Symbolism in A Raising in the Sun (Essay Sample)

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Symbolism in A Raising in the Sun
Hansberry in her play A Raisin in the Sun clearly brings symbolism to bring out the themes. In the play, we can see various symbols such as the mama’s plant which represent specific object, money which $10,1000check representing general objects, Beneatha’s hair, the new home (house) and the garden, the kitchen window, mama’s dream and the quotation "eat your eggs”. One may also view some of the characters used in the play as a symbol. Among them is Walter and Travis. By use of these symbolism, the writer, Hansberry, is able to clearly bring the time period the play was written as well as use this symbols to represent something else. By use of symbolism, the reader of this play is able to make more sense of the play, understand the problem as well as understand the events explained in it.
A major symbol used in the play is the mama. Mama is an African American lady character who lives with her family in Chicago an area for whites. Mama is seen to be taking care of a plant that she planted outside her window. In effort to take care of this plant, mama has potted his plant and kept it outside the window so as it can access the sunlight. She continues to frequently water the plant on daily basis. Mama is devoted to take of this plant. This is a symbol of the mama’s dream to own her own garden. More precisely, taking care of this potted plant, may represent the mama’s big dream of having a new home that would be surrounded by a garden round it.
The plant is seen to be feeble. This represents the family’s current situation. At first, we see the family living in an area in the South Chicago. While living in the area, just as the plant struggles to survive in poorly lighted area, so is the family’s struggle to over the hardship circumstances it is facing. Family is shown to struggle to overcome racial prejudice in the region, social mobility and also struggle for development and growth. Her unending devotion to care for this plant, symbolizes the close attention that she has put on the family’s dream of a better future. It is noted, even as the family leaves South side to the new home in Clybourne Park, Mama still carries with her this plant. This symbolizes family’s devotion to continue persevering as they face the new challenges. A one point, mama says, " Lord, if this little old plant don’t get more sun than it’s been getting it aint never going to see spring again" (Hansberry 40). This statement shows that mama is dedicated to continue supporting her family though it seems to be dying. Though the plant shows every sign of dying and never to spring again, mama continues to nourish it. This is the situation affecting her family that she has continued to devote to.
Another important symbol used in the play is Beneatha, her hair as well as her continued quest to identify herself. Instead of blaming the misfortunes of the family to the family itself, we see Beneatha looking for something else to blame. It is her believe, that the family should go back to their original place of origin which is Africa. It is then, that she believes that the family can have a better understanding of itself. To her, being forced to live in this foreign land, it was the main reasons for the family’s miseries (LitChart 1).
In the play, her hair is described to be natural. Her natural hair symbolizes her continued pride to be associated with the African heritage. In her desire to retain and explore her African roots, Baneatha symbolically retains her hair natural. At one point, Asagai refers to her hair as being "mutilated”. As a result, instead of Baneathe dyeing it or applying an artificial hairstyle, she opts to have it short by cutting it short and then wearing it in its natural form. While we see Ruth, George and Walter flabbergasted of her hairstyle, to her she sees as an opportunity to distance herself from this oppressive and dominant culture. It is through this natural hair, that now Baneatha tries to identify herself as an African with great roots on Africa. It is through such decisions that we see her foreshadow movements such as the "natural hair" which had been embraced earlier in the 1960s. By the act of cutting her hair short, this brings a very clear message of her urge to radically oppose the African American culture while embracing the African culture. By maintaining the radical afro, Beneatha is trying to identify herself with the African culture. She is looking for a way to get back to African heritage. At one point, Beneatha says, "You’re looking at what a well-dressed Nigerian women wears…Enough with all this assimilation junk!" (Hansberry 76)
Another important symbol used in the play is Walter’s egg. This has been referred to by use of the words "Eat your eggs”. This words are used earlier in the play by Ruth towards Walter in effort to try silence him. Shortly later, we see Walter use the term to illustrate how women often ladies play a negative role of hindering men achieve their goals in life. In this case, the phrase "eat your eggs" symbolically symbolizes terms and phrases that women may use to do so. It is Walter’s believe that, by Ruth preparing this same eggs each morning, she is trying to keep him away from realizing his dreams (SparkNotes 2). He is further for the point that, that Ruth should be of more importance in helping him realize his own goals as well as those of the family. Ironically, this eggs that Ruth is preparing daily can be seen as her way of offering mechanical support to him. This is why, she prepares this eggs daily for him to nourish himself.
Outside the kitchen window, there is the potted plant. While outside the window, the plant is still seen not to get enough light. In fact, Hansberry writes of how the plant does not get enough of the sunlight. In this case, less of sunlight i...