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What dreams are put into effect in a raisin in the sun
A raisin in the sun characters analysis
A raisin in the sun characters analysis
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The play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry, provides the reader with a clear view on the reality of the struggle for African Americans during the late 1950's. Full of conflict and racial tension, Hansberry creates a strong distinction between her different and unique characters. The main theme of dreams creates conflicts that are evident in the play because the family is aiming for an individual dream that seems to never happen; however, in the end, they get away form the individual dream and finally reach a common ground. One conflict that divides the family from seeing the dream is the clash between mama her other family members. Walter feels that mama is blocking his dream of owning a liquor store because of her religious background. Her value system is so strong and the fact that it is her apartment, amplifies this conflict. Due to her domineering personality, Walter is not able to partake in the liquor store business. Mama also shows conflict with Beneatha when their view on religion differs. As a result, mama uses her domineering ways to keep Beneatha down by telling her that she can't speak against God as long as she lives in her house. Lastly, mama finds out from Ruth that she might get an abortion. This is unacceptable and is also against her religious beliefs. Since mama is the matriarch of the family, she is very much in control of her children's lives. She is driven by a strong sense of pride and a strong faith in God. Another conflict that controls the dream is the living conditions the family faces. Walter discusses using the money from the government for the business and then moving to get out of the current situation. However, Ruth says no to the opportunity. As a result, Walter is left with the same unsatisfying job, poor economic condition, in a ghetto where everyone is consumed by their socio-economic downfalls. The conflict as a whole is the individual dream of each member verses the actual responsibility each member should contribute. The obvious on is that Walter wants to own a business. He wants to help his family, as an individual, to change the environment. His son sleeps in the front room of the house because there are already three rooms taken up. However, Walter's sister is trying to do the same this, but invest money in education where she can become a doctor.
1. Walter - His dreams of owning a licquor store conflict religiously with Mama's value system. The conflict between Mama and Walter is amplified by the fact that it is Mama's apartment in which the family lives and Walter is unable/unwilling to make decisions because Mama is so domineering. Ironically, it is the one decision that she eventually lets Walter make which nearly destroys the family.
...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.
By writing A Raisin in the Sun, which at the time was unlike any other piece of literature, Hansberry exercises her concept of the “Negro Artist” being important in regards to representation. The play shows the representation of African Americans and their culture through a wide variety of people (mothers, fathers, children, educated, uneducated, etc.) in a way that anyone outside of her background would not be able to understand—she does not focus on the stereotypes and the stigma. Through the specific characters, along with the overarching ideas emphasized by the dramaturgy, Hansberry fulfills what she sees is her “duty” as an African American writer—to look at the deep-rooted issues that society otherwise would not and portray the
Confrontation appears to be a common theme within the play. This may be largely due to the differing views on what the meaning of life is. An exchange occurs in Act 1, Scene ii between Mama and Walter. Mama questions why Walter constantly speaks about money, such that it appears that “money is life”. Walter explains to Mama that in order to live a successful life, money has to be the most important factor in achieving this. This conversation takes place early on in the play and reveals the Younger’s economic struggles, which were very common for African Americans at the time. The conversation illustrates the ideological differences between their generations. Throughout the play, Mama’s views oppose her children’s vi...
A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, has often been dubbed a “black” play by critics since its debut on Broadway in 1959. This label has been reasonably assigned considering the play has a cast that consists primarily of African American actors; however, when looking beyond the surface of this play and the color of the author and characters, one can see that A Raisin in the Sun actually transcends the boundaries of racial labels through the universal personalities assigned to each character and the realistic family situations that continue to evolve throughout the storyline. As seen when comparing A Raisin in the Sun to “The Rich Brother,” a story for which the characters receive no label of race, many commonalities can be found between the characters’ personalities and their beliefs. Such similarities prove that A Raisin in the Sun is not merely a play intended to appeal only to the black community, nor should it be construed as a story about the plights of the black race alone, but instead should be recognized as a play about the struggles that all families, regardless of race, must endure in regard to their diversity and financial disparity. A succinct introduction and excellent writing!
In a house with five people, everyone has different dreams. With a ten thousand dollar life insurance check on its way, which dream will come true? Due to so many different dreams and ideas, tensions are high in the Younger household. Everyone wants he money to go towards their dream. Along with the power to crush a dream, Mama has the power to choose whose dream will "dry up like a raisin in the sun" (Hughes 2-3). Mama has the power to choose if she will honor what her husband, Big Walter, wanted what she wants, and what is best for the family, or if she will choose her son, Walter Lee's, dream.
Early on in the play, when Beneatha hears that Ruth is pregnant, her initial reaction is one of indignation. She tries to convince Ruth that they can’t provide for another child. At the climax of the conversation, Ruth says, “Mind your own business.” to which Beneatha replies, “It is my business-where is he going to live, on the roof?”. At that point, Beneatha realizes the harm of her words and tries to apologize to Ruth. Regardless, Beneatha states what Ruth was already thinking and puts pressure on her to make a decision. At this point and others in the play, Ruth becomes worn down by the constant demands her family has of her. Later in that conversation with Beneatha, Ruth starts to cry heavily. This displays Ruth’s weak emotional state and adds greatly to the simile of her sagging like a heavy load. Mama, unlike Beneatha, is the only character in the play who actually listens to Ruth and supports her most of the time. However, Ruth still has mental and physical languor when she talks with
One of the most notable African American play writes can arguably be considered “A Raisin in the Sun,” by Lorraine Hansberry. Lorraine shows you a personal glimpse into the lives of a proud black family attempting to overcome adversity in the present day, of which the play occurs. Many individuals have reviewed her play and provided different meanings and plots behind Hansberry’s play. Yi-Chin Shih sees Hansberry’s play as self-identity through two specific dance scenes. While David Cooper sees Hansberry’s play as idealism between two specific characters. In this paper, I will show contrasting examples of the scholarly reviews I choose and their different
Although Mama, Ruth, Beneatha and Walter all live in the same house, there dreams are all different. All the characters want to for fill there dream but, what happens if these dream are deferred?
In the American society of the 1950s, prevalence of discrimination strongly existed against colored people and women. To speak of this injustice, Lorraine Hansberry wrote a drama which revolved around characters whose such views plagued the lives of others. In the drama, A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry exposes the presence of oppression and white supremacy through the characters of George Murchison, Mrs. Johnson, and Mr. Linder.
In the play, the Youngers buy a house in a white neighborhood using the life insurance money of Big Walter. In this time, which was the 1950’s, racism was still well and alive even in the North. The people of the neighborhood sent a representative, named Mr. Lindner, to try and persuade the Youngers into selling the house back to the neighborhood for more than they bought it for. When he first comes to talk to them, Walter and Beneatha declined the offer which lead to Mr. Lindner giving them his card and leaving. After Walter Lee finds out he got scammed, he calls the number on the card and asks Mr. Lindner to come back for negotiations. He believed they only had one choice and that was to sell the house. When Lindner actually gets there, Walter realizes what he is about to do and acts differently, “ WALTER: Yeah. Well- what I mean is that we come from people who had a lot of pride… And we have decided to move into our house because my father- my father- he earned it for us brick by brick” (148). He finally understands what pride is. Instead of taking money over the happiness of his family, he finally grasped how important family was. In the end, Walter comprehends the importance of family over everything else.
The Younger family such as, Mama, Ruth, Walter, and Beneatha, have their own particular dreams, which create dramatic events within the home. Walter a man who made many mistakes through this play, was the only character that undergo a great transformation. The play displays the audience of how Walter being a chauffeur and not being able
He is working as a chauffeur for a rich white man and he has no room for advancement in his current career. Walter represents the typical man who wants to provide for his family, but he spends his days sucking up to his boss and not able to provide for his family. Mama Younger will receive 10,000 from her husband’s passing and the entire family has their dreams set upon what to do with it. Walter plans to use the money to invest in a liquor store with his buddy, Willy Harris. Walter’s entire family is against him opening up a liquor store and Mama Younger takes a down-payment on a house in a white neighborhood. A white man named Mr. Linder tries to get Walter to take money in exchange for not moving into the white neighborhood, Walter, the hero at this point, declines to take the money because he is not set on bowing down to the white man. When Mama Younger does this, Walter goes into a three-day drinking binge and decides to not go back to work. Walter eventually receives 6,500 dollars from Mama and she tells him to put 3,000 of the money for Beneatha’s education. Walter keeps the 3,500 to plan out his dream of opening a liquor store. When Walter believes that his dreams are finally accomplished, he turns into a kinder man towards his family. Walter becomes friendlier with his sister, hugs his mother and takes his wife for dates. The Walter Younger, who now believes that his family will acquire The American Dream, is a
Lorraine Hansberry in her play, “Raisin in the Sun”, attempted to explain the feelings of the average African American Male in the 1940s. This persona, which is portrayed in the character Walter, had experienced a severe feeling of depression and hopelessness. In order to understand this source of grievance, one must relate back to the Great Migration and the dreams it promised and the reasons why many African Americans sought to move to the North. A desire to achieve freedom from racial injustices and poverty was the prime factor that encouraged Blacks to abandon the south. However, these dreams where soon crushed as African American noticed that Northern whites had still maintained unequal segregation and where as stumbling block to Black advancement. The consequences of a “dream deferred”, as Langston Hughes called it, was dependency on others, alcohol addiction, as well as dysfunctional families.
In Lorraine Hansberry “A Raisin in the Sun”, the issues of racial discrimination, the debate of heroism, and criticism is vividly displayed. The play, which was written in the late 1950’s presents itself in a realistic discerning matter that implicates the racial division among the black family and white America. The play insinuates Walters’s heroism as well because of the black family’s struggle not to become discouraged in trying to obtain the world riches and still maintaining human dignity. When Hansberry wrote “A Raisin in the Sun”, many critics questioned the motive behind her play because it showed the America the world wants to grow oblivious to. This presents the reality of racial discrimination and heroism for the black man among