A Raisin in the Sun Essay Achieving dreams can be a struggle. A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry on the Chicago South Side. It is an African American family who receives a life insurance payout and must determine what to do with money while having to face challenges such as racism, discrimination, and assimilation. A dominant theme in the play, A Raisin in the Sun, is that despite the obstacles faced in life, it is important to pursue your dreams. The author uses the character of Mama, the matriarch of the Younger family, who is determined to pursue her dreams. A Raisin in the Sun. Mama’s dream is to be able to move into a new home, giving her family a better life. Mama wishes to have a comfortable house that comes with a garden. …show more content…
Act 2 Scene 2 states “Listen to me, now”. I say I am wrong, son. That I been doing to you what the rest of the world has been doing to you” (Hansberry 106). She recognizes the significance of Walter's dreams and decides to entrust him with a portion of the money, giving an understanding of her son's aspirations. Walter, who believes that money is the only way to a better future, soon changes into a dynamic character by changing his focus from wanting a liquor store to becoming a provider for his family. At the beginning of the short story, Walter thinks money is the answer to all his problems, but soon learns that family is more important. Walter provided for his family by deciding that they would move into their new home in Clybourne Park. Act 3, “We have decided to move into our house because my father—my father—he earned it for us brick by brick” (Hansberry 148). Overall, Walter was able to achieve his dream even through the struggles he had faced to get there. At last, Lorraine Hansberry uses the conflict Benetha Younger faces numerous obstacles on her journey to becoming a doctor. Benetha is the daughter of Mama who has access to an …show more content…
Benetha attempts to discover her identity while having to deal with these challenges. In Act 3, Benetha is telling Asagai (a student Benetha met in college) how her dreams have been taken from her by the world including her family. Asagai, while I was sleeping in that bed in there, people went out and took the future right out of my hands! And nobody asked me, nobody consulted me – they just went out and changed my life” (Hansberry 134). The author uses a literary technique called conflict to show the obstacles Benetha faces when she wants to become a doctor. But the people surrounding her have a distinct perspective of what women like her should be doing at the time, like getting married. Even though Benetha faces these situations, she still goes on and chases her dream, not letting people doubt her. She is determined to do what she enjoys. This shows how important it is to pursue your dreams, even when there are challenges. A dominant theme in the play, A Raisin in the Sun, is that despite the obstacles faced in life, it is important to pursue your dreams. The author uses the character of Mama, the matriarch of the Younger family, who is determined to pursue her
In life there are always going to be ups and downs, good and bad times, because families go through extensive amounts of arguments. Within the play A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, there are a few complications that the Younger family face. Moreover, the main complications occur between Lena Younger (Mama) and Walter Lee Younger (the son of Mama). Throughout the play, the biggest complication they face is how to spend Walter Lee Senior’s life insurance money. The Younger family goes through several challenging times; however, the family shows that no matter what, everyone should stick together.
Lorrine Hansberry wrote A Raisin In The Sun with a setting that took place within the 1950’s within the South Side of Chicago. This play demonstrates the African American family of the Youngers who are struggling to find their dreams within their chaotic lives. Hansberry gives the audience a glimpse at the Youngers’ lives within a period of a few weeks.The plot revolves around Mama obtaining money (ten-thousand dollars) from her deceased husband insurance and how the money will be utilized. The characterization of the family members, Walter Lee, Ruth, Beneatha, Travis, and Lena (Mama) are brought to light by the characters’ interaction with the money.
Throughout Act 2, we can see the development of the characters. Beneatha continues to find her identity by appreciating her African heritage. Walter becomes depressed when Lena buys the house and fails to realize that Lena did something for the family to become whole again. However, I believe that Act 2 focuses more on assimilation, Walter’s childishness, and Mr. Linder and the community’s racism.
A Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry. The primary focus of the play is the American Dream. The American Dream is one’s conception of a better life. Each of the main characters in the play has their own idea of what they consider to be a better life. A Raisin in the Sun emphasizes the importance of dreams regardless of the various oppressive struggles of life.
Throughout Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, we see the positive and negative effects of chasing the American Dream. Hansberry expresses her different views on the American Dream through the characters and she portrays the daily struggles of a 1950 black family throughout A Raisin in the Sun. In this play, she is able to effectively show the big impact that even small decisions can make on a family. Hansberry shows the many different attachments that come with the fulfillment of this American Dream. Throughout A Raisin in the Sun, each family member has their own pursuit of happiness, which is accompanied by their American Dream.
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a play about the Younger family, a black family trying to achieve their goals, and help their family financially. Walter’s dream is to open a liquor store, Mama’s dream is to buy a house, and Beneatha’s dream is to become a doctor. While some may argue that Walter’s dream may provide an immediate and steady income, statistics say that 60% of local businesses fail within the first 18 months (Engel n.p.). Some may also argue that Mama’s dream is more important; however, if they buy a house, and don’t have enough money to pay the bills, the Younger family would be back to where they were before. Beneatha's dream of becoming a doctor would benefit her family in the long run, promote the idea of women becoming doctors, and help to end racial differences.
“A Raisin in the Sun” is set at in an area where racism was still occurring. Blacks were no longer separated but they were still facing many racial problems. The black Younger family faced these problems throughout the play. The entire family was affected in their own way. The family has big dreams and hope to make more of their poor lives. Walter, the main character, is forced to deal with most of the issues himself. Ruth, his wife, and Travis, his ten-year-old son, really don’t have say in matters that he sets his mind to. Beneatha, his sister tries to get her word in but is often ignored. Lena (Mama) is Walter’s mother and is very concerned about her family. She tries to keep things held together despite all of the happenings. Mama’s husband had just recently died so times seemed to be even harder. They all live in a small apartment when living space is very confined (Hansberry 1731). They all have dreams in which they are trying to obtain, but other members of the family seem to hold back each other from obtaining them (Decker).
A Raisin in the Sun The creativity of Hansberry played a crucial role in the development of African-American drama since the Second World War. A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by an African-American author to be set on Broadway and was honored by the circle of New York theater critics. Drama of A Raisin in the Sun (1959) brought Hansberry to the Society of New York Critics Award as the best play of the year. A Raisin in the Sun shows the life of an ordinary African-American family who dreams of happiness and their desire to achieve their dream.
A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry is realistic fictional drama in which the play 's title and the character 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 1950s and the 1960s. The idea of everyone having the chance to achieve a better life should exist for all. Hansberry conceives her title using a line from Langston Hughes poem “A dream deferred”. The original poem was written in 1951 about Harlem. Hughes’ line from the poem state that when dreams are deferred “Does it dry up like a Raisin in the Sun”. This meant that they describe them as being small and already pretty withered. Hughes poem further suggested that when
Many obstacles can prevent people from accomplishing their goals. The play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, is about a lower class, colored family that has to overcome many obstacles. Lena, often referred to as Mama, receives a life insurance check of $10,000 due to the death of her husband. Her son, Walter Lee, wants to use to money to go into business and invest the money in a liquor store. However, her daughter, Beneatha, hopes that the money goes toward her schooling to become a doctor. Walter Lee’s wife, Ruth, believes that Mama should spend the money how she wants to without the influence of her children. Mama has been pondering the idea of buying a new house because it has always been a dream of hers. It is very difficult
Differences in generations can cause people to have different viewpoints in life. A Raisin In The Sun is a play set in the 1950s written by Lorraine Hansberry. The Youngers are a black family who lives in a cramped apartment in the South Side of Chicago. When Mama receives a check of insurance money, members of the family are divided in their own hopes of what it will be used for. Mama, Ruth, and Beneatha are the three women of the Younger household and their generational differences clearly show through their actions. The difference between generations is why Mama is the most devout, Ruth is an agreeable person, and Beneatha is outspoken and has modern views.
Though American citizens are recognized as adults at the age of eighteen, human brains take much longer to fully develop. The play A Raisin in the Sun takes place in the apartment of the Youngers, an African American family struggling with financial issues during the 1950’s. Walter’s father has recently passed away, and Mama receives a life insurance check for his death. Walter and Mama share their cramped apartment with Walter’s sister Beneatha, his wife, Ruth, and their son, Travis. Walter works as a chauffeur and Ruth does domestic chores for rich, white families. They do not have many opportunities for better jobs or higher quality education, but Beneatha attends college classes in hopes of becoming a doctor. Walter’s job as a chauffeur
In the words of Jim Cocola and Ross Douthat, Hansberry wrote the play A Raisin in the Sun to mimic how she grew up in the 1930s. Her purpose was to tell how life was for a black family living during the pre-civil rights era when segregation was still legal (spark notes). Hansberry introduces us to the Youngers’, a black family living in Chicago’s Southside during the 1950s pre-civil rights movement. The Younger family consists of Mama, who is the head of the household, Walter and Beneatha, who are Mama’s children, Ruth, who is Walter’s wife, and Travis, who is Walter and Ruth’s son. Throughout the play the Youngers’ address poverty, discrimination, marital problems, and abortion. Mama is waiting on a check from the insurance company because of the recent passing of her husband. Throughout the play Walter tries to convince Mama to let him invest the money in a liquor store. Beneatha dreams of becoming a doctor while embracing her African heritage, and Ruth just found out that she is pregnant and is struggling to keep her marriage going. The Youngers’ live in a very small apartment that is falling apart because of the wear and tear that the place has endured over the years. Mama dreams of having her own house and ends up using part of the insurance money for a down payment on a house in an up-scale neighborhood. The Youngers’ meet Mr. Lindner, who is the head of the welcoming committee. Mr. Lindner voices the community’s concerns of the Youngers’ moving into their neighborhood. Is the play A Raisin in the Sun focused on racial or universal issues?
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a play about segregation, triumph, and coping with personal tragedy. Set in Southside Chicago, A Raisin in the Sun focuses on the individual dreams of the Younger family and their personal achievement. The Younger's are an African American family besieged by poverty, personal desires, and the ultimate struggle against the hateful ugliness of racism. Lena Younger, Mama, is the protagonist of the story and the eldest Younger. She dreams of many freedoms, freedom to garden, freedom to raise a societal-viewed equal family, and freedom to live liberated of segregation. Next in succession is Beneatha Younger, Mama's daughter, assimilationist, and one who dreams of aiding people by breaking down barriers to become an African American female doctor. Lastly, is Walter Lee Younger, son of Mama and husband of Ruth. Walter dreams of economic prosperity and desires to become a flourishing businessman. Over the course of Walter's life many things contributed to his desire to become a businessman. First and foremost, Walter's father had a philosophy that no man should have to do labor for another man. Being that Walter Lee was a chauffeur, Big Walter?s philosophy is completely contradicted. Also, in Walter?s past, he had the opportunity to go into the Laundromat business which he chose against. In the long run, he saw this choice was fiscally irresponsible this choice was. In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee's dreams, which are his sole focus, lead to impaired judgement and a means to mend his shattered life.
We’ve all been told to “dream big” and “follow our hearts” countless times. Have you ever wondered about the possible outcomes of doing so? What if you put them off for too long? A Raisin in the Sun by Lauren Hansberry is a play about a less fortunate black family in Chicago after World War II. The family members each have their dreams and encounter obstacles like racism, poverty, sexism, etc.