Introduction
to “A Raisin in the Sun”
Lorraine Hansberry’s play repays
many different points of view in
exploring the themes of “A Raisin in the Sun” whether we see a play
about African-Americans in the 50’s, a feminist exploration of female roles, or
a family drama. And the play allows us
to bring together the skills of analysis we’ve been developing with “Trifles,”
“Medea” and “Othello.”
“What happens to a Dream Deferred?”—Theme in
Drama
Approaches
to “Raisin in the Sun”
For a sampling of critical responses to “Raisin” see http://pantheon.yale.edu%7Erb276/hansberr.html Although the overall
view is complex, you may enjoy some of the quotations from Hansberry
and critics about whether this play is about African-Americans or is
universal. (Duh. Obviously it’s both.)
Black
Drama: It is important to
realize that the Civil Rights Movement (1955-65) was only picking up steam when
Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” was first staged in
1959. In the South, African Americans
Jim Crow laws legislated separate facilities for
blacks and whites in restaurants, swimming pools, schools and even at drinking
fountains. Before 1955, most action was
taken by the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
arguing that the “separate but equal” doctrine segregating schools was
unfair. Peaceful protests started, such
as Miss Rosa Parks’ arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus,
followed by Martin Luther King, Jr. and the economic boycott of
Integration of housing was a touchy social, economic and
educational issue. When African
Americans moved into white neighborhoods, “white flight” to the suburbs would
turn newly “integrated” neighborhoods into nearly all-black neighborhoods, a
financial disaster to the whites who stayed or sold as prices declined. Violence against black families who
integrated previously white neighborhoods was a recurring news story—crosses
burnt on lawns (hinting of Ku Klux Klan violence to come) as well as
bombings. It’s clear that Mama does not
intend a political statement when she buys a home into
But the title also invites us to take a longer historical
view. The title comes from a poem by
Langston Hughes, a poet famous in the Harlem Renaissance:
What
happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a
raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
Like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
Like a heavy load.
Or does it
explode?
(p. 1274 in The Bedford Introduction to Drama, first
published in 1951)
Hughes first gained fame in the Harlem Renaissance of the
1920’s and 30’s. He lived through the
Great Depression when one out of four Americans were out of work (25%, compared
to current unemployment levels of 6%).
During World War II, the creation of separate all-black military units
was considered progress (with integrated units not coming until Harry Truman’s
presidency). But after World War II, the
country turned away from hardships and diversion of materials to the war effort
and toward production and consumerism.
The happy times of the 50’s—with Father
Knows Best and Leave It to Beaver showing
the suburban ideal on newly purchased television sets—left most African
Americans behind. The lack of
opportunity that Walter Lee complains of was very real. But we need to judge him by what he does to
overcome discrimination. How do his
plans and efforts compare to those of others in the play?
A
Feminist View: Feminism
looks at social situations from the perspective of gender roles, often with the
unstated assumption that equality between men and women should be the
norm. Lena Younger, her daughter-in-law
Ruth Younger, and her daughter Beneatha are all
strong women, but in very different ways.
In fact, in comparison, Walter Lee Younger may seem weak or
ineffectual. At the end, we may agree
with Mama about Walter: “He finally come into his manhood today” (1310), but
what is the cost to the women he lives with?
A
Family Drama:
Even happy, functional families have issues that need to be
resolved. But the problems become even
bigger when the family consists of three generations (Mama, Beneatha
and Walter-and-Ruth, and Travis)--five people in a two-bedroom apartment
sharing a bathroom in the hall with other apartment dwellers. We see the desires and development of
individuals clash with those of others in the family. How does a mother act fairly, lovingly? Should she give up control at some point—even
when her dream conflicts with that of a child?
“What Happens
to a Dream Deferred?”—Theme in Drama
In 1951, the poet Langston Hughes wrote the poem that we
find on p. 1274 of the Bedford
Introduction to Drama and which gives the play its title:
What
happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a
raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
Like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
Like a heavy load.
Or does it
explode?
Hughes imagines many outcomes when a dream is deferred. One outcome is a festering, running,
never-healing sore. Another is decay and
rot. Another is sagging tiredness. I’m
not sure what the poet means by “crust and sugar over.” Explosion reminds me of the riots of the
1960’s, perhaps predicted by Hughes’ poem and Hansberry’s
play. But the outcome Hansberry chose as her title
was “A Raisin in the Sun.” Think for a
minute about raisins. What are two attributes that you think of?
Hughes asks whether a dream deferred is like a “raisin in
the sun” and he specifically asks whether a dream will “dry up.” Grapes in the sun dry into raisins, but in my
experience raisins never lose their sweetness, no matter how much they dry out. So my association with raisins is dryness and
sweetness. When I soak raisins in water,
they plump up somewhat again.
Hansberry’s
title remains as a question for me, not an inevitable outcome. What happens when a dream is deferred? We
need to use all the skills we’ve been developing to analyze this play. Unlike “Medea” or
“Othello,” “Raisin in the Sun” includes the whole Younger family. Each person has a journey—as in any play—but
the two central characters have a completed drama with the outcome shown: Mama and Walter Lee have passed the
test. Ruth’s outcome follows from what
Mama and Walter have done. Travis is only at the beginning of his journey,
though watching his father with Lindner has probably been an important act. Beneatha has had no help from the insurance money, as her
mother intended, but she still wants to go to medical school and is considering
marrying Asagai:
her dream is still in play.
The ordering of the scenes has the play of real life, but
analysis shows it’s very important to notice the order of incidents and
information. Could you divide the scenes
into beats and see what each scene is contributing to the play? Why show the unity of Beneatha
in Nigerian dress with her drunken brother at the beginning of Act 2, scene 1? In the
confrontation scene between Mama and Walter, how does this fit in the order of
scenes between Mama buying the house and then giving the rest of the money to
Walter? What other scenes intervene and
why are they placed there? Click here to see
what I’m calling the “confrontation scene.” After Walter Lee has lost the
money, what does he hear from the bedroom?
Do Beneatha’s angry words motivate him to call
Lindner? What does he plan to do with the money he will get from Lindner?
Hansberry
shows a whole family following their dreams, in contrast and in sync with their
neighbors and future neighbors.
What has happened to the family? Even with the dream of the house, the down payment
has only begun a long process of monthly payments.