Amber LaCourt ENG 0235 Professor Jackson 3/25/18 Response Paper #2 Lorraine Hansberry’s play “A Raisin in the Sun” invokes the idea of “anger” and early feminism by expressing the struggles of grasping the American dream during the late 1950s. Characters like Walter Lee and Beneatha Younger symbolize these themes throughout the play. Walter, a husband, and a businessman is struggling to grasp that idea of the American Dream by conveying his authority in the household. However, characters like Beneatha expresses her ideas of becoming a doctor by providing her role of being self-orientated and independent. In many ways, this play initially reads off as an “angry” deposit of the working class family that is struggling to make it in Southside Chicago. Walter often shows what it's like to overcome class inequality, his character is often positioned as an “angry” …show more content…
black man who tries to overcome the hurdles that are being put in his life, such as owning his own business one day.
In the opening credits, Hansberry describes Walter as “A lean, intense young man in his middle thirties, inclined to quick nervous movements and erratic speech” (Hansberry 475). Initaing that he is a young man learning and trying to figure out his place in the world. While Beneatha is described as strong headed and educated women who is seeking validation from her mother that wants her to settle down. Beneatha's mother often through the play constantly mentions that she should settle down and marry a “wealthy” man (Hansberry 503). Often throughout the play Beneatha and Walter mirror each others anger because they have these dreams and expectations that want or need to fulfill. Also they are often underestimated in what they can do and what they can achieve. Often Walter feels as if anger can get the best of him and that he is often misunderstood by others. This also goes for Beaneatha who is struggling/torn between the things she wants and what others want her to do. This is where the idea of early femism comes from
because during the time period of this play, women like Beaneatha were very rare. Many women were not in school or persuing a carreer like she is. Beneatha often faces the hurdles of being a both an African American women and being in college because she is expected to settle down, get a job and have kids. But she was breaking down those sterotypes that were put up, often her mother and brother Walter lecture her about being educated and having interest in Asagi. Asagi and Beneatha’s relationship is complex and different than her’s with George. Walter often expresses his anger through more of a rage unlike his sister who is level headed and doesn’t act so much on instinct. Often Walter tends to bring up his hardships and how much money means to him as a person. While talking to Mama, Walter mentioned the significance of money and how hard it is to be an African American man by saying “ (Insert Quoute and page number).
One of the first ideas mentioned in this play, A Raisin In the Sun, is about money. The Younger's end up with no money because of Walter's obsession with it. When Walter decides not to take the extra money he is offered it helps prove Hansberry's theme. Her theme is that money can't buy happiness. This can be seen in Walter's actions throughout the play.
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.
Even though south side chicago had a low amount of hope, the characters of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, Walter, Beneatha, and Mama found a way to dream big. It led them to doing what they thought was right, eventually molding Walter into a greedy man during most of the play, Beneatha into an aspiring woman that demands respect, and Mama into an improvising woman who loves her
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.
Thesis: Walter Lee, Beneatha, and Lena Younger all have dreams and goals that they are trying to achieve throughout the play. Also, in the play Hansberry demonstrates how both Younger children “come of age.”
During that period of time in ‘A Raisin In The Sun’ occurred in an era when economically it wasn’t the worst, but it could’ve been better. There were a couple of things that contributed to that, but the economy crash of 1957-1961 which caused an increase in high inflation rate, and high unemployment rate as well. The character and theme I chose was mama as my character and money and morality as my theme. I felt that these two went well with one another knowing that mama never put money or anyone else in front of her family, unless it benefited them, but if that wasn't the case then she could care less and would’ve wanted nothing to do with it. ‘In a raisin in the sun’ mama tries to make everyone in her family happy while overcoming the adversity
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a play which tells of a black family’s experiences as they move into a “white” neighborhood. They attempt to improve their lives by using the insurance money following their father’s death. The American dream in that time period was to have a house, a yard, a car, and a happy family. In “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, the play illustrates the limitations of the American dream for the Younger family which is the limitation of money, the racism in that time period, as well as the deception by Willy Harris.
Lorraine Hansberry was born in Chicago on May 19, 1930. She grew up in the Woodlawn of Chicago on the south side. When Hansberry was 8 years old her and her family moved to a white neighborhood. She was bullied by her class mates. She got bullied because she wore a coat one day.
This conflict causes her to become more tiresome physically and emotionally. Beneatha has always thought of herself as superior to others like her name my show. She is a non-traditionalist and doesn’t think like her family. She wants that money to help her with school although she doesn’t portray this like Walter. Lastly, Ruth is the quiet one who hardly shows her emotions.
In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, many characters have dreams. One character, Mama, had the dream of owning a house. She had always wanted to move out of the small, cramped apartment because she wanted to make a better life for her children and her grandchild. For example, in the text Travis said “Yeah- I always wanted to live in a house (Hansberry 91).” This shows that she wanted the best for her grandchild.
Lorraine Hansberry does an excellent job of exploring the ideas of dreams in her play A Raisin in The Sun. Beneatha has a dream of becoming a doctor and Walter has a dream of owning a liquor store. All of these plans for the future are things that today’s people, especially youth, can connect to. Through her writing, Hansberry shows that many dreams get deferred with time and usually leave an impact on the dreamer. One of the biggest dreams that is portrayed in this play is Walter’s dream of owning a liquor store.
Optimism is a trait possessed by people who expect the best possible outcome from a situation. In Lorraine Hansberry’s, A Raisin in the Sun, Joseph Asagai is completely optimistic about the future. At times, the Younger family seem completely hopeless, but Asagai never gives up. He views life as a line that curves into infinity. On the other hand, Beneatha sees life as a circle that we march in, over and over. Asagai is correct in saying that life is a line which we cannot see the end to and we cannot see how it changes. “It isn’t a circle. It is simply a long line- as in geometry, you know- one that curves into infinity. And because we cannot see the end, we also cannot see how it- changes And it is very odd, but those who see the changes-
In the play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, it follows a hard working family struggling to make their dreams come true. Through perseverance, believing in themselves, and surrounding themselves with their family who supports them. Dreams are sometimes hard to get too, but by working hard and staying strong through the bad times is what matters most. No amount of money is worth giving up your pride in yourself and family. Life isn’t always easy, there's obstacles, but as long as you stay focused on what you need to do, all the hard work will pay off.
A Raisin in the Sun represents the struggles of a three generation family named the Youngers. The family members all have dreams to overcome, as they overcome racial discrimination in their community. Walter Younger, who is the hero and the villain of the play, has a dream set upon owning a liquor store. Ruth Younger, who is also pregnant, but finds out later on, wants to be wealthy and own a home. Beneatha Younger struggles to capture her dream, which is to become a doctor. The head of the household, Lena Younger, dream is for her family out of the ghetto and into a house with a yard where children can play and she can tend a garden. Walter Younger, who is referred to as “Big Walter” has died, and Lena Younger, his wife, is waiting to receive
In this new day and age, our society has become more accepting of different cultures and their involvement in media and entertainment. Our society hasn't always been like that, and its evident in the play A Raisin in the Sun which was released in 1959 on Broadway in New York by Lorraine Hansberry. In regards to the play, she was known as the first African-American playwright. Many audiences today see the play as a view into what life was like for those who were colored, without focusing about them being colored. The main reason behind the play's significance was the era that it was released in, and the responses that it received from critics. Not only has the play received varying recognition, but it has had memorable performances both on Broadway