Written before the Civil Rights Movement, A Raisin
in the Sun exposes the two-layered racism that plagued many
African-American communities. The most apparent and blatant form of which
stemmed from the baseless xenophobic fears that many whites held. As part of
the money that Lena receives from her husband's death, she places a deposit on
a house in Clybourne Park, an all-white neighborhood. Representing the
Clybourne Park Improvement Association, Mr. Lindner (Scott Mosenson) arrives at
the Younger's in the name of friendship and understanding and attempts to bribe
them into staying out of his neighborhood. The family refuses, and Mr. Lindner
leaves confused and dazed, maliciously hinting that it will be better for the
Youngers to stay out.
The other layer of racism is more subtle, yet equally as
prevalent and detrimental. Lena's son, Walter Lee Younger (Kevin T. Carroll)
unabashedly despises his own race. Claiming that his brethren can only
"moan, pray and have babies," Walter places himself above his
community. They lack dreams, he says, and he's different because he wants more.
He wants to become the new African-American bourgeois, yet he hates them too.
The playwright, Lorraine Hansberry demonstrates how this mentality becomes so
destructive. Walter becomes so obsessed with his racist views that he
eventually begins to embody what he abhors.
Because of the play's setting and events, A Raisin
in the Sun is filled with complex characters like Walter Lee. He
dreams big, yet partakes in petty squabbles. He places money on a pedestal, yet
he freely gives it away without a second thought. He blames everyone for not
giving him a chance, yet he loses his family's money on a poorly-planned liquor
store venture. He lives for tomorrow's successes, yet cannot make it through
today's failures. Even though his contradictions are frustrating, it makes the
character more human and thus, more credible. In addition to Walter Lee,
Beneatha and Ruth also rise above their own prejudices and live up to their
promise, making their struggles and successes a pleasure to witness.
Instead of skirting the issue, Hansberry addresses
deep-seeded racism that still prevails in today's world. Through exploring
these topics, Hansberry provides rich and colorful characters, whose potential
is fulfilled with this cast's adept interpretation and masterful performance.
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