Themes in A Raisin in the Sun

    For the reader, A Raisin in the Sun points out the hardships of a family in Chicago. The play shows the dreams of the family to overcome poverty and live a life that supports all of them. Beneatha wants to become a doctor but she cannot afford the tuition to go to medical school. Ruth is pregnant and needs financial support in order to raise the child. Mama struggles to feed her family and wants to do more to help her children achieve their dreams. Travis is a young boy that wants to be like the rest of the children at his school and not be considered different. Walter wants to be the man his wife wants him to be and the one who provides for his family.
    The main theme in A Raisin in the Sun is dreams, which the family struggles to achieve. Beneatha’s dream is to become a doctor and help people in need. Beneatha says, “ Oh, I probably will… but first I’m going to become a doctor…” (page 50, Hansberry). The author shows how families in the 1960’s struggle to do what they want to achieve due to the situations they are in. The family struggles with oppression as white people look at them differently and tell them that they are less than them. Ruth’s dream is to build a happy family and find a better place to live. Ruth says, “ Well, I ain’t got no fifty cents this morning.” (page 28, Hansberry). The author shows how the family cannot afford the 50 cents that Travis needs for school. The family’s dreams are at its highest peak when a $10,000 check comes in the mail. Mama says, “ Ten thousand dollars.” (page 43, Hansberry). The author shows how dreams can come a reality when this check comes in the mail. The family comes to a dilemma due to the fact of who the money belongs to. 

 

Stage Directions

In A Raisin in the Sun, the stage directions add characterization to the play. The stage directions provided by the author show what the characters do in everyday life. The stage directions also allow the reader to imagine the movement of the characters. For example, Mama is shown to be the head of the house by she cooks and cleans the house. The author writes, “ Mama (Folding bedding).” (page 40, Hansberry). The reader connects to the play by the characters do things that they do in their everyday life. The author is providing background so the reader can follow the storyline. At the beginning, the author provides the time, setting, and the characters’ actions. The author writes, “ Time: Sometime between World War II and the present.” (page 24, Hansberry).

As the reader, the stage directions provided insight into what is going on in the play and characters’ minds. Hansberry writes, “ Ruth (Affecting tea-party interest) Is he now? Poor thing.” (page 26, Hansberry). I agree with this stage direction as the author is showing how Ruth is annoyed and wants Walter to leave her alone. She is pregnant and overwhelmed by her own concerns. The stage directions provide the reader with what is going on in the play and draw the viewer in by providing humor. The author writes, “ (BENEATHA comes in, brushing her hair…).” (page 46, Hansberry). I agree with this stage direction as it shows how Beneatha is frustrated by the incessant cleaning Ruth does. The reader visualizes this scene in their mind to understand the deeper meaning behind the action.

The playwright could have staged it by having different characters do different actions. Ruth could have come in brushing her hair while Beneatha could be the one cleaning. The story could have taken place in Alabama as the civil rights movement originated there. The roles could have been switched such as Mama could be the one who wants to medical school while Beneatha could be the one in charge of the house. Travis could have gotten the 50 cents from Ruth while Walter could go back to school. The mood would be more uplifting as the family achieved their dreams. Beneatha would go to medical school to become a doctor and the family would earn enough to move into a proper house. The author could have written it differently by having the characters do different actions such as Ruth could have been cooking pancakes not eggs. The play would draw the viewer’s attention by the characters would do things they usually do not do due to their gender roles.

      

The Untold Story

The play, A Raisin in the Sun, is an untold story of a family who lives in an apartment in Chicago. The family struggles to make a decent income as they live in a society that looks at them differently. Travis asks Ruth for 50 cents that she doesn’t have. Beneatha wants to become a doctor but doesn’t have enough money to afford the tuition. Beneatha says, “ I mean it!... Does he pay tuition?” (page 50, Hansberry). The author is showing how dreams sometimes cannot be reached due to certain circumstances. Women do not have the same rights as men and are seen as the ones who take care of the family. Mama in A Raisin in the Sun cooks and cleans as her children go to school.

The story in A Raisin in the Sun is being told by African Americans that lived in the 1960’s. They struggled as people put them down and would not hire them due to the color of their skin. African Americans were lynched and accused of crimes they did not commit. The civil rights movement showed the country that they would not stop fighting until they got equal rights and were able to achieve their dreams. Beneatha’s dream is to become a doctor but she does not have enough money to go to medical school and get the training she needs. Beneatha says, “ Oh, I probably will… but first I’m going to become a doctor…” (page 50, Hansberry). The author is trying to tell the story of how African Americans have to work harder in order to achieve their dreams. It is untold because people assume that African Americans are just lazy and do not have motivation but the author shows her audience that they have intrinsic motivation to do what they want to achieve in life.