A Raisin in the Sun
Symbolism of the Plant
Act I, Scene 1 MAMA Who that ‘round here slamming doors at this hour? (She crosses through the room, goes to the window, opens it, and brings in a feeble little plant growing doggedly in a small pot on the windowsill. She feels the dirt and puts it back out.) (Hansberry 39)
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Act I, Scene 1 MAMA (Looking at her plant and sprinkling a little water on it) They spirited all right, my children. Got to admit they got spirit – Bennie and Walter. Like this little old plant that ain’t never had enough sunshine or nothing – and look at it . . . (She has her back to RUTH, who has had to stop ironing and lean against something and put the back of her hand to her forehead) RUTH (Trying to keep MAMA from noticing) You . . . sure . . . loves that little old thing, don’t you? MAMA Well, I always wanted me a garden like I used to see sometimes at the back of the houses down home. This plant is close as I ever got to having one. (She looks out of the window as she replaces the plant) (Hansberry 52-53)
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Act II, Scene 3 BENEATHA (Laughingly noticing what her mother is doing) Mama, what are you doing? MAMA Fixing my plant so it won’t get hurt none on the way . . . BENEATHA Mama, you going to take that to the new house? MAMA Un-huh – BENEATHA That raggedly-looking old thing? MAMA (Stopping and looking at her) It expresses ME! (Hansberry 121)
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Act III RUTH (Anxiously, with frightened eyes) You didn’t say nothing bad to him, did you? BENEATHA Bad? Say anything bad to him? No – I told him he was a sweet boy and full of dreams and everything is strictly peachy keen, as the ofay kids say! (MAMA enters from the bedroom. She is lost, vague, trying to catch hold, to make some sense of her former command of the world, but it still eludes her. A sense of waste overwhelms her gait; a measure of apology rides on her shoulders. She goes to her plant, which has remained on the table, looks at it, picks it up and takes it to the window-sill and sits it outside, and she stands and looks at it a long moment. Then she closes the window, straightens her body with effort and turns around to her children) (Hanberry 138-139)
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Act III MAMA (Waving RUTH out vaguely) All right, honey – go on down. I be down directly. (RUTH hesitates, then exits. MAMA stands, at last alone in the living room, her plant on the table before her as the lights start to come down. She looks around at all the walls and ceilings and suddenly, despite herself, while the children call below, a great heaving thing rises in her and she puts her fist in her mouth to stifle it, takes a final desperate look, pulls her coat about her, pats her hat and goes out. The lights dim down. The door opens and she comes back in, grabs her plant, and goes out for the last time) (Hansberry 151)
" She looks around at all the walls and ceilings and suddenly, despite herself, while the children call below, a great heaving thing rises in her and she puts her fist in her mouth to stifle it, takes a final desperate look, pulls her coat about her, pats her hat and goes out. "
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Dream DeferredBy Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore – And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat Or crust and sugar over – Like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags Like a heavy load. Or does it explode?
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
A Raisin in the Sun
Jennifer O'Brien
Created on May 15, 2026
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Transcript
A Raisin in the Sun
Symbolism of the Plant
Act I, Scene 1 MAMA Who that ‘round here slamming doors at this hour? (She crosses through the room, goes to the window, opens it, and brings in a feeble little plant growing doggedly in a small pot on the windowsill. She feels the dirt and puts it back out.) (Hansberry 39)
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Act I, Scene 1 MAMA (Looking at her plant and sprinkling a little water on it) They spirited all right, my children. Got to admit they got spirit – Bennie and Walter. Like this little old plant that ain’t never had enough sunshine or nothing – and look at it . . . (She has her back to RUTH, who has had to stop ironing and lean against something and put the back of her hand to her forehead) RUTH (Trying to keep MAMA from noticing) You . . . sure . . . loves that little old thing, don’t you? MAMA Well, I always wanted me a garden like I used to see sometimes at the back of the houses down home. This plant is close as I ever got to having one. (She looks out of the window as she replaces the plant) (Hansberry 52-53)
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Act II, Scene 3 BENEATHA (Laughingly noticing what her mother is doing) Mama, what are you doing? MAMA Fixing my plant so it won’t get hurt none on the way . . . BENEATHA Mama, you going to take that to the new house? MAMA Un-huh – BENEATHA That raggedly-looking old thing? MAMA (Stopping and looking at her) It expresses ME! (Hansberry 121)
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Act III RUTH (Anxiously, with frightened eyes) You didn’t say nothing bad to him, did you? BENEATHA Bad? Say anything bad to him? No – I told him he was a sweet boy and full of dreams and everything is strictly peachy keen, as the ofay kids say! (MAMA enters from the bedroom. She is lost, vague, trying to catch hold, to make some sense of her former command of the world, but it still eludes her. A sense of waste overwhelms her gait; a measure of apology rides on her shoulders. She goes to her plant, which has remained on the table, looks at it, picks it up and takes it to the window-sill and sits it outside, and she stands and looks at it a long moment. Then she closes the window, straightens her body with effort and turns around to her children) (Hanberry 138-139)
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Act III MAMA (Waving RUTH out vaguely) All right, honey – go on down. I be down directly. (RUTH hesitates, then exits. MAMA stands, at last alone in the living room, her plant on the table before her as the lights start to come down. She looks around at all the walls and ceilings and suddenly, despite herself, while the children call below, a great heaving thing rises in her and she puts her fist in her mouth to stifle it, takes a final desperate look, pulls her coat about her, pats her hat and goes out. The lights dim down. The door opens and she comes back in, grabs her plant, and goes out for the last time) (Hansberry 151)
" She looks around at all the walls and ceilings and suddenly, despite herself, while the children call below, a great heaving thing rises in her and she puts her fist in her mouth to stifle it, takes a final desperate look, pulls her coat about her, pats her hat and goes out. "
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Dream DeferredBy Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore – And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat Or crust and sugar over – Like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags Like a heavy load. Or does it explode?
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!
Click on the plant to see the quote!