Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

485 Words1 Page

In the play “ A Raisin In The Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry the family are anxiously waiting for a insurance check. Also the family is getting the insurance check because the husband of mama passed away. the insurance check kind of divided the family because everyone wants something different with the money. Also at the end no one gets what they wanted with the money except for mama. individuals strive to reach their dreams they often disregard the aspirations of others but they may eventually learn to support one another in attempt to better their lives. Additionally Walter is continuously setting everyone’s dreams aside for his own dream of owning a liquor store. And he is always arguing with his sister beneatha and he tells her that if she is sure that she wants to be a doctor. “ Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ‘bout messing ‘round with sick people- then go be a nurse like other women- or just get married and be quiet. . .” ( Hansberry 38). Basically what Walter is saying is that why did his sister have to decide to be a doctor and not a nurse that way mama wouldn't have to set …show more content…

And she tells him to put some of that money in the bank for Beneatha’s schooling he goes and invest all of the money into the liquor store. Also at the end he ends up losing all of the money because Willy Harris ran off with it. “ i’m talking bout the fact that when i got to the train station yesterday morning- eight o’clock like we planned . . . man - Willy didn’t never show up.” ( Hansberry 127). And Bobo’s point is that he showed up to the train station and he waited for Willy but he never showed up so he believes that Willy ran off with all of the money that they were going to invest. What Hansberry is trying to say through the quote is that Walter gave Willy all of the money and did not put any of it into the bank for Beneatha’s

Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
530 Words | 2 Pages
A Raisin in the Sun In the book “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, there were characters whose dreams were stated, some of which were shattered by greed and misfortune and others which would eventually come true. The first dream that came about was Walter’s dream of one day owning and maintaining a liquor store. He would do anything to attempt to get his dream to come true, but his mama wanted anything but that to happen. His mama had a dream of her own, though, she dreamed of one day owning her own house, where her whole family could stay comfortably.
Read More
Meritocracy In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
1220 Words | 3 Pages
This is the turning point of the story where she acknowledges that being the only hardworking member in her family will not translate into upward mobility. She gets no support from anyone, compared to Walter, who is getting support from his
Read More
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
2003 Words | 5 Pages
The play A Raisin In The Sun takes place in the south of Chicago. around the late fifties Setting The play “A Raisin In The Sun” takes place in the south of Chicago. around the late fifties, and the late '80s. The scenes unfold in the Youngers’ apartment. It is a very small apartment with only a kitchen, a living/dining room.
Read More
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
568 Words | 2 Pages
Dream’s Recovered Everyone has dreams; everyone has goals they want to accomplish. Some know what it is instantly, and some take time to realize what they want to do. But not everyone will achieve their dreams and some, because of sad circumstances, lose their grip on their dreams and fall into a state of disappointment. Langston Hughes poem relates to the dreams of Mama, Ruth, and Walter in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun.
Read More
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
555 Words | 2 Pages
Walter Lee's dream for himself is to own a liquor store. In order for his dream to be fulfilled, he will need the full ten thousand dollars from the insurance check. His plan is to go into business with his friend, Bobo, along with a business partner, Willy. Walter is careless about what he would do with the money: "Invest big, gamble big, hell, lose big if you have to, you know what I mean" (Hansberry 84). In other words, Walter is completely blinded by his dream to the point where he does...
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
A Raisin in the Sun: The Foundation of Family
1191 Words | 3 Pages
Walter and Beneatha’s relationship is very complex. The spiraling tension between the two siblings causes confrontation to form and creep into the Younger household. Walter needs his family to respect him as the man of the family, but his sister is constantly belittling him in front of his mother, wife, and son. This denigrating treatment taints Walter’s view of himself as a man, which carries into his decisions and actions. Beneatha also subconsciously deals with the dysfunctional relationship with her brother. She desires to have her brother’s support for her dream of becoming a doctor, yet Walter tends to taunt her aspiration and condemns her for having such a selfish dream. Mama as the head of the family is heartbroken by the juvenile hostility of her adult children, so in hopes to keep her family together she makes the brave move of purchasing a house. Mama’s reasoning for the bold purchase was,“ I—I just seen my family falling apart….just falling to pieces in front of my eyes…We couldn’t have gone on like we was today. We was going backwards ‘stead of forw...
Read More
Greed In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
910 Words | 2 Pages
Lorraine Hansberry, in her play A Raisin in the Sun, tells the story of the Youngers, a poverty-stricken family of five. The author uses a large sum of inherited life insurance money to symbolize the downfall of two of the characters, Beneatha and Walter, due to their dreams.
Read More
A Raisin In The Sun Family Analysis
681 Words | 2 Pages
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.
Read More
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
816 Words | 2 Pages
A Raisin in the Sun is a play written during the Civil Rights Movement by Lorraine Hansberry. The title of the play, A Raisin in the Sun is built on a poem by Langston Hughes, Harlem; specifically the line, “a dream deferred.” The play shines light on the struggles the Youngers go through with oppressive circumstances. The Youngers struggles are still relevant for all races about 60 years later, how depressing that history repeats in such ways. Like a Raisin in the Sun society still expresses racial discrimination, a strain of identity recognition, and economic struggles.
Read More
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
1064 Words | 3 Pages
Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, produced in 1959, echoes many of the conflicts, with which African Americans have to deal with in everyday life. By depicting the African American family Younger, Hansberry offers a great insight into African American culture. Although the main plot of the play deals with the issue of how the Younger family will spend a $10.000 life insurance check, the play, however, emphasizes foremost on the conflicts between the white and black society, alluding to the quest for identity by considering the image of Africa in African American culture. In fact, African culture in a way influences each character of the play – though some more than others – aiming to answer Africa’s significance in their individual
Read More
A Raisin In The Sun Obstacles
1077 Words | 3 Pages
Walter wants more out of life and wants to do more with his life. He wants to become a businessman and open a liquor store. He does not want to work for others, he wants to be wealthy. Although Walter works towards these goals, his environment prevents these dreams from becoming reality. They do not have the money to pursue his goals. Although they are receiving a large check in the mail, it is not his money to spend. He does not have full support from his family. Mama is unwilling to invest her money into liquor and the rest of the family thinks that the idea of opening a liquor store is foolish. Beneatha also has difficulty trying to reach her goals due to her environment. She wants to be a doctor and wants more out of life than just surviving. Not only do they not have the money to pay for her schooling but they believe it is an unrealistic goal. Walter says to Beneatha, “Girl, if you don’t get all them silly ideas out of your head! You better marry yourself a man with some loot” (Hansberry 150). Her family believes that she should just marry rich and give up her dream of becoming a doctor. The Youngers often have difficulty reaching their goals because they are trapped by their
Read More
Portrayal of an African-American Family in Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansburry
1151 Words | 3 Pages
A Raisin in the Sun is set in the South of Chicago in the 1950’s and portrays the lives of an African-American family, the Youngers, who like many other African-American families migrated from the South to the North to leave behind the social, economic and educational oppression. Unfortunately this is no different in the North. In the play it is seen how Mama solely believes that the meaning of life is freedom and Walter, her son, believes that money is life. Both these characters have conflicting ideas on what they perceive life’s meaning to be. These ideas will be closely analysed, with evidence from the text, to illustrate why they are relevant to Mama and Walter. The function of time will be closely analysed as well to show how over the course of a few weeks it influences their particular meanings of life. I agree with Mama saying that their interpretations of life are due to intergenerational differences, and not on what Walter suggests about life always being about money. The aspect of the deferred American dream, which I feel is a central problem in the play, will also be dealt with in relation to Mama and Walter’s dreams and how time functions in relation to this.
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun