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A Raisin In The Sun (1961) 128 minutes (Columbia) Written by Lorraine Hansberry. Directed by Daniel Petrie "It makes a difference to a man when he can walk on floors that belong to him."  In
this eloquent domestic drama, the American dream must be negotiated within
the home, like it or not, and unfortunately, the American character appears
to be “too big for the room.” All five members of the Younger family
experience the claustrophobia created by their cramped ghetto apartment
differently, and within those experiences, conflicting values emerge, particularly
along gender lines. These principles in turn create conflicting dreams,
which find their voices when the family matriarch. Lena, must decide
how to spend her departed husband’s $10,000 pension. Since it is
the only major money the family has ever had, or hopes to have, the stakes
are high.
“Seems like God didn’t give the Black man nothin’ but dreams, but he gave us children to make those dreams come true,” observes Lena. Her dreams are envisioned in terms of character development, honest work, nurturing relationships, and devotion to God and family. To her mind, owning a home with a yard and garden is the means by which a human can best live a full and decent life. Her daughter-in-law Ruth wants a house as well, but for more exigent reasons. The immediate, physical futures of her child, her unborn child, and even her marriage to Walter, hinge upon escape from the current environment she despises. Walter feels the walls closing in on him as well, but those walls extend beyond the apartment, encompassing all of life in the U.S. for a man who cannot compete in capitalism. As a chauffer, he longs for the “deals” he sees white men making, and because he never sees the failures of such enterprises, he believes the only way an American can participate in the promised dream is through any financial investment. This goal does not seem short sighted or irresponsible to him, but quite the opposite, for he does not see his future in his children, but in what he can or cannot give them.
Both Walter and Beneatha will discover, however, that “in their mother’s home,” Lena’s values will prevail, and that, when crisis strikes, they will in fact be the means of the family’s redemption. For when Walter is trusted with the household’s pension and then ruthlessly betrayed in business, he must redefine his manhood by rejecting the systemic values encouraging cynicism and greed, and defending his family against prejudice and injustice. Likewise, Beneatha must imagine her life in larger ways than mere goal-fulfillment, and capture something of Asagai’s love of land and culture. Zora Neale Thurston writes that for men, dreams are large and elusive, but for women, they lie in the truths of everyday life. A Raisin in the Sun reminds us that no matter how big the American dream is, it finds its fulfillment in small but steadfastly meaningful ways. essay by Monica
Ganas
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His
sister Beneatha, forecasting the civil rights and women’s movements, dreams
of becoming a doctor, and seeks personal expression wherever she can.
Her Nigerian suitor Asagai renames her “one for whom food is not enough.”
As a university student, she dismisses her mother’s concern for God and
family as unenlightened. She finds hope in education, a commodity
of dubious worth to Walter, who believes college fills ones head with useless
philosophies rather than the practical means by which to make real progress.