In the play-write A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry describes the resulting conflicts
in a poor African American family, the Youngers, who suddenly acquire a large sum of money:
10,000 dollars in life insurance from their father's death. Within the Younger family household,
we have Lena younger, her two adult children Beneatha and Walter, Walter's wife Ruth, and her
and Walter's child, Travis. Together they are staying in a small two-bedroom apartment that
shares a bathroom with the other apartment residents. Years spent in these horrid conditions led
to an overall displeasure that manifests in individually unique dreams--wishes for the future.
With the new influx of cash, some dreams seem possible, but not all of them at once.
Throughout the story, they navigate the conflicts that arise from prioritizing one person's wishes
over another and what is truly good for the family.
This play-write, A Raisin in the Sun, gives the reader a representation of the life of an
African-American family during the 1950s, as well as the side effects of deferring dreams.
Although well-written, it suffers due to being meant to be performed and not read. Its script
nature can make the story slightly tedious to read and takes away from some of the message
shown through things like the scene, gesture, and inflection, as there is only dialogue. Sadly,
merely due to this problem, I can only give it a three out of five regardless of how good.