A Raisin in the sun Lorraine Hansberry’s A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-- And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode? Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the sun

SETTING About the 1950s Chicago’s Southside Poor Area Small Apartment

CHARACTERS The Younger Family Walter Ruth Mama Beneatha Travis

Ruth Younger Walter Younger Wife and Mother Husband and Father Ruth is characterized as a hard worker who takes care of the tiny apartment. She is frustrated about living in poverty. She is pretty and loves her husband. Walter is characterized as a dreamer. He wants to be rich through investing in a liquor store. He loves his son, drinks to avoid his problems in life, works as a chauffer and wants to do more with his life.

Mama (Lena)Younger - Walter’s Mother Mama is characterized as the matriarch (female head of the family), strong, religious, kind-hearted and moral.

Travis Younger Beneatha Younger Walter and Ruth’s son Walter’s sister (8 or 9yrs old) Beneatha Younger Walter’s sister Beneatha is characterized as intellectual and well-educated. She dreams of being a doctor, does not share the same religious beliefs as her mother and wants a man to appreciate her intelligence more than her beauty.

Other Characters Joseph Asagai – Born in Africa, Dating Beneatha George Murchison – Wealthy, Dating Beneatha Mrs. Johnson – Nosy neighbor Karl Lindner – Head of the Clybourne Park Improvement Association Bobo and Willy Harris – Friends of Walter, who he plans to do business with.

Symbols Scrambled Eggs Walter’s dreams being mixed up and out of reach. He feels no one values what he wants and listens to what he says, like what he wants to eat and what he wants to do with the money.

Symbols Mama’s Plant Her caring nature and dreams for her family. The plant never gets much water, sunlight or the opportunity to grow and bloom, just like the younger family. It represents Mama’s dream to own a little house with a garden.

Symbols Kitchen Window There is only one window in the house, and it allows only a little of sunlight inside. This represents “the small window of opportunity” that the Younger Family has to make it out of the ghetto, where they currently live. The sunshine that comes in represents the little amount of hope the family has.

Symbols Beneatha’s Natural Hair When her hair is straightened (mutilated) it represents her assimilation into American culture. After spending more time with Asagai, she cuts it short. It becomes natural and curly. This reflects her embracing her African heritage. It also represents her cultural pluralistic beliefs.

vs. Cultural Pluralism (Salad Bowl Theory) Different cultures can exist side by side in the same society while keeping their individual characteristics (speech, dress, hair, etc.) vs. Cultural Assimilation (Melting Pot Theory) Different cultures blend together, giving up individual cultural characteristics.

QUOTES “I wanted to do that. I always thought it was the one concrete thing in the world that a being could do. Fix up the sick, you know --- and make them whole.” Beneatha to Asagai Beneatha is talking about how and why she wanted to be a doctor, but the loss of the money because of Walter’s bad choice makes her feel like there is no point anymore.

QUOTES “You read the books – to learn the facts – to get good grades – to pass the course – to get a degree. That’s all – it has nothing to do with thoughts.” George to Beneatha Beneatha is talking about the importance of learning and progress. George’s response is that school is just about getting a degree in order to get a job.

QUOTES “Bitter? Man, I’m a volcano. Bitter? Here I am a giant – surrounded by ants! Ants who cannot even understand what it is the giant is talking about.” Walter to George Walter tells George how he has a lot of ideas. George seems uninterested and Walter gets angry. George says that Walter is bitter.

QUOTES “At the moment, the overwhelming majority of our people out there feel that people get along better, take more of a common interest in the life of the community, when they share a common background.” Mr. Lindner to Ruth, Walter and Beneatha Mr. Lindner is from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association. He offers them more money than the house is worth for them to not move into their neighborhood.

QUOTES “I’ll work 20 hours a day in all the kitchens in Chicago --- I’ll strap my baby on my back if I have to and scrub all the floors in America.” Ruth to Mama After the loss of the money, Mama says that they will stay in the apartment and make the best of it. Ruth wants to move into the house no matter what the situation is.

QUOTES “If you a son of mine, tell her! You --- you are a disgrace to your father’s memory.” Mama to Walter Ruth has seen a woman doctor about getting an abortion. She tells Walter to tell her wife not to do that and he doesn’t say anything. He opens his mouth, but can’t seem to say it.

QUOTES “When a cat take off with your money he don’t leave no maps.” Bobo to Walter After Bobo tells Walter that Willy took off with the money, walter says they need to go find him. This is Bobo’s response.

QUOTES “Between a man and a woman there need be only one kind of feeling. I have that for you now…now even…right this moment.” Asagai to Beneatha Beneatha talks about different kinds of feelings. Asagai responds that he has only one kind of feeling for Beneatha (love) and that is all there needs to be.

QUOTES “You know it’s all divided up. Life is. Sure enough. Between the takers and the ‘tooken’.” Walter to Mama, Ruth and Beneatha Walter has decided to call Mr. Lindner and accept money from him. He says it is the only way to function in this world

QUOTES “Well, do me a favor and don’t ask him a whole lot of ignorant questions about Africans. I mean, do they wear clothes and that.” Beneatha to Mama Joseph Asagai is coming over for a visit and Beneatha is concerned that her mother will base her comments on stereotypes about Africa.

THEMES Families can overcome difficult circumstances if the members work together. It is important to remain focused when dreams are deferred. Careful thought should be put in to where money is invested.