The renowned play A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Bill Duke, depicts the challenges and biases endured by black families in America as they attempt to better their socioeconomic wellness. In this way, racial prejudice is the central issue of the work, and it represents the conditions that occurred in the 1950s when the family of the Younger resided in Chicago’s South Side ghetto. Duke’s A Raisin in the Sun powerfully depicts life in this impoverished hamlet where bigotry erupts into confrontation. Considering that racial equality is uncommon, the Youngers face adversity simply for being black. The drama illustrates how racism impacts the Younger family’s daily lives. Therefore, racial discrimination often creates an economic gap that subjects families to depression and disillusion.
Bill Duke demonstrates the severity of prejudice in several ways via the Youngers’ way of life. From the first minute of the play through the seventh minute, the Youngers’ lifestyle is shown as that of a lower-class family. The Younger family’s living room is unpleasant and untidy. “In the sixth minute after Ruth instructs Travis to make his bed before leaving for school, Travis’ bed is shown to be the couch in the living room.” (A Raisin in the Sun 6’). As a family of African Americans, the Youngers are socially disadvantaged owing to their color.
Furthermore, black people are not as qualified for occupations as compared to white people. For instance, in the eleventh minute, Ruth encourages Walter to hunt for a job, and Walter becomes pessimistic about his prospects (A Raisin in the Sun 11’). In addition, the Youngers do not have much money, but the family makes do with the little they possess. Nevertheless, there are not many things they can do to enhance their house at this time. As such, the Younger family’s lifestyle demonstrates their lack of access to the finest things in life.
Similarly, racial inequality is ingrained in the hearts of humans, making its eradication a challenging task. In the drama A Raisin in the Sun, disparities have caused Mrs. Johnson and others to despise black people. Dukes’s drama uses Mrs. Johnson to foretell the coming peril the Youngers will face upon relocation since they will be the first black residents in the all-white Clybourne Park area. In this sense, Mrs. Johnson is harsh, unfriendly, and highly invasive. In fact, she implies that she is praying for the Youngers’ new residence to be invaded. Johnson does not consider the liberation of black individuals to constitute the new global order of all-inclusivity.
Moreover, the practice of isolation and discrimination stretches back to antiquity and has since spread to most areas. As a consequence of segregation’s influence on peaceful cohabitation in society, it is uncommon to witness a black guy living in an all-white area. As shown by the play, Karl Lindner, a white guy representing adjacent Clybourne Park, is a bigot who is affected by his race posits.
“It is a matter of the people of Clybourne Park believing, rightly or wrongly, as I say, that for the happiness of all concerned that our Negro families are happier when they live in their communities” (A Raisin in the Sun 1.56.57).
From his words, Lindner desires not to see the Youngers family in a predominantly white community. He believes they are lesser since they reside in Clybourne Park. Consequently, he approaches the Youngers at their house and attempts to stop them from moving to a primarily white community. Nonetheless, the Youngers disregard him and relocate to the community without promises of everlasting happiness. Lindner is trapped in the past because he still thinks that whites are more significant to other minority groups, even though such a viewpoint is considered archaic.
Basically, racial prejudice has indoctrinated the undesired feeling of supremacy among whites and their admirers. The wealthy black suitor to Beneatha Younger, George Murchison, believes that assimilation into white culture is the only way to achieve financial success and the adoration of others. George does not take pleasure in his African background and, unlike other black people, does not fight against racism. As a matter of fact, he readily submits to white culture, which demonstrates that George is complicit in racism. When Beneatha suggests that he should show more consideration for the issues that black people were advocating for, he arrogantly rejects her views. Moreover, George goes so far as to humiliate other black people by utilizing his acute knowledge and skill to debate, both of which were granted to him by God. Other black people find George’s position more repugnant because he believes he supports racism.
The struggle to fulfill the African culture sometimes compels young African men to be racists in oppressing women. For instance, Joseph Asagai is George Murchison’s polar opposite character. He is a strong African thinker from Nigeria who takes intense satisfaction in his African background. He calls Beneatha an indigenous nickname and gives her Nigerian outfits to wear in an effort to make her proud of her ancestry after falling in love with her. He begs her to marry him and go to his home in Nigeria, which he claims she will adore. Asagai is thus guilty of promoting the oppression of women, a key component of racism. It serves as a robust African role model that other Black people may proudly aspire to.
Additionally, the family’s struggle to realize their goals is a symbol of the injustices that African Americans must endure in order to improve their destiny. For instance, Walter wants to open up his liquor shop, but he cannot do so due to a lack of family support and financial difficulties. When Beneatha states, “Biology is the greatest, I dissected something that looks like you yesterday,” It is another instance of a dream being postponed (A Raisin in the Sun 13’).
This indicates that Beneatha aspired to be a doctor at a time when black women were not encouraged to pursue many careers. Beneatha is upsetting the established quo by possessing this aspiration and being both black and a woman. At the same time, Beneatha’s father, Walter, is oblivious to the desire and believes they cannot finance it since it is too costly. Overall, a variety of obstacles prevent African Americans from realizing their aspirations. Socioeconomic isolation denies African Americans adequate opportunities to take advantage of to realize their potential.
Conclusion
Overall, racism is a dominant theme in A Raisin in the Sun; it depicts the adversities African America people encounter in a bid to better their lives. Through various characters, the director has shown that being white gives one an upper hand in accessing socioeconomic advantages. For instance, racial segregation has subjected black people to live in destitute states compared to Whites who live in affluent estates. Thus it is apparent that A Raisin in the Sun takes place long before the black liberation, which led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. As a result, it altered the lives of blacks in the United States, granting them freedom and acknowledging them as favorable contributions to American culture.
Work Cited
“A Raisin in the Sun (1989). Danny Glover Esther Role. Directed by Bill Duke.” YouTube, uploaded by Reelblack, 2019. Web.