Epigraph: Similarities between Harlem and A Raisin in the Sun

An epigraph is a short quote, saying, or excerpt from another text that provides the audience with a feel for the piece they are about to read. In A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, the epigraph was Harlem, a poem by Langston Hughes. Through the use of imagery, personification, and similes Hughes walks the readers through what happens to a dream deferred: a sentiment echoed throughout A Raisin in the Sun. 

What’s striking about the two texts is that characters in A Raisin in the Sun seem to model specific lines in Harlem. For instance, the line ‘Or fester like a sore -/ And then run’ seems to represent Beneatha. In the play, Beneatha is characterized as a sore by Walter – they both want a portion of Mama’s insurance money for their own personal gain – Beneatha wants the money for medical school and Walter wants the money to start a liquor business. Similarly, the line, ‘crust and sugar over -/ Like a syrupy sweet’ symbolizes Ruth, since Ruth is described as the ‘motherly’ figure in the play; Ruth is willing to sacrifice having another child for the sake of keeping the family together. The last line of the poem, ‘Or does it explode,’ carries the most impact and represents the character with the most internal conflict: Walter. In the play, Mama states that “something is eating up [Walter] like a crazy man. Something more than [Mama] not giving [Walter] money.” A reason why Walter could have so much internal conflict is due to his dreams constantly being deferred by both his family and society. As an African American man in that time period, Walter has less opportunity, less respect, and less money. To Walter, the insurance money is not only a mere way to gain more money, but also a physical manifestation of a better life.