Raisin In The Sun Plant

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The Significance of Mama’s Plant in Hansberry’s A Raisin In The Sun In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry shows the audience that the black Younger family and African-Americans in general deserve equality in white society by using the plant as a tool to represent the Younger family. Mama’s plant is representative of the Younger family. When the audience is introduced to the plant Hansberry describes it as a “feeble little plant growing doggedly in a small pot” (39). This serves to show the audience that it’s difficult for the Younger family to grow up in their home. The small pot is representative of their constricted lifestyle. Much like when a plant is placed in a small pot it is crippled and unable to grow large, the Younger family is being held back by the environment they are growing in. When Ruth announces that she is pregnant, one of Beneatha’s first responses is “where is he going to live, on the roof?” (58). Ruth realizes that her family has no way to provide for a new baby and she considers having the baby aborted instead of raising it. By having an abortion, she would be restricting the growth of their family because of their small space to live in. This is directly relevant to the plant being unable to grow large and healthy in its small pot. Their home is so small that there is only one little window and Mama’s plant is kept in the windowsill because it is the only place for the plant to receive any light. The plant is feeble because of the little light it receives through the small window. The lack of sunlight the plant receives is representative of the situation the Younger family is in. This little amount of sunlight signifies them being in a difficult situation. Mama tells Lena “if this little old plant don’t get more sun than it’s been getting it ain’t never going to see spring again” (40). This is significant because it corresponds to the
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