Essay on a Raisin in the Sun
In the play A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry exposes the reality of racism in the mid-1900s by emphasizing its effects on the hopes, dreams, and pride of black people while also shedding light on the disadvantages blacks faced as a result of it. The play is brimming with symbolism takes it from being a play about one family to a play about the hardships of the entirety of blacks. She mainly using metaphors, symbolism, and uses other language styles to make racism in A Raisin in the Sun a recurring theme in the play.
The prologue in scene one gives an intriguing explanation of the state of the Younger family. Lorraine uses symbolism when she gives a vivid description of the Younger family’s living room. One example is when she writes, “ at some time, the time probably forgot by the family (except perhaps Mama), the furnishings were selected with care and love and even hope, and brought to this apartment and arranged with taste and pride. That was a long time ago. Now the once loved pattern of the couch upholstery has to fight to show itself from under acres of crocheted doilies and couch covers which have themselves finally come to be more important than the upholstery”.
At first glance, it looks like any old description but the keywords care, love, hope, and pride give it a hidden meaning. This quote explains that the family once came to their new home with hopes and dreams of success but years of misfortune and racism have rendered their attempts useless. That time was a long time ago and now the family has become tired and their hope has become dwindled.
Also in stanza 1, the theme of poverty is introduced when Travis asked his mother Ruth for money and she refuses to give him any. So when Walter comes he gives his son the money. Ruth yells at him because she knows they can’t afford it but he explains to her after his plan they won’t have any more money problems. Walter’s from A Raisin in the Sun character analysis essay symbolizes hopes, ambitions, dreams, and desires and this is captured when Walter sits his son down and says, “Your daddy’s gonna make a . . . business transaction that’s going to change our lives. . . . You just name it, son . . . and I hand you the world!”. In this dialogue, he talks about his dream of owning a fancy car, having a nice butler, coming home from a long day of work at an office, and spend time with Travis. This specific statement makes him the story’s representation of hope, A Raisin in the Sun essay American dream, and aspirations.
