Unfulfilled Dreams In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

Decent Essays
A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry is a play written in the 1950’s that focuses on the idea of unfulfilled dreams yet to come true. The play "A Raisin in the Sun" is a story about an African American family facing racial problem for their color and each member in the family has hopes and dreams they hope to live up to. The play shows the struggle it is to live in the apartment and the lack of money.

As they will now own a home, each individual’s family attitudes starts to change, as way back in the family, the family attitude was hopeless, restless and unhappy. Ruth, Mama, Walter Lee, Travis, and Beneatha all live in the apartment. The apartment they live seems to trap them in a dark, dreary world with poverty. Travis room

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Raisin In The Sun was a play written in 1959 by Lorraine Hansberry. She was the first black woman to write a play that got produced on Broadway. This play was not destined for success but despite the critics it had became one of her most well known plays. The written play is different from the movie in a few ways. Some of the major parts in the written play are not in the movie and vice versa.…

    • 316 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    A Raisin In The Sun is a book by Lorraine Hansberry that tells a story about a african american family of five living in poverty in Chicago in the 40s. They all have a dream of getting out of the small kitchenette space and working for their dream job. Then they receive an insurance check for $10,000 for the death of big Walter. Because of how successful Lorraine Hansberry’s book was there were many movies and plays based of of the book. Two of the most popular movies were one starring Sean Combs made in the 2000s.…

    • 125 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A raisin in the sun A raisin in the sun is about a large dysfunctional African American family living in an apartment so small that they only have one small window in the kitchen. Ruth, one of the characters is battling with herself thinking whether or not to abort her unborn child or not. Inn Lorraine Hansberry’s a raisin in the sun Ruth younger has the most important initial conflict because she starts as tired then she finds out that she is pregnant.…

    • 239 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Set in the south side of Chicago in the 1950s, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry depicts the Youngers, an impoverished family, fighting through harsh times. Beneatha Younger, a hopeful, ambitious college student, strives to live the best life she can under her challenging circumstances. Her family’s financial status causes her to pursue her dreams, struggle with her own identity, and fight to stay true to herself. While Beneatha and her family struggle to make ends meet, one constant in her life is her ambition.…

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A Raisin in the Sun is a drama written by Lorraine Hansberry it takes place in Southside Chicago in about 1959. Hansberry uses the theme that the color of a persons skin is what keeps them from reaching their dreams. She uses characters to create a social divide between the black community, as well as the black and white communities based on wealth. This idea is represented by the polarization of Beneatha’s two love interests: Joseph Asagai and George Murchison. As well as Beneatha’s older brother Walter, who is stuck in between the two love interests when it comes to which side of the spectrum that he is on because he is so infatuated with his dream and the material benefit that it represents for him.…

    • 1069 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A Raisin in the Sun Essay Demi Lovato Once said, “No matter what you're going through, there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem hard to get to it but you can do it and just keep working towards it and you'll find the positive side of things.” A play, A Raisin in the Sun, was written in 1959 by Lorraine Hansberry. The play is about the Younger family who wants to move out of their neighborhood for a new beginning. Among each Younger, they each face a conflicts that are related to money. Lorraine Hansberry reveals her idea through the character Beneatha.…

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A Raisin in the Sun is a play based on an African American household, living in the era of the Harlem Renaissance. We grasp on the fact that the family is having economic difficulties. Though this all changes when Mr. Younger (the father) departures (dies), leaving an insurance check. Now that finances are involved, the character’s posses different opinions on how they can use this new money. The main character’s that plan to use the money are mama, Walter, and Beneath.…

    • 270 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Walker is determined to become very wealthy and he will “have nothing less than the complete American dream” (Washington 114). He wants to use his father’s insurance money to open a liquor store. He thinks that becoming wealthy will give him some sort of escape from his daily routine in his life. This causes many problems between Mama, Beneatha, and his wife, Ruth. Far from being a great listener, Walter does not realize he must listen to his family’s concerns to help them out with their problems.…

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The play A Raisin in the Sun was written by Lorraine Hansberry, and is set in a poverty-stricken, black section of Chicago in the 1950’s. In the passage above, Lena Younger known as Mama, the functioning head of the household, is speaking to her thoroughly demoralized adult son, Walter. Mama’s statement reflects a change of heart she experiences about her role in the Younger family and what she needs to do to protect it. In this passage, Hansberry explores how the control of money in a family can be equated with empowerment, and society’s presumed role for men in families, during these evolving times. Walter is obsessed with material wealth and feels his manhood is judged by his inability to support his family.…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Raisin In The Sun Tragedy

    • 1625 Words
    • 7 Pages

    A Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted March 11, 1959. The play is written about a family that is living in Chicago in the midst of predudism and are barely holding on. From start to finish we see the characters change not by choice but because they realized they had to. The genre of the play is definitely a tragedy that ends with a turn of events to create a happy ending. The tone of the play is not consistent for the most part.…

    • 1625 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Although some people argue they will not be successful in their new environment, the Youngers will transcend the 1950 expectations as a result of their strong and prideful family unit. A raisin in the sun takes place in the mid-1950´s. Racial tension and discrimination takes a big role of this time period. Being that this play took place during the civil rights movement makes this setting so significant to the plot. This play also takes place in Chicago, where there were no Jim Crow laws.…

    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    A Raisin in the Sun By Lorraine Hansberry is realistic fictional drama in which the play’s title and the action of the character represent the play’s theme. The play focused on Black America 's struggles to reach the American Dream of life, liberty, and pursuing happiness during the 1950s and the 1960s. The idea of everyone having the chance to achieve a better life should exist for all. Hansberry created her title using a line from Langston Hughes’ poem “A Dream Deferred”. The original poem was written in 1951 about Harlem.…

    • 1388 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    There are many things that can hold one back from their dreams. Prejudice will crush the dreams of those that cannot possess the strength to fight back, as is wont to happen in a society of judgement. This theme is shown in the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. The play was written in 1954 and was based on Hansberry’s own experiences. It details the story of an African American family that struggles to prevail and achieve their dreams, largely of which is purchasing a house of their own.…

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is able to bring to light various issues occurring in Chicago’s Southside during the 1960s,the time at which the play takes place. Many of theses issues stem from racial tensions,terrible education and poor housing systems among other things for blacks at the time. Money, however is the main focus in the play because it interrelates with many of the conflicts that occur between family members in A Raisin in the Sun. The Younger family’s perception of themselves and the world around them are impacted by money because they believe money gives them power in society and their homelife, allow them to pursue or refute the American Dream, and controls their ability to be happy.…

    • 1149 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Imagine if you were a black family living in the 1950's during the height of racism and the civil rights movement. How difficult would your life be, and what obstacles would have to be overcome? In Raisin in the Sun by Loraine Hansberry, the Youngers family live in a rundown Chicago Black neighborhood and face many challenges throughout their lives, including racial discrimination and sexism. Hansberry's message talks about the importance of achieving dreams, awareness of racial discrimination, and family dynamics. Many of the characters in the play dream of being something better in life.…

    • 1312 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays