a raisin in the sun themes essay

Thematic Analysis of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” Analytical Essay

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A Raisin in the Sun depicts the life of an African-American family of Youngers living in Southern Chicago during 1950s. The play opens with Youngers preparing to receive $ 10,000 for insurance, from Mr. Younger’s life insurance policy. As a result, all adult members of the family have budgeted for the money with each individual having varying opinions on how to spend the cash. Mama, the head of the family plans to buy a house and fulfill her lifetime dream which she shared with her late husband (Morrin and Hansberry 13).

Walter Lee, Mama’s son is contemplating on investing his share in a liquor store in order to get finances that would salvage the family’s financial status. On the other hand, Walter’s wife shares her vision with Mama and hopes that their son Trivis will find the world a better place to live. Lastly, Beneatha gives her medical school tuition first priority as she tries to figure out her identity by reflecting on their history and Africa.

This competition leads to a clash of dreams as more challenges emerge as the family later moves to Clybourne Park, fulfilling their shared dream. They remain optimistic and united as they hope for a better life in future (Sparknotes 101 literature 703).

The play illustratesa number of themes which the writer illustrates using different events and reactions as portrayed by Mama and her family. All the family members have aspirations and dreams which are universal and shared among other people from different backgrounds (Hansberry 25).

Walter’s understanding of this American dream marks the center of the conflict in the play. Hegets addicted to the middle-class philosophy of materialism and believes in rising to become a better person through hard work and determination. Hansberry illustrates Walter’s perception towards Charlie’s business that earns him $100,000 annually. He ignores everyone’s opinion towards his intentions of running a liquor storewhich he adopts with desperation as means to realize his dream.

The same is demonstrated as Walter considers accepting an offer from Mr. Lindner without visualizing the implication of this business deal. He sees it as the only way to recover his lost money. Walter’s wrong interpretation of the American dream is challenged as he carries illegal transactions before his son. He revises this understanding after finding it hard to deal with Mr. Lindner (Sparknotes 101 literature 703).

Additionally, Hansberry develops female gender identity throughout the play by representing three generations of women. Lena assumes the headship of the family in her early thirties after the death of her husband, Walter Senior. Having been brought up in the South during dangerous times of lynching, she relocates to the Northern part with the hope of finding peace and a better life. Despite the fact that Lena is ahead of time, her dreams remain anchored on the well being of her family rather than selfish interests.

According to Scholar Claudia, Lena’s disregard to herself is fashioned by gender conditioning which affirms that the needs of a woman ought to be connected to the family alone (Washington 113). She puts up with her husband’s immoral behavior under poor conditions and struggles to support him. This clearly portrays a conflict between men and women regarding their positions in the society. Women are not considered for material wealth as they are expected to better the life of their families.

Unlike Lena, Ruth engages her husband in arguments although she goes ahead to please him by commenting positively about the liquor business to Lena. She also pleads with her sister-in-law, Beneatha not to provoke her brother about the kind of businesses he is involved in.

She ends up doing all kinds of jobs to enable the family to move to a better house. On the other hand, Beneatha is a no-nonsense feminist college student who is against the unfair treatment and expectations of the society from women (Hansberry 27). She does not see the reason why women are considered less human yet they are expected to take care of their households.

She constantly rejects and criticizes the ideas of her brother who makes misinformed decisions based on mediocre interpretation of the American dream. She challenges Walter’s male chauvinism and rejects men like George Murchison who have no recognition and single respect for women in the society (Washington 111). The writer clearly exemplifies how the perception of women towards their identity in the society has tremendously changed.

In addressing gender imbalance in the society, Hansberry defines a man using Walter whose course of action is mainly dictated by the fact that he is a man (Washington 111). In his capacity as a son, husband and father, Walter demonstrates men’s view over gender balance and discrimination. He pretends to love his son so much and wants to appear innocent and honorable in hiseyes.

He understands the financial constraints of the family yet he manages to give a dollar to his son every time he requests for fifty cents (Morrin and Hansberry 12).

Walter chooses the liquor business to make personal wealth and to provide for his family. He wants to make his wife happy and take his son to a prestigious college of his choice. He provides for his mother by stepping in his father’s shoes during her old age. He decides to degrade in his futile efforts to achieve his goals.

The play generally describes several themes which revolve around the life of African-Americans in 1950s. Through gender issues, American Dream and poverty, Hansberry discusses family life in a contextual manner that permits imagination of the social set up of Youngers.

Works Cited

Hansberry, Lorraine. A raisin in the sun . New York: Vintage Books, 1994. Print.

Morrin, Maxine, and Lorraine Hansberry . A Raisin in the Sun . Piscataway, N.J: Research & Education Association, 1994. Print.

Sparknotes 101 literature . Botley, Oxford: Spark Educational Publishing, 2004. Print.

Washington, Charles. “A Raisin in the Sun Revisited.” Black American Literature Forum 22. 1 (1988): 109-124. Print.

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"Thematic Analysis of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun"." IvyPanda , 14 June 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/thematic-analysis-of-lorraine-hansberrys-a-raisin-in-the-sun/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Thematic Analysis of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun"'. 14 June.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Thematic Analysis of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun"." June 14, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/thematic-analysis-of-lorraine-hansberrys-a-raisin-in-the-sun/.

1. IvyPanda . "Thematic Analysis of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun"." June 14, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/thematic-analysis-of-lorraine-hansberrys-a-raisin-in-the-sun/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Thematic Analysis of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun"." June 14, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/thematic-analysis-of-lorraine-hansberrys-a-raisin-in-the-sun/.

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Themes in a Raisin in The Sun

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Published: Jan 29, 2024

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Table of contents

Racial discrimination, family dynamics, mama's dream, walter's dream, beneatha's dream, housing discrimination, segregation and inequality, conflicts between generations, gender roles and expectations.

• Wilkerson, Isabel. "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration." Vintage Books, 2010.
• Ward, Candace. "Wish You Were Here: A Raisin in the Sun and the American Dreams." University of California Press, 2016.
• Hansberry, Lorraine. "A Raisin in the Sun." Vintage Books, 2004.

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A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry

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A Raisin in the Sun

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A central virtue in the Younger household, dignity exerts a unifying force throughout the play. Mama expresses pride in her family’s background and tries to instill in her children a sense of respect for their ancestors, who were Southern slaves and sharecroppers. Although some characters, such as Mrs. Johnson , criticize the family as “one proud-acting bunch of colored folks,” the family holds fast to its ancestral dignity, an inheritance it considers to be greater than gold. At the play’s climax, the Youngers’ sense of pride gives them the strength to reject Karl Lindner’s dehumanizing offer to buy back their new home because, as Mama says, “Ain’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay ‘em no money that was a way of telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the earth.” Despite the family’s dire financial situation following Walter Lee’s misguided investment, the Youngers resolutely refuse to forfeit their dignity in pursuit of economic gain.

Walter’s loss and eventual recovery of his pride constitute a major plotline of the play. His personal crisis of pride, brought on by his inability to support his family in his dead-end job as a chauffeur, culminates with his decision regarding Karl Lindner’s offer to purchase the Youngers’ new house. Upon first meeting Lindner, Walter, Ruth , and Beneatha resoundingly reject his offer, demonstrating their collective familial pride. However, after squandering the family’s insurance payment , Walter decides to accept Lindner’s offer, showing his horrified family how he will act out the stereotype of a groveling black man while signing the contract with Lindner. It is only after Mama insists that Travis witness his father’s demeaning transaction with Lindner that Walter rediscovers his self-worth while standing behind “the sixth generation [of] our family in this country.” In a quietly triumphant moment, Walter reclaims his personal pride, asserts his family’s historical right to be treated fairly in their country, and refortifies his family’s dignity.

Dignity and Pride ThemeTracker

Dignity and Pride Quotes in A Raisin in the Sun

Mama: What is it you want to express? Beneatha: Me! Don’t worry – I don’t expect you to understand.

Asagai: You wear it well . . . very well . . . mutilated hair and all. Beneatha: My hair – what’s wrong with my hair? Asagai: Were you born with it like that? Beneatha: No . . . of course not.

Mama: Oh – So now it’s life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life – now it’s money. I guess the world really do change . . . Walter: No – it was always money, Mama. We just didn’t know about it. Mama: No . . . something has changed. You something new, boy. In my time we was worried about not being lynched and getting to the North if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch of dignity too . . .

Well – son, I’m waiting to hear you say something . . . I’m waiting to hear how you be your father’s son. Be the man he was . . . Your wife say she going to destroy your child. And I’m waiting to hear you talk like him and say we a people who give children life, not who destroys them – I’m waiting to see you stand up and look like your daddy and say we done give one baby up to poverty and that we ain’t going to give up nary another one . . .

George: You’re all wacked up with bitterness, man. Walter: And you – ain’t you bitter, man? Ain’t you just about had it yet? Don’t you see no stars gleaming that you can’t reach out and grab? You happy? – You contented son-of-a-bitch – you happy? You got it made? Bitter? Man, I’m a volcano. Bitter? Here I am a giant – surrounded by ants! Ants who can’t even understand what it is the giant is talking about.

Son – you – you understand what I done, don’t you? I – I just seen my family falling apart today . . . just falling to pieces in front of my eyes . . . We couldn’t of gone on like we was today. We was going backwards ‘stead of forwards – talking ‘bout killing babies and wishing each other was dead . . . When it gets like that in life – you just got to do something different, push on out and do something bigger.

Son – I come from five generations of people who was slaves and sharecroppers – but ain’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay ‘em no money that was a way of telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the earth. We ain’t never been that poor. We ain’t never been that – dead inside.

And 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.

He finally come into his manhood today, didn’t he? Kind of like a rainbow after the rain . . .

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