A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Summary

A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of the Younger family, a lower middle class family attempting to escape the struggles that come with being African American in the 1960s.  The family consists of Ruth, a housewife, her husband Walter Lee, their son Travis, Walter's sister Beneatha, and his mother Lena (referred to as Mama).  Walter Lee dreams of owning his own liquor shop and Beneatha dreams of succeeding as a doctor, but they are both held back from their dreams by financial struggles.  On top of this, Beneatha struggles with identity when she meets Joseph Asagai, a Nigerian student, who is proud of his heritage and encourages her to embrace her "natural" cultural heritage.  Both Walter and Ruth, who is pregnant, work to make ends meet.  Until, the insurance check from Walter's father's death arrives.  Suddenly, they have a chance at achieving their dreams that have been deferred for their whole lives.  

Mama goes and buys a house in a safer, predominantly white neighborhood, in hopes of giving Travis a safer childhood.  However, everything changes when they are told by a representative of the neighborhood named Mr. Lindner alienates them and suggests that they stay in their current home.  On top of that, they lose all of their money because Walter was scammed by the guy he bought the liquor store from.  Beneatha is devastated, as her money was used by Walter.  She is about to give up when Asagai encourages her to pursue her dreams for the sake of progress and purpose, instead of financial benefit.  He also asks her to move to Africa with him to pursue a medical career in Nigeria.

To redeem himself, Walter decides to step up and (verbally) fight against the white people telling his family to not move in to the neighborhood.  He chooses to move in and deal with the racism that will surely come their way.  They pack up, Beneatha presumably goes to Africa with Asagai, and the rest of the Youngers are finally given a new chance at life.

Themes

*There's a lot of overlap in these themes so bear with me*

The American Dream

    The American Dream is the ideal, promoted in the 1930s, that all Americans have the same opportunity to become successful through hard work and determination.

    A Raisin in the Sun exposes how the American Dream is restricted by systemic racism and classism.  The Jim Crow Laws served to ensure that African-Americans remained stuck in the lowest tier of society by lowering their salary, increasing their house prices, and enforcing segregation into every aspect of social life.  

    The United States was set up to remind African-Americans that they are inferior to White people and conditioning White people to associate these racial minorities with the lower class.  With a singular set of laws they reinforced two ideas : "Black People suck" and "Poor People are ruining the country".

    By doing this, the country systemically denied Black and impoverished people from gaining the reward promised to them by the American Dream.

    The book challenges this notion by giving the characters an opportunity to pursue their dreams.  Although the book starts with the Youngers being an average Black and lower middle class family, where the adults had to sacrifice their dreams to focus on keeping up with the bill, the book ends with the family moving up in society and getting closer to achieving their dream.  The adults — Ruth, Walter, and Mama — already sacrificed their dreams to take care of the family and make ends meet.  Walter had to put aside his dream of opening his own liquor store, and Ruth and Mama had to put their personal aspirations aside to be housewives and work.  All three of them already internalized the belief that the American Dream could not be achieved by people like them.  

    However, by the end, the Youngers defy that belief.  They move to a predominantly white, safer, richer neighborhood in hopes of a brighter future, despite knowing the risks.  This choice to move, is more than a physical relocation for the sake of safety — it symbolizes the refusal to be limited by society's expectation that screams at Black people to stay at the bottom.  It showed how these hopes and dreams that lived inside of Walter, Mama, and Ruth, weren't dead.  They were simply deferred by society.  But by taking the chance to move into a better home, despite knowing the challenges, they were able to revisit those dreams and take a step closer to achieving their American Dream.

Race

    Because whiteness was the norm in the United States and racism was heavily normalized in the Post-War age, Black women were seen as ugly and eccentric.  To be taken seriously in the workplace and seen as beautiful and desirable, Black women were pressured to erase their natural identity to fit in. 

    This theme is evident in the way George Murchison and Joseph Asagai interact with Beneatha.  Asagai believes Beneatha is an assimilationist — a person who adheres to the majority's culture and behavior instead of their own — and encourages her to embrace her Black identity.  When she does, she is criticized by George Murchison, her boyfriend, for wearing her hair "raw", and looking eccentric.  George represents the society that tells Black women that they must adhere to White beauty standards to be valued, as well as the internalized racism and belief that conformity is vital to success that Black women could've felt.  However, Asagai represents a perspective rooted in cultural pride, as he proudly proclaims that natural Black beauty should be valued and celebrated.

Why do we use violence as entertainment?

 With the release of season 3 of Squid Game rapidly approaching I began to wonder why we find violence entertaining.

When the show was first released in 2021, there were trends dedicated to recreating the games, costumes, and setup of the show.  Influencers uploaded “I Recreated Squid Games” videos by the thousands.  Instead of focusing on the cultural message of class inequality and exploitation within the workplace, we focused on the death games.

Similar to Squid Game, when Bird Box (2018) was released, we recreated the situation, attempting to survive without sight.

Diving further back, when Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was released in 2008, millions of people scrambled to buy a copy.  This would repeat with every new addition to the series, including both the books and the movies.  People were desperately trying to get their hands on a book series about children murdering each other for the entertainment of the masses.

The Hunger Games series, Bird Box, and now Squid Game, show us that the idea of using violence as entertainment has been a popular idea for at least fifteen years.  But why?  As humans, we pride ourselves on how much we’re against violence, yet when we’re faced with it, we can’t look away.  Think about it.  When you turn on the news, do you switch channels when they’re talking about the weather?  How about when they’re talking about a burglary or murder?

What I’ve come to find is that we find violence entertaining because of our primal instinct.  Our primary motivation is activated by threat, which violence poses on us.  It gives us a surge of adrenaline, making our heart beat faster and feel anxious or excited.  We seek new and exciting experiences, and seeing violence seems to count as a new experience. However, another theory suggests that it's due to benign masochism.  Benign masochism is when we enjoy negative experiences in the context of a safe environment.  It’s similar to how haunted houses feel fun.  Realistically, you would be terrified to provoke a curse, but because you know you’re safe in an amusement park, you get excited to go into a haunted house.  We enjoy violent movies, because we know we’re safe at home or at a movie theater.  By tolerating the mental pain of watching violence, we subconsciously feel that we have gained a survival instinct.  We feel relief that we are safe and have gained survival instincts in the safety of our own home.  

    However, this doesn’t mean “go out and watch every Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie out there to become the most experienced and prepared person in the world”.  In recent years, the media industry has begun to equate violence to horror.  Because of this, we have become desensitized to the violence in the real world.  Our exposure to the sadistic minds of directors has now stopped us from reacting to the sadistic minds of real world leaders.  If we don’t stop ourselves from watching violent media, we will forget how to react to the emotions of real people.  We will forget how to be people.

Let this be a reminder to you to step back from movies, sit back, and watch Teletubbies every once in a while.  Go out and pick flowers, crochet, enjoy the mundane experiences of life.  Watch a kids show.  Do anything to bring your emotional response to violence up to its natural point.  Sensitize yourself to violence again.  Violence is only meant to be entertaining in fiction.

Monster: A comment on Japan's Heteronormativity

 
Monster (2023) is a coming of age story about Minato Mugino, a relatively normal 5th grader who one day begins to act strangely.  He comes home with dirt in his water bottle, a missing shoe, or he doesn't come home at all.  His mother demands answers, to which he responds that he, Minato is a monster because his teacher said so.  The story unfolds as it is told through different perspectives, and shows what really happened that made Minato feel that he is a monster.

⚠️spoilers ahead!! ⚠️

    Japan's Heteronormativity

    Heteronormativity is the idea that heterosexuality is the norm, and that men and women have specific and predetermined roles/behaviors and guidelines that they must live by.

    Japan is a collectivist culture, meaning that there is an emphasis on group harmony and conformity.  Unique and individualistic traits are often shut down, as there is a need to be normal in Japan, which enhances the heteronormativity found in society.
    This idea compels men to find jobs, get married to a beautiful woman, and have kids.  Although this goal seems ordinary on the surface, the emphasis on gender roles and normality tells men that this is the only way to find fulfillment and happiness in life.

    Monster directly challenges this notion.  In the opening scene, Minato's mother is driving him home after she discovered him in an abandoned tunnel playing.  As she drives, she mentions how she will take care of him until he grows up and gets married.  This statement makes Minato so uncomfortable that he jumps out of the car and runs away.  Even though this comment is very casual, it establishes the heteronormativity that is ingrained in culture, and how it can alienate and quietly shame kids who don't fit in these strict cultural norms.
    Furthermore, when the movie later introduces Yori Hoshikawa, a feminine boy who is bullied in class, it shows the full spectrum of boys who are affected by the system.  While Minato suffers due to his internalized homophobia and emotional suppression, Yori suffers from being empathetic and friendly— traits that don't align with the guidelines set by society.  He is abused by his father, who calls him a disease, accuses him of thinking like a pig, and dehumanizes him for acting "gay".  Together, Minato and Yori show how heteronormativity not only enhances shame, but it actively punishes originality and progress.
    However, because of these challenges, the boys grow closer.  Minato defends Yori from bullies by causing a ruckus to distract them, and Yori gives Minato a safe space to be himself and imaginative.  Eventually, when Minato confides in the principal that he has a crush on his classmate, it becomes clear that Minato has caught feelings for Yori.  However, he then states that he hides it from others because they'll know that he'll never be happy.  This implies that Minato's fear of himself stems from his fear of being different and never finding happiness.  This singular line highlights the role of heteronormativity in internalized homophobia in Japan: the fear of never finding happiness and being abnormal.  However, the principal's response is the central message of the film: "If only some people can have it, that's not happiness.  That's just nonsense.  Happiness is something anyone can have."
    Whether you're shy, energetic, straight, queer, or anything in between, you deserve happiness.  This message inspires Minato to embrace who he is.  Despite there being a storm, he escapes from his heteronormative cell, and with Yori, they run to their hiding spot in the forest.  There, they wonder if they will be reborn as normal kids.  But, instead of longing for a new life, they come to the realization that they're okay with being the queer, unique kids they are.  When the storm ends, the boys experience a taste of freedom and they run around the forest with pure joy.
  

credit: @.bagsty (tiktok)

 This ending is a symbolic moment of liberation, self-acceptance, and pure happiness.  Minato and Yori are finally able to be kids, without being gnawed at by the constant reminder that they are wrong, that they are aliens, that they will never be happy.  Unlike their neighborhood, where their bullies, teachers, and parents are, the forest allows them to be who they really are.  This ending reminds us what fulfillment should really be: being honest to yourself and accepting your differences.  
    This film critiques heteronormativity for being a system that robs children of their empathy and self worth.  It teaches children that they must suppress parts of themselves to be accepted in a collectivist society, and that happiness is only promised to those who follow the rules.
However, this film also offers hope.  Minato and Yori's quiet rebellion of running away, choosing to accept themselves, and stay friends, reminds us that change is possible.  We can still choose to feel fulfilled and happy by stopping ourselves from ordering "normal" from ourselves and others, and embracing our messy, human selves.
    In the end, Monster doesn't just ask us to treat queer kids with kindness.  It asks us to imagine what would happen if we stopped trying to fix them, and instead let them be who they are and realize that they were never broken in the first place.

Wicked made me cry more than I expected it to

    Was the Wicked Witch of the West actually wicked?  Or was it all the tricks of the Wizard of Oz?  These are the questions that Wicked answers.  It reveals the truth of what really happened that led up to Dorothy Gale killing the Witch of the West, and the effect it had on Oz after she returned to Kansas.
    I already knew I was going to cry when I saw the trailer.  By that point, I'd seen the original musical (a slime tutorial though) so I knew the story and the music.  However, I never seemed to have pieced it together in my brain that a movie meant that I could see the detailed expressions of all of the characters.  It also meant a bigger set, more intricate music and effects.  It was a dream come true.
    On stage, there are so many things happening at once, that it's hard to focus on the undertones of a facial expression, mannerisms, etc. especially when you're watching a pixelated video from 2007.  With the movie, you could see the expressions in detail, meaning you could analyze every minute emotion that the face was conveying.
    Let's start from the beginning of the movie.
    No One Mourns the Wicked.  The opening scene takes place after the entirety of the Wicked and Wizard of Oz storyline.  After Dorothy melts The Wicked Witch of the West, Munchkinland celebrates her death with Glinda (Previously known as Galinda).  However, Glinda doesn't want to celebrate.  After all, The Wicked Witch of the West was her best friend who had given up her reputation to fix society.  This is why you never actually see her sing the line "No one mourns the Wicked".  Even though Glinda is the main part of the song/scene, she spends the whole song attempting to humanize the Wicked Witch.  She sings with empathy about how her life couldn't have been easy as she was basically called a monster from the moment she was born.  But, the munchkins wouldn't listen.  They've been conditioned by fear and the Wizard of Oz to think Elphaba was wicked.  The pain in Glinda's face as she mourns the death of her best friend and watches her citizens celebrate it and repeat that no one will mourn her death, while attempting to stay happy to be accepted was enough to get the tears flowing.  It reinforces the idea that Glinda's ultimate fear in life is being alone.  No matter how hard it is for her, she feels that she needs to be accepted.

    However, the scene (much later in the movie) in Dancing Through Life when Galinda gifts the "ugly" hat to Elphaba highlights how controlled she is by her fear.  Her millisecond expression of surprise and panic as her friends tell her how ugly the hat is, that soon changes to her usual happy expression as she gives into her friends opinions shows how much of a pushover she is.  She pranks Elphaba and gives her the hat so that she would be laughed at, because her friends tell her too.  To her, she would rather make fun of someone who's been ostracized their whole life than be doubted and shunned by her peers.

    Later in the scene, Elphaba is ridiculed for proudly wearing the "ugly" witch hat that she was gifted.  She is surrounded, alone, and isolated as her classmates laugh at her from a distance, as they are all still afraid of her.  Without music, she begins to dance.  Her face is numb with pain as she watches her peers and her sister laugh in second hand embarrassment.  Her sharp movements showed her frustration and pain with the discrimination she faces.  However, there is a sense of self-acceptance.  She knows that she is different and powerful.  While she is aware of how everyone sees her, she continues to dance, getting larger in her moves, symbolizing her embracing her individuality.  The sharp, pain-filled movements mixed with the free-spirited flowy movements create a dance that symbolizes Elphaba as a whole.  This is when Fiyero says that she doesn't care what anyone thinks.  It's the moment that Galinda acknowledges her mistake.    Her expression is filled with guilt as she essentially tells Fiyero that she knew Elphaba cares how people see her but she still chose to embarrass her anyways.  Galinda soon joins Elphaba in her dance, letting go of her pride and reputation, mirroring her movements.  The dance starts off awkward, as Galinda doesn't know how to let go of her filter when it comes to expressing herself, but she soon falls into a comfortable rhythm with Elphaba, and they are able to create a harmonious dance where they are in sync, matching each other's pace, and mirroring each other's movements.  It showed the harmony of the two frenemies forming a deeper connection and starting new.  Elphaba was able to accept herself for who she is, and Galinda was able to show genuine empathy for the first time.  The silent dancing, Galinda wiping Elphaba's tears, the hug at the end.  It just made me cry so much.  In the silence, you could just feel the smoothie of guilt and isolation that was being melted and mended in that scene.  

    While the beginning portrays Galinda as a self-absorbed martyr, she is simply someone who is hyperaware of how others perceive her.  She portrays herself as a martyr, putting herself in this terrible situation of being roommates with Elphaba to lift the burden off of her classmates' shoulders.  She doesn't do it because she really feels that she is a hero.  She does it because she knows she can exploit it.  She becomes more popular by being a martyr.  She creates an image that she is a girl reluctantly dealing with Elphaba, even though she truly does want to be friends with her.  Popular shows how Galinda views society: you can move up the social hierarchy with charisma and good looks.  As she says it, "It's not about aptitude, it's the way you're viewed".  However, there's a hint of sadness to the song.  If you think about it, even though Elphaba is "ugly" in the eyes of Oz, she becomes popular for her bravery, wits, and talents.  Her aptitude.  It defies Galinda's point.  This is why she is so fascinated by her.  For Galinda, Elphaba is what she's ever wanted to be.  A talented, honest witch who can fight for what is right.  For Elphaba, Galinda is what she's ever wanted to be.  A pretty girl who was loved by all.

    By the time Galinda (now Glinda) and Elphaba went to Emerald City, they were both able to get what they've both wanted.  A good balance of both.  Glinda has a friend that she doesn't have to pretend for, a wand to practice magic with, and freedom to be who she wants to be.  Elphaba is popular, and she is cheered on by the people around her.  Which means, it's all about to come crashing down.

    Defying Gravity.  Oh boy, I could not stop crying for this one.  In this scene, it is revealed that the Wizard of Oz is nothing but a con man who is the one behind all of the disappearances and violence toward speaking animals.  He was the problem and he was looking for a person to point an accusing finger at.  It was the only reason why he had invited Elphaba to begin with.  He and Madame Morrible tricked into thinking she would be working side by side with the Wizard, when in reality they were only looking for someone to pin the "enemy" label onto.  This is when Elphaba decides to defy gravity.  She decides that she will defy everything that has ever limited her, and she will do anything to fight for the justice of the speaking animals.  After she finally got everything she's ever wanted — popularity, a promise from the wizard to change her green skin, and a best friend — she still decides to give it all up to serve the greater good.  She reverts back to her old way of living life.  Sacrificing herself to fight against injustice.  Glinda is the same.  She begs Elphaba to apologize to the Wizard and do as he says, proving how deeply rooted social acceptance is in her mind.  Right after they became best friends, they reverted back to their old ways, showing that they could never work in tandem.  Glinda decides not to get on the broom because she knows that she doesn't have the magic to become the powerful rebel witch duo they want to be.  She's also too scared to fully give up her social status and popularity to become a wanted fugitive.

    I've also seen some theories suggest that Glinda believes that she could help Elphaba from within the system by becoming the leader, and convincing Ozians that she is good, but even if that were true, I don't think it would've been the main reason why she didn't get on the broom.

    Either way, the scene made me cry so much.  They both accept their fates, knowing that they are too different to work in tandem, say their goodbyes and encourage each other to find happiness after they separate.  Glinda was too scared to lose everything she knows and loves, and she knew that she didn't have the magic to influence people.  Elphaba gave up and chose to prioritize injustice and protest over protecting her dream.

They had differing paths and they both knew.  The reality that their fates were inevitable made me emotional.  It made me rethink my own lives.  We spend our whole lives chasing dreams, giving up some to conform to society, and we never stop to think deeply about them.  By giving up a dream, we stay safe in society, but we also miss out on a lifetime of opportunities.  If we go out and chase every dream like Elphaba, we could do more harm than good.  We would have to give up community and love to pursue these dreams.  But as the same time, if we give up every dream to be what's best for society, we never live a fulfilling life.  

    The movie made me think of the businessmen on trains.  They always look so tired and miserable.  Was there ever a time in their life that they wanted to be a pilot or a power ranger?  Do they still dream of these things?  Ever since I watched the movie, I found myself wondering if these businessmen ever look at themselves in the mirror after a long day at work and ask themselves, "What if this is it?  What if this is exactly where I'm supposed to be?"  The thought of it makes a shiver run down my back.  I don't want to live a life condemned by fate, where every road leads to the same, miserable fate.  I want to live a life that could be summarized by one song: For Good from Act II of Wicked.  A song sung by Elphaba and Glinda, talking about their friendship and how they've influenced eachothers lives.  I want to live a life like that.  A life where the experiences I never had teach me some thing new, and the experiences that I say "fuck it, I'll try it" to, add good flavor in my life.  A life where negative experiences feel worth it in the end.  I want to learn to learn from all of the experiences of life, whether I experienced them or not.

Introduction!!

Hi, I'm Leah and welcome to my blog!

I love sleeping, media, and writing.

I'm a HUGEEE humanities girl, and I've been looking for a place to share my interests.  

I'll be writing about movies, books, tv shows! (If you read my blog and you don't enjoy it, please comment!  I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing, so don't be afraid to comment any criticisms.)
This will be a commonplace for everything media related.  I'm talking reviews, analyses, connections to the real world, everything.  I'll eventually refine it, but for now, that's what it is.  Also I haven't exactly figured out what a blog is lmao

I'll be uploading as consistently as possible🤠🤠🤠🤠

BUTTTT I have school and stuff, so my schedule might change but for now, I'll be trying to upload every week on a monday.

I'm gonna give you a harry potter promo pic to distract you from my bad writing