Essay/Term paper: Summary of "a raisin in the sun"

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Literary Essays

Summary of "A Raisin in the Sun"

Tommy Giordano


The story of A RAISIN IN THE SUN about a black family stuggling through
family and economic hardships. The story ended as the head of the family Walter
took control, became a family man, and rejected an offer from a white
businessman to stay out of a white neighborhood and to stay with all blacks.
This offer disgusted the Younger family and hurt their black pride. I would like
in my own words to continue this story as I see it fit to occur. Three changes I
would make would be is Walter is forced to take action against segregation, the
grandmother passing away, and how the blacks finally became accepted and began
to enjoy and be proud of where they live.

As the Younger family moves themselves into a white suburban
neighborghood the whites in the community are upset that they have come to be
with them. Their direct neighbors who have a son that is Travis's age no longer
lets her son play with Travis and he become hurt and confused. Walter has to
explain that many people that are white beleive that they are better then those
who are black. Travis who is stay in dismay and is confused waits at home while
Walter goes over to the neighbors house to talk to them about what has happened.
Walter is, in good reason, very angry and annoyed by the racist whites. He goes
over and at first tries his best to stay calm over the situation. The white
father then says, "Listen, if I ever see your son with mine, I will througth
that little black spoiled brat back into your yard." Walter becomes enraged and
hits the man directly in the face as hard as he can. This brings an upraw
amongst the Youngers and the entire community. Thus bringing the whites, even
those who weren't before, totally against the Younger family.

After the eventual calming down of the community and the lowering of
racial tensions of the blacks against the whites, grandma Ruth who paid her own
$10,000 for the house they live in dies in her sleep, but in the hapiness of
knowing her family can get along by themselves. The Younger family is at first
very upset and sad because of the death, but they relize that she is where she
really wants to be, with her husband. Beneatha is now unsure if she should go
off to college because of the death. Walter has a private talk with ehr and
convinces her that it would be the best for her future, and that she would
regret her decision if she didn't go.

Slowly but surely the Youngers wanted to become a part of the community,
and were taken as some. The first people of the Younger family to associate and
try to become friends with the whites is the young Travis. As Beneatha is off at
school Travis brings home a white friend one Friday afternoon to play with him.
His parents have no objection, and think that he may be the most grown up in the
family, because he is willing to forgive and forget. The rest of the Younger
family tries to follow in the foot steps of the little boy. Walter slowly
forgives the whites who slowly change their attitudes towards them. Down the
road another black family moves in and keeps the Youngers company and gives them
some one to relate with. As three or four more blacks gradually move into the
neighborhood the community becomes more black-white oriented and they finally
get along together and are able to share their lives in equality.

This is my happy ending to the story, A RAISIN IN THE SUN. I feel that
the whites in the community would eventually become more and more friendly with
the blacks and more comfortable with them. The hardships the Younger family have
been through helped very much to bring the family together and too make their
love for each other more than it was at the beginning of the book.