A Raisin in the Sun 509and her care for the plant represents not only her
protection of her dream but also her care and protec-
tion of her family. She cares for the plant just as she
cares for her family: just enough light and water to
grow. The plant remains feeble and spindly in spite
of Mama’s love and care, simply because there is so
little light. Likewise, Mama’s dream of a house and
better life for her family is tenuous simply because
it is difficult for her to see beyond her family’s day
to day situation.
Beneatha’s dream, to become a doctor, is dif-
ferent from Mama’s in that it is more self-serving,
more indulgent. Her desire to express herself sets
Beneatha apart from the other women in A Rai-
sin in the Sun. She is the least traditional of the
women not only because she is the youngest, but
also because she is more independent, career ori-
ented, and does not want to rely entirely on George
Murchison to provide for her. Beneatha believes in
education as a means to success and understanding,
and her version of the American dream is centered
on this philosophy. It is her attitude toward her
boyfriend, George Murchison, in contrast to her
attitude toward Joseph Asagai, an African friend,
where Beneatha’s search for the American dream
can be most clearly seen. Mama and Ruth are
confused by her dislike of George Murchison, and
Beneatha even indicates to them that she might
not get married, something that runs counter to
the more traditional, stay-at-home roles that most
women fulfilled in the 1950s. Beneatha’s version of
the American dream is solitary, less traditional, and
not as concerned with family; hers is a less conser-
vative version of the American dream.
While the theme of the American dream is
found throughout Hansberry’s play, the central
conflict of the play is found in Walter’s idea of what
the American dream entails. The concept of the
“self-made man,” who starts with nothing, works
hard, and achieves great wealth, seems innocuous
enough. However, the idea becomes destructive
when it evolves into an idolization of wealth and
power. A life insurance check from his father, Walter
Sr., means Walter Jr. can buy his way into a business
and out of a servile job. In the beginning of A Raisin
in the Sun Hansberry shows how Walter Jr. envies
Charlie Atkins’s dry-cleaning business because it
grosses $100,000 a year. Desperate to achieve suc-
cess, Walter ignores his mother’s moral objection to
achieving his goals by running a liquor store. How-
ever, the liquor store is merely a means to an end
for Walter. Walter’s dream, like his mother’s, is to
escape the South Side ghetto, and to provide a bet-
ter life for his wife and child. The Younger family’s
dreams and aspirations for a better life are not con-
fined to their race, but are identified with by people
of all backgrounds. Although the definition of the
American dream is different for each character, the
underlying motivation is universal: the opportunity
for a better life.
Sharon BrubakerFamily in A Raisin in the Sun
The Younger family is under a great deal of emo-
tional and financial stress in the play. Hansberry
highlights the claustrophobic nature of their lives by
staging the play completely within their small, run-
down apartment.
In the play, family roles break down along
gender lines. The female characters in the play
argue over the best ways to care for the male family
members. Lena and Ruth bump heads about the
best way to take care of Travis. Lena makes his bed
for him and questions Ruth about what she’s feed-
ing him for breakfast. Early in the play, Ruth tells
Walter to eat the eggs she’s prepared, and he uses
the phrase “eat your eggs” to symbolize the ways that
he feels disrespected in the family. Walter imagines
whenever a man gets excited about an opportunity
that will change his and his family’s life, the women
in his life come along and tell him to settle down.
They think they are nourishing him by feeding him,
but what he really wants is an understanding ear. For
him, family limits him and keeps him from fulfilling
his individualistic dream to own a liquor store. This
individual dream is in stark contrast to the women’s
communal dream of owning a home.
The most important symbol in the play, Lena’s
houseplant, also represents the resilience of family
and the difficulties of caring for and nurturing liv-
ing things. At the beginning of the play, Lena moves
directly toward the plant to take care of it. Though
the plant never gets enough light in their dark apart-
ment, she is impressed with its tenacity. This quality