Introduction
A Raisin in the Sun, a work of African American literature, is widely read today. The book’s concepts of identity, pride, and self-worth continue to inspire individuals and organizations to combat bigotry and injustice. The play’s influence may be seen in the numerous adaptations and performances and the numerous individuals who have been moved by its powerful message.
The classic book A Raisin in the Sun reminds us of the ongoing fight for equality and justice among African Americans. American literature’s continuing importance and relevance to readers improve their understanding of its present and past.
In this essay, I will majorly focus on the negative effects that racism and poverty have on younger generations as well as the importance of family ties in overcoming obstacles and developing. By studying these subjects and how they connect to those anxieties, the essay’s author hopes to shed light on African Americans’ ongoing financial struggles.
Racism
In addition to highlighting racism, A Raisin in the Sun addresses themes of family, dreams, and the pursuit of a better life. The play centers on the Younger family, struggling financially and living in a small apartment in Chicago’s South Side. The family’s matriarch, Lena, receives a life insurance check after the death of her husband, and the family faces the decision of how to use the money.
The contrasting aspirations and wants of the family are the play’s central theme. Lena desires to spend the funds to purchase a home in a better area, while her son Walter envisions investing in a business venture, as shown by Vázquez (2021). Ruth, Walter’s wife, wants to make their home better and give their son Travis more possibilities. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, wants to be a doctor but finds reconciling her American culture assimilation with her African background difficult.
As the family grapples with these challenges and confronts racism and discrimination, the play conveys hope and resilience. The protagonists are adamant about pursuing their goals and bettering their lives, even in the face of tremendous hurdles. The play’s title, taken from a poem by Langston Hughes, alludes to the idea that even when goals are postponed or delayed, they can still motivate optimism and tenacity.
A Raisin in the Sun is still a potent piece of writing that illuminates African Americans’ realities in the middle of the 20th century and is still relevant today. The play is a timeless classic because its themes of family, dreams, and tenacity appeal to audiences from all socioeconomic levels.
Poverty
Timko (2021), “In A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry portrays the intersectionality of racialized gender roles, which demonstrates the complexities of black women’s experiences and their limited agency in a patriarchal society” takes the Younger family’s predicament from the play A Raisin in the Sun as a dramatic illustration of the difficulties that the underprivileged must face. The complex socioeconomic issue of poverty affects millions of individuals worldwide. As a result of structural injustices and systematic inequities, people and their communities typically lack access to the resources needed to live lives of dignity.
Low income, pervasive racial prejudice, and segregation in the 1950s contributed to the family’s financial difficulties, as Long (2022) illustrated. Obstacles like poverty, bigotry, and a lack of chances prevent the characters from living the lives they would like. The portrayal of the Younger family by Hansberry emphasizes the significance of promoting economic fairness, ensuring everyone has access to resources, and fostering a sense of community among impoverished people.
Although poverty is frequently seen as an individual issue, it is a structural problem that requires group efforts to address. The play highlights the necessity of cooperation and support among underprivileged groups to combat poverty and inequality, as demonstrated by Muhsin (2022). “In Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry explores the challenges faced by African American families in the mid-20th century as they navigate social, economic, and political barriers to achieve their dreams” (p. 120). Hansberry emphasizes the value of empowering oppressed populations, fighting for economic fairness, and establishing paths for economic mobility via the experiences of the Younger family. In the end, the play offers a potent commentary on the ubiquitous and damaging effects of poverty on people’s lives, families, and communities and the pressing need for institutional change to address this serious problem.
Family
In A Raisin in the Sun, the effects of racism and poverty on family life are explored. The tiny and dilapidated dwelling of the Younger family represents their limited economic options and the frequent discrimination they experience. The family faces that even their ambitions of owning a home in a white area are threatened by systematic prejudice when they ponder using their inheritance. Despite these obstacles, the Younger family remains committed to one another and their goals. Through their perseverance and cohesion, they exhibit the tenacity and strength of familial ties.
The piece also emphasizes how generational conflicts can develop within a family. According to Al-Shraah et al. (2023), Beneatha, Walter Lee’s younger sister, represents a new generation of African Americans who are more aware of their history and identity. She disagrees with her conventional mother, who is more concerned with practical issues, and her brother, who is more focused on achieving material success. These disputes serve as a reminder of how crucial intergenerational communication and understanding are to raising happy, stable families, as evidenced by Babb (2022). Family is shown in A Raisin in the Sun as a source of both strength and strife in the face of difficulty. The achievements and challenges of the Younger family teach us the value of tenacity, cooperation, and compassion in negotiating the complexity of family dynamics.
Conclusion:
A significant literary contribution to the African American experience, A Raisin in the Sun is still read today by readers of all different backgrounds, and it continues to be one of the most widely read books on the subject. According to BALOG (2022), the book’s concepts of identity, pride, and self-worth continue to drive individuals and communities to fight against institutional racism and prejudice. In addition to the vast number of individuals whose lives have been altered as a direct result of the powerful message conveyed in the play, the play’s legacy can also be observed in the countless adaptations and performances that have been staged throughout its lifetime.
A Raisin in the Sun is a classic work of literature that continues to be read today and serves as a reminder of the historical difficulties that African Americans have suffered and the current struggle for justice and equality in our society. It is a crucial addition to the reader’s comprehension of American history and literature because its importance and relevance haven’t changed over time.
Reference
BALOG, P. (2022). The Racial Tensions Depicted in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. International Journal of Arts, Sciences, and Education, “A Raisin in the Sun examines the racial tensions that existed in Chicago’s South Side during the 1950s when the play is set.” (p. 154) https://www.123helpme.com/essay/A-raisin-in-the-sun-387432
Al-Shraah, S. M., Alnwairan, M. A., & Alkhawaldeh, A. A. (2023). “American female playwrights have significantly contributed to dramaturgy and feminism by moving from the private submissive sphere to public intellectual resistance.” https://digitalcommons.aaru.edu.jo/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1468&context=isl
Muhsin, A. J. (2022). Black Theatre and Lorraine Hansberry: A Raisin in the Sun. American Journal of Social and Humanitarian Research, “In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry explores the challenges faced by African American families in the mid-20th century as they navigate social, economic, and political barriers to achieve their dreams” (p. 120). https://edubirdie.com/examples/raisin-in-the-sun-by-lorraine-hansberry-the-struggles-of-african-americans-in-the-1950s/
Timko, M. A. (2021) p.5. A Raisin in the Sun as feminist text: racialized gender roles, female agency and representation across mediums. “In A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry portrays the intersectionality of racialized gender roles, demonstrating the complexities of black women’s experiences and their limited agency in a patriarchal society.” https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/330410
Babb, V. (2022). “A Dream Deferred”: The Sociopolitical Context of A Raisin in the Sun. The Journal of American Culture, “Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, reflects the sociopolitical context of the 1950s, as African Americans faced discrimination and limited opportunities for economic and social mobility” (p. 72). https://www.academia.edu/44332905/Assimilation_in_Lorraine_Hansberrys_A_Raisin_in_the_Sun_
Long, T. (2022). The American Dream and Its Discontents in A Raisin in the Sun. The Explicator, “Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, critiques the limitations and failures of the American Dream as it pertains to African Americans, who faced systemic racism and economic inequality” (p. 24). https://edubirdie.com/examples/the-american-dream-in-a-raisin-in-the-sun-by-lorraine-hansberry/
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