A Raisin in the Sun | Summary & Plot
Table of Contents
- "A Raisin in the Sun"
- "A Raisin in the Sun" Summary
- "A Raisin in the Sun" Characters
- "A Raisin in the Sun" Analysis
- "A Raisin in the Sun" Premiere and Reception
- A Raisin in the Sun" Summary
Why is A Raisin in the Sun so important?
"A Raisin in the Sun" is a play by Loraine Hansberry. It is about a Black family living in the 1950s and their struggles to follow their dreams in a time period when people were not treated equally based on their gender and race. The play also addresses the conflicts that arise between family members of different generations and with differing aspirations.
What is the plot of the story a raisin in the sun?
The plot of "A Raisin in the Sun" centers on the Younger family, a Black family living in Chicago in the 1950s. Walter Younger dreams of owning his own business, a liquor store, and the independence that comes with being self-employed. His mother (Mama) gives him a portion of the life insurance payment from her deceased husband to invest in the store as well as additional money to set aside for Beneatha (Walter's sister) to go to medical school. Mama puts the remainder of the money down on a house in a white neighborhood. The family is approached by a man (Mr. Lindner) from the white neighborhood who tries to persuade them not to move into the neighborhood by offering them even more money than Mama's down payment, but the family rebuffs him. Afterwards, it is revealed that Walter has given all of the money to his prospective business partner who stole it and left town. Walter invites Lindner back to the apartment intending to accept his offer, but Walter's pride won't let him and he turns Linder away once more. As the play closes, the family moves out of the apartment.
Table of Contents
- "A Raisin in the Sun"
- "A Raisin in the Sun" Summary
- "A Raisin in the Sun" Characters
- "A Raisin in the Sun" Analysis
- "A Raisin in the Sun" Premiere and Reception
- A Raisin in the Sun" Summary
"A Raisin in the Sun" is the first play written by the African American playwright Lorraine Hansberry. The play's title was taken from a line in the Langston Hughes poem "Dream Deferred," also called "Harlem". The subject matter of Hansberry's play was inspired by her experiences growing up in Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s. Her family became the target of racist attacks designed to force them to leave after moving into to a white neighborhood. A court initially ordered the family to move, but the case worked its way up to the Supreme Court and the Hansberry family won the case.
The Civil Rights movement occurred in the 1950s, and several historical events occurred in the period leading up to the publication of "A Raisin in the Sun" such as Brown vs. the Board of Education in 1954, the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, and the Civil Rights Act of 1957. These events likely paved the way for a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, an African American woman who became a success.
"A Raisin in the Sun" Synopsis
"A Raisin in the Sun" is a play set in an African American neighborhood in Chicago sometime during the 1950s. The entire play takes place in the Younger family's small, run-down apartment where three generations reside. Throughout the play, the family members conflict with one another over personal aspirations and dreams while struggling with the realities of being a Black family in the pre-Civil Rights era.
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Mama, the matriarch of the family, is expecting a $10,000 check from her late husband's life insurance policy. Her son, Walter, desires to use the money to open a liquor store, believing that the venture will move him and his family out of poverty. Mama later reveals that she has used a portion of the money to put a down payment on a house in Clybourne Park, a white neighborhood where the living standards are better. Mama gives the remaining money to Walter and instructs him to set aside some for his sister, Beneatha, and to keep the rest for himself. In the meantime, Mr. Lindner, a white man from the Clybourne Park neighborhood, arrives at the apartment and attempts to buy back the house from the family, implying that the residents of the neighborhood do not want a Black family to reside there. The family rebuffs Lindner's offer. Later, Walter's friend arrives to inform Walter that their mutual friend and supposed business partner has stolen all of the money that Mama had given to Walter. Walter invites Linder back to apartment intending to accept his offer in order to recoup the money. However, in the end, Walter's pride wins out, and the family decides to move to Clybourne Park.
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- Lena Younger (Mama) is the matriarch (female head of the family). She is in her early sixties and is mother to Walter and Beneatha and grandmother to Travis. She is a humble, selfless, God-fearing woman, and the happiness of her family is of the utmost importance to her. Her family is her motivation for everything she does, including buying the house and giving the remainder of the money to Walter.
- Walter Lee Younger, a chauffer in his mid-thirties, is the son of Mama, husband of Ruth, and father of Travis. Walter is unhappy with his current job and living situation and dreams of a better life. Although Walter has big ambition, his lack of awareness and self-centeredness leads to conflicts with the other family members and the loss of the money.
- Ruth Younger, a thirty-year-old domestic helper, is Walter's wife and Travis's mother. Walter accuses Ruth of being unsupportive of his dreams, but Ruth is continually looking out for each family member's best interests and plays the role of peacemaker in their familial disputes.
- Beneatha Younger, a twenty-year-old college student, is Mama's daughter and Walter's sister. She is aspires to become a doctor, but Walter resents her for not contributing financially to the household, and her family accuses her of being flaky as her ambitions and interests change frequently.
- Travis Younger, a ten or eleven-year-old boy, is the son of Walter and Ruth. He is a typical child, sulky with his mother and teasing with his sister. Travis's character helps to illustrate the poverty of the family--he must sleep on the living room couch and carry groceries at the supermarket after school to earn money. He also serves as one source of Walter's motivation for becoming a business owner and a reminder to Walter of his family's pride when Walter rejects Linder's offer for the second time.
- Joseph Asagai is a Nigerian man that Beneatha has met in college. He helps Beneatha in the search for her identity by introducing her to aspects of her African heritage.
- George Murchison is a college boy and friend of Beneatha. He serves as a foil and an irritation to Walter as he is everything Walter is not: wealthy, sophisticated, and educated. To Beneatha, George is a snobbish assimilationist who has rejected his culture.
- Karl Linder is a white man from the Clybourne Park Association who tries to prevent the Younger family from moving to the neighborhood by offering Mama more money than she has put down on the house. He represents historical incidents of white hostility and racism against Black people moving into white neighborhoods.
- Bobo is Walter's friend and supposed business partner who informs Walter that their other partner, Willy, stole Walter's money and ran off.
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"A Raisin in the Sun" addresses some of the topics that were current in the 1940s and 50s such as racism/segregation and changing gender roles/feminism, but other topics like the value of hopes and dreams and the importance of family are still relatable today.
"A Raisin in the Sun" Themes
- In Langston Hughes' poem "Montage of a Dream Deferred," he questions what happens to a dream that is never realized. Lorraine Hansberry addresses that same question in this play with the theme centering on the value of hopes and dreams. Each character possesses a separate dream that motivates him or her. Walter dreams of being an independent business owner who is not beholden to anyone; Beneatha dreams of being a doctor; Ruth dreams of having a good relationship and shared dreams with her husband; and Mama dreams of owning her own home. Each character's dream, though, is also tied to escaping the ghetto.
- A second theme of the play involves the importance of family. The characters in the play are mostly focused on their own selves and dreams, leading to conflicts with one another. Mama is the one character who has nearly given up her own dream in order to serve her family. In the end, Mama's belief that a solid family is most important is realized by everyone.
- A third theme concerns gender roles. The three female characters in the play hold differing attitudes regarding the role of women in a household and in society. Mama holds the traditional role. She lives to serve her family, and she has difficulty understanding and believing in Beneatha who pursues her own interests and sets the goal of becoming a doctor. Ruth also has trouble understanding why Beneatha would not want to marry George who's rich but shallow and demeaning to Beneatha. Ruth, however, is part of a younger generation than Mama which is evidenced by the implication that Ruth has been to see a woman who performs abortions. Beneatha, who is ten years younger than Ruth, possesses a modern view of feminism as she chases her dreams rather than potential husbands.
- Finally, the play addresses the issue of confronting or reacting to racism and segregation. The family is shocked and made nervous by Mama's decision to buy a house in a white neighborhood, as is Mama herself. However, when Lindner comes to the family to buy them out, the family's pride is restored, and they make him leave.
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First produced in 1959, the "A Raisin in the Sun" was atypical and provocative for the time period because the playwright, cast, director, and producer were all black. The producers initially had difficulty finding financial backing for a play that depicted the struggles of an African American family and characterized white people as racist. Nevertheless, "A Raisin in the Sun" became the first play written by an African American woman to appear on Broadway in New York. The predominately white audience was initially skeptical of the play, but reviewers of the play praised it, noting that Hansberry's characters and themes were relatable to people of any race. "A Raisin in the Sun" also attracted a Black audience to Broadway for the first time. The play, director, and actors Claudia McNeal (Lena Younger) and Sidney Poitier (Walter Lee Younger) were all nominated for Tony Awards. Hansberry became the youngest playwright and first African American to win the New York Drama Circle's Critics Award for best American play.
In 1961, the film adaptation of "A Raisin in the Sun" was released. McNeal and Poitier again played the roles of Lena and Walter and were nominated for Golden Globe Awards. The play was adapted into a musical in 1973 and won a Tony Award for Best Musical. "A Raisin in the Sun" has appeared on Broadway twice more. The 2004 production starred rapper and music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs and was later adapted for television in 2008, and the 2014 production won another Tony Award.
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"A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry is about a Black family living in Chicago in the 1940s and 50s. Many of the topics and themes of the play directly correlate to the play's setting, such as the outright racism experienced by the characters and changing attitudes regarding gender roles. Even so, there are topics and themes that are relatable to people of all races, backgrounds, and time periods, such as pursuing one's dreams and the importance of family. Like the Younger family in the play, Hansberry and her family were discriminated against, and also like Younger family, Hansberry followed her dream of being a writer despite the many obstacles in her way. Though Hansberry died of pancreatic cancer at the young age of 34, her groundbreaking play "A Raisin in the Sun" has been produced and performed on stage and in film again and again, winning numerous awards, and the play continues to be studied and celebrated in classrooms today.
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Video Transcript
Plot Summary
A Raisin in the Sun, a play by Lorraine Hansberry, is the story of a lower-class African American family living on the Southside of Chicago during the 1950s. The family seeks to move into a home in a White middle-class neighborhood. Although a portion of a $10,000 insurance check has been used as a down payment on the house, the remainder of the money has been given to the son of the family. In an effort to quadruple the money, the son invests the money and ends up losing all of it. Despite the fact that the family has lost the remainder of the insurance money and was told that they would not be welcome in the White neighborhood by one of the neighbors, the family decides to move forward with their plans to move into the neighborhood.
Character Summary
Lena Younger (Mama) is a 60-year-old matriarch, meaning she's a woman who rules or dominates her family. Mama heavily relies on her unyielding faith in God and always puts her family first in all decisions. Ultimately, Mama believes that a man should run the household and is she is eager to demonstrate her confidence in her son's ability to lead the family. Because of this, after using a portion of the $10,000 insurance check for the down payment on a house in a middle-class neighborhood, mama gives the remainder of the money to her son to keep for their future.
Walter Lee Younger (Mama's Son) is a 35-year-old chauffeur, who sometimes drinks too much, and becomes obsessed with using the insurance money on a business venture that he believes will provide financial independence and improve both his life and his view of himself. For example, because Walter was so desperate to fulfill his dream of improving his life, he secretly invested the remainder of the insurance money in a liquor store venture with his friends, even though his mother clearly stated that she opposed this plan.
Ruth Younger (Walter's wife) is a thirtyish, very laidback woman. Ruth spends much of her time acting as peacemaker during family disagreements. However, she becomes more emotional when faced with the likelihood of moving to a new neighborhood. For example, when mama and Walter disagree over moving into the White neighborhood, Ruth agrees with Mama and hopes the move will provide more room and opportunities for their son Travis.
Travis Younger (Walter and Ruth's son) is a 10-year-old boy who is a little spoiled, but is a good-natured child. For example, even though Mama makes up for Travis when he gets into trouble with his parents, Travis earns money for carrying grocery bags and does not complain about sleeping on the living room sofa because he has no bedroom.
Beneatha Younger (Mama's daughter) is a twentyish college student who demonstrates a feminist and independent perspective. Beneatha has hopes of going to medical school. As the only member of the household with the opportunity to go to college, she sometimes flaunts her intellect. For example, Beneatha believes that she is entitled to a college education and to participate in extracurricular activities, even though the money would be better spent in the household.
Mr. Lindner (a representative from White neighborhood) is a middle-aged, weak White man. Mr. Lindner believes he is doing the Youngers a favor as he tries to persuade them not to move into the all White neighborhood. Sent by the Clybourne Park Improvement Association, Mr. Lindner is totally unaware of his insensitivity and his insulting behavior as he goes to great lengths to persuade the Youngers into changing their minds regarding their move. For example, during Mr. Lindner's visit to the Younger home he says, 'People want to live among their own kind' and then proceeds to offer the Youngers a financial bribe not to move into the neighborhood.
Themes and Analysis
One major theme of A Raisin in the Sun is the role of hopes and dreams. In Langston Hughes' poem, 'Montage of a Dream Deferred', he asked and answered the question, What happens to a Dream Deferred? Based on a similar question, Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, asked, 'What happens to a person whose dreams grow more and more passionate while his hopes of ever achieving those dreams grow dimmer each day?' One of the major themes of A Raisin in the Sun is that even under the most devastating circumstances, one's continued pursuit of his/her dream can provide a 'lifeline' and an opportunity to escape the trials of everyday life.
One of the other themes of A Raisin in the Sun is the realization that the solidarity of family can be the greatest source of support in overcoming adversity and in seeking to improve one's life. Although the Youngers have many disagreements throughout the play, in the end they unite as a family and plan to rely on one another for support as they move into the White neighborhood and try to improve their lives.
Finally, another major theme of the play is confronting racial discrimination. Despite the fact that a representative from the White neighborhood tries to convince the Youngers not to move and offers them a financial incentive, the Youngers agree to move forward with their plans to move into the neighborhood. Relying on their cultural pride and reflecting on the accomplishments of the Black community, the Youngers decide that it is best to stand up to racial discrimination, and make the decision to move forward with their plans to move into the neighborhood.
Lesson Summary
Langston Hughes' poem, Montage of a Dream Deferred asks, What Happens to A Dream Deferred? In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry offers a realistic and powerful story of a matriarch who always places her family and their needs first, even when challenged by Mr. Lindner's bribe to persuade the family to not move into the neighborhood. Set in 1950s Chicago, Illinois, this play shows the importance of having the right to pursue our dreams, rely on our families for support, and overcome societal and racial injustices, even when confronted by others who do not believe we should have these rights.
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