A Raisin in the Sun portrays a few weeks in the life of the Youngers, an African-American family
living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. When the play opens, the Youngers are about
to receive an insurance check for $10,000. This money comes from the deceased Mr. Younger’s
life insurance policy. Each of the adult members of the family has an idea as to what he or she
would like to do with this money. The matriarch of the family, Mama, wants to buy a house to
fulfill a dream she shared with her husband. Mama’s son, Walter Lee, would rather use the
money to invest in a liquor store with his friends. He believes that the investment will solve the
family’s financial problems forever. Walter’s wife, Ruth, agrees with Mama, however, and hopes
that she and Walter can provide more space and opportunity for their son, Travis. Finally,
Beneatha, Walter’s sister and Mama’s daughter, wants to use the money for her medical school
tuition. She also wishes that her family members were not so interested in joining the white
world. Beneatha instead tries to find her identity by looking back to the past and to Africa.
As the play progresses, the Youngers clash over their competing dreams. Ruth discovers that
she is pregnant but fears that if she has the child, she will put more financial pressure on her
family members. When Walter says nothing to Ruth’s admission that she is considering abortion,
Mama puts a down payment on a house for the whole family. She believes that a bigger, brighter
dwelling will help them all. This house is in Clybourne Park, an entirely white neighborhood.
When the Youngers’ future neighbors find out that the Youngers are moving in, they send Mr.
Lindner, from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association, to offer the Youngers money in
return for staying away. The Youngers refuse the deal, even after Walter loses the rest of the
money ($6,500) to his friend Willy Harris, who persuades Walter to invest in the liquor store and
then runs off with his cash.
In the meantime, Beneatha rejects her suitor, George Murchison, whom she believes to be
shallow and blind to the problems of race. Subsequently, she receives a marriage proposal from
her Nigerian boyfriend, Joseph Asagai, who wants Beneatha to get a medical degree and move
to Africa with him (Beneatha does not make her choice before the end of the play). The
Youngers eventually move out of the apartment, fulfilling the family’s long-held dream. Their
future seems uncertain and slightly dangerous, but they are optimistic and determined to live a
better life. They believe that they can succeed if they stick together as a family and resolve to
defer their dreams no longer.
living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. When the play opens, the Youngers are about
to receive an insurance check for $10,000. This money comes from the deceased Mr. Younger’s
life insurance policy. Each of the adult members of the family has an idea as to what he or she
would like to do with this money. The matriarch of the family, Mama, wants to buy a house to
fulfill a dream she shared with her husband. Mama’s son, Walter Lee, would rather use the
money to invest in a liquor store with his friends. He believes that the investment will solve the
family’s financial problems forever. Walter’s wife, Ruth, agrees with Mama, however, and hopes
that she and Walter can provide more space and opportunity for their son, Travis. Finally,
Beneatha, Walter’s sister and Mama’s daughter, wants to use the money for her medical school
tuition. She also wishes that her family members were not so interested in joining the white
world. Beneatha instead tries to find her identity by looking back to the past and to Africa.
As the play progresses, the Youngers clash over their competing dreams. Ruth discovers that
she is pregnant but fears that if she has the child, she will put more financial pressure on her
family members. When Walter says nothing to Ruth’s admission that she is considering abortion,
Mama puts a down payment on a house for the whole family. She believes that a bigger, brighter
dwelling will help them all. This house is in Clybourne Park, an entirely white neighborhood.
When the Youngers’ future neighbors find out that the Youngers are moving in, they send Mr.
Lindner, from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association, to offer the Youngers money in
return for staying away. The Youngers refuse the deal, even after Walter loses the rest of the
money ($6,500) to his friend Willy Harris, who persuades Walter to invest in the liquor store and
then runs off with his cash.
In the meantime, Beneatha rejects her suitor, George Murchison, whom she believes to be
shallow and blind to the problems of race. Subsequently, she receives a marriage proposal from
her Nigerian boyfriend, Joseph Asagai, who wants Beneatha to get a medical degree and move
to Africa with him (Beneatha does not make her choice before the end of the play). The
Youngers eventually move out of the apartment, fulfilling the family’s long-held dream. Their
future seems uncertain and slightly dangerous, but they are optimistic and determined to live a
better life. They believe that they can succeed if they stick together as a family and resolve to
defer their dreams no longer.
