Introduction
The character of Lena Younger in the drama A Raisin in the Sun in the year 1959 won the awarded of the New York Drama Critics Circle to be the best character that portrays the most Interesting and one of most important visions of women. The character of Lena Younger evolved from the images of female protagonists in Hansberry’s plays. This character was created to portray a female character during the 1950s that evolved from the African and White American plays that confirmed the standards of American stage prior to 1950. During that period the character of an African American woman was portrayed like promiscuous, wanton, immortal, frigid, and pathetically helpless and overhearing that limited the perception of an African American Woman during that time. But the character displayed by Hansberry in his play was quite different from just being a helpless creature that depends on other. The character showed a dominating role that brought a new era and thoughts regarding African American Women after 1950s in America and other places where the film or drama was played.
“What happens to a dream deferred? Does is 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 is just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?” – Langston Hughes, A Raisin in the Sun (6)
In the same way the dream of the author has been portrayed in the play as Lena Younger as Mama in the role of a protagonist female character that portrays different character of a women that was usually not found in the society during that time which made this character play one of the most important part in the story after the hero of the story Walter.
