I really enjoyed the movie A Raisin in the Sun. It follows a black family’s struggle to reach their long anticipated dreams. These dreams, and the struggles necessary to attain them, is one of the main focuses of the movie. The movie began with a husband, Walter, and wife, Ruth, fighting over Walter’s dream to make it in the business world by using an insurance check as a down payment on opening a liquor store. He believes that if someone in the family would just listen to him and put forth their trust, his dreams would become a success. This episode illustrates a major conflict throughout the story. As Walter dreams bigger and bigger he seems to leave the “smaller”‘ things, such as his family behind. This movement away from the family is against the advancement of the values and morals of the family.
The story’s ending presents a view of how standing by long term family goals and values provides a sense of unity that can overcome any obstacle and keep the pride of the family alive. Once Mama receives the insurance money, she believes that the best thing to do with it is buy a new house for her family. At first she is very adamant against giving any of the insurance money to Walter because she believes that his uses for the money will not benefit the family. But, as time progress Mama sees how upset her son his because none of the family members will back his dream, so she gives him the money left over after buying the house to spend on his dream. However, Walter’s deal falls through and he is faced with an even more challenging task. He is faced with the job of talking with the head of the “Welcoming Committee” of their new “white” neighborhood and pretending to be the stereotypical inferior black so that the “Welcoming Committee” will buy the family’s new house for a large amount of money. But as the time draws near for Walter to put his pride away, he realizes with the help of the family that no amount of money can make up for the loss of pride and that it is sometimes better to sacrifice the goals of one for the good of many. So Walter tells the gentleman from the “Welcoming Committee” that they are not interested in selling their house to any white folks. This bold and unselfish move helps to father the family’s long standing ethics, values, and pride.
A Raisin in the Sun powerfully illustrates the idea that holding on to ethics, values, and pride is sometimes the most difficult option, but is the most fulfilling and helps to make other challenges easier.
