Hansberry Characterize Mama's Plant In A Raisin In The Sun

Throughout history, African Americans were striving for access to their American Dreams. A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, is the story of an lower-class African American family, the Youngers, who struggle to decide whether to attain their goals or to achieve their family needs. Lorraine Hansberry uses Mama’s plant to demonstrate her belief that one should keep their dreams alive, but at the same time trying to consummate their family needs.

At the beginning of the play, Hansberry illustrates the plant's setting after writing about the discussion between Mama and Ruth. Hansberry introduces the plant as a “little old plant that ain’t never had enough sunshine or nothing. (Hansberry 52)” Despite not having a lot of basic needs, Mama’s plant is still green and healthy looking. This symbolize the Younger family because since they have no money, they have no access to their goals; Especially for Walter, who is always fantasizing about his liquor store. The Younger family might not have a lot of money but they have each other and their dream like as the plant without sunshine but its still growing. From this readers have the knowledge that having goals can keep one alive.

Hansberry later uses the plant to symbolize that the family is going to move from their pain.

When Mama bought a house in a all white neighborhood with the $10,000 that Big Walter left, Walter’s Dad, in return, the family bought her new garden tools for her her plant and future new garden (Hansberry 122-1223). Buying new garden tools can benefit the plant symbolizes how Mama brought the new house can benefit the Younger family as well. One advantage can be escaping the crowded and unsanitary place that the family is living. Thus, improving the plant symbolizes improving and accomplishing the Younger’s

desires.

At the end of the play, Hansberry uses again once more the plant to symbolize the belief that one should keep their dreams alive, but at the same time trying to consummate their family needs. Right after Mama left to move to the new house, she came again to the old apartment to grab her plant to take it with her to the new house (Hansberry 151). Mama taking the plant to the new house shows how in the new house the plant is going to get sunshine, which will cause the plant to bloom. This symbolizes the family moving because since they’re moving to a new house, its almost the same as stepping up to having access to obtaining their goals. For example, moving to a all new white neighborhood will strengthen the family because they will go through discrimination. Thus, Hansberry’s use of symbol shows that one should keep their dreams alive, but at the same time trying to consummate their family needs.

Clearly, everyone has a different goals to accomplish, but the Younger’s goals was that one should keep their dreams alive, but at the same time trying to consummate their family needs. This is true throughout history when its clears that sometimes one has to stop being greedy and realize that their dreams should be the best for the family.