78. A Raisin in the Sun - Lorraine Hansberry

This is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry in the 1950's. It's about a poor black family living in Chicago - Walter and Ruth, their son Travis, and Walter's mom and sister (Beneatha). Walter is barely making ends meet as a limo driver - so when his mom gets an insurance check in the amount of $10,000, he pressures her into giving him a good chunk of it for him to invest. She puts some down on a new house (in an all-white neighborhood), and gives Walter the rest - making him promise that he save some for his sister's education. Walker ends up making some poor decisions with the money and loses it. The family does get to keep the home, however; and they turn down a neighbor's offer to buy it from them to alleviate some of the racial tension that he believes their move will cause.

George, Beneatha's Nigerian boyfriend, is an interesting character: he seems to think he's a lot better than Walter, especially because he is in medical school, and starts influencing Beneatha in many ways. For example, he tells her that she is assimilating herself into white ways by "mutilating" (straightening) her hair; so she starts wearing traditional African clothing and ends up moving to Nigeria with George.

Like the last book I read, this play has a great but complicated plot that I won't bother fully explaining ... but one of the themes does seem to be about relationships. I love this part:

Ruth: Honey, you never say nothing new. I listen to you every day, every night and every morning, and you never say nothing new. (Shrugging). . So you would rather be Mr. Arnold than be his chauffeur. So -- I would rather be living in Buckingham Palace.

Walter: That is just what is wrong with the colored women in this world... Don't understand nothing about building their men up and and making 'em feel like they somebody. Like they can do something.


Ruth: (Drily, but to hurt): There are colored men who do things.

Walter: No thanks to the colored woman.

Ruth: Well, being a colored woman, I guess I can't help myself none.

I also like this part, when Beneatha lets her hair go natural:

George: Oh, don't be so proud of yourself, Bennie - just because you look eccentric.

Beneatha: How can something that's natural be eccentric?

George: That's what being eccentric means - being natural. Get dressed.

Lastly, a tidbit of info: the name of the play comes from the poem "Harlem," a.k.a. "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?