"All which I feel I must write has become obsessive. So many truths seem to be rushing at me as the result of things felt and seen and lived through. Oh, what I think I must tell this world." - Lorraine Hansberry
| Lorraine Hansberry (1930 - 1965), was the first African American playwright to have her play performed on broadway. Her life was filled with many struggles and many successes. In 1937, when Hansberry was 7 years old, Hansbery's father, Carl Hansberry, bought a home in the white neighborhood of South Side Woodlan in Chicago. This was in a time where segregation, racism, and violence were still extremely prominent and rampant within the United States of America. After moving in, her family was immediately greeted by a white mob, which berated them and attempted to harm them. A brick was thrown through the family's window, nearly missing Lorraine Hansberry. |
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"You mean you ain't read 'bout them colored people that was bombed out their place out there?" (Hansberry, 84.)
| Lorraine Hansberry's struggles give "A Raisin In The Sun" more than enough reason for being written. "A Raisin In The Sun" depicts the average African American family life at the time, mixed in with some of Hansberry's own experience. Within the story, there are stories of bombings within Clybourne Park, which is a white neighborhood that the family plans to move into. Not only is this mirroring many other incidents across the United States of America at the time, such as numerous riots causing the deaths of innocent people, but also Hansberry's personal experience. Through her own story, she is giving herself and all struggling African Americans a voice through their struggles. She channels how she feels about all of this and puts it within the subtext of "A Raisin In The Sun". |
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"DAMN MY EGGS—DAMN ALL THE EGGS THERE EVER WAS!" (Hansberry, 84.)
| The American Dream is a clear reason for the writing of this story. Readers see the characters within "A Raisin In The Sun" dream and reach to achieve their own personal dreams, and explain them all throughout the story. Early on, Readers are told about an insurance check that Mama, the eldest of the house, is getting. This is where all of the character's dreams come into play. The reader is first introduced to Walter's dream, which is to buy out a liquor store and start a business from it with the money he gets from Mama's insurance check. It is later revealed that he gets the money and puts it towards this store, however, his dream falls through, as he was scammed. This details the harsh reality of the American Dream and how it relates to Hansberry's purpose. The reader never sees Walter's mistakes rectified, nor concluded. Struggles and dreams go hand and hand, and it is a recurring theme within the book. It shows how people strive in life only to get so far, just to miss a piece of the pie they tried so hard to achieve. Walter, however, is not the only character that has a dream, nor the only one unsuccessful. |
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"I mean—I have worked as a chauffeur most of my life—and my wife here, she does domestic work in people’s kitchens. So does my mother. I mean—we are plain people ..." (Hansberry, 146)
| We also see the other character's dreams within the story too. Mama, the eldest of the house, wants to pay for a bigger home for her family, where they can all live happily. Within the text, it is implied that all of the story takes place in their small, cramped, apartment home. She gets the insurance check and instantly knows what she wants to do with it. She puts it towards a house and lets the family achieve their dream. However, this did not come without struggle. She gave a portion of the money to Walter, so that he could start his liquor business. However, within that money, was also some that he was supposed to put aside for his sister, Beneatha, for school, as her dream was becoming a doctor. Walter is scammed out of the money after giving it to the man who claims that he'll help Walter start the liquor store, and Mama has to deal with discussions with the landlord, Mr. Linder, who attempts to get them to take an overtly racist offer. |
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"There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing." (Hansberry, 144)
| To conclude, Lorraine Hansberry's purpose for writing this book was that of struggles and dreams. She obviously had dreams, ambitions, and struggles which are all voiced throughout this book. The book puts the cold harsh reality into perspective that at the time, most thought that this life couldn't get any better. African Americans believed that they were stuck in this endless cycle of struggle and discrimination. Even when famous, at the time, they were cheated, scammed, and seen as no more than entertainers. While our world is better now, there is still much to learn from this book. Lorraine Hansberry wants the reader to know that any dream can be achieved, however, there will always be many obstacles in your way. |
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