A Raison in the Sun

                Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun was an inspiring play. The first time I read this play I knew very little about the author’s background history, and I didn’t quite understand it. However, once we discussed the play and Hansberry’s life story, it made more sense.  

                This play teaches readers not to allow money to take advantage of what really matters. Walter Lee wanted to invest his father’s security check into a liquor store. Mama, though, felt as if selling liquor was almost like a sin. She wanted to purchase a bigger house for the family instead, which would benefit everyone. Walter Lee believed that investing in a liquor store would bring the family more wealth, which would cause the family to be happier. As the play went on, though, Walter Lee was proved wrong. Mama ended up giving him the money for his liquor store, but his business partner took off with his money—leaving Walter Lee with nothing, and with no investments.

                This play teaches the characters, and also the readers of the play, important life lessons. Never allow the greed of expected wealth to overcome what truly and deeply matters. Mama knew that buying a new house was the best idea, but from the very beginning of the play, Walter Lee had it dead set in his mind that opening a liquor store would be a better option. He believed in his dream, and I personally didn’t think he took anything into consideration. I felt as if he acted on impulse, which is easy to do when it comes to a large amount of money—especially if you aren’t used to having “extra cash.”

                In class we discussed the primary conflicts in the play. Lorraine Hansberry was a feminist writer, so from the start she had conflicts between the men and women. We discussed how she shows her belief that women could take care of money a lot better than men could. It was made clear that she didn’t trust black men financially—women are a lot more responsible in financial decisions.

                Some other primary conflicts throughout the play were between the older and younger generations, but one of the biggest ones that stuck out to me was the conflict between the white and black people. There was a scene in the play that actually still showed white people pushing for segregation. Mr. Linder offered the family money not to move into the white neighborhood, even though the family has the right to. This family not only had to deal with family and money issues, but they also had to deal with racial conflicts as well.

 As I read this play, I felt as if this family would never catch a “break.” Even when they attempted to better themselves, they weren’t successful, or as successful as they believed they would have been. Over all, though, Mama kept positive. Mama was the only one who truly cared about keeping her family together and safe. Mama, I thought, provided wisdom for her family members, and attempted to keep the family history still going—even with all the hardships they had to live through.