In the play, “A Raisin in the Sun” is a story about an African-American family trying to make a living and pursue their dreams in America around the 1950’s. Also, the characters in the story all deal with their situation in different ways. This then leads to the characters providing different meanings and perspectives on what life was actually like for them at the time and the decisions they had to make. Outside of the story the play itself had effects during the time it was performed. The history of this play had impacts on African American Literature with its popularity and was portrayed different ways but still had a common idea.
The beginning of the play it becomes known that Mr. Younger the father figure of the family, has passed away. …show more content…
They were probably the first ones not only to watch the play but review it as well. The plays parts where played by African Americans being as though the play is about a black family. In the 1960’s some Polish actors painted their faces black to symbolize that the story was about an African American family at the time (Jakubiak, 2011). However, most of the critics that commented on the play where white. According to Robin Bernstein some white critics, “praised the play’s universality” (Bernstein, 1999). Then on the contrary there were others that said what made the play great was how it highlighted African Americans at the time. For example, Brooks Atkinson, a critic from the New York Times said, “[Hansberry] has told the inner as well as the outer truth about a Negro family in the south side of Chicago at the present time.” (Bernstein, 1999). Hansberry’s play gave people two very opposite …show more content…
Mama: Frightened at this telling Well- well- it’s out there in Clybourne Park. Ruth: Clybourne Park? Mama, there ain’t no colored people living in Clybourne Park.” (Gordon, 2008).
At this point in the play it shows a real life situation where an African American family could face racism by basing the Younger family’s situation off of what happened to Hansberry when she was growing up. Lorraine Hansberry’s play gained a lot of popularity as it continued to be played after it first came out in 1959. This play came to be known as an American classic in a very short amount of time. Different productions of the play received different admirations. According to Margaret Wilkerson, “The St. Louis Repertory Company’s production attracted unprecedented sell-out crowds in 1984, while a 1986 production at the Roundabout Theatre drew the admiration of off-Broadway audiences” (1986). It is clear as the years progress the praise of Hansberry’s play, “A Raisin in the Sun” does not change because of the impressions it left not only for the African American community but also for American play history as a
The beginning of the play it becomes known that Mr. Younger the father figure of the family, has passed away. …show more content…
They were probably the first ones not only to watch the play but review it as well. The plays parts where played by African Americans being as though the play is about a black family. In the 1960’s some Polish actors painted their faces black to symbolize that the story was about an African American family at the time (Jakubiak, 2011). However, most of the critics that commented on the play where white. According to Robin Bernstein some white critics, “praised the play’s universality” (Bernstein, 1999). Then on the contrary there were others that said what made the play great was how it highlighted African Americans at the time. For example, Brooks Atkinson, a critic from the New York Times said, “[Hansberry] has told the inner as well as the outer truth about a Negro family in the south side of Chicago at the present time.” (Bernstein, 1999). Hansberry’s play gave people two very opposite …show more content…
Mama: Frightened at this telling Well- well- it’s out there in Clybourne Park. Ruth: Clybourne Park? Mama, there ain’t no colored people living in Clybourne Park.” (Gordon, 2008).
At this point in the play it shows a real life situation where an African American family could face racism by basing the Younger family’s situation off of what happened to Hansberry when she was growing up. Lorraine Hansberry’s play gained a lot of popularity as it continued to be played after it first came out in 1959. This play came to be known as an American classic in a very short amount of time. Different productions of the play received different admirations. According to Margaret Wilkerson, “The St. Louis Repertory Company’s production attracted unprecedented sell-out crowds in 1984, while a 1986 production at the Roundabout Theatre drew the admiration of off-Broadway audiences” (1986). It is clear as the years progress the praise of Hansberry’s play, “A Raisin in the Sun” does not change because of the impressions it left not only for the African American community but also for American play history as a