Raisin in the Sun, Essay Example

The absence of light in the play “Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, is a symbol of the absence of hope within the family member’s hearts. The apartment itself is small and cramped, with just one window that lets in such a small amount of natural light and with it only a trickle of hope. The light is never enough to brighten the apartment and the hope is never enough to fuel a dream. The constant dark of the apartment plays on the family members’ emotions and attitudes. For example, Ruth has trouble getting Walter Lee out of bed and when she finally succeeds in getting him to rise, he commences to complain incessantly about his life and circumstance.  Mama’s desire for more light in the new apartment is a desire to brighten the lives of her children and family, not only externally but within their souls as well. Mama has a plant that she keeps outside the window, because it cannot get enough sun sitting inside the apartment. The lengths she goes to keep the plant healthy and to help it grow and flourish represent what she wants to be able to do for her family. As it is, the plant is lucky enough to get sunlight and continue to grow. Just the same, her family is lucky enough to earn just enough money to barely get by. But as Mama would have the plant in an apartment that gets enough sun to be able to keep it inside, she would have the hope to fuel her children’s dreams and the resources to contribute to their realization. Mama’s desire for light in the new apartment is really her hope for an environment that will nurture her family’s dreams and restore hope to their souls.