Discuss racial discrimination in “A Raisin in the Sun”.
“A Raisin in the Sun” is a three-act drama focusing on an African American family subjected to the emotional stresses of living in a cramped apartment while confronting prejudice and economic hardship. The theme of racial discrimination is uite prominent in the play. !ansberry tells the lives of the members of the "ounger "ounger family and e#plores how the fact of the ir race inhibits them from accomplishing their dreams. This social fact is clearly reflected in the play through the character of $alter "ounger. $alter realises how the colour of his s%in is limiting his choices in life. !e tells his mother& “'ama ( sometimes when )*m downtown and ) pass them cool-uiet-loo%ing restaurants where them white boys are sitting bac% and tal%ing +bout things,sitting there turning deals worth millions of dollars,sometimes ) see guys don*t loo% much older than me “. !e is jealous of businessmen who can afford a high standard of living& as he is just a mere chauffeur for his white employer& 'r. Arnold. !e is tortured by the fact that men of the same age as him have more of a chance in the world because of their race. ven his father had spent his entire the life wor%ing hard without achieving anything& “wor%ing/ himself to death”. The character 0eneatha& who enthusiastically e#periments with ideals in college on her way to being a doctor& is defined by a desire to find and e#press herself without that self being compromised by assimilationist forces in society who want her to deny her African heritage. She considers the culture they live in “oppressive” and refuses to give in to it of fear that it will erode her heritage. 1nli%e her brother who constantly bemoans his fate& 0eneatha strives to prove that she could ma%e her dreams come true. She refuses to ac%nowledge the reality that many people share $alter2s opinion that she should either get married or be a nurse li%e other women. 3ne of her suitors& Asagai& inspires her to get in touch with her roots. Asagai& who is a native 4igerian& is very proud of his heritage& and 0eneatha hopes to learn about her African heritage from him. After he playfully teases 0eneatha about her “mutilated” straighten hair& she chops off her loc%s. !er new “close-cropped” and “unstraightened” “u nstraightened” hair signifies her embracing her African heritage. 5uring 5uring the play& play& 6ena 6ena "ounger& unger& the family family matri matriarch arch&& receiv receives es her late late husban husband* d*ss insurance chec%. The ten thousand dollar insurance chec% of much dispute is used partly to put a down payment on a house in 7lybourne 8ar%. The other members of the family e#press their doubts as 7lybourne 8ar% is a predominantly white neighbourhood. 6ena& who perhaps %nows a little more about what might happen once they move where they aren*t wanted& ma%es this bold decision to do something big and necessary despite its ris%s. This prompts a visit from 9arl 6indner& a representative of the 7lybourne 8ar% )mprovement Association. !e offers money to the "oungers ungers to sell sell their their house. house. 6indner 6indner doesn*t doesn*t threaten threaten&& as 0eneath 0eneathaa later later e#plain e#plainss to a panic%ed 6ena& “they don*t do it li%e that anymore. !e tal%ed 0rotherhood.” )n fact 6indner frames his polite and snea%y plea for segregation under the greater good. “A man& right or
wrong&” he says& “has the right to want to have his neighborhood he lives in a certain %ind of way&” asserting that everyone is more comfortable living with their own %ind and that “race prejudice simply doesn*t enter into it.” :urthermore& this play shows that even the African Americans can be prejudiced to their own %ind. )n the first act& $alter complains that coloured women “d/on*t understand about building their men up and ma%ing them feel li%e somebody”. !e blames them for the failure of their %ind; he even goes out to state& “$e one group of men tied to a race of women with small minds”. $alter ta%es out his frustration on his own race& claiming that his fellow African Americans are to blame for their own misfortunes& that they are “a race of people that don*t %now how to do nothing but moan& pray and have babies”. Through $alter*s character& !ansberry shows us the comple# perspectives that e#ist within the blac% community. )n another incident& 0enetha teases Ruth and $alter about their old-fashioned dancing. !owever& she adds in the idea of
?@s family. )t is a play that ma%es us ta%e a closer loo% at how the African American society was living at the time; its difficulties& injustices& discontent. 7haracters li%e 9arl 6indner and =eorge 'urchinson are e#actly the reason why racial discrimination was so prevalent& as they are two characters who conform to the segregation of that time. )t is ultimately people li%e 0eneatha who will lead the fight against racism& and provide a better future for the non-white citiBens of America.
