A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry

Introduction: A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry and produced on stage
in 1959, marks a watershed moment in American theatre. On the face of it, A Raisin in
the Sun was not destined for success. With only one white cast member, an inexperienced
director, and an untried playwright, Hansberry had difficulty finding financial backing for
the play at a time when theatre audiences were overwhelmingly white. It was an
immediate success, however, and after several tours, it opened on Broadway, making it
the first-ever Broadway play written by an African-American woman.

What makes Hansberry’s writing remarkable is not only her accuracy in capturing the
racial dynamics of her time, but her foresight in predicting the direction black culture
would take in subsequent years. The play's setting covers a pivotal time period for race
relations in America – after WWII and before 1959. When Americans fought in World
War II, they were fighting to uphold equality for all…which exposed the hypocrisy of the
very unequal conditions for blacks back home. Americans were only beginning to address
these inequalities at the time Hansberry was writing, and she did a great job at capturing
the mood of her time through only one family.

As discussed in the "What’s Up with the Epigraph?" section, the Younger family’s
fulfilment/non-fulfilment of their dreams mirrors how black Americans as a whole had
gained some concessions while still being oppressed in other respects. A character like
Beneatha, however, is way ahead of her time. The play opened in 1959, remember, which
is before all the feminists started demanding their rights, and before black Americans
began embracing Africa as part of their identity. Beneatha embodies both movements
before they ever existed.

One last note: A Raisin in the Sun is part of broader shift in black art towards depicting
working-class, ordinary African-Africans. Previously, black intellectuals did not use
literature, art, or the stage to portray working-class African-Americans for fear they
would perpetuate undesirable stereotypes. Both poet Langston Hughes and Lorraine
Hansberry thought this was ridiculous; they felt that writing about lower class African-
Americans would actually debunk the stereotypes. By focusing on the dreams and
aspirations of one particular working-class black family, moreover, Hansberry was able to
show audiences the universality of black aspirations while also demonstrating that their
race posed a significant barrier to achieving those goals.

Summary

Set in the aftermath of World War II, the Younger family is facing its own war against
racism in the Chicago slums. America’s complicated history of racial tension between
black Americans and white Americans is ingrained into the Youngers’ everyday lives.
Single mother (and grandmother) Lena Younger, her daughter Beneatha, and her son
Walter (plus his wife Ruth and their son Travis) squeeze into a run-down two-bedroom
apartment. According to our count, that’s five people in a space built for three.

Not only do these characters feel confined by their physical home space, they also feel
restricted by the social roles they’ve been assigned. For example, socially-progressive
Beneatha (Bennie) studies to become a doctor, despite the financial strain it puts on the
low-income family. Walter works as a chauffeur for a white man, but he dreams of
opening a liquor store with his buddies and making more money for his family. His wife
Ruth draws no attention to her own desires, cleaning up after the rest of the family
members as well as the houses where she works. Toward the beginning of the play, we
learn that Ruth is pregnant, which only complicates the family situation. The family is not
affluent enough to provide for another life, so Ruth prepares to abort her child.

But the Youngers have a chance at a new beginning. Ten thousand dollars is coming in
the mail, and Lena must decide what to do with it. Bennie hopes for tuition money,
Walter hopes for the down payment on his liquor store, and Ruth just wants her family to
be happy. Then three huge events happen: 1) Lena decides to buy a house for the
family…in a white neighbourhood, 2) Lena entrusts the rest of the money to Walter,
advising him to save a good amount for Beneatha’s schooling, and 3) Walter loses all the
money in the liquor store scam. Morale goes from the highest of highs to the lowest of
lows.

When a white man, Karl, comes to buy out the Youngers’ new house, Walter figures that
giving in to The Man is the only way to get some money for his family. In the play’s
climactic moment, Walter must decide between standing up for his family’s rights and
standing up for his ego and role as the breadwinner of the family. Fortunately for the
Youngers, and for Broadway history, Walter sides with his family’s rights and declines
Karl’s offer. The family will move into their new home.

Character Analysis

Walter Younger: Walter Younger can be really hard to get along with. For most of the
first act, he's nasty to just about every other character in the play. He picks fights with his
sister, Beneatha. He says all kinds of mean things to Ruth, his wife, and is even short with
his long-suffering mother, Lena.

All this nastiness seems to come from the fact that Walter is totally disgusted with his
life. Working as a chauffeur for a rich white man has got him totally dissatisfied. There's
no room for advancement, and he hates having to suck up to his boss all the time.
Basically, Walter feels like less of a man, because he's in his thirties and can still barely
provide for his family.

The only time Walter seems to get excited in the early sections of the play is when there's
talk of the $10,000 life insurance check (Walter's father has died) that's soon to come in
the mail. Walter plans to use the money to invest in a liquor store with his "buddy," Willy
Harris. He sees this investment as an opportunity to be his own boss and to finally
provide for his family the way he feels he should.

Everybody tries to warn Walter against investing in the liquor store. Ruth tells her
husband that he shouldn't trust Willy Harris. And Lena, a devout Christian, thinks it is
sinful to sell liquor. Lena even flat out refuses to give the money to Walter at first; the
insurance policy is in her name, so she has control over it.

Instead of giving her son the money for the liquor store, Walter's mother takes a portion
and puts a down payment on a house in a white neighbourhood. This sends Walter into
the depths of despair. He goes on a three-day drinking binge and refuses to go to work.

Eventually, Lena gives in and lets Walter have a big chunk of what's left to invest
however he sees fit. She also trusts her son to put some of the money in a bank account so
that Beneatha can go to medical school. Walter doesn't do this, however, and just hands it
all over to Willy Harris for the liquor store.

At this point in the play, we get a glimpse of who Walter would be if he was happier with
his work life. He's friendly to his sister, hugs his mother, and even takes his wife out on a
date, where they get super-frisky and hold hands. The Walter that we see here is a
loveable, friendly, family man. We get to this section and we're like, "Wow, I guess he's
not such a jerk."

Unfortunately, this just doesn't last. Everybody's doubts about the liquor store investment
are proven right when Willy takes off with all the money. Things get really bad here.
Earlier, Mr. Lindner, a white man from the new neighbourhood, tried to pay the Youngers
not to move into their new house. Back when Walter was on top, he proudly kicked Mr.
Lindner out and told him that they didn't need his money.

Now, though, Walter is desperate. He sinks to a new low and calls Mr. Lindner back,
saying that he'll accept the money. Walter tells his family that he's prepared to bow down
to "The Man" to get the money. This is really Walter's lowest point in the whole play.
He's prepared to totally shame himself for the money.
In the end, though, Walter is redeemed when he eventually refuses to take the money
from Mr. Lindner. When the white man returns, Lena forces Walter to talk to him in front
of Travis, Walter's young son. Walter just can't bring himself to act so shamefully in front
of Travis. In the end, Walter finds his self-respect and leads his family on to their new
house.

Although Walter makes the worst mistakes out of any other character in the play, he also
undergoes the greatest transformation. His journey takes him from total jerk, obsessed
with get-rich-quick schemes, to a man worthy of respect. In Walter Younger, Lorraine
Hansberry shows how poverty and racism can twist and depress people, turning them
against those that they most love. Of course, with Walter, the playwright also shows us
how these social barriers can be overcome through personal determination and staying
true to one's own beliefs.

Lena Younger (Mama)

Lena Younger, a.k.a. Mama, totally rocks our world. She's a down-to-earth, hard-working
black woman who doesn't suffer fools. Mama has dedicated her life to her children and
struggles to instil her values in them – with mixed results. One of Lena's most poignant
moments might be when she admits to Ruth that sometimes her children frighten her.
This is one of those sad and beautiful moments that make her character seem truly human.

Throughout the play, Lena struggles to connect with her children, Beneatha and Walter.
She's extremely worried about Walter's obsession with money and is totally disapproving
of Beneatha's lack of faith in God. Mama even goes so far as to slap Beneatha in the face
when the girl says that God doesn't exist.

Except for the face-slap moment, Mama is mostly kind and patient with her family. Her
nurturing personality is symbolized by the way she treats her houseplant. Though it is
wilting, Mama loves it unconditionally. Just like her family, Lena's plant lacks the
necessary resources to flourish. Rather than giving up, however, Mama does all she can
for it and has faith that one day it will truly thrive.

Mama's faith is put to the test near the end of the play when she entrusts Walter with the
$6,500 that's left from the insurance check. At first, it seems like her trust was totally
misplaced when Walter loses all of the money. However, Lena's faith is redeemed when
her son refuses to accept the bribe from Mr. Lindner. In the last moments of the play, we
see Mama taking pride in her children. Like her plant, they're far from perfect, but still
there's hope for them yet.

Beneatha Younger

Joseph Asagai, Beneatha's Nigerian boyfriend, calls her "Alaiyo," which means
something like "One for Whom Bread – Food – is Not Enough." Beneatha is very touched
by this, because it shows that he really understands her. She wants more than to just get
by; she wants to find ways to truly express herself. The other Youngers tease her about
her journey of self-expression, but Beneatha remains determined to broaden her mind
Unlike the rest of her family, Beneatha looks beyond her immediate situation in an effort
to understand herself as a member of a greater whole. As she becomes more educated, it
becomes increasingly hard for Beneatha to relate to the rest of her family. Sometimes she
can be a bit condescending and seems to forget that her family members (especially her
mother) all work very hard to help put her through school. However, this character flaw
only serves to make her seem all the more understandable and human. Ultimately,
Beneatha is a kind and generous person, who seeks to become a doctor out of a desire to
help people.

Beneatha's college education has helped to make her progressive, independent, and a total
feminist. She brings politics into the apartment and is constantly talking about issues of
civil rights. Over the course of the play we see her wrestle with her identity as an African-
American woman. Asagai criticizes her, saying that she's "assimilated," meaning that she
tries to hide her African-ness by acting white. He uses her hair as an example. Asagai
can't understand why she and most other black women in America straighten their hair
instead of leaving it naturally curly.

Asagai urges Beneatha to embrace her African roots. Over the course of the play we see
her explore her identity, when she takes a cue from Asagai and lets her hair go natural.
She also tries on the Nigerian robes he brings her and dances around to African music.
Although Beneatha's family has been in America for several generations, and Beneatha
has never been to Africa, Asagai insists that once in Africa, she will feel as though she
has been away for only one day. Historically, this attitude gained some popularity among
black Americans as they felt that no matter how long they had been in America, they
could never truly call it home.

On the total other end of the assimilation debate is Beneatha's other (rich) boyfriend
George. He's a black American as well, but sees absolutely no reason to honor their
African heritage. George sees himself as an American first and foremost and thinks that
blacks who spend a lot of time worrying about Africa are wasting their time.
Unsurprisingly, Beneatha seems to not be into George at all by the end of the play. When
we leave Beneatha at the play's conclusion, she is even considering marrying Asagai and
practicing medicine in Africa. We never get to find out what ultimately happens to
Beneatha, but we here somehow she finds that thing she's looking for.

Ruth Younger

Ruth is in some ways like a typical housewife of the 1950s. She makes breakfast, cleans
the house, supports her husband, and keeps her own desires to herself. Unlike the
stereotypical 1950s housewives, though, she also goes out into the world and works her
butt off. Not only does she struggle to maintain her own household, but she goes out to
work in the households of rich white people as well. The Youngers' financial difficulties
make it impossible for Ruth to just work in her own home. As a character, then, Ruth
exposes the difficulties of being a working-class mother.
All this financial stress is proving to be big trouble for Ruth's marriage. Her husband
Walter is incredibly dissatisfied with his life, and he constantly takes it out on her. Ruth is
far from a doormat and tells her husband off when he starts acting like a jerk. However, it
is clear in the play that the turmoil in her marriage is taking a real toll on Ruth. She often
seems irritable, depressed, and at times sinks into despair.

This all comes to a head for Ruth, when she finds out she is pregnant and considers an
abortion. In the '50s, an abortion would have been a) illegal and b) dangerous. But
according to Mama: "When the world gets ugly enough – a woman will do anything for
her family. The part that's already living". Though Ruth hates the idea of aborting her
child, she feels it's the best decision for her financially-strapped family.

In the end, though, Ruth chooses to keep her child. She finds hope in the fact that the
Younger family will soon be moving out of their cramped, roach-infested apartment and
into a new house. She'll still have to work to help pay the mortgage, and they'll all have to
deal with the racist backlash of living in a white neighbourhood. Yes, times will still be
tough for Ruth, but with her family around her she feels ready for to face the struggle.

Travis Younger

By far the youngest member of his family (stage directions describe him as ten or eleven
years old), Travis represents the future of the Younger family. Hansberry drops some not-
too-subtle symbolism on us when we hear that one of Travis's favourite pastimes is
playing with rats. This symbolism definitely doesn't slip by Lena and Ruth. It kind of
sucks when your "future" is hanging out with vermin. Mama and Ruth understand that if
they stay living in their crappy apartment, Travis is destined to always settle for less than
he deserves. Symbolically, the Younger family will never escape the slums.

Travis plays a symbolic role again in the last scene of the play. When Walter, Travis's
father, is planning to take the money from Mr. Lindner to not move into the white
neighbourhood, Mama insists that Travis stay and watch his father give in to "The Man."
Travis's eyes are just too innocent, though, and Walter can't bring himself to do it in front
of his son. If Travis saw this, Walter would always feel like a giant tool and a bad father.
And symbolically the future of the Younger family would always be one of shame.

Is Travis starting to sound like less of a person and more of a symbol to you? Yeah, us
too. The youngest Younger never really gets fleshed out as a character. For the most part,
he's a kind, innocent, and good-hearted child, who hasn't yet been corrupted by the big,
bad world. Still, though, he plays an important part in the play. Without Travis serving as
his father's good angel in the final scene, the play's conclusion would go from bittersweet
to tragic real, real fast.

Joseph Asagai

Asagai really works the Nigerian thing to get ahead with Beneatha. Knowing that
Beneatha has a longing for identity and roots, he tells her all about Africa and gives her
African records and a robe. If Asagai had his way, she'd be a straight-up African woman,
instead of an African-American one. He even goes so far as to suggest her straightened
hair is a sign that she is "assimilated" into white American culture.

Eventually, Asagai proposes to Beneatha and asks her to come back to Nigeria with him.
In the play's final scene, Beneatha is seriously considering his proposal. We never find
out if these two lovebirds run off into the African sunset together, but we hope it works
out for them.

Asagai's main function as a character seems to be to inject the play with symbolism.
Basically, Asagi is Africa. He represents one extreme of the American debate on
assimilation. His presence in the play forces the audience (and Beneatha) to ask what it
truly means to be an African American. How can blacks live in America yet retain some
of their unique cultural identity? Is it possible?

George Murchison

George is Asagi's competition for the affections of the lovely Beneatha. He's really good
looking and his family has tons of money. None of this impresses Beneatha, however.
George really doesn't stand a chance against the much more socially-engaged Joseph
Asagi. Murchison gets bored when Beneatha wants to talk about politics, and he believes
that the point of higher education is to get a good job – definitely not what Beneatha
believes.

In the great debate on assimilation that runs through the play, George represents the total
opposite point of view of Asagai. Whereas Asagai thinks that black Americans should be
more in touch with their African roots, George thinks it's a sentimental waste of time. His
family is really well off and are perfectly happy to assimilate into white America. Of
course, Beneatha totally disagrees, and this becomes yet another strike against George in
her book.

Karl Lindner

Mr. Lindner seems like a nice enough dudes at first. He says he represents a kind of
"welcoming committee" from Clybourne Park, the predominately white neighbourhood
where the Youngers are planning to move. Lindner is really polite at first and implies that
if people of different races would just sit down and talk to each other a lot of problems
could be resolved.

Unfortunately, Lindner's committee doesn't plan to "welcome" the Youngers at all. Mr.
Lindner's idea of resolving the "problem" of a black family moving into the neighborhood
is to try and bribe the Youngers. He and his fellow homeowners have gotten enough
money together to buy the house that Mama bought for more than what she paid for it.
Basically, Mr. Lindner and the other white homeowners are trying to do everything they
can to keep black families out of their neighbourhood.

As the only white character in the play, Mr. Lindner represents the white majority that
controlled the country. He also represents the racism of the white majority that segregated
America (officially and unofficially) and helped to perpetuate the cycle of poverty which
many African-American families had been caught in since the time of slavery.

Mrs. Johnson

We think Mrs. Johnson is totally hilarious. She's like the nosey neighbour in almost every
sitcom that ever aired. Much like Kramer on Seinfeld, she has a real skill at getting free
food out of her neighbors, the Youngers. She's only onstage for a few minutes and she
manages to bum some coffee and a piece of pie. Pretty slick, Mrs. Johnson.

While the Youngers' nosey neighbor definitely provides some comic relief, she also
brings a darker tone to the play. She carries with her a newspaper that reports that a black
family, living in a white neighborhood, has recently been bombed out of their house. This
news totally raises the stakes of the Youngers' upcoming move and adds a lot of tension
to the play as a whole.

Even though Mrs. Johnson seems friendly on the outside, she also seems to kind of resent
the Youngers. She insinuates that they think they are "too good" to live in the mostly
black neighbourhood anymore. Mrs. Johnson almost seems to enjoy sharing the
information that a black family was bombed by racist whites.

When she leaves the paper in the Youngers' apartment on her way out, it's almost like
Mrs. Johnson is implying that, if the Youngers find trouble in their neighborhood, then
they're only getting what they deserve. Essentially, Mrs. Johnson represents the feelings
of resentment that some blacks felt when others started to climb the socio-economic
ladder.

Bobo

Bobo is Walter's buddy. Just like Walter, he gets ripped off by Willy Harris in the great
liquor store catastrophe. Poor Bobo only gets one extremely short scene so we never learn
much about him. He pretty much just shows up, gives Walter the bad news, gets throttled
by Walter, then shuffles off.

Willy Harris

Willy never shows up onstage, but he plays a significant role in the Youngers' story. And
by "significant," we mean, "very, very negative." After convincing Walter that investing
in the liquor store is a great idea, Willy takes Walter's money and runs. It is because of
the thieving Willy Harris that Walter's dream is deferred.

Themes

Themes of Dreams, Hopes, and Plans: In A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family is
given an opportunity to actualize its various dreams, hopes, and plans when a $10,000
check comes in the mail. The play explores the complications inherent in turning dreams
into reality. In particular, A Raisin in the Sun creates a situation where the Younger
family is asked to put its dreams on hold in exchange for money, setting up the play’s
central conflict.

At its core, A Raisin in the Sun is a family drama about the importance of sharing a
collective dream.
In A Raisin in the Sun, dreams are kept alive for the benefit of the younger generation.

Theme of Race

A Raisin in the Sun depicts ordinary Americans who happen to be black – and explores
how the fact of their race inhibits them from accomplishing their dreams. In other
words, A Raisin in the Sun demonstrates how race can complicate the American Dream.
For the most part, however, race is a latent backdrop in the play; this enables Hansberry
to craft a universally appealing tale and allows us to understand the precise influence of
race in one family’s life.

Lorraine Hansberry contrasts Beneatha Younger with George Murchison to suggest that
gender and class differences are as complex as racial differences.

Theme of Pride

Pride is portrayed in an extremely positive light in A Raisin in the Sun. Since the play is
depicting people who have little else to their name, pride is a means for them to hold on
to their dignity and affirm their worth as human beings. When a neighbourhood
representative shows up and offers to buy out their house, the family doesn’t hesitate to
kick him out. The novel frames this decision as pride versus money, and although money
does win out for a little bit, the Younger family maintains its pride in the end.

Throughout Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, Walter yearns to find self-worth
through a business endeavor but ultimately finds his self-worth in feeling proud of his
family.

Theme of Family

Family is portrayed in A Raisin in the Sun as an incredibly discrete unit that must project
a certain image in the world. Within the family, relatives may quarrel, nag, and insult
each other, but when guests come over, certain proprieties must be observed. A Raisin in
the Sun explores these complex family dynamics. Furthermore, this theme intersects with
Dreams, Hopes, and Plans as children in a family inspire dreams and keep them alive.

In A Raisin in the Sun, familial unity is mistaken for familial obligation, causing Walter
to resent his family for holding him back from his dreams.
Although Walter yearns to attain the American Dream through capitalism, the characters
in A Raisin in the Sun ultimately find hope for their future not in money, but in solidarity
as a family.
Theme of Poverty

Socio-economically, the Youngers are at the bottom of the ladder. This not-so-great
position affects Walter Younger the most. While his wife and mother are reasonably
accepting of their situation, and Beneatha is more concerned with socio-political issues,
Walter has an obsession with money and views it as a transformative power. Due to his
poverty, money has a particularly strong hold on Walter’s psyche.

Their family’s financial situation is the only reason Ruth Younger is willing to terminate
her pregnancy.

Theme of Suffering

The Younger family is cooped up inside a small apartment in the slums, barely making
ends meet with Walter, Ruth, and Lena all working menial jobs. Throughout their
sufferings, they keep dreams and pride alive. Their suffering makes it much harder to turn
down Karl Lindner’s offer to buy out their home. Suffering imbues the play via the set
design and the actors’ portrayals of their characters – rather than being a blatant
statement, suffering is treated as a fact of the Younger family’s life.

Beneatha and Walter suffer for selfish reasons whereas Ruth and Lena suffer because the
people they love are dissatisfied.

The mother figures of Ruth and Lena suffer the most of the characters because they worry
about the entire family’s pain, not just their own.

Theme of Dissatisfaction

What will all the suffering and sacrifice going on, it’s not difficult to predict that the
characters in A Raisin the Sun are, for the most part, dissatisfied. This dissatisfaction
affects Walter Younger the most, however, because it prompts him to undertake
foolhardy actions. The rest of his family, in contrast, has learned to deal with their
dissatisfactions in a more controlled manner.

Beneatha is the most dissatisfied character in A Raisin in the Sun because she is trying to
transgress the stereotypes of blacks and of women.

Theme of the Home

A Raisin in the Sun takes places entirely in the Younger family’s cramped apartment.
Although it’s technically their home, Mama dreams of shifting their home to a
bigger house because she believes owning their own, larger space will create a better
home.

In A Raisin in the Sun, problems arise in the Younger household when solutions to
problems are sought outside of the house.
Theme of Gender

Notions of masculinity and femininity are woven throughout the play. Walter, in
particular, feels his socio-economic situation much more strongly given that he’s
supposed to be the "man" of the family. He uses manhood as an argument for why his
wife should support him, why his mother should give him money, and why he needs a
better career. The play also represents various women: the traditional Mama, the
supportive Ruth, and the progressive Beneatha, who are alternately praised or demeaned
for their adherence or disobedience to traditional feminine standards. Socially-enforced
norms and expectations regarding masculinity cause Walter to feel inferior.

Theme of Choices

Individuals in A Raisin in the Sun frequently assert their right to make choices without
consulting other family members. Ruth decides to put a down payment on the abortion of
unborn new child without telling anyone. Lena decides to spend $3500 on a house for her
family in a white neighbourhood, also without consulting anyone. Walter decides to
invest in a liquor store over the objections of his family, and Beneatha faces a choice
between marrying for financial stability or marrying for socio-political reasons. All of
these choices ultimately follow a money-versus-principle paradigm, which culminates in
the play’s final scene, where principle wins.

For the characters in A Raisin in the Sun, money is the most important factor in
determining a decision.
For the characters in A Raisin in the Sun, pride overrules money when making a
decision..

Theme of Sacrifice

In A Raisin in the Sun, incredible sacrifices are made for the benefit of the family. Some
family members are more willing to shoulder sacrifice than others, however, which leads
to conflict. Accepting sacrifice for the benefit of the family is a recurring theme
throughout the play, culminating in its final scene.

Ruth and Lena are willing to sacrifice anything except their dignity. Beneatha does not
sacrifice anything for her family, and in fact takes her family’s sacrifices for granted.

Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

Plant

The plant that Mama keeps near the apartment’s sole window is barely surviving because
it lacks adequate nourishment. Sound like anyone else we know? Yet she is completely
dedicated to the plant and lovingly tends it every single day in the hopes that it will one
day be able to flourish. Gosh. Sound like her behaviour towards anyone else? This is by
far the play’s most overt symbol; the plant acts as a metaphor for the family.
Sunlight

Hansberry writes about sunlight and how the old apartment has so little of it. The first
thing Ruth asks about in Act Two, Scene One is whether or not the new house will have a
lot of sunlight. Sunlight is a familiar symbol for hope and life, since all human life
depends on warmth and energy from the sun.

Cockroaches, Rats, and Other Lovely Creatures

These creatures heavily reinforce the Younger family’s undesirable living situation.

Setting: The Apartment Hansberry welcomes us into the tiny apartment of the Younger
family. This place is really cramped, especially with five people living in it.

Genre

A Raisin in the Sun was part of a broader movement to portray the lives of ordinary,
working-class African-Americans. The genre of Realism captures ordinary life.

Tone

Life is rough for the Younger family, and Hansberry's use of sombre tone is appropriate
to that. At the same time, however, she injects a heavy dose of irony and sarcasm.

What’s Up With the Title?

Hansberry names the play after a line in the poem "Harlem" (sometimes called "Dream
Deferred"), by the great Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes.

What’s up with the Epigraph?

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?

Trivia: A Raisin in the Sun was the first show to make it to Broadway that was written by
an African American woman (Lorraine Hansberry). It is also the first show on Broadway
with a Black American director, Lloyd Richards.

Steaminess Rating

Beneatha goes on dates and Ruth is pregnant. That’s about as sexy as things get.

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