Identity through Language: Use of African American English in the Plays of Lorraine Hansberry

African Americans developed a cultural identity different from mainstream American culture primarily through their language. Many language forms were used by the African Americans. All forms are equally valid but the one basic form spoken by the large number of African Americans is the English spoken in south side Chicago. It has been noted that when African American English sounds ungrammatical to the White ear, it is merely conforming to its own rules. This paper proposes to discuss African American English as a medium for the transmission of culture and identity with reference to Lorraine Hansberry‘s two plays: A Raisin in the Sun and The Drinking Gourd. Hansberry uses her own patterns of pronunciation, vocabulary, and usage to restore the dignity of her fallen race and to convey the distinct and unique nature of their culture.