A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959 and became a symbol of struggle. The story weaves together the fate of a black family on Chicago’s South Side, where they try with all their might to make their way to the top. The story combines topical issues of discrimination and racism, which destroy society’s civilizing order. Hansberry’s play was voted best in 1959, and New York playwrights reviewed it favorably. The nascent equality in 1950 was unstable, and Hansberry’s sensitive story reveals the plight of black people through the complex characters of single people.
Overview
Walter Lee Younger’s black family grapples with how to dispose of a large sum of insurance money received after Walter’s father’s death. He dreams of opening his own business, his sister dreams of finishing her university studies, and his mother will buying a lovely house. The play’s central theme is how to overcome his ambition and the rejection by white Americans of their desire to live without regard to race (Hartmann). Hansberry draws attention to the already tricky lot of a black woman, Beneatha, Walter’s sister, who dreams of going to university.
Beneatha: New Way to Be a Woman
Education has always been an indicator of high intelligence and wealth and showed others that the person in front of them was no ordinary person. In the immediate aftermath of the 1957 protests, Hansberry’s play was an extension of a protesting America that did not want to conform to people because of their skin color. There were few African Americans among college graduates – only 3% had a bachelor’s degree, compared to 9% of whites (Table 302.20). The civil protests brought many innovations, and Hansberry struggled to realize this chance for a dream for Beneatha.
Beneatha is a strong heroine and the most educated in her family, making her seem a little arrogant. She expresses her views boldly because she does not deny her origins and believes this makes her who she is. As she develops, Beneatha encounters Asagai, who teaches her to accept her roots (Hansberry 56). She explores her identity and gradually agrees with the value of her origin. She later uses it to prove her value as an individual to her family. Beneatha’s mood can be fickle, and sometimes her hobbies are somewhat crazy. She takes on a new identity-an independent woman (Hansberry 89). Her strength lies in recognizing the conditions of life around her and accepting a reality where she can change for the better. Her selfishness is a good trait, even though she seems hysterical and foolish at first.
There are many values for Beneatha that make her atypical of African American society. She becomes more educated and well-read and gradually becomes part of something bigger. She wants to become a doctor and help people, genuinely believing that skin color is not a barrier (Hartmann). She reasons about civil rights and often argues with her mother to prove her independence. Beneatha can be called a feminist because she recognizes herself as an African woman and fights for her life from this social position.
The young African woman’s relationship with men is a sign of a small protest against reality. At the beginning of the play, she is attracted to rich George, who insists on giving up her African ancestry and realizing herself as an American (Hansberry 131). Gradually, however, Asagai changes her understanding of reality, and Beneatha is not shy about her ties to Africa. She argues with George, trying to prove the necessity of acknowledging her origins, but he does not consider her opinion significant. As a result, the educated and intelligent Beneatha chooses the sincere Asagai, with whom she is not shy about leaving her hair curled and dancing to African music.
Education for Black People Now
Reports show that the percentage of black students attending U.S. colleges and universities is slightly higher than the percentage of the black U.S. population. Decades of segregation and biased admissions policies have resulted in only 26% of black Americans holding a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2020, compared with 40% of white Americans (Table 302.20). People keep fighting for racial equality: holding institutions-educational, government, and social welfare accountable when they don’t deliver on their promises (Horowitz). Hansberry’s play is valuable for understanding the historical condition of black Americans. It explains why it should not be forgotten and why people should continue to fight for the rights.
Outcomes
Thus, Beneatha is a strong heroine who is not ashamed of her background and tries her best to move forward. She invests in her education and tries to help people because she believes race is not essential to support. Together with Asagai, she stops being ashamed of her background and actively promotes the national idea of Africa. Thus, Hansberry’s play is important in understanding why educational inequality continues to exist.
Works Cited
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. First Vintage Book Edition, 1994.
Hartmann, Matthew. “A Raisin in The Sun – Criterion Collection.”High-Def Digest, 2018.
Horowitz, Juliana Menasce. “Most Americans Say The Legacy Of Slavery Still Affects Black People In The U.S. Today.”Pew Research Center, 2019.
“Table 302.20. Percentage of Recent High School Completers Enrolled in College, by Race/Ethnicity: 1960 through 2020.” National Center of Education Statistics.