A Raisin in the Sun
A couple of the plays struck a personal note, but the one that moved me was A Raisin in the Sun. So many issues that anyone can struggle with were addressed. Death, new beginnings, abortion, identity, assimilation, money, poverty, wealth, racism, trickery, loss, family, and love. It’s a family struggling with everyday things and huge issues that mold and shape who they are.
African Americans struggled for so many years just so they could be viewed as human like everyone else. I feel what we did to them, was force them to start at the bottom. They had to break a cycle of slavery, hate, poverty and at the bottom mindset—just for the color of their skin. While everyone else is struggling to understand and find our identity, their search was that much harder. They had to break these strongholds over lives. That’s why this play was so good. It showed African Americans like normal everyday people, but they weren’t normal—they were breaking new grounds. It’s a beautiful play, even with all of Walter’s faults—which helped make it magnificent. He was carrying the 5 generations on his back and trying to break a cycle that has pushed and pushed his heritage down.
My favorite line was when Mama said, “…when do you think is the time to love somebody the most? When they done good and made things easy for everybody?...—because that ain’t the time at all. It’s when he’s at his lowest and can’t believe in hisself ‘cause the world done whipped him so! When you starts measuring somebody, measure him right…Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys he come through before he got to wherever he is.”
I haven't been married long, but there are times in my marriage where this statement was so true. We've gone through some really tough things in our first two years--investment and business failures, job loss, financial problems--oh the fighting. I can remember so many times that's all my husband needed--my love and encouragement. Sometimes I did, most times I didn't. There were times after heavy arguments, wetness on her faces--tears of anger and frustration, we turned to each other and said, "I love you." Most times that's all anyone needs--you wouldn't know until you've gone through your worst.
