when they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain't through learning-because that ain't the time at all. It's when he's at his lowest and can't believe in hisself 'cause the world done whipped him so. When you starts measuring somebody, measure him right, child, measure him right. Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys he come through before he got to wherever he is (626)." The play ends in the victory of everyone's dreams. Mama is finally able to purchase a new house, Walter helps by keeping pressure tactics at bay and Beneatha moves to Africa with her boyfriend Joseph to become a doctor.

The central theme of the play, as we identified earlier, was dreams. Dreams are based on idealism and this is what helps a person pursue his/her dreams despite all odds. The play is set against a backdrop of intense racial discrimination and segregation. While racism is not the main theme, it certainly plays a role since it was the basic element of social environment of 1950s. Housing discrimination was common and blacks were not allowed to reside in white neighborhood. Though no one could legally stop them from moving, whites would offer try many pressure tactics to stop blacks from entering white communities. In this play too, we see that when Mama tries to purchase a house in white neighborhood of Clybourne Park, a white spokesman Karl Lindner tries to manipulate them by suggesting that "Negro families are happier when they live their own communities (607)." Walter plays a key role here since he is the one Lindner makes the offer. But despite his failed dream and shattered business plans, Walter decides not to succumb to pressure tactics and goes ahead with his family's dream to move into Clybourne Park. "What I am telling you is that we called you over here to tell you that we are very proud and that this is-this is my son, who makes the sixth generation of our family in this country, and that we have all thought about your offer and we have decided to move into our house because of my father-my father-he earned it. We don't want to make no trouble for nobody or fight no causes-but we will try to be good neighbors. That's all we got to say. We don't want your money (627)."

On the one hand, this play is about broken dreams, shattered hopes and tragic circumstances, but on the other and more important side, it is also about believing in your dreams, idealism, ethics, pride and victory. The author doesn't try to get overtly sentimental; instead she deals with everything in an objective manner. Hansberry only resolves the conflict she could i.e. The ones within the family. However she allows other larger conflicts to remain unresolved because those were beyond her control. The play captures the dreams and hopes of every character in poignant manner. For example when Walter loses money on an ill-advised investment, Beneatha can see her dreams going up in smoke. She had always believed that she could cure the sick and make this world a better place. This is closely connected with the racial discrimination she and her family experienced in the society outside. Since that is beyond her control, she hopes to create a more compassionate society by taking care of the sick. She tells Asagai: "I always thought," that becoming a doctor "was the one concrete thing in the world that a human being could do. Fix up the sick, you know -- and make them whole again."

Each major character has a dream which is what helps in carrying the plot forward. Mama's dream had been deferred for ages. She wanted a house with yard big enough for a garden and all her life she felt that her apartment residence was a temporary one. This belief was so strong that while she lived in that apartment all her married life, she finally did manage to get herself the house of her dreams. She is a woman who really believes in changing her mental attitude in order to improve her outlook. Mama would try to make everyone believe that their apartment wasn't that bad a place even though she knew that it was infested with rats and they had to share one bathroom: "this place be looking fine" (140).

There are occasions in the play when we see all characters giving up their dreams even if temporarily only to pick them back up at a later stage. This is the essence of true faith. It never leaves you forever. You can curse your life but you must not abandon it or dreams will be deferred for good. Walter for example gives up his dream of becoming his own boss. He wants to be financially secure- enough to at least raise himself above the servant class. He wanted Travis to have a better future. But all his dreams vanish when he makes the unwise investment and loses money. His dreams have not vanished however from his spirit, they have only started consuming him. this results in extreme frustration as he turns to alcohol for some consolation. George describes him as someone "wacked up with bitterness." (85) Mama cannot see her son consumed by failed dreams and the situation becomes alarming when Walter doesn't take his wife's threatened abortion seriously. Walter becomes a bitter lost soul.

Beneatha on the other hand is more of an idealist. She wants to become a doctor. However during the course of the play, even she loses hope as she cannot see how she would ever have enough money to become a doctor. Beneatha becomes despondent as her dreams appear to have gone up the smoke. For some time, she severs her commitment with the society as well. This is when she ridicules idealism of Asagai who wants to see Africa independent. This is an important scene because it puts author's views forward in the most precise manner. While Beneatha ridicules idealism, Asagai tries to restore her faith in the same. As Beneatha cynically states: "I wanted to cure...It used to be so important to me.... I used to care. I mean about people and how their bodies hurt...." Asagai wonders why she has stopped believing in her dreams. Beneatha responds bitterly: "Because [doctoring] doesn't seem deep enough, close enough to what ails mankind! It was a child's way of seeing things -- or an idealist's."

It is then that the author jumps to the defense of idealism through Asagai. He reminds Beneatha: "Children see things very well sometimes -- and idealists even better." Beneatha's response turns very sarcastic as she says: "You with all your talk and dreams about [a free] Africa! You still think you can patch up the world. Cure the Great Sore of Colonialism -- with the Penicillin of Independence -- !... What about all the crooks and thieves and just plain idiots who will come into power and steal and plunder the same as before -- only now they will be black... --WHAT ABOUT THEM?!"