The Letter

This Action Project was for unit 3 of our Humanities class, Drama. It is also one of the last projects of sophomore year! For this unit, we read A Raisin in The Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, which follows the life and struggles of a low-income, African-American family, living in the South Side of Chicago. It takes place in a two-bedroom apartment, around the 1950s, and you get to see the dreams of the four main characters, Mama, Ruth, Beneatha, and Walter. During this unit, we also had two guests come to talk to us about what they do for a living, specifically what they do for the African-American communities, in Chicago. For this AP, we were supposed to embody one of the characters and write a letter to Walter. In this letter, we had to try and convince him of either, going forward with moving into a primarily, all-white neighborhood, or accept a bribe from the “representative from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association,” Mr. Lindner, who is trying to get Walter and his family, not to move into the neighborhood. Below, you will see who I wrote as and what I tried to convince Walter to do. Enjoy my project!

A Raisin in The Sun. 2019. 

Dear Walter,
        This is your Mama. I know regarding this situation, you have your own opinions, but I want to try and change your mind. I think you should refuse Mr. Linder’s offer and have us move into the house. Consider these three things: Is the liquor store worth sacrificing everybody else’s dreams? Is the liquor store more important than trying to give Travis a good childhood? Do you really want to be stuck in a tiny apartment for the remainder of your life and let Mr. Lindner win? And like you said to Travis, “...your daddy’s gonna make a transaction...a business transaction that’s going to change our lives…” (Hansberry; 566, Act 2). Is this a transaction that changes our lives for the better, or worse?

First, I understand you have dreams like everyone else, and your dream definitely matters. However, do you value your dream so much over everyone else's dreams, that you’re willing to sacrifice everything and put it into the liquor store? Think about Ruth’s and my dream to move into a better neighborhood and be happy together, and Beneatha’s dream to go out in the world and have a career, as a doctor. Using all your money for the liquor store would defer everybody else’s dreams and I just don’t think that’s right. Asagai said, “...it means One for Whom Bread—Food—Is Not Enough” (549, Act 1). Don’t be greedy, use that money to buy the house.

Second, think about Travis! What kind of childhood do you expect the poor child to have, living in a cramped apartment with no yard to play in? Even if that is enough for him, as a parent you should want to do anything you can to do better for him. Like I said before, “[God] did give us children to make them dreams seem worthwhile” (540, Act 1). What I am basically trying to say is, if you don’t forfeit your liquor store for us, do it for your son.

Third, how much longer can you handle living in a cramped apartment, where you don’t even have a bathroom? Remember when you said, “I didn’t make the world! It was given to me this way! Hell yes, I want me some yachts someday! Yes, I want to hang some real pearls 'round my wife’s neck. Ain’t she supposed to wear no pearls?” (583, Act 3). How are you supposed to want a better life, when you hold yourself back to living in a two-bedroom apartment? On the other hand, are you also going to let a man like Mr. Lindner win? No son of mine would.

Alright, that’s it, I’ve said what I have to say. One, don’t put your dreams above everyone else's. Two, think about the life you want for Travis. Three, don’t settle and let Mr. Lindner win. Like I said, “Son — I come from five generations of people who was slaves and sharecroppers – but ain’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay ‘em no money that was a way of telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the earth. We ain’t never been that poor. We ain’t never been that — dead inside” (582, Act 3). Don’t disgrace our family by giving in and taking all the money for the liquor store, you know there is a risk with that. Be wise, and decline Mr. Lindner’s offer, so we can all begin a new, better chapter of our lives.

Love,
     Mama