A RAISIN IN THE SUN

A Raisin in the Sun

Introduction

The play “A Raisin in the Sun” centers around dreams and their value as rest among “Youngers”, an African-American family residing in Chigago in the 1950s. The play opens with Younger's expectation of an insurance grant of $10000, left from the then deceased Mr. Younger. Each family member has an idea of how s/he will spend the money. Mama, the head of the family desires a house she had planned with her late husband. Walter, Mama' son prefers to invest the money in a liquor store, with the hope of helping his family for financial worries. Walter's wife, Ruth, approves Mama's choice, with the dream she and Walter would be able to provide their son “Travis” with sufficient space and opportunity. Beneatha wants to use the money for her medical school tuition. Also, she would want her family not to be forced to join the white world. She would rather prefer to contain her African identity. But things turn bitter as the Younger's family finds their dream conflicting with each other. Ruth first decides to have her child aborted keeping in view of the financial burdens on the family. Mama sticks to her decision of moving to a better house and puts a down payment for it. Younger's future neighbor found it troubling having to adjust with an African family and therefore offered a deal for staying away from Clybourne Park, a pure white neighbourhood. Youngers, however, turned down the deal, even with the fact that Walter had lost $6500 to his friend Willy Harris, who had run with his cash. Meanwhile, Beneatha rejects her suitor, George Murchison, whom she found racist in many ways. Joseph Asaga, her Nigerian boyfriend had given her a marriage proposal and he wanted her to get a ...