A Raisin In The Sun Symbolism Essay

Life brings the good and bad out of the people, even the ones who are close to you. Life gives people obstacles they think they cannot overcome and hopes for a happy life. A lot of obstacles and hopes for happiness happen in Lorraine Hansberry’s play “A Raisin in the Sun.” Three symbolic aspects have significant outcomes that bring obstacles and hope of happiness in the play. The plant, the 10,000-dollar check, and sunlight all have significant meanings throughout the play that represent a symbolic meaning.

The plant, one of mama's pride and joy, that the rest of the family does not see as important. The plant symbolizes multiple distinct aspects through mama, one being the representation of her life. The plant touches mama so much because

This shows how mama and the family hope to not have to struggle anymore but their dreams are being deferred, just how the plant is deferred sunlight. Mama once said about the plant, “Like this little old plant that ain’t never had enough sunshine or nothing—and look at it …” (Hansberry, 55) Mama plant struggles just like the Youngers, the Youngers cannot seem to overcome their financial problem, that has Ruth and Walter’s son Travis sleeping on a couch. Mama takes her plant very seriously because she wants to feel as if she is fulfilling her and the family dream of moving into a better place. The plant is also on the cover, showing it has some symbolic meaning. Another symbolic meaning the plant holds is Mama hopes to buy a house with a garden included with the house. Mama said, “This plant is close as I ever got to having one” (Hansberry, 55), mama

The phrase “sunlight” is used many times throughout the play. Ruth always asks for sunlight at the new house, Mama wants sunlight, and the plant needs sunlight. Sunlight represents the Happy and hopeful life that the Youngers have not experienced yet. The African Americans in the 1950s were still not treated fairly compared to the whites. The African Americans that was poor really did not see any sunlight, just like the Youngers. Their buildings were made to where they did not get much sunlight like they wanted. The Youngers felt as if they were colored, they were living in a dark place, and the whites had all the sunshine and happiness. The Youngers house was dim, which the image of no sunlight and dim lights makes people depressed. The sunlight was hope for the plant, the plant was not getting enough sunlight which made it feeble. The connection to the Youngers struggling and the house with no sunlight lead to the plant struggling too, which is why the plant is so important to Mama. Although Mama has no room to grow the garden she dreamed of, the sunlight is a key too. Once they move, where it is said to have sunlight, the hope of her garden is achievable then. Mama told Ruth about where she bought the house and Ruth said, “Is there—is there a whole lot of sunlight?” (Hansberry, 95), the need for the Youngers to have sunlight is incredibly significant to them because they are already discriminated for their color,