A Raisin in the Sun (1959) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit

Write a ridiculously simplified synopsis.

Characters/People edit see section history

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• Walter Lee Younger: He is now the man of the house; he works as a chauffeur and has a wife and a son. He believes that if he can get the money from his father's insurance benefit, he can invest in a liquor store and start the family on the road to financial independence.
• Lena Younger "Mama": She is the matriarchal head of the household and cares for her family very much. Her husband has died and left insurance money for his death. She had 3 children but one has been lost and 2 are left.
• Beneatha: She is the daughter of Lena (Mama) who fight often with her brother Walter Lee. She wants to be a doctor.
• Ruth: The wife of Walter and mother of travis
• George Murchison: Beneatha's wealthy date/ friend. He likes her a lot but she doesn't like him in that way. She sees him as shallow and as one who doesn't agree with her aspiration to be a doctor.
• Travis: The son of Walter Lee and Ruth
• Beneatha Younger: Other wise known as Bennie. Bennie is the twenty-something sister of Water. She's highly independent and dreams big, with hopes of becoming a doctor.
• Willy Harris: A man with whom Walter Lee plans to invest in a business.
• Lorraine Hansberry: The author of the play.
• Mrs. Johnson: A nosy neighbor of the Youngers
• Ruth Younger: Walter Younger's wife
• Lena Younger: The matriarch of the Younger family, she is waiting on a life insurance check that she will receive because of the death of her husband, Big Walter.
• Joseph Asagai: A male Nigerian student; a friend of Beneatha.
• Ruth What: Add a description of this character.

Quotes edit see section history

• ““So now it’s life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life- now it’s money.””

  Mama

• ““So you butchered up a dream of mine-you-who always talking ‘bout your children’s dream…”(95).”

  Walter

• ““Well-I do-all right?-thank everybody! And forgive me for ever wanting to be anything at all!”(37).”

  Ruth

• ““No-I wanted to cure. It used to be so important to me. I wanted to cure. It used to matter. I used to care…”(133).”

  Ruth

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• “Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams—but He did give us children to make them dreams seem worth while.”

  Highlighted by 8 Kindle customers

• Mama, you don’t understand. It’s all a matter of ideas, and God is just one idea I don’t accept. It’s not important. I am not going out and be immoral or commit crimes because I don’t believe in God. I don’t even think about it. It’s just that I get tired of Him getting credit for all the things the human race achieves through its own stubborn effort. There simply is no blasted God—there is only man and it is he who makes miracles!

  Highlighted by 8 Kindle customers

• If you so crazy ’bout messing ’round with sick people—then go be a nurse like other women—or just get married and be quiet …

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• The world’s most backward race of people, and that’s a fact.

  Highlighted by 7 Kindle customers

• slaps her powerfully across the face. After, there is only silence and the daughter drops her eyes from her mother’s face, and MAMA is very tall before her)

  Highlighted by 6 Kindle customers

• So you butchered up a dream of mine—you—who always talking ’bout your children’s dreams …

  Highlighted by 5 Kindle customers

• You ain’t satisfied or proud of nothing we done. I mean that you had a home; that we kept you out of trouble till you was grown; that you don’t have to ride to work on the back of nobody’s streetcar— You my children—but how different we done become.

  Highlighted by 4 Kindle customers

• Bitter? Man, I’m a volcano. Bitter? Here I am a giant—surrounded by ants! Ants who can’t even understand what it is the giant is talking about.

  Highlighted by 4 Kindle customers

• Well, I always wanted me a garden like I used to see sometimes at the back of the houses down home. This plant is close as I ever got to having one.

  Highlighted by 3 Kindle customers

• That is just what is wrong with the colored woman in this world … Don’t understand about building their men up and making ’em feel like they somebody. Like they can do something.

  Highlighted by 3 Kindle customers

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Africa
• Chicago
• Clybourne Park
• Nigeria
• Springfield
• America

First Sentence edit see section history

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Race and Racism: Describe this theme.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Lorraine Hansberry (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PS3515.A515 R3
• Dewey: 812.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Add a note to help parents select a book for a child.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Nonfiction › Social Sciences › Special Groups › African-American Studies
• Books › Literature & Fiction › World Literature › United States › Classics
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Authors, A-Z › ( H ) › Hansberry, Lorraine
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Drama › United States
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Classics
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Classics

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• Sparknotes

Movie Connections edit see section history

• A Raisin in the Sun (1961) (IMDb)
• A Raisin in the Sun (2008) (IMDb)