Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, is about an African American

family that fights an intense battle within themselves to responsibly use an insurance

check they receive. There are many serious under and overtones to the story. Several of

them include the importance of family, the value of dreams, and the need to fight racial

discrimination.

The Younger family shows an incredibly strong sense of family in A Raisin in the

Sun. They stay strong at all times, both the good and the bad. Even though they have

their fights amongst themselves, they pull it all together in the end. One point in the story

where their strength shines is when Mr. Lindner attempts to buy their new house from

them to keep black people out of that neighborhood. The whole family stood together

and told him that it was their house, and that they wouldn’t give it up for the world. In

fact, the whole reason behind Mama buying the house was to try and pull the family

closer together. Her intentions were clear when she told Walter, “Son---you---you

understand what I done, don’t you? I—I just seen my family falling apart today…We

was going backwards ‘stead of forwards…When it gets like that in life – you just got to

do something different, push on out and do something bigger…” Mama believes that by

buying that house she gave her family a better place to live, and “a big yard for Travis to

play in.”

Dreams and aspirations are also evident in the play. Every member of the

Younger family has dreams, and better yet, they all want to use their dreams to help the

family, but the only problem is that they all want to use Big Walter’s insurance check to

give them a jump-start. During an argument about her medical school, Beneatha says, “…

it’s Mama’s money.” Walter then says,

“He was my father, too!”

“So what? He was mine, too…but the insurance money belongs to Mama.

Picking on me is not going to make her give it to you to invest in a liquor store…”

Walter wanted to invest in a liquor store with his two friends, Willy and Bobo, but Willy

ends up taking all the money and running.

A Raisin in the Sun shows prejudice in some of its cruelest forms. Mr. Lindner’s visit

to their house representing the “welcoming committee of Clybourne Park” is a perfect

example. He arrives to basically inform them that the residents of Clybourne Park do not

want any black people moving in. When Walter hears his offer he is tempted to take it at

first, but then he realizes what his family would think of him for doing such a thing and

tells Mr. Lindner that he might call him later. When Lindner leaves, he discusses it with

the rest of the family and they decide that they would not give in to the racist hate

machine. Even through the horrible experience of racism, their family held strong.

Lorraine Hansberry uses many different themes and symbols in A Raisin in the Sun,

most of them relating to multiple characters. No matter whether it is Walter’s plans for

the liquor store or Beneatha’s medical school costs, the Youngers stayed together through

it all. They suffered the hate of an entire neighborhood, and then still decided to move

into it. More importantly, they stood strong through it all and helped each other through

it, which is what families should do. The Youngers are an ideal American family, and the

themes and values of their story should be commonly exercised today.