Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

The examination into the life and times of playwright Lorraine Hansberry suggests that historical/biographical analysis can be effectively utilized to fully understand her timeless play A Raisin in the Sun. Hansberry preserved the 1950’s time period in her semi-autobiographical play. Although the play does not directly mirror Hansberry’s own life experiences, many of her own are sprinkled throughout the entirety of the play, which creates a compelling, complex narrative. By effectively conveying her experiences, she paints an accurate picture of the troubles of integration of Black and White citizens, greed, assimilation culture, poverty, desperation and most importantly hope. The primary influences for the play were Hansberry’s upbringing,

Hansberry was born into a middle-class family, however, due to her race, she was exposed to the hellish reality that most African American people lived in and the injustices that their families faced daily. In “The Evolution of A Raisin in the Sun, From Dream Deferred to Broadway Masterpiece” Lindsay Champion attests that “ The Hansberry family bought a house at 6140 S. Rhodes Ave. in Washington Park--a white, upper-middle-class neighborhood...They were violently attacked by their neighbors, who were constantly trying to get the family to leave the neighborhood…” which eventually led to Hansberry v. Lee, a court case which was decided on by the Illinois Supreme Court which ruled against the Hansberry family, however, the U.S Supreme Court overturned the decision, which allowed the Hansberrys’ to reside in their new home. This is mirrored in A Raisin in the Sun as the plot centers on the Younger family who have been residing in Southside Chicago. South Side Chicago is known for its primarily impoverished African American inhabitants. White society has made it nearly impossible for the Youngers to escape their pre-destined poverty and low-quality housing. However, when there is a death in the family, a life insurance check creates an opportunity for them. The Youngers purchase a home in Clybourne Park--a white neighborhood and are promptly offered a substantial sum of

However, racial inequality was becoming increasingly more of an important issue, as the Civil Rights Movement began and white society could no longer turn their head the other way. For the majority of the duration of the 1950’s, the South was segregated by the Jim Crow law ( the laws which enforced racial segregation post-reconstruction era up until the Civil Rights Movement). However, even those fortunate enough to live in the North like the fictional Younger family and the real Hansberry family still faced unofficial racial barriers to achieving their life-long dreams. A Raisin in the Sun is an extremely accurate depiction of the racial discrimination Black families often faced in the 1950’s. During the time period of the play, racial tensions were at an all-time high, and the Civil Rights Movement and various socio-political movements were beginning to develop their grass-roots. Best put by New York Times reviewer, Brooks Atkinson “ A Raisin in the Sun has vigor as well as veracity and is likely to destroy the complacency of anyone who sees it” and this is a result of the gripping themes depicted in the play which are the most critical political issues of the times which included; assimilation v. integration into American society, socioeconomic status, and equal opportunity. Each of the complex characters that Hansberry created is representative of a