Raisin in the Sun

            A quote in the Chicago Public Library described the ‘Raising in the Sun’ as being “reflective of the essence of black people’s striving and the will to defeat segregation, discrimination and national oppression” (CPL 1). The play revolves around a family of five who are forced to work extra hard so as to survive in the community they live in. the family lives in a small apartment that is infested with cockroaches and too small to comfortably accommodate them. Due to the size of the apartment, some members of the family are forced to share a bathroom with their neighbors who live across the hall. Despite the harsh reality the family is forced to live in, they still remain hopeful that their life will be better. Their hope is strengthened by a check they expect to receive through mail whose value is enough to change their lives. Throughout the play, the family strive hard to fight discrimination and segregation by fighting national oppression and doing all they can to get out of the ghetto and this is seen by the way the characters live their lives.

            One character who is determined to change the condition of the family is Walter and Beneatha’s mother, Mama. She encourages members of her family to be respectful and to always follow their dreams. Despite the poor condition of their home, she requires it to be kept clean and tidy at all times. She acts as a pillar that holds the family together, guiding them on how to make good decisions in life. She leads a moral life and tries the best she can to ensure that her children do the same. This is seen in her reaction when Ruth, her step daughter gets pregnant (Hansberry 57). Ruth believes that the house is too small and having another child will make things worse because it will have no place to sleep and she therefore considers having an abortion. Mama is devastated by this idea and tries to find a way to resolve the situation.

            Mama is determined to make a better life for her family and the only way to do so is by defying the segregation and discrimination against the African American race. When they get the money, rather than investing it in the liquor store business idea that Walter had proposed, she decides to buy a house in Clybourne Park, a white neighborhood (Hansberry 97). Even though the move results to the family facing more discrimination, it shows the determination to end segregation and a fulfilment of her dream of one day owning a house with enough space for her grandchild to play in. it also solves the problem of abortion because the child will now have room to sleep in. similar to how she takes care of the dying plant by the window, Mama aims at changing the lives of his family and raising them from a bad place to a good one.

            While Mama demonstrates the family’s will and determination to live a better life, Walter demonstrates the challenges that people face as a result of national oppression and the effect it has in their lives. Throughout the play, Walter engages in various actions that do more harm to the family (Kelly 1). Being the man in the family, Walter tries to find different ways to get money and take care of the family. The desire to get rich quickly sees him engage in various schemes with the hope of getting enough money because, according to him, it is the only way to solve the problems his family face. Despite the various forms of disappointment, Walter does not give up because he believes that one day he will be able to overcome national oppression, get enough money to be able to move his family into any neighborhood and thus bring an end to segregation. Later on in the play, Walter realizes that what is important to his family, like most families in his community, is not getting rich quickly but rather owning their own home. It is this realization that leads him to rejecting the money from Mr. Lindner and kicking him out (Hansberry 149). Mr. Lindner had offered the family money in exchange for the house they had bought, rejecting his offer is sign that the family has not only overcome oppression from the white man but also defied segregation because the house is located in a white neighborhood.

            While some endured struggle and hardships by in their quest to bring change to their lives, others made their lives better by building relationship with those who were oppressing them. George is able to lead a comfortable life because he has assimilated with the white people. He sees himself better than other African Americans in his community. Even though they see him as arrogant, this does not take away from the fact that he lives a better life compared to theirs. Another example is Beneatha, Walters’s sister. Despite going through challenges, she ends up leaving her country for a better life with in Nigeria with her boyfriend, Asagai (Hansberry 149).

            Whether it is facing challenges head on or finding a way around their problems, the characters in the play demonstrate their determination to defy national oppression, segregation and discrimination. Even though they are forced to endure hardships, they find a way to make their lives better and bring the positive change they all desire. Mama moves into her dream home, Walter is able to make a better life for his family and Beneatha goes to Nigeria to start a life with her Boyfrend.

 

 

 

 

 

Work cited

Chicago Public Library, “background and criticism of a raisin in the sun” 2016,

Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun., 2015. Print.

Kelly A, “The art of social criticism: Lorraine Hansberry’s a raisin in the sun” 2003