Movie Analysis: 'A Raisin in the Sun'

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The movie “A Raisin in the Sun” is undoubtedly a cinema classic and a work of art worthy of unhindered praise. Not only is it a masterpiece for its entertainment purposes, but the movie’s ability to draw attention to the socio economic disadvantage the many black families faced at the time. Both the historical context of these afflictions and the discriminatory practices are demonstrated throughout the film. “A Raisin in the Sun” vividly captures the difficult life for African Americans of the time period, while rallying attention to the debilitating prejudice that abounds in regards to this particular racial group. The entire premise of the film revolves around the use of recently acquired cash due to the death of Mama Younger’s husband, who happens to be the films patriarch. Each member of the family has conflicting ideas about how this money should be spent. Mama wants to use the money for a down payment on a house for the whole family, which she feels is the best step for the family to take. Walter, the main male character within the movie, would like to use the money to open up a series of liquor stores, with the hopes that this will finally solve their families financial ails. Lastly, Beneatha, Gilman 2 Mama’s youngest daughter, wants the money to go towards paying for her way through medical school, in the hopes that this can also be an avenue for solving their troubles. How these different storylines play out throughout the film, as well as the integration of the race dilemma remains a crucial part of understanding this time period. To fully understand the complexity of this phenomenon, one must first comprehend the historical context behind said events. The time period this movie takes place in was a very trying period ... ... middle of paper ... ...tainment awards, but also does a brutally honest job of illustrating the plight of the people in the area, and the historical contexts that surround them. Works Cited Armor, David J. "Forced justice: School desegregation and the law." Oxford University Press (1995): n. pag. Print. Gilman 8 "Census Bureau Homepage." Chicago Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2014. Manning, Christopher. William L. Dawson and the Limits of Black Electoral Leadership. DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2009. Print. Mehlhorn, Dmitri. "A Requiem for Blockbusting: Law, Economics, and Race-Based Real Estate Speculation." (1998): Print. Osofsky, Gilbert, and Allan H. Spear. "Black Chicago: The Making of a Negro Ghetto, 1890- 1920." American Historical Review 3 (1968): 12-20. Print. Thabit, Walter. How East New York Became a Ghetto. New York: New York University Press, 2003. Print.

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