A Raisin in the Sun (Essay Sample)

A Raisin in the Sun focuses on one African American family's struggle to ascend crippling poverty and brutal discrimination in Chicago in the 1950s. However, many readers argue that the play has universal appeal. The conflicts Hansberry explores can occur in anyone's life regardless of the time and place or one's social status or race. Do you agree? Is this a play with the appeal that is limited to African American audience or does it contain universal lessons that could apply to people from various backgrounds? If so, what are they?
A Raisin in the Sun by Hansberry examines how a family struggles to pursue the American dream under extreme poverty and constant racial discrimination. The play shows the lives of African-Americans in the 1950s and how each character worked to better their lives. Characters like Ruth, Beneatha, Walter, and Lena are portrayed as people who deal with oppressive circumstances pursuing their dreams. To achieve their dreams, each character works hard in their way. Beneatha dreams of becoming a doctor, while Ruth and Mama want better housing conditions. Walter aims to open a liquor store to conquer the challenging economic times. Just like these characters, every person in life dreams of having a better job, housing, education, financial freedom, assimilation, and racial pride. Though the characters are African American, A Raisin in the Sun depicts that any family can dream, and ambitions in life are not limited to a particular race as the underlying motivation is universal.
Every human being in the world has a dream to achieve or attain something. The central conflict of A Raisin in the Sun is about the characters' notion to achieve their dreams. Hansberry shows that Walter had already bought into the ideology of having middle-class status. The American dream is about people building something from nothing. Walter envies Atkin's business because it has an annual gross income of $100,000 (Act I, Sc. 2, p. 73-74). Walter ignores her when Ruth questions him about his business partner's character. He runs a liquor store despite his mother's objection. To Walter, the liquor store is a means to an end as he is very desperate to achieve financial freedom (Čerče 230). Walter even accepts Mr. Linder's offer without being concerned about the implications of the business deal. Walter does this only to recover his lost money; however, Hansberry shows that Walter is unable to do the deal in front of his son. His inability to deal with Mr. Linder shows that Walter is conscious, and he changes his understanding of achieving the American dream (Act II, P. 108). The American dream is a dream that should be achieved through equality and justice for money. According to Čerče, someone is considered successful if their achievement can be recorded, observed, applauded, and acknowledged in society (228). At the end of the day, just like Walter, everyone wants to be successful despite their race and circumstances.
A Raisin in the Sun shows that despite your gender and race, dreams are very crucial. Mama (Lena) became the breadwinner upon the passing of her husband (228). In the North, she is in search of leading a better life and hopes for the best for her family. Even though she is a woman, her dreams and aspirations are linked to the family's well-being. Despite Mama disagreeing with Walter's idea to start a liquor store, she eventually gives him some of the insurance money to invest. She also buys a house with a yard for Travis to play around in and grow up to be a man (Act II, sc. 1, p. 93-94). When Beneatha wants to be a doctor, Mama supports her and believes the insurance money should be used to pay for her education (Hansberry Act I, 38). Hansberry has focused on the dreams of Lena, her children, and her grandchildren by showing what motivates them. Through Lena and her children, we learn that goals can be achieved through having a strict lifestyle and hard work. The family places a lot of emphasis on worldly things, just like most families. Hansberry tries to show that success can be achieved through being happy and having familial pride (Čerče 228). Despite gender and race differences, our commitment to family success and fulfillment is universal. Hence, this play shows that despite our circumstances in life, we all have a universal need to succeed and uplift our families.