The play/book takes place in Chicago in the late 1950’s. The family is made up by Walter, Ruth, Travis, Mama, and Beneatha. Walter Lee is the father of Travis and the husband of Ruth. Mama Is the mother of Walter and Beneatha. Beneatha is Walter’s sister. Travis is Ruth’s and Walter’s son. Ruth is Walter’s wife and Travis’s mom. The whole family lived in a apartment that had one bathroom and they had to share it with other people. Travis doesn’t even have his own room and has to sleep in the living room.

The songs represents the family as well as the Negros in general. In the begging the song is very sad and very slow just like the younger family or even like all the Negros that wouldn’t stand up for themselves in the 1900’s. Then the check comes in and the family is happy. Mama decides not to give Walter the money but decides to give the money to Beneatha for her medical school. She also decides to buy a house in a white neighborhood. To represent this the song is still slow but then it changes because mama gives the money to Walter and the song starts going faster as if there was some kind of triumph for Walter.

Than Walter invests all the money and the guy steals the money and runs away. The song now slows down but just for a moment because just when Walter was about to accept the money from Mr. Linder he remembers about his father and how he beat up a man just because he was called a bad name. Walter wants to show Travis the pride that the younger family has and declines the offer. Everyone moves into the new house and everybody stands up for themselves and everyone keeps their families pride.