Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun is based on an African American family living in Chicago’s Southside with similar issues relatively to her own faced with her family. Hansberry wrote this play to expresses the importance of having dreams from the perspective of the characters and the effect of racism causing conflict of achieving the overall family’s dream. A Raisin in the Sun uses the elements of the setting and tone as the leading dramatic elements that define Hansberry’s intentions
The play, A Raisin in the Sun, is written by Lorraine Hansberry, and premiered on Broadway in 1959. Hansberry was motivated by a poem written by Langston Hughes. Active in civil rights, Hansberry’s play addresses the racial conflicts for equality and human rights felt by African Americans and Lorraine Hansberry herself. Racial segregation was still strongly being enforced at this time. Each character in the play has a dream. Race, class and gender, all shape these individual’s identity; through their
There are many similarities involving the main characters in the books The Great Gatsby and A Raisin in the Sun. For example, they are similar because their entire lives revolve around money. Also, they define their lives by determining what social class they live in. Another main likeness between the two is that they reside in large cities. Which leads to problems that people in rural communities wouldn’t have. On the other hand, they also have major differences. One is wealthy, the other lives
The plays Disgraced and A Raisin in the Sun are about two men and their families going through a time of racial tension, the Younger Family, the family in A Raisin in the Sun, faces discrimination towards the African American community of the fifties while Amir, the protagonist in Disgraced, and his family face the prejudice against Muslims in the modern era. They face different type of hardships, but are more similar than they may appear. They both struggle with the concept of cultural identity
Southside 1950’s, 2011, it was considered the “Capital of Black America.” In A Raisin in the Sun, a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, the difficulties of African-American families living in Chicago were portrayed. Chicago has improved when it comes to crime rates, but poverty and police brutality are things that still greatly affect blacks living in the Southside of Chicago. A Raisin in the Sun A Raisin in the Sun demonstrates what it was like for African-American families living in the Southside
The play “A Raisin In the Sun” and the poem “Harlem” both concentrate on the attainment of the forever promised “American Dreams” (higher education, prosperity, equality, freedom to come and go as you desire and to be whoever and whatever you want). These aspirations were and still are the hopes and goals society offers to all of us, unfortunately, many African-Americans rarely achieved and experienced them. Both writings depict the unfair treatment of African-Americans during the 1960’s with each
Angela Olsen English 102 ONLN 3 Professor Thea Howey May 3, 2013 Female Gender in A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry was a forward thinker for her time in the 1950’s, which was evident in her writing. “It is believed that hidden behind her work was Hansberry’s own personal struggle with gender” (Wiener 10-11). After many years of marriage and eventually divorce, it was discovered that she was a closet homosexual (Wiener 11). Male and female gender roles are heated topics that have been
Lauren Gault Mr. Russell AP Literature 22 Feb 2011 A Raisin in the Sun The play and the production of A Raisin in the Sun are comparable in multiple ways. After reading the play and watching the movie, there are many things that don’t exactly match up to one another causing the audience to develop a bias about several things that could use some reviewing. With all intentions, Hansberry worked delicately to choose the right actors to fit the parts in the movie production. Although Hansberry
Forsaken People: A Raisin in the Sun and Lorraine Hansberry Lorraine Hansberry, a female playwright and black activist, spent almost all of her life dealing with American racism, poverty, and lack of social mobility. As a person who witnessed the daily struggles of African Americans, Hansberry wanted to expose the hypocrisy in the idea that America was the land of equal opportunity. As a result, in 1959, Hansberry wrote the play, A Raisin in the Sun, which details the Youngers, an African American
to recognize most of the times. Even though both are dangerous in different ways, latter is the most dangerous among them. In “Raisin in the Sun”, Mr. Lindner is a character which applies such form of racism to meet his motive of not letting the African-American family move into his white neighborhood. Through Mr. Lindner’s visit to the Younger’s family, A Raisin in the Sun demonstrates racially segregated nature of Chicago’s neighborhood and the non-violent tactics used by Mr. Lindner to racially
Character Analysis of Mama in the “A Raisin in the Sun” The play, “A Raisin in the Sun” describes a few months in the life of an African-American family, the Youngers, living in Chicago in the 1950s. When the play begins, the family is about to receive insurance compensation amounting to $10,000. This compensation is as a result of the deceased Mr. Younger’s life cover policy. According to the play, each of the grown up members of the Youngers has an idea on how to spend the family fortune. Mama
PLEASE DO NOT WRITE ON THIS TEST! A Raisin in the Sun: Unit Exam Directions: Using a number two pencil, fill in the letter with the best answer. I. MATCHING: Match each character with the proper description. One will be left over. 1. Beneatha a. man whose death brings the Youngers $10,000 2. Ruth b. thinks women only need to be pretty & sophisticated 3. Travis c. a messenger of bad news 4. Walter Lee d. runs off with $6500 5. Walter e. represents pride in African
If a family weathers enough struggle, could the relationships within dry up like a raisin in the sun? The play A Raisin in the Sun portrays an average African American family, the Youngers, as each family member attempts to achieve each of his or her individual dreams. Act I is based around the life of Ruth Younger, the wife of Walter Younger and the mother of Travis Younger. Ruth plays the role of the realist in her family. Ruth knows the odds of her dreams coming true in the stage of life she
It goes without saying that African-Americans or other minorities for that matter have gone through all sorts of things. Why them? Why put anyone lower than another person? I guess we will never know. Anyone who has read “A Raisin in the Sun” have felt the heart sinking feeling when the reader finds out that the insurance money get stolen. There must have been a million thoughts running through their head like, “if he would have done what mama said to do with the money with the family in this predicament
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
A Raisin in the Sun “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry is a play centered around an African-American family on the Southside of Chicago set after World War II. This groundbreaking play was the first of its kind revolving around the race relations of the middle of the twentieth century. This play has won over many hearts and minds with its intense drama and relevant storyline. This play’s title is off the poem “Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes, where Mr. Hughes contemplates on what happens
Oluseyi Akinbami once said, “Every man’s heart speaks, where no one can see, it reveals the motives for our actions, and many times the motives are not good.” In Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” the Younger family is one full of ambition. Each member of the family has a goal in life that they wish to achieve. For Ruth and Lena (Mama) Younger, this goal seems to present itself as the desire for family bonding. For Beneatha Younger, success in the medical field seems to be prominent.
The Theme of Money is not Everything in the Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun. In Lorraine Hansberry's drama A Raisin in the Sun the round characters, which are the Younger family is finding out the hard way that wealth can be found in other forms than money. In this play the low class Younger family is shown through bad experiences that material things are worthless. One of the main characters Lena Younger also known as Mama, lost her husband and is waiting for the arrival of the
representation of the white race of that time, Walter Lee's handling Mr. Lindner in A Raisin In the Sun, and the oppression of Clay caused by Lula in The Dutchman, the very the nature of white and black relations and racism in America, and the responses to the oppression, that these two characters come to symbolize the great Era that their creators belonged to. While the overall plot progression of A Raisin in the Sun circulates around many characters and their motives, goals, and ways through which
Both Trifles and A Raisin in the Sun convey a message on how life’s hardships can influence one’s path. Both of these plays act on the premise that life has many forks in the road but it is the how people react to those hardships that control one’s route. These two plays, however, have opposite theme’s regarding the daily struggles people face. Although both the Younger family in A Raisin in the Sun and Mrs. Wright in Trifles endure great hardship, the Youngers illustrate how family sustains a person
Age is Just a Number Lorraine Hansberry, author of A Raisin in the Sun, tactfully portrays the development of a childish man into a fully developed adult through his trials and errors during a racist era. Walter Lee, son of Lena (Mama) Younger, has been given the opportunity to teach his son, Travis, what it is to be a man. Given the moment, Walter finally discovers his own “manhood” and tells the white community where he and the family stand (pg. 151). Lena Younger had just inherited her late
In Chicago, in the 1950’s, black families were confronted with many challenges, faced much racial prejudice, were typically poor, working-class families, and were not wanted in white communities. In A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger Family is different, they are poor, but they are able to overcome that fact and fulfill their dreams, despite the prejudice that comes with them. Because the Youngers have a strong sense of pride and loyalty their dreams are achieved by prevailing over their challenges
but just as important text is Passing by Nella Larsen. Passing follows two black women in 1920s New York City and the idea of how ‘passing’ as a white person is beneficial to a black woman during the 20s. Although it’s not a novel, the play “A Raisin in the Sun” written by Lorraine Hansberry is also one of the most famous pieces of work from the 20th century. The play includes a poor black family living in Chicago and the limitations they experience in their lives based on their race. While all of these
their own definition of an American Dream. Some people think the American Dream involves wealth and fame, while others refer to it as happiness and freedom. Lorriane Hansberry proves that the American Dream is obtainable for everyone. In, A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry explains the American Dream with distinctive characters, a well-rounded theme, and specific symbols. Hansberry uses unique characters to describe the American Dream. Every character has a different view on the American Dream. The
brutality, African Americans have always been victims of governmental and societal dehumanization. Set in the 1950s and 60s, A Raisin in the Sun describes the daily life of a family of African Americans living in the segregated neighborhoods of Chicago. In every facet of life, the Youngers suffer from the debilitating effects of Jim Crow. The transformative debut of A Raisin in the Sun revealed the sickness of racism plaguing America during that time period. From the Montgomery Bus Boycotts to the March
A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of an African American family called the Younger’s who are living on the South Side of Chicago during the 1950’s. When designing the costumes for A Raisin in the Sun careful consideration must be taken in order to make sure that the costumes fit the time period. The choice of costumes is very important for the performance of the play because costumes can indicate a character’s sex, occupation, status, position, flamboyance/modesty and degree of independence
not happening the way you want it to. When you put the two words “dreams’ and ‘deferred” together it can mean that something gets in the way of plans you wanted to happen and dreams you had high hopes for. In the play as well as the movie A Raisin in the Sun, all four adults of the Younger family each have their own dreams. Through their own actions and the actions of others, their dreams become deferred. Lena, who is Walter Lee’s mother works as a housekeeper in the beginning of the story, but
character describing how race ties into a lot of problems that occur during the time period which Hansberry describes in, A Raisin in the Sun. Hansberry’s theme of race is described using setting, character and symbolism. These literary tools are used within the novel to prove that race was an important factor into how life was in that time. In the novel A Raisin in the Sun, the setting the majority of the time is south side of Chicago. During that time, racial segregation persisted in education
A Raisin in the Sun Throughout the play, A Raisin in the Sun, the character Beneatha talks about finding her identity. The concept of assimilation becomes very important to the Younger family. Neither of the members of the Younger family wanted to assimilate into mainstream America, they just want to live comfortably. The Youngers are an African American family living on the south side of Chicago in the 1950s. They were living during an era where America was extremely racist towards blacks. The
Families come in several varieties based on the way they interact with one another, their ethics, appearance and even the way they are related. People all over the world consider their families functional and sufficient. In the play titled a Raisin in the Sun, there is a family introduced to the readers as “The Youngers”. The Younger family is an African-American family living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. However, my family is a unit that is currently together family generally want the
Lorraine Hansberry’s play, “A Raisin in the Sun” is a realistic drama pivoting around a black, American family’s economic and social struggle against the prejudice that occurs in Chicago during the nineteen fifties. The Youngers’ colorful personalities cause much confrontation and anguish in their small, stifling apartment. In his essay, “A Raisin in the Sun Revisited,” J. Charles Washington, suggests that “our literary judgments, to a large extent, are determined by our own moral standards, by our
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun A Raisin in the Sun is one of the best works of Lorraine Vivian Hansberry, in which, through a black family, the Youngers, she talks about vital issues such as poverty, gender and racial discrimination. Hansberry's play focuses mainly on the dreams of the main characters, which motivates them. The title 'A Raisin in the Sun' has been taken from the poem "Montage of a Dream Deferred" written by Langston Hughes in which he talks about the consequences
A Raisin in the Sun Title Controversy; Emotion v. Plot Titles are not to be taken lightly as they are what a reader keeps in mind throughout a piece. “Mother to Son” and “Harlem” are both written by Langston Hughes and portray the struggles of maintaining a dream during difficult times. “Mother to Son” uses the extended metaphor of a staircase that parallels the struggles and overall actions in the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, while “Harlem” uses graphic images in order to form
To pursue the success of an American dream at any cost, can unknowingly result in the destructive nature of dreams. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, provides a remarkable depiction of the destructive nature of an American Dream. Walter Younger is the head of the family, which fights against poverty, racial, and social injustice. Walter aspires to rise above his class status to gain dignity, pride, and respect. Walter believes his dream can only be achieved by opening a liquor business
1959 was full of racial discrimination. White and blacks were still living in their own "areas", the public as a whole was very slow to accept the concept of mixed neighborhoods – blacks and white living together. This book, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Vivian Hansberry, tells the story of a lower-class black family’s struggle to gain middle –class acceptance in the Southside of Chicago. The Younger family of five, four adults and one child live in a cramped apartment in one of
discrimination (Episcopal Church). Many blacks are discriminated for simply the color of their skin and being African American. Countless African Americans find it hard to obtain housing without being discriminated for it. Although the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry was written in 1959 and set in the 1950s, many themes and issues are still prevalent in today 's society. The themes and issues of housing discrimination and purely prejudice itself are extremely present in the play and
In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, involves a poor family where each member of the family has their own problem like for Lena, it was moving into a new house, for Ruth what to do with the baby that still hasn’t be borned, and Walter to open a liquor shop. It is hard to define one as the protagonist since every character is really influential and contributed a great amount in it. In fact, you could say all of them are protagonists or none of them. There are many traits that separate
Assignment 5: Literary Interpretation A Raisin in The Sun depicts the story of a poor African – American family living on the south of Chicago trying to pull themselves out of poverty. In many ways social groups all struggle with problems of their own. This play helps to understand the true struggles of a military dependent, for some of the situations and obstacles the characters face within the story are similar to that of a military student in higher education. Although this literary work is a
The play “A Raisin in the Sun” has always intrigued my interest because of its theme: in order to achieve their dreams, people must accept themselves, the circumstances they’re in, and their family who support them, rather than focusing on the money they don’t have as a way to get what they want. Instead of already being middle-class, the Youngers want that American family lifestyle that is promised to all who live as American citizens. It is an ongoing subject of unfulfilled dreams that the characters
Lorraine Hansberry’s play, “A Raisin in the Sun”, is about an African American family, the Youngers, who are surrounded by poverty, racism, and family conflict. The Youngers aspire to give themselves a better life to ultimately pass that down to future generations. Their conflict comes into play when the family receives an insurance check for $10,000 and has split decisions on what to do with it. Hansberry’s play suggests that poverty is a symptom of racism by using characters that seem to be of
A Raisin in the Sun and Segregation in Chicago In today’s century, especially in places like Chicago, relations between Caucasians and African-Americans are not always equivalent. There are differences between some of the major aspects in life, including segregated neighborhoods, poverty, the workforce, and income. It is believed that racial prejudice has improved since the Civil Rights Movement in 1950. It has been proven by facts from poverty and income percentages that the segregation is still
A Raisin in the Sun In A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry portrays obstacles that the Younger family and other African Americans had to face and over come during the post World War 2 era. Obstacles that had to be over come by the Youngers were economical, moral, social, and racist obstacles. Lorraine Hansberry, the author of the play had to face one of these as well growing up. Born in Chicago on the south side in an all black neighborhood, Lorraine
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
true? Due to so many different dreams and ideas, tensions are high in the Younger household. Everyone wants he money to go towards their dream. Along with the power to crush a dream, Mama has the power to choose whose dream will "dry up like a raisin in the sun" (Hughes 2-3). Mama has the power to choose if she will honor what her husband, Big Walter, wanted what she wants, and what is best for the family, or if she will choose her son, Walter Lee's, dream. Walter Lee's dream for himself is to own
A Raisin in the Sun In society we encounter different personalities in our daily lives such as the way one person speaks and how a person judges another. There is all kinds of race in the world, but some cannot get along with each other because they think they are better than the others. In the play “ A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, you can see how race becomes a huge impact because during the slavery movement till 1960’s there was a conflict between the African Americans and white
A Raisin in the Sun A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a realistic fictional drama in which the play’s title and the actions of the characters represent the play’s theme. The play is focused on Black Americans struggles to reach the American Dream of Life,Liberty, and pursuing happiness ,During the 1950’s and 1960’s . 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
A Raisin in the Sun Renee Ngala University Of Phoenix A Raisin in the Sun Culturally diverse people represent a distinct and precise set of needs than that of others within their communities, city, and state. I chose to examine concerns and challenges of one’s culture depicted by some of the actresses and actor in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. In this book report, I will identify the unique needs of the different characters, and propose a plan for delivering culturally
Raisin in the Sun They live in a world where prejudice is frowned upon. The American community lives by the quote that “Every man is created equal”. Which in their country is true. Everyone has an equal opprotunity. Their country wasn’t always this way though. Not only divided by race but more pettily by gender. Now a days such thing is hardly heard of. What kind of gender roles did the Younger family have to battle back in the 1950’s Beneatha, the youngest woman of the family, had set big
Outline Thesis Statement: One of the major themes of "A Raisin in the Sun" is the devaluation of capitalism as a measure for success and its replacement by family pride. I. Walter Lee is obsessed with obtaining money from the very beginning of the play. His very happiness depends on success, and he measures this in wealth. 1. He longs to be successful. His speech at the end of Act II, Scene 2 beginning "You wouldn’t understand yet, son, but your daddy’s gonna make [...] a business transaction
Jarred Garcia 1/ 21/2016 A Raisin in the sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a realistic fiction in which the play 's title and characters Represent the play 's theme. The play focused on black America’s struggle to reach the American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness during the 50’s and the 60’s. The idea of everyone having a the chance to achieve a better life should exist for all. Hanaberry created