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Character analysis from a raisin in the sun
Essay raisin in the sun symbolism
Symbolism in A Raisin in the sun
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Why is it so hard to be a Black person living in America? It is due to the fact that White culture has never wanted to see Blacks as equal or superior to their race. To prevent the collective success of Black folks, Whites have constructed obstacles to impede the intellectual growth of African-Americans. Therefore, in order obtain basic human rights and have their own identity, Blacks must cope with White supremacy and stereotypes on a daily basis. This is evident in the novels and stories read in this African-American Literature course. The psychological effects of being Black in America are the following. The Younger family, in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, is not welcomed in an all-White neighborhood. Emmett Till, in “The …show more content…
In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family is a group of Black people living in the south-side of Chicago. Their rights to buy a home in an all-White neighborhood in Clybourne Park are first denied when a White man from the Welcome Committee, Mr. Lindner, comes by to speak to them. He asserts, “Anybody can see that you are a nice family of folks, hardworking and honest I’m sure…people can get awfully worked up when they feel that their whole way of life and everything they’ve ever worked for is threatened” (Hansberry 117). Readers here can clearly see the racial and negative undertones from Mr. Lindner’s comments by alluding to the notion that the Younger family does not belong in the White’s neighborhood. Ironically, he is part of the Welcoming Committee but he does not welcome them into the new neighborhood because of his racist perspective. He sets up a preconceived notion that inhibits the Younger family from feeling welcomed into their new home. Mr. Linder, being a white man, showcases the act of White supremacy and enforces his White privilege by making it seem that his stereotypical assertions are valid. Stereotyping them as being a threat and a disturbance to the new neighborhood is an example of the psychological effects of being Black in America, which can allow Blacks to have a difficult time being …show more content…
In “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow,” Richard Wright is a factory worker who is unable to learn how to operate machinery from his white supervisors because they are against him learning new things. From Wright’s perspective, “thinking they had forgotten that I was to learn something about the mechanics of grinding lenses, I asked Morrie one day to tell me about the work. He grew red. ‘Whut yuh tryin’ t’ do, nigger, git smart?’ he said. ‘But, Mr. Pease, the boss said…’” (Wright 1413). For Morrie to deny Wright’s rights to education and opportunity shows that Morrie refuses to allow Blacks to be smart. In fact, this directly connects into the days of institutionalized slavery, in which slave masters would prohibit their slaves to learn, because they fear that they can use their newfound intelligence in overpowering them, thus escaping for their freedom. The obstacles of White supremacy and stereotyping that Morrie sets up for Wright indeed works because, one day, Wright accidently forgets to address Morrie as “Sir.” Therefore, Morrie threatens Wright and then fires him despite being one of the hard working men in the factory. “‘I heard yuh call ‘im Pease! ‘N’ if yuh say yuh didn’t, yuh’re callin’ me a lie, see?’ He waved the steel bar threateningly. They gave me a minute to get out of the factory. I was warned not to show up again...”
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.
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.
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.
The themes that are addressed in the novel, including the psychological effects of racism on Black people and the denial of white people to address the issue of race reinforce the idea that psychological inferiority, just like the white and Black identity, are creations that perpetuate a society that will benefit one group and work to the destroy the other. Without the moral consciousness and accountability of the rulers of America’s society, the relationship of African Americans to the United States will continue to be spiritually, psychologically, and physically
Though there was a heightened sense of tension over civil rights in the late 1950s when A Raisin in the Sun was written, racial inequality is still a problem today. It affects minorities of every age and dynamic, in more ways than one. Though nowadays it may go unnoticed, race in every aspect alters the way African-Americans think, behave, and react as human beings. This is shown in many ways in the play as we watch the characters interact. We see big ideas, failures, and family values through the eyes of a disadvantaged group during an unfortunate time in history. As Martin Luther King said, Blacks are “...harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments…” (King 1549). In A Raisin in the Sun, and in every facet of real life, racial discrimination heavily shapes the actions of every individual both consciously and unconsciously, whether it is obvious or not.
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun. A Raisin in the Sun is one of the best works of Lorraine Vivian Hansberry, in which, through a black family, the Youngers, she talks about vital issues such as poverty, gender and racial discrimination. Hansberry's play focuses mainly on the dreams of the main characters, which motivates them. The title 'A Raisin in the Sun' has been taken from the poem "Montage of a Dream Deferred" written by Langston Hughes in which he talks about the consequences when dreams are put off for later.
The effects of racism on the victims differed depending on age and whether or not a person would withstand the abuse. Moody makes these connections in her book by realizing that when the civil rights movement picked up in the 1960s, older blacks usually remained dormant and never stood up for themselves by speaking out against the abuse they received. In contrast, younger black Americans, notably teenagers, were more likely to be fearless and take part in the Movement. This theme can be seen throughout the whole book, from when Anne was a young girl and never understood why her mother co...
The people in this country have been embedded with the idea to have power and ability to govern themselves to a life that is exceptional. This fire burns within the minds of governments, companies, average men and in this case what is considered the lowest class: African Americans. In a country where there is constant struggle for racial equality, whether in an urban or back-woods country setting, race dictates power for characters like Emmett Till in “The Ballad of Emmet Till”, by Bob Dylan, Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and Mama in A Raisin In The Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry. All these characters vary in how they are persecuted yet are bonded by their struggle. Depicting the idea that there is a constant battle to control their own lives.
Without finishing school, Wright did not have a specialty trade and would have to settle for a job of labor in the White communities. “There is but one place where a black boy who knows no trade can get a job, and that’s where the houses and faces are white” (Wright 3). Now, Wright would have to work for the same people who are perpetrating violence and and cruelties against him. Wright’s first job was at an optical company in Jackson, Mississippi (3). Desperate for this job, Wright acted as the perfectly as a black boy could in America’s South during the 1920’s. He made sure to pronounce all of his “sirs” very clearly so that the boss would know that he was polite and knew his place in society (4). While working in the Optical Company, Wright had hoped to learn something about the business and work his way up the leadership chain. Trying to learn and better his life, he makes the mistake of asking one of the White men he works with about the mechanics and process of grinding lenses (4). The white man, Morrie, would not take to this kindly or make any effort to help him because in their society and in the White opinion, African Americans were not smart, “‘Whut yuh tryin’ t’ do, N, git smart?’” (4), Morrie asked Wright. Wright was like any other teenage boy with goals and dreams, he wanted to the opportunity to succeed but unfortunately was living in
I was late for school, and my father had to walk me in to class so that my teacher would know the reason for my tardiness. My dad opened the door to my classroom, and there was a hush of silence. Everyone's eyes were fixed on my father and me. He told the teacher why I was late, gave me a kiss goodbye and left for work. As I sat down at my seat, all of my so-called friends called me names and teased me. The students teased me not because I was late, but because my father was black. They were too young to understand. All of this time, they thought that I was white, because I had fare skin like them, therefore I had to be white. Growing up having a white mother and a black father was tough. To some people, being black and white is a contradiction in itself. People thought that I had to be one or the other, but not both. I thought that I was fine the way I was. But like myself, Shelby Steele was stuck in between two opposite forces of his double bind. He was black and middle class, both having significant roles in his life. "Race, he insisted, blurred class distinctions among blacks. If you were black, you were just black and that was that" (Steele 211).
The Younger family is an African-American family living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. Walter Lee Younger’s father has passed away, leaving ten thousand dollars from life insurance. This drama deals with how the family copes with this money, their dreams, race, and each other. During the play, Mama says, “Sometimes you just have to know when to give up some things…and hold on to what you got.” This statement relates to Walter, Beneatha, and Mama’s lives, because they each learn to give up and hold onto things.
Lorraine Hansberry’s play, “A Raisin in the Sun” is a realistic drama pivoting around a black, American family’s economic and social struggle against the prejudice that occurs in Chicago during the nineteen fifties. The Youngers’ colorful personalities cause much confrontation and anguish in their small, stifling apartment. In his essay, “A Raisin in the Sun Revisited,” J. Charles Washington, suggests that “our literary judgments, to a large extent, are determined by our own moral standards, by our adherence to the rules society deems appropriate. Generally, these standards differ according to the sex of the individual: A good man, for instance, is strong, aggressive---masculine---, whereas a good woman is sweet, gentle---feminine.” While some of Hansberry’s characters conform to these social criterions, she also strongly challenges the measures by introducing a variety of eclectic personalities.
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.
Although it would cost a tremendous amount of money for colleges and universities and would mean that more people would need to be hired, schools should consider hiring a staff who is specialized to help. Admittedly, there is financial aid and scholarships to students of learning disabilities in general, but there is no use in it if students cannot utilize the money that is given if the student is struggling to understand in class. This does not just apply for military kids either, because this can apply to the everyday American who struggle with the same problem.
Through authors’ descriptions of the experiences with slavery and injustice, African-American literature can be used as “a way to address the corrosive legacy of slavery that haunts Americans today” (Simmons). Sadly, it is true that white people’s inhuman treatment of African-Americans during slavery is the source of racial discrimination in the present day, which affects their lives and emotions deeply.