A Raisin in the Sun

In 1959 Chicago, Walter Lee Younger and his family stand at a crossroads as they await a $10,000 life insurance check after the death of Walter Lee Sr., their father and a figure who dreamed of a better life. The money becomes a focal point for competing dreams: Ruth Younger hopes it will ease daily burdens for her husband, her son Travis Younger, and herself, while Beneatha Younger envisions funding her medical school education. Yet tension threads through every plan, as Lena Younger, their mother, longs to use the money to buy a house she and her late husband once dreamed of, a symbol of stability and possibility.

At the Green Hat club, Walter Lee Younger and his friend Willy Harris plot a liquor store venture, encouraged by [Willy Harris] to seek a license through others in Springfield and to position the shop near the club. The idea excites Walter, who believes it could lift the family out of poverty and grant him pride, yet it clashes with Lena’s vision of home and safety.

The morning after the check arrives, the household learns that Ruth Younger is pregnant again, a revelation that intensifies worries about money and future. Beneatha Younger invites Joseph Asagai to dinner, hoping to share culture and deepen her own sense of identity, though she mocks his earnestness and misreads his affection.

When the news of the inheritance reaches them, Walter shares his liquor-store plan with Lena, who expresses mixed pride and concern. Lena reveals she has used part of the money to buy a house in a nearby neighborhood—an act that fills some with joy and others with unease, especially [Walter Lee Younger], who feels he isn’t getting his share of the dream. Afterward, Lena receives a call from Mrs. Arnold about Walter’s absence from work, pushing Lena to locate him at the Green Hat. He returns reluctantly, while Ruth tries to navigate the abortion conversation with the help of Miss Tilly, a salon worker who briefly shows them the process before Ruth changes her mind.

Later, the family faces a pivotal moment at their apartment: Lena discloses that she spent $3,500 on the new house, leaving about $6,500 for the rest of the family’s ambitions. Lena suggests that Beneatha Younger should have a portion reserved for her medical school tuition, and she urges Walter to allocate the remaining funds accordingly.

As the Youngers explore their potential new home, their white neighbors express hostility and fear of change. A representative from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association, Karl Lindner, arrives with a plan to buy them out and keep the area segregated, but the family refuses the offer, choosing to stand together.

The situation worsens when Bobo arrives with troubling news: he admits he handed all the money to [Willy Harris] and that [Willy Harris] never appeared at the train station. Walter returns with the truth about the lost funds, leaving the family stunned and shaken by the betrayal.

In the days that follow, Joseph Asagai consoles Beneatha Younger as they work to maintain hope in the face of setback. Ruth contemplates possibilities but clings to the dream of a stable home, while Walter Lee Younger explains his worldview by describing life as a struggle between “the takers and the tooken.” The line echoes the conflict tearing at the family’s unity and tests their resolve.

When Karl Lindner returns to finalize the sale, Walter makes a decisive turn. He refuses to surrender their dream to satisfy fear and prejudice, and he chooses to move the family into the new house. The Younger family steels themselves for the move, determined to claim a place of their own despite the opposition they faced, and the film closes with their plan to begin anew in Clybourne Park, ready to face whatever comes next with new-found dignity and solidarity.

“the takers and the tooken,”

Last Updated: October 07, 2025 at 10:00