preview

“Does It Dry Up Like A Raisin In The Sun?” Asked Langston

Decent Essays

“Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” asked Langston Hughes. Lorraine Hansberry wrote A Raisin in the Sun inspired by Langton Hughes poem “Harlem”. A Raisin in the Sun captures the life of a black family who wants the American dream. The Younger family resided on the south side of Chicago, struggling in poverty, trying to maintain their pride, while dreaming to live better. Father’s $10,000 insurance check will help them reach that dream. As the plot of the play unfolds gender roles is a theme that help tells the story of the Younger family reaching their dream. This play shows how responsibilities, jobs, and actions are already pre-designed for men and women in a family.
In a family, everyone has a responsibility, in order for a …show more content…

This shows that we are still humans and can sometimes fall by the waist side and have to be reminded of responsibilities.
Women have just as many responsibilities as men, which are sometimes overlooked and thought of as nothing. Women are known to be domestic women, especially during the 1950’s. Women are supposed to make the man/head of the family job easier in any way. There were three women in the Younger family, Ruth Younger, Walter’s wife, who is responsible for the Younger’s apartment. She loves her husband, God, and cherishes her morals. She does her best to make sure her family is taken care of. Then there is Beneatha Younger, Walter’s sister. Beneatha is the eccentric one, one who wants to break the stereotype of what women should do and become educated. Beneatha’s mind is far from being a domestic wife. Joseph Asagai, who courts the attention of Beneatha recognizes her desire for knowledge and nicknames her, “Alaiyo” or “One for whom bread- food- is not enough.” All of her knowledge causes her to criticize God, which is a big no, she tells her mother, “Mama, you don 't understand. It 's all a matter of ideas, and God is just one idea I don 't accept. It 's not important. I am not going out and be immoral or commit crimes because I don 't believe in God. I don 't even think about it. It 's just that I get tired of Him getting credit for all the things the human race achieves through its own stubborn effort.

Get Access