A Raisin in the Sun
By: Lorraine Hansberry
In the play, A Raisin
in the Sun, many of society’s timeless dilemmas are addressed and
presented. From the moral issue of racism to the individual struggle of dreams,
Hansberry fully encompasses the challenges of each. Named after a poem of
questions, the play provides answers. For, as Joseph Asagai states, “I LIVE THE
ANSWER (Page 522)!”
The powerful quote which comes at both a
trivial and conclusive point in the play, for me represents the paramount idea
of personal power to do and achieve anything. As the play tells of a true
family and their struggles, the masterpiece also reveals a solution to such
problems of unachieved dreams and daily burdens. The play suggests that the
past is a “point of no return” in which life can never be the same, but it also
suggests that the future is unwritten with no predestination or limits.
Although financial barricades and material limits may hinder forward progress,
dreams depend upon personal determination and freedom. Through the symbolism of
Mama’s plant which gains the spotlight of the last few lines of the play, such
an idea is fully established. For, the plant which is grown in a poor
environment grows strong and steady by its determination and Mama’s care.
Additionally, the plant represents Mama’s dream of gardening, temporarily fulfilling
her hope and goal.
By
confronting the idea that dreams are always growing and goals of one generation
only lead to new aspirations for the next, new roots of possibilities sprout. While dreams can be a hindrance and burden if left unachieved or forgotten, they can also be a source of inspiration and hope to persevere with new and greater determination. Timelessly, dreams live on.
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