Prejudice and Racism - Home Ownership in A Raisin in the Sun and in America

The title of the play itself, A Raisin in the Sun, directly references the poem Harlem written by Langston Hughes. Written in 1951, the poem targets one of the most common themes of that time period: the limitations of the American Dream for African Americans. In the poem, Hughes wonders if a “dream deferred” dries up “like a raisin in the sun” (Hughes 1). In other words, Hughes wants to know whether or not delaying dream will make the dream lose its “juice.” Hansberry alludes to the poem to explore the same notion Harlem addresses through Walter Lee Younger, a black man whose struggles throughout the play to achieve his dream. Walter is, by definition, a dreamer. He dreams of being wealthy, he dreams of being important, and he dreams of being a leader, but his goals are often deferred as a result of racial inequalities. However, one dream at the end of the play is fulfilled: the Younger family moving into Clybourne Park. The Youngers defy the societal norm of the time. Instead of backing down when Lindner tries to prevent them from moving, the Younger family fights back. Critics, when evaluating the ending of A Raisin in the Sun, compare the “explosive ending” of the poem to the “unexpectedly happy ending” of the play (Gill 1). Upon hearing the word “explosive,” a negative connotation is created because the word is often used to describe a dangerous weapon. However, it juxtaposes the

Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States is a book by Kenneth T. Jackson on the migration of many, primarily white, Americans to the suburbs during the mid-twentieth century and how many blacks were robbed of the opportunity to move elsewhere as well. From the chapter we read, we learn about the ways blacks were suppressed to worse parts of cities and how corporations and our government kept blacks from moving into different or better neighborhoods. The author argues that the lasting effects of the government have put a seal of approval on the racial discrimination in the housing market and these actions were picked up by private interests to deny mortgages to people, as they would say, based on geographical location of the property. Over the course of the book, Jackson gives evidence to how federal housing policies affected where Americans lived and how our government used it 's power to socially control racial minorities.

In the short play A Raisin in the sun conflict’s both internal and external occure for in three of the main characters regarding their dreams. When the opportunity came for them to accomplish their dreams through using the insurance money they’ve come across from the loss of a family member, one of the main characters, Walter, wishes to be successful in life; but he needs the insurance money to do so. He wants to use the insurance money to open up a liquor store because he believes this would change his life. A exceptional quote that shows his determination to be successful in life is when he speaks to Ruth “You tired, ain’t you? Tired of everything. Me, the boy. The way we live-this beat up hole-everything”(

The new house, the money and even Mama’s “raggedy looking” plant are all symbols of the book A Raisin in the Sun which is portrayed to parallel the difficulties presented to minorities in America. A Raisin in the Sun, yet more specifically, captures the concept of the struggles the African Americans endured during the period of the book, late 1940s to 1950. In the book the characters each reflects the stereotype of the typical Afro-American in America trying to make the best out of their opportunities, each symbol in the book represents the ideal situations correlated with it the struggles.

Up until the 1960s many African-American could not own any homes or get mortgages instead they had to buy their homes by contracts. The Home sellers made African-Americans pay high rates for the homes through contracts, and when they failed to pay, their homes were taken away. These high rates were meant to prevent blacks from owning any properties. In the article, Coates talks about Clyde Ross who migrated to the north looking for the protection of the law; but like many others who tried get to mortgages legally through loans, they were told that there was no “financing available” (Coates 58). Financing was indeed there, but it was only offered to whites not African-Americans. A lot of whites went to extreme measure to keep

“What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or does it explode?” This quote by Langston Hughes may be extremely similar to Walter Lee Younger Jr.’s goal. In the A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry, Walter Lee Younger Jr. wants the best for his family and he thinks that the insurance check will solve all his problems.

The epigraph to Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, there is a poem by Langston Hughes titled: “What happens to a dream deferred?” I believe the reason why Hansberry chose this particular poem as the epigraph to her play to be a form of foreshadowing and metaphor for the Younger family. In Hughes’s poem, there are four potential outcomes for when a raisin is left in the sun. It could fester like a sore and then run. A could smell like rotten meat. It could crust and sugar over. Or does it explode? Each of these potential outcomes could even be a direct parallel to each of the Youngers’ dreams, particularly Walter’s.

A Raisin in the Sun is a Move about dreams. The movie starts off in south side Chicago, evolving around a time period where racism was still common. The genre of the film is known as drama, and is based upon the Younger family. They receive a check from the death of the father in the story. The main characters’ struggle to deal with society, or in other words the “man.” The Younger family all have dreams that they wish to fulfil, and the ten-thousand-dollar check is the ticket to their dreams. There are many roles in the characters in the movie, for example gender. Walter feels that he’s supposed to be the man of the family. Once again, their race inhibits them from accomplishing their dreams.

The Youngers live in a small, rundown apartment in Chicago. Travis, who is Walter’s son, sleeps on a couch, and other family members have to share rooms in the apartment. Walter, who is Mama’s son, grew up in the apartment. In the play, Mama wants to use the money the family inherited to buy a new house in a white neighborhood. She thinks this neighborhood would be better for her family, and her family would be able to live in their own house and not an apartment. As Mama told Walter, “ Walter Lee- it makes a difference in a man when he can walk on floors that belong to him” (II.I.92). Mama is most interested in using the money the family inherits for the benefit of the family as opposed to her personal needs.

Lorraine Hansberry, the author of A Raisin in the Sun, supports the theme of her play from a montage of, A Dream Deferred, by Langston Hughes. Hughes asks, “What happens to a dream deferred?” He suggests many alternatives to answering the question. That it might “dry up like a raisin in the sun,” or “fester like a sore.” Yet the play maybe more closely related to Hughes final question of the poem, “Or does it explode?” The play is full of bombs that are explosions of emotion set off by the frustration of the Younger family, who are unable to grasp the possible reality of their dreams. The family shares the dream of having a better life but compete against each other for the insurance money given to Mama after her husband’s death. The

The American way of life through homeownership has its roots in the 1950s, the war had just ended and houses were being mass produced. “Domestic Engineering (Oct. 1981) estimates that ‘Three out of five families became homeowners and suburban living became a national phenomenon.’” (Brohl 1). Owning a home quickly became the American way of life. Where did this leave African American families like Lena’s, they were excluded from towns and from being able to take out home loans that were exclusively for veterans and the rest of

Lena, Walter, Ruth, and Benaetha all live under one roof, but they all have different dreams. As Lena dreams that the dreams of her children should come true by using the money of their father’s life insurance and her family must be united in whatever economic and social circumstances they have to face. Walter Lee dreams of a liquor store. He thinks that having a liquor store; he can make his family’s economic condition good. Ruth dreams to have a wealthy and fine family, so that they don’t have to be worry for minor things. Beneatha

The title of the essay”A Raisin in the Sun” comes from the line in the poem”Harlem”. The definition of the lines is that they symbolize the dreams of the characters in the essay. Like Beneatha’s dream was to be a doctor, but later her dream changed into going to

Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun takes place in Chicago around the 1950s. It deals with the characters’ different dreams, and what happens when they are deferred. The family of five currently lives in a very small two bedroom apartment. They all have dream of having a better life and moving out of the apartment. Mama and Ruth have similar dreams of moving into a more spacious house and taking care of their family, Walter wants to have the lives of the people he drives for, and Beneatha dreams of becoming a doctor.

Hopes and Dreams can take a long period of time to be achieved. A Raisin in the sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry. This story takes place in the 1950s, it is a story that tells readers about daily lives of people of color, their hopes, and dreams in America. Hansberry talks about the younger family. The younger family has to deal with a lot of hard obstacles that a person in America now wouldn’t have had to face. The central idea of A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is in order to achieve hopes and dreams people make sacrifices.