Symbolism In A Raisin In The Sun

Some great books have underlying symbolism that authors use to convey complex deeper meanings. Symbolism is the act of representing ideas using symbols, like the Mockingjay in the “The Hunger Games” or the scar in Harry Potter. One such book that loves to use symbolism is the drama based play the “Raisin in The Sun” Written by Lorraine Hansberry. The story is about a poor black family struggling in South Chicago during the Great Depression. The Younger Family gets a $10,000 dollar insurance settlement which they hope will greatly improve their lives. Unfortunately $6,500 dollars is swindled in a fake investment involving a liquor store but luckily $3,500 dollars of the money is invested in a down payment purchasing a home. Throughout the story the author uses symbolism in 3 different ways, the windows represented opportunities, the plant representing Mama’s dreams, and the light representing hope.
To begin, symbolism was expressed through The old apartment window and the windows in the new house witch represented their opportunities for a better future and their one way out.
The old apartment is shown to have one window on pg(24)”The Sole natural light the family may enjoy in the course of a day is only that which fights its way through the little window” and the window being the insurance money that's their one opportunity to bring themselves into a better life. In contrast the new house has many windows witch means more opportunities now that they can feel as if they are moving up in the world. This symbol is trying to tell us how the insurance settlement was their only way to freedom and now that they have the new house they have many different ways to achieve their
goals. Secondly, symbolism is shown in the book through the health of Mama’s plant. Mama’s plant represents her dreams for the family having a house and their overall happiness. It is shown that everytime the family is struggling she tends to the plant just like on pg(40) when Mama is talking to the rest of the family she says”Lord,if this little old plant dont get more sun then its been getting it aint never going to see spring again” this represents how if their lives don't change then they might not survive as a family for much longer. This symbol is describing the connection between the family’s problems and the plant in the way of mama intervening to better the family. Lastly, symbolism was shown throughout the book in the descriptive representation of light or hope described in different scenes. Light is shown in the old house to be dim and barely present which is talked about on pg(24)”At the window she raises the shade and a dusky southside morning light comes in feebly”. The lack of light is representing the state of the Younger Family’s life and hope being down because of being cramped in a small apartment with 5 people. In contrast the new house is described by Mama on pg (94) “there’s a whole lot of sunlight” which portrays the state of their hope having finally changed in a positive direction because now they have a real place to raise their family. This tells us where light is hope ends up thriving.
In Conclusion, the Raisin in the Sun used symbolism throughout the book to emphasise the deeper meaning the author wanted to convey of the window, the plant and the light. The window told a story of the Younger family’s opportunities being opened up after moving.The Plant told a story of Mama's dream to having a house with a garden…...Then finally it told a story of hope though the different amounts of light in the apartments and the house