Lecture Notes on Symbols in "A Raisin in the Sun"

Introduction

• Speaker: Discussing symbols in Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun."
• Objective: Understand key symbols and their meanings in the play.

Key Symbols

1. Insurance Money

• Represents:
  • Dream of economic stability.
  • Legacy of Big Walter's life of hard work.
• Mama’s Investment:
  • Aims to move family out of the ghetto.
  • Intends to create a legacy for Travis by buying a house in Clybourn Park.
• Walter’s Risk:
  • Invests the money with untrustworthy Willy.
  • Puts family's economic stability at risk.
  • Legacy takes a dark turn.

2. Sunlight and Mama's Plant

• Stage Directions:
  • Describe struggle for light in the Younger's apartment.
  • Symbolizes lack of resources needed for growth.
• Mama’s Plant:
  • Represents the family's resilience and hope.
  • Despite dim conditions, plant grows with Mama's care.
• New House:
  • More sunlight signifies better environment.
  • Emotional and financial improvement.

3. Beneatha's Hair

• Symbol of Resistance:
  • Wears her hair naturally, rejecting white beauty standards.
  • Expresses Black pride and independence.

4. Music in the Play

• Types of Music:
  • Blues: Represents broader African American culture in Chicago.
  • Nigerian Folk Songs: Celebrate African heritage and community.
    • Connects Beneatha and Walter.
  • Spirituals: Songs of comfort, show deep family bonds.
    • Sung in Act II, despite family disagreements.

5. The House in Clybourn Park

• Represents:
  • Mama and Ruth’s dream realized.
  • A dream no longer deferred, unlike "A Raisin in the Sun."
• Challenges:
  • Dream is precarious due to racial violence backdrop.
  • Uncertainty about building a lasting legacy.

Conclusion

• Symbols in "A Raisin in the Sun" represent themes of hope, resilience, cultural identity, and the challenges of racial inequality.
• The play highlights the family's aspirations amid societal obstacles and their struggle for a better future.