A Raisin in the Sun eloquently portrays the life struggles of an African-American family living on Chicago's South Side in the 1950s. Characters work at subservient jobs (Walter is a chauffeur, and his mother and sister clean houses), grapple with the impact this has on their self-esteem, and face racial prejudice. Though these family members all love each other, their outbursts are often hostile. Particularly disturbing are the arguments between Walter and his wife, Ruth; Walter often comes home drunk and verbally takes out his disappointments on his wife, and she considers aborting their second child because she feels they don't have the emotional or financial resources to add a baby to the family. Family discussion about the early days of the civil rights movement in the United States and exposure to Langston Hughes' poem, "Harlem," the source of the play's title, will add to young readers' appreciation of this play.