A Raisin in the Sun

A Raisin in the Sun is about a family set in late 1950s Chicago. The play is loosely based on both the experiences of Lorraine Hansberry, the playwright, and the people she was around, growing up in Chicago in the 1930s-40s. Many of the characters in the show form a family, with the last name Younger. There is Mama, who is the matriarch of the house, following the passing of her husband, Walter Lee Senior. Long before he passed, the two had two children: Walter Lee Younger Jr, who is a 35 year old chauffeur and Beneatha who is a 20 year old college student. Walter Jr is married to Ruth Younger, who is around 30 years old and works as a maid. The younger couple shares a son together, named Travis, who is 11 years old. While the readers never see the family leave the apartment, there are many visitors that make their way inside the house. Among the first few are Beneatha’s suitors: Asagai and George Murchison. Asagai is a Nigerian immigrant who has a connection with his past that Beneatha is searching for. George Murchison is an upper class African American man who gives Beneatha the social comfort that she is not used to. Another visitor is Mrs. Johnson. Many directors tend to cut her visit, despite the amount of perspective her character brings to the Younger home. She offers a point that creates direct conflict between her and the family, requring the family to consider deeper their reasons for wanting to leave their apartment and move into a majority white neighborhood. The last perspective that we see is that of a white man named Karl Lindner, who allows the audience to see the Younger family in an image of subordination in their home and then see how they overcame that notion. Ultimately, this show is a telling of the strength of the home and the importance of a collective. While others may move in and out of your life, and you should definitely take note of their advice, you must remain true to your internal being as that remains with you always.