Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

824 Words2 Pages

The central theme in the story “A Raisin in the Sun” is the importance of dreams and how they affect a person’s life. Everyone in this world has a goal in life or something they want to pursue no matter how out of reach it seems. The same concept applies to the characters in this play. Throughout the story, each individual has a dream that they strive to achieve. Multiple obstacles stand in the way of reaching their goals. Furthermore, some characters end up having to defer their dreams for the sake of their family. Despite all of the problems they go through, they try to make their dreams a reality. One of the characters who experiences this journey is Mama. Her ambitions are to move her family out of their apartment and into a nice house with a yard. She also wants a garden to help her plant grow. In Act 1, scene 1 of the play …show more content…

His dream is to start a liquor store. This goal is significant to Walter for multiple reasons. First, he believes that going into the liquor business would help financially support the family. Second, he thinks that this would give his son a better life. In the story he tells Travis, “You wouldn’t understand yet, son, but your daddy’s gonna make a transaction...a business transaction that’s going to change our lives…” It would give Walter a sense of control and pride. In the play, Mama trusts him with the rest of the money that she inherited from the insurance. Walter is supposed to save half of the money for the house and the other half for Beneatha’s schooling. Nonetheless, he decides that he wants to fulfill his dream and takes the money to invest in the liquor business. As a result of this, his friend, Willie, steals all of the money for himself. Losing the money leaves all of the families’ dreams in jeopardy. This shows that sometimes pursuing a dream can affect more than your life. In the worst case scenario, it can even ruin other people’s

Show More
Related

  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    570 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mama talks to Walter about her fears of the family falling apart. This is the reason she bought the house and she wants him to understand. Walter doesn't understand and gets angry. "What you need me to say you done right for? You the head of this family. You run our lives like you want to. It was your money and you did what you wanted with it. So what you need for me to say it was all right for? So you butchered up a dream of mine - you - who always talking 'bout your children's dreams..." Walter is so obsessive over money that he yells at his mom for not giving him all of it. He doesn't know that what his mom is doing is for the family. He thinks that having money will make the family happy, when in reality the family doesn't need anymore than what they have to be happy.

    Read More

  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    759 Words  | 2 Pages

    The play depicts the feelings and thoughts of the people of their time. Their feelings are different then what we see today in our lives. The family had to deal with poverty and racism. Not having enough money and always being put down because of the color of their skin held them back from having a lot of self-respect and dignity. I think that Mama was the one who had the most pride and held the family together.

    Read More

  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    591 Words  | 2 Pages

    The civil rights movement brought enlightenment towards the abolishment of segregation laws. Although the laws are gone does segregation still exist in fact? “What happens to a dream deferred, does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?'; said, in a poem by Langston Huges. The story, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry showed segregation and its affects upon all races. This essay will show how Assimilationists and New Negroes fought for their own identity in the mid twentieth century. Whether they were being true to themselves or creating carbon copies of oppression was determined by one’s view upon society.

    Read More

  • Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun

    1053 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ccomplish this if they all understand what is important in life. All of Mama’s dreams are eventually recognized, although they certainly appear hazy throughout the play. The question about whether or not they should keep the house forms inside Mama’s head near the end of the play, but she quickly changes her mind. Mama never lost sight of her goals, no matter how hard nature attacked them.

    Read More

  • The Pursuit Of Happiness in A Raisin in the Sun

    1985 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the play, Mama has her own American Dream that she chases after, which heavily affects the family’s state of being. Mama has to go through many struggles and much frustration while in pursuit of her American Dream (Bloom 17). Mama says, “Yes, death done come in this house here….Done come walking in my house. On the lips of my children. You what supposed to be my beginning again. You what supposed to be my harvest” (Hansberry 134). She begins to see the harsh effects of what her American dream has done to her children. Mama goes through trials and tribulations to provide a good lifestyle for her children, but neither of them seem satisfied, they both want to accomplish their dreams and aspirations so badly that it blinds them to the reality of what is really important in life.

    Read More

  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun

    1246 Words  | 3 Pages

    The chasing of a mirage is a futile quest where an individual chases an imaginary image that he or she wants to capture. The goal of this impossible quest is in sight, but it is unattainable. Even with the knowledge that failure is inevitable, people still dream of catching a mirage. There is a fine line that separates those who are oblivious to this fact, and to those who are aware and accept this knowledge. The people who are oblivious represent those who are ignorant of the fact that their dream will be deferred. This denial is the core of the concept used in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. The perception of the American Dream is one that is highly subjective, but every individual dream ends in its own deferment.

    Read More

  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    "A Raisin in the Sun" was written by Lorraine Hansberry. It has won her an award in 1959, at age 29, the youngest American, the fifth woman, and the black playwright to win the Best Play of the Year Award of the New York Drama Critics. This book of the play has been put in its entire form. The original play did not include some scenes. This book has been an inspiration to a lot people. In my personal opinion, the central message is to show how the value systems of black families are. In some ways they are unique, but most ways are exactly the same as white families.

    Read More

  • Characters Dreams Deferred in Raisin In The Sun

    553 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mama’s dreams were first deferred when she moved into the small apartment that the Youngers family stay in through out most of the play. She became too busy that she couldn’t accomplish her dream. She also could not for fill her dreams since she did not have enough money to do so. Her dreams were even more shattered with the death of her husband, but when she got the money from her husband’s death her dreams then became a reality again. Mama wants Travis to be happy and play in the garden but she cannot do this since they live in a dirty ghetto.

    Read More

  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    1012 Words  | 3 Pages

    That changes, however, at the very end of the play. Walter realizes that they have to move into the house for their pride, for their father, for their happiness. On their way out “The door opens and she [Mama] comes back in, grabs her plant, then goes out for the last time” (Hansberry, 151). Just like the family the plant is leaving to soak up the summer’s blaze.

    Read More

  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    716 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sunlight and darkness are major factors in everyone’s lives. Humans enjoy the sunshine and rest in the darkness, but sometimes, like in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, sunlight and darkness mean more than meets the eye. There are multiple different ways that can represent a sense of hope in one's life. Throughout A Raisin in the Sun, hopefulness has been expressed from numerous angles.

    Read More

  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    631 Words  | 2 Pages

    The play Raisin in the Sun focuses heavily on the theme of family. From the traditional roles gender that takes in the family unit to the pressures of living up to family expectations, all of these are explored. However, one theme that is especially significant to the plot of the play is the importance of ego over family or vice versa. Many characters in Raisin in the Sun are put into the position of choosing what is best for themselves over the decision that would be best for the family. This choice is best explored through the middle generation of the core family, the Youngers.

    Read More

  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Value of Dreams in A Raisin in the Sun “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. ”- Harriet Tubman this quote represents what Walter Lee, Beneatha, and Lena all had in common, they all three had a dream that they wished to accomplish more than anything, Walter Lee wanted to pursue his dream of opening up his own Liquor Store, Beneatha dreamed of becoming a doctor, and Lena wanted to make her family’s living conditions better by purchasing them a house to live in.

    Read More

  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    436 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the 1870s Jim Crow laws were introduced in the Southeastern United States. These laws introduced the idea of "separate but equal" living, meaning the equality of races, but were recommended to be kept separate and not mixed. These laws had then been abolished in 1954, yet still, in the present day, there are hints of discrimination towards the ‘minorities’. Every American citizen is filled with the ambition to be able to succeed in life and see gain what they have dreamed of. Yet, to some people, this ambition is dimed and suppressed due to discrimination.

    Read More

  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    629 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of the play, Walter tells Ruth that ”[him, Willy and Bobo] have figured it out” (33) and plan to open up a liquor store. When Ruth asks about the price, he tells her “don’t nothing happen for you in this world ‘less you pay somebody off” (33). Walter’s dream is the typical American Dream to build himself up out of nothing, but more importantly he wants to be seen as a man by society. He thinks money is the key factor to achieving anything. This idolization of money and materialism makes him believe the only way to better his life is by making and having lots of money.

    Read More

  • Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun – Mama

    689 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the opening scene of the play Mama goes to her plant and nurtures it. Mama tries to instill the value of family importance to her children as she struggles to keep them together and functioning (Kohorn). The plant symbolizes Mama's dreams of owning her own house. She uses part of the money to put a down payment on a house in a white neighborhood.

    Read More

More about Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

Open Document