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.