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A Raisin In The Sun Essay
1 ENG2603 Assignment 02 Unique number: 716359 UNISA student number: 57342709 2
Context Cover page: page 1 Context page: page 2 Question A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine
Hansberry: page 3 to page 5 Bibliography: page 6 Plagiarism report: page 7 3 A Raisin in the Sun
by Lorraine Hansberry "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for
each according to ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth"
Throughout Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, we see the positive and negative effects of
chasing the American Dream. The American Dream is rooted in the Declaration of Independence,
which proclaims that "all men are created equal" with...show more content...
Walter Lee becomes more worried about the money than the situations around him, such as his wife's
pregnancy– he does not even try to tell her not to terminate. Walter becomes obsessed with making
the business transaction to change their lives, he so desperately wanted a better life with nice cars,
gardens and great schools– he too wanted to give the world to his son but in his way and not his
mother's. Walter Lee even tries to get his wife Ruth to get Lena "mama" to give him the money
(p.17). Lena has no intention to let any of the money go towards investing into a liquor store
(p.50) "there ain't going to be no investing in no liquor stores". Lena "mama" puts down a deposit
on a nice big house where Travis can have his own room and Ruth is so happy and excited. Walter
feels betrayed, that his mother has destroyed his dreams after encouraging him to have them (p.71)
"so you butchered up a dream of mine". Lena then gives Walter Lee the remainder of the money–
sixty–five hundred dollars– asking that three thousand goes into a savings account for Beneatha's
studies and that the remainder belongs to him to do as he sees fit. "It ain't much, but it's all I got in
the world and I'm putting it in your
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“A Raisin in the Sun”
Lorraine Hansberry used symbolism in her successful drama, "A Raisin in the Sun" to portray
emotions felt in the lives of her characters and possible her own. Hansberry set her piece in
Chicago's South Side, probably the early 1950's. During this period in history, many
African–Americans, like the Youngers, struggled to overcome the well–known prejudices that were
far too familiar. The main scene, in this touching realist drama, is the home of the Youngers, an
overcrowded run–down apartment. Hansberry used this private scenery to enhance the many
feelings the Youngers, and other African
–Americans, fought to conquer and to embrace in the name
of happiness.
As with families of any ethnic group, the Youngers ultimate goal was to be...show more content...
Hansberry, not only, played on the condition of the apartment; she used the size as well. The
condition alone portrayed the despair and oppression the Youngers felt, but Hansberry wanted to
make their struggle to suppress depression undeniable. She did this by placing the family of five,
soon to be six, in a two–bedroom apartment with no bathroom. This small, cramped apartment also
symbolized the pressures from society to divvy up the limited resources partitioned for
African–Americans. By setting the scene this way, Hansberry also was able to set the mood. The
feeling of tension and need for the characters to fight for their fair share is apparent in the opening
act, as Ruth rushes Travis into the bathroom before the neighbors. These feelings serve as a
foundation for the problems in act three between brother and sister, Ruth's motive to have an
abortion, and represent an explanation to the need so many African–Americans felt to compete
against each other. Hansberry characterized the lack of resources, a common theme here, not only in
the lack of space, but also in the lack of food, money, and sunlight. As conflict intensified in the
small space, Mama realized that her be–loved family was falling apart and only the reality of owning
a home could bring unity. To overcome the mountains of negative emotions the Youngers turn to
their beckons of hope. The three main symbolic items Hansberry used were Mama's
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A Raisin In The Sun Essay Questions
The days of two bedrooms for six and the hassle to reach the bathroom shared between two
households may be ancient history for the Youngers. You could say the Younger's haven't been
fortunate when it comes to their wealth, but one slip of paper may change everything about how this
family has lived. The only issue is that each member of the family has a different idea of what they
want to do with this newly aquired check. This well–known play focuses on this family's difficult
decision as to what they will do with the money as well as the realization that money is not the
solution to all of your problems. Despite all of the hardships that this family suddenly has to face,
because of the money, they are able to make the best of it in the end....show more content...
Ruth has found out she is pregnant but is debating whether to get an abortion or not because she
does not want to cause anymore trouble within the family. Mama puts a down payment on a house
that will better hold this now growing family. Walter is still very caught up in wanting to invest in
this liquor store and Mama sees how much he wants it so she gives him sixty–five hundred dollars
to put toward it. Walters so called partner takes off with the money and Walter is left with nothing.
This devastating event is an eye–opener for Walter and after a few trips to the bar and the sadness
comes and goes he realizes that "money isn't life" (Hansberry 74) and that he should focus more on
keeping his family united. Meanwhile, the Youngers have been offered money if they choose not to
move into Clybourne Park. Walter finally steps up and refuses the offer because he has made the
choice to listen and do what is best for the family. I think family is very important and the outcome
definitely touched me. It was hard for Water to accept the fact that money isn't the most important
thing but just his decision the focus more on the family made a huge difference. Yes, the Youngers
may still not have a great amount of money but the difference between the beginning of the story and
now is that they have each other and that is so much more
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Response Analysis On A Raisin In The Sun
The situation that play out in Hansberry's play A Raisin in the Sun can be put side by side in
situation that is happening in modern America, and we can see how each of the characters have
characteristic that we still see in people today. Using Reader–Response Analysis we can see that how
people act, think, and handled problems in the play A Raisin in the Sun is still how people today
still handle problems. A Raisin in the Sun is perfect example of how a family can handle
problems that occur between them, and still be able to work together to get over them. The
biggest problem that the Younger family faced was what each member of the family was going
to do with the insurance money. Each family member had their own way on how they wanted to
spend the insurance money this then created a divided between them and how they interacted
with each other. Money and pride still today has a big factor in how people interact with each
other. It never really stops, people can be prideful and not want something given to them. Then
you have ones that, when people given and given to them they do not care, and just want you to
take care of them. We see an example of the first type of person in the play. The main one that
comes to mind that is prideful is Lena Younger. She is the head of the house, what she says is law
to her family members, but she also is a motherly figure that helps all of the Youngers. People who
are strong minded and are protective of others can be
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A Raisin in the Sun Essay
In A Raisin In the Sun Lorraine Hansberry uses everyday objects–a plant, money, and a home to
symbolize a family's struggle to deal with racism and oppression in their everyday lives, as well as
to exemplify their dreams. She begins with a vivid description of the family's weary, small, and dark
apartment in Chicago's ghetto Southside during the 1950s. The Youngers are an indigent
African–American family who has few choices in their white society. Each individual of the
Younger family has a separate dream–Beneatha wants to become a doctor, Walter wants to open a
liquor store, and Ruth and Mama want a new and better home. The Youngers struggle to accomplish
these dreams throughout the play, and a major aspect of their happiness and...show more content...
Walter believes that money will solve all of their problems and he speaks about money constantly
"because it is life [. . .]"(1010). Walter's selfishness can be seen at the climax of the play when the
family finds out that Willy has ran away with the money: "I never. . . went to the bank at all. .
."(1032). Consequently, Walter used the money to begin his own business. Beneatha, Walter's
younger sister is a college student who is independent, a feminist, and has the desires to become a
doctor. A portion of her father's insurance money is to be set aside for medical school. When the
check arrives, tensions within the family begin. After Beneatha learns of the loss of the stolen
money, she denies Walter as her brother saying, "That is not a man. That is nothing but a toothless
rat. He is no brother of mine" (1039). At this point in time, it is obvious that the power and
significance of money is tearing the Younger family apart. Last but not least, Mama and Ruth have
the aspiration of living in a new home. The apartment in which they currently reside is small, dark,
and handled with care: "the furnishings of this room were actually selected with care and love and
hope [. . .]" (988). It is evident that the home is a very important to the Younger family and it is a
critical
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A Raisin In The Sun Rhetorical Analysis
A Raisin in the Sun
Paragraph one
In the short play A Raisin in the sun conflict's both internal and external occure for in three of the
main characters regarding their dreams. When the opportunity came for them to accomplish their
dreams through using the insurance money they've come across from the loss of a family member,
one of the main characters, Walter, wishes to be successful in life; but he needs the insurance
money to do so. He wants to use the insurance money to open up a liquor store because he believes
this would change his life. A exceptional quote that shows his determination to be successful in life
is when he speaks to Ruth "You tired, ain't you? Tired of everything. Me, the boy. The way we
live–this beat up hole–everything"(
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Argumentative Essay On A Raisin In The Sun
A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry shows how people's actions can be perceived as both
good and bad. In this play, the Younger family is trying to achieve the American dream, "the
ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every
American"(cite dictionary.com). The Youngers are a black family living in a poor part of
Chicago. The family inherits ten thousand dollars from a relative. Each family member has their
own idea about how to use this money to fulfill their dreams. The play uses the decisions of the
family members to make the reader think about what are the right choices. Mama is the matriarch
of the family, and she wants to use the money to buy a house in a white neighborhood. She wants
to move to this neighborhood because it is a better environment for her family. Lindor is a man
who lives in the white neighborhood and he appears to make decisions for the benefit of the family.
The decisions that Mama and Lindor make and the actions they take can be viewed as good or bad
for both the individual and the community.
However, Hansberry uses a man by the name of Linder who tries to help himself and the Younger
family, but with that, he is promoting segregation. On the other hand, with mama moving, they are
putting their lives at risk, however they will be moving past segregation and trying to make all lives
equal. Both Lindor and Mama were thinking about themselves and not others around the community.
In the play, Mama, makes the decision to move into a new house, with this choice Mama puts her
family in a tough situation. This benefits the family in several ways such as boosting their moral,
and allowing them to live in a more pleasant area. As Mama told Walter, " Walter Lee
– it makes a
difference in a man when he can walk on floors that belong to him" (2.1.92). One huge factor of
moving to a better area, if confidence. With this boost of a better house, it could make Walter and
the rest of his family work harder, allowing them to make more money. However, there have been
recent bombings on colored houses in white neighborhoods. As Johnson mentioned "you mean you
ain't read 'bout them colored people that was bombed out of their place out there?"
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A Raisin In The Sun Analysis
In Lorraine Hansberry's a Raisin In the Sun the character Ruth is talking about getting rid of her
child and mama wants Walter to be like his father and tell her not to but he can't bring himself to
do it. In act one scene three there is a lot of tension and fighting so hansberry wants to break the
tension with some humor. One example of humor is when beneatha comes out of her room in a
Nigerian dress singing songs and confusing Mama (76). Another example of how there is humor
after beneath a comes out with her dress Walter also comes in the scene drunk and dancing and
chanting with beneatha (77–79). Hansberry made things calmer and broke the tension because a
book or play is not good if it is serious scene after serious scene they have to have humor in their
book or play. In Lorraine Hansberry's a Raisin In the Sun the character George murchison is a
very important character to Hansberry's book and is very different than Agasai. One difference
between George and Agasai is he is very full of himself and Agasai is more humble and does not
really talk about himself and money. A second difference is George is not really talking about his
emotions and Agasai is very honest about his emotions. A third difference is George is assimilates
with his surroundings but Asagai acts how he acts everywhere. In Lorraine Hansberry's a Raisin In
the Sun the character Beneatha stopped putting hair cream in her hair after Asagai asks her why she
does it. The reason the
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A Raisin in the Sun
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...show more content...
Toward the end of the play his spirit is broken, and he behaves almost like a madman, plotting to
give in to Lindner and accept his offer; this action greatly worries his mother. The whole time,
Walter wasn't simply looking for a chance to follow through with his plans. He was seeking support
from the system that he found himself subject to. This idea comes up in Gertrude Samuels' Even
More Crucial Than in the South. "...the real drive that is now rising ominously is a demand for
personal dignity" (Samuels 1546). His personal dignity is at stake repeatedly throughout the story
when he finds himself battling against a troubled family and a corrupt system. The racism–steeped
social system negatively affects African–American males and females, causing deeply rooted issues.
The three women in the story, Beneatha, Ruth, and Mama, represent the different views Black
women took during these troublesome times. There were women like Beneatha, who didn't want to
live the typical life of a wife and mother, and openly disapproved the assimilation of Blacks into
American culture as well: "Because I hate assimilationist Negroes!" (Hansberry 1500). She wanted to
become highly educated, and to change the world somehow. She wanted to be something. Beneatha
is a very strong–willed, hard–headed character. This could very well have been caused by the unfair
rules of her time constantly being reiterated to her through several mediums. Over and over again
she is told that she must
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A Raisin in the Sun
A Raisin in the Sun
"A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry is a play centered around an African–American family
on the Southside of Chicago set after World War II. This groundbreaking play was the first of its
kind revolving around the race relations of the middle of the twentieth century. This play has won
over many hearts and minds with its intense drama and relevant storyline. This play's title is off the
poem "Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes, where Mr. Hughes contemplates on what happens to
a dream deferred "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" This
play's main theme is dreams of each of the characters. Each character has their own version of how
they want the future to be. Also each...show more content...
She talks of how he was a great father figure and how when she had a miscarriage he basically
worked himself to death."Yes, a fine man–just couldn't never catch up with his dreams, that's
all"(Hansberry 1304). she decides to take it upon herself to fulfill their dreams. Her dream was
differed and put aside for the family. "Mama's Christian response to a lifetime of oppression could
be read as "a syrupy sweet," as the sugaring over of present realities with the crust of faith and
prayer. Hansberry's characters carry the existential load voiced in Hughes's poem; yet, while these
responses on their own are self–destructive" (568 Matthews). While she doesn't care much for
money as her son does, her idea of everything is freedom. Freedom to do whatever one wants.
Eventually in the end she collects her fragile little plant just like her family and takes it to the new
house to flourish.
While Walter and Mama both have reasonable dreams to do whatever with the money. Beneatha is
so far the most interesting character in the whole play. She is the younger sister of Walter and is
living with the family. Beneatha's dreams is not so much so dependent on the money but more of a
cultural dream. She is a student at a local college/university studying to be a doctor. She has riffs
with her older brother just like how typical siblings always fight. But what makes the fighting
different is how Walter doesn't
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Analysis Of A Raisin In The Sun
In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry many character have dreams. Beneatha's to become a
doctor, Mama's to buy a house and Walter's to own a liquor store. These dreams affect each character
differently. In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry illustrates Walter Lee's dream of owning a
liquor store affects him negatively by causing him to constantly be thinking about money and causing
him to make bad decisions, it also affects him positively, by teaching him an important life lesson.
Walter Lee's dream of owning a liquor store impacts him negatively because it makes him desperate
for money and constantly worrying his financial situation. It has been in his mind so much that it is
almost all he thinks about, he is constantly asking Mama when his father, Big Walter's life insurance
check will arrive. "Walter– "Did it come," Mama– "Can't you give people a Christian greeting before
you start asking about money." (Hansberry 70) Walter's constant worrying about when the life
insurance money will arrive impacts his life negative because it leaves him stuck on the thought of
money. If he is always thinking about money then he isn't thinking about other important things like
his family or his work. Furthermore since he is always thinking about the life insurance money it
means that his thoughts will be snowballed. First he is always thinking about when the money will
come, then he will be stuck thinking about what the Younger's will do with the money and if he will
get it
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A Raisin In The Sun Essay
Life is often a bumpy road full of struggles, misfortune, and in some cases disaster and when these
things occur it can cause you to defer the things you dream about. In Lorraine Hansberry's play A
Raisin in the Sun, we see through the lives of the struggling Younger family that sometimes you
have to put aside your dreams and aspirations in order to deal with all the struggles and oppositions
that are thrown at you in life. The Younger family comes upon a stroke of misfortune when the
insurance money which was given to the family due to the loss of a family member is stolen. This
causes the younger family to ultimately unite as one realizing the importance of putting family first,
keeping your pride and dignity as a human being when all else...show more content...
When Walter gave away Mama's insurance money Beneatha, his sister, had the initial reaction of a
feeling of hatred toward her brother and she felt as if she didn't love him anymore. Mama then
explained to Beneatha an important lesson on family by saying, "Child, when do you think is the
time to love somebody the most? When they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well
then, you ain't through learning – because that ain't the time at all. It's when he's at his lowest and
can't believe in hisself 'cause the world done whipped him so!" and in saying this she showed
Bennetha that family is the most important thing, no matter how much of a dilemma has been
caused. This displays the serious importance of family being a main priority even in the ups and
downs of life. In addition to Mama teaching a valuable lesson, Walter decides to teach one of his own
to the family. When Walter loses the money he calls Mr. Linder, the man who didn't want them to
move into the white neighborhood, to tell him they want to take the offer. However, when he arrives
Walter decides to show his family that he can be a man by refusing the buyout, keeping their dignity,
and continuing with their plan of moving into the new white neighborhood. The Youngers showed
that they are strong and that they know how to stick together in a difficult situation standing with
what they believe to help the ones they
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A Raisin in the Sun Essay
A dream is a wish that someone hopes to fulfill in their lifetime, or in the near future. The American
dream is interpreted in multiple ways, and even though this is true, the structure of the American
Dream is the same. When talking about the American Dream, most people think of families thriving
together and succeeding in what they want to do. The American dream is based on freedom, justice,
success, and in socioeconomic terms. In A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family have different
dreams and all of them felt that their dream is more important than their families' dreams. Most of
the members of the Younger family face difficulties in achieving their dream, but only a few will
accomplish this. The value and purpose of the...show more content...
Mama at one point said, "My husband always said being any kind of servant wasn't fit thing for a
man to have to be. He always said a man's hands was made to make things, or to turn the earth
with–not to drive nobody's car for 'em–or–(she looks at her own hands) carry them slop jars"
(Hansberry 103). Big Walter was the inspirer of the family, especially to Mama, who taught not to
degrade yourself in front of anyone and be whoever you want. Mama carries these teachings on
with her children and Mama's contribution to family support through menial jobs and continues
even after Big Walter's death. There were lots of racial tensions between the blacks and the
whites at the time, and because of this, they fled the south to escape the oppression in the south to
seek jobs and justice in the north. Mama's American Dream for peace in the north is compromised
by the rampant segregation that her family faces in being compelled not to buy a house from the
white neighborhood of the Clybourne Park Improvement Association (M'baye 178). Mama tells
Walter, "In my time we were worried about not being lynched and getting to the North if we could
and how to stay alive and still have a pinch if dignity too" (Hansberry, 74). This proves how
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A Raisin Of The Sun
Essay 3: Suggested Topics
A Raisin in the Sun was a play written in the late 1950's analyzing the cruel effects of racism
amongst the Younger family. The younger family suffers from racial discrimination within their
living space, place of employment, and the housing industry. Racism has been going on for a very
long time in the United States and will always continue to exist. Racism has not only led to political
but also social issues. "A Raisin in the Sun confronted Whites for an acknowledgement that a black
family could be fully human, 'just like us."(qtd. White fear.) The setting took place in the ghetto,
south of Chicago where mainly African Americans settled. In this division, apartments and houses
were overly priced, crowded and poorly maintained. Crime rates were extremely high and most
families lived in poverty. Due to segregated housing, it was a daily struggle for black families who
had hopes in leaving the ghetto for better lives.
The Younger family is a black family that struggles to gain middle class acceptance. When the
play opens, Mama, who is the mother of the Younger family, is waiting for a $10,000 life
insurance check from the death of her husband. Walter Lee Younger who is the son of Mama,
shows signs of disappointment with his current living conditions "I got a boy who sleeps in the
living room... and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live..."(1477). Walter
was desperate to attain a better live for their growing family that he
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A Raisin In The Sun
Whenever the powers go out during a storm, the Wi–Fi also does not work. Our power at my house
went out for some reason. I could not finish my homework without the Wi–Fi because I was doing it
on my laptop. In the book, A Raisin in The Sun, all the characters had conflict with technology.
Beneatha plays a song with the music player. Walter and her are singing and dancing to it. They
probably had to switch songs all the time. Nowadays, it just keeps playing or it replays the song.
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A Raisin in the Sun Essay
A raisin in the sun is a true story about an African American family that fights about who should get
the money. Mama is the one that has the money, she wants to use the money to buy a house but
Walter wants the money to invest it in a liquor store, and Beneatha needs the money for college to
become a doctor. Eventually Mama decides to give the money to Walter but then Walter loses the
money,the guy he gave the money to ran off with the money.When the family bought the house
Mr.Linder pays them a visit and tells them not to and tries to talk them out of it. The reason why he
doesn't want them to move in because the neighborhood is full of white people and if they move in
then other African Americans will try to move in too.
The...show more content...
Also another theme would be about money because in the story as you can see Walter needs the
money to open up his liquor store and Beneatha needs the money to go to college, and Mama who
want to buy a house instead of living in a place where it's so small and having to share a bathroom
with the neighbors.this all shows money problem, each of them has a dream they want to achievel
but they can't, just like how Beneaths dream was to become a doctor but it's not going to happen
because they lost the money.
The setting of "A Raisin In The Sun" is in a tiny apartment in Chicago south side 1950s. the place
is really crowded, especially with 5 people living in it. There's only 2 rooms. Travis, Walter's son
sleeps in the living room on a small couch. The kitchen is so small. They have a small bathroom
that they have to share with their neighbors.(pg.861)When Ruth finds out she's pregnant right away
she thinks of getting an abortion because she knows theres no place for the baby to sleep. in 1950's
in the south there was a lot of racism you can tell that by how the neighbors didn't want them to move
in the neighborhood.
This story is a true story but sadly things that happened in that story still happens today . people
are still races to other races. White people are still racist to african americans like they always say
how african americans are dangerous, they bully people and other kind
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A Raisin In The Sun Literary Analysis
Our parents always told us that we should have goals and dreams in our life, and through them we
will gain happiness. There are some things in life that get in the way of our dreams and goals. In
the Declaration of Independence, It states that we have the right to pursue happiness. For example
having everybody in the world be equal, and not be shamed upon or looked at differently due to
the color of their skin. The poem ВЁThe Negro Mother,ВЁ the play A Raisin in the Sun, and the
article Innocence Is Irrelevant, all show how our society and they way people can get in the way of
our happiness.
In our class we read a poem called ВЁHarlemВЁ which related to the book, A Raisin in the Sun. A
Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is about the...show more content...
In Innocence is Irrelevant shows how mothers will stick out for their children under any
circumstances.
In the summer of August 31, 2017 Emily Yoffe wrote an article called Innocence is Irrelevant.
This article is about a women named Sweat who got framed by her boyfriend, by putting drugs in
her house and then calling the police and framing her. The story goes on to tell us how she has to
commit guilty to a crime to take care of her family. Sweat is hoping to make her life happy is by
knowing that her kids are happy and protected. Unfortunately having to plea bargain is making it
very difficult to make sure her kids are protected. For example when Sweat said, " she believed
that this would result in the police pinning the crime on her sons" (Yoffe, 23). Taking the blame
for her boyfriend all started when he didn't abide by Sweat's rules in the house and smoked
marijuana in front of her kids in the house. She kicked him out and wanted him out of her life.
The outcome was he framed her and called the police on her. When the police found the stash she
made a very bold decision and told herself. "I'm not going to let my children go down for someone
else's mistake. A parent should take ownership of what happens in the house" (Yoffe,21). In doing
so to protect her sons she told the police the marijuana was her's. Sweat is relatable to Mama in A
Raisin in the Sun because Sweat and Mama both want what's best for their children.
In class we read a lot of articles
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Character Analysis A Raisin In The Sun
Mohammad Saifan Raisin in the Sun Analysis What makes a person make a good choice or a bad
choice? What influences that person? Is it the people around that person? These are all questions
to wonder about, and in the end of the script it is all answered. Walter in "A Raisin in The Sun,"
by Lorraine Hansbery, is a character surrounded by women who do not understand him. Over the
course of the story, Walter makes many choices that change their lives in the story, because of
Ruth, Beneatha, and Mama. First, Ruth, is one of the women in the house who changes Walter's
decisions in the story. Her relationship towards him is poor. Ruth nags at the beginning, saying
"Eat your eggs Walter" (Hansberry 34). This angers him because she repeats it multiple times
throughout, not understanding him, showing their strained relationship. Ruth is also shown to
not be on Walter's side on multiple occasions. For example, when Walter finds out that Mama
spent the money on a new house, he does not like it. Ruth however is not feeling the same way as
him, and tells him "Walter honey, be glad" (Hansberry 92). Ruth tells Walter to be glad, because
their views are different. Ruth thinks this was beneficial to the family, yet Walter does not. This
hurts Walter throughout the story as he feels alone with no one on his side. Walter know this
when he says "Cause ain't nobody with Me! Not even my own mother!" (Hansberry 85). Since he
is alone, and believes no one cares about him, he tries to fix his own mistake when he decides he
will get more money saying, "That White man is going to walk in that door all to write checks
for more money than we ever had." (Hansberry 143). Ruth does not like Walter's idea, but he does
not care as no one is on his side, which disappoints Ruth. Additionally, Walter's sister Beneatha, is
another woman in the house who also affects Walter's decision because of their negative
relationship. She is aiming to be a doctor. Walter thinks that is not a good idea when he tells her
"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).
Likewise, she does not respect Walter at all, that
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Raisin In The Sun
In a carefully worded essay I will discuss the aspect of 'race' as a hindrance to the
aspirations of the Younger family in A raisin in the sun.
When we analyse Lorraine Hansberry's A raisin in the sun, we realize from the very
start her inspiration behind the title is found in Harlem; a poem by Langston Hughes.
The speaker asks a very sensitive question: "What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?"
This analogy that Hughes explores, shape the very heart of Hansberry's enquiry
about a poor black American family's different aspirations and their hindrance that
occurred because of racial segregation, discrimination and inequality due to a lack of
civil rights in the American history.
When we...show more content...
Another aspect that served as a hindrance to their aspirations was that racial identity
caused the black society to be indoctrinated with a sense of inferiority to white
Americans, and their false outlook that their purpose was to serve the white
'superior' race. This can be seen in Ruth's character where she has to work as a
domestic worker for wealthy white families. Ruth is constantly reminded of the vast
differences between the wealthy white families that she 'serves' versus their
disadvantaged family.
Even after falling pregnant, Ruth would not even dare to miss a day away from work,
due to fears that her agent will lay her off. Since sharing the role as provider for her
family with Walter Lee, she is constantly aware that without the extra income, her
family would not survive. Ruth's aspirations are hindered due to the fact that she is
stuck in a position where she needs to support her family financially rather than
taking on the maternal "stay at home"–mom role that white moms
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A Raisin in the Sun Essay
A Raisin in the Sun Creativity of Hansberry played a crucial role in the development of
African–American drama since the Second World War. A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by
African–American author which was set on Broadway and was honored by the circle of New
York theater critics. Drama of A Raisin in the Sun (1959) brought Hansberry to the Award Society
of New York Critics as the best play of the year. A Raisin in the Sun shows the life of an ordinary
African–American family which dreams of happiness and their desire to achieve their dream. A
Raisin in the Sun is a play telling the story of an African–American tragedy. The play is about the
Younger family near the end of the 1950s. The Younger family lives in the ghetto and
...show more
content...
The driving spring of action is the desire of the Youngers to leave the ghetto, which causes fierce
resistance to their future white neighbors. The events of the play took parts not in historically racist
South, but in the North, where people are usually more tolerant. The play is attractive not only by
acute but also deep character development. Images of Walter Lee, torn between traditional values of
the African–American community – principles of love, unity, and human dignity – and values of
American society, obsessed with the idea of material success, is extremely interesting, as well as the
image of his mother, symbolizing the best traits of African–American people. There are conflicts in
the play especially between the siblings. Who has more rights to fulfill their personal dreams,
which deserves their dream to come true sooner? Mama Lena is facing these difficult decisions.
Making the right decision is hard for her because she wants to make it right for everyone and
wants no one to be hurt by a wrong decision. Incidentally, the play tells the story of a family which
members diligently pursue work which has not paid much, especially in the environment of racial
intolerance. The story of Lena's daughter, who is still looking after herself, is, therefore, more
volatile. And her son of Walter Lee, who soon abandons himself because he wants more from his life,
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A Raisin In The Sun Essay Questions

  • 1. A Raisin In The Sun Essay 1 ENG2603 Assignment 02 Unique number: 716359 UNISA student number: 57342709 2 Context Cover page: page 1 Context page: page 2 Question A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry: page 3 to page 5 Bibliography: page 6 Plagiarism report: page 7 3 A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth" Throughout Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, we see the positive and negative effects of chasing the American Dream. The American Dream is rooted in the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims that "all men are created equal" with...show more content... Walter Lee becomes more worried about the money than the situations around him, such as his wife's pregnancy– he does not even try to tell her not to terminate. Walter becomes obsessed with making the business transaction to change their lives, he so desperately wanted a better life with nice cars, gardens and great schools– he too wanted to give the world to his son but in his way and not his mother's. Walter Lee even tries to get his wife Ruth to get Lena "mama" to give him the money (p.17). Lena has no intention to let any of the money go towards investing into a liquor store (p.50) "there ain't going to be no investing in no liquor stores". Lena "mama" puts down a deposit on a nice big house where Travis can have his own room and Ruth is so happy and excited. Walter feels betrayed, that his mother has destroyed his dreams after encouraging him to have them (p.71) "so you butchered up a dream of mine". Lena then gives Walter Lee the remainder of the money– sixty–five hundred dollars– asking that three thousand goes into a savings account for Beneatha's studies and that the remainder belongs to him to do as he sees fit. "It ain't much, but it's all I got in the world and I'm putting it in your Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 2. “A Raisin in the Sun” Lorraine Hansberry used symbolism in her successful drama, "A Raisin in the Sun" to portray emotions felt in the lives of her characters and possible her own. Hansberry set her piece in Chicago's South Side, probably the early 1950's. During this period in history, many African–Americans, like the Youngers, struggled to overcome the well–known prejudices that were far too familiar. The main scene, in this touching realist drama, is the home of the Youngers, an overcrowded run–down apartment. Hansberry used this private scenery to enhance the many feelings the Youngers, and other African –Americans, fought to conquer and to embrace in the name of happiness. As with families of any ethnic group, the Youngers ultimate goal was to be...show more content... Hansberry, not only, played on the condition of the apartment; she used the size as well. The condition alone portrayed the despair and oppression the Youngers felt, but Hansberry wanted to make their struggle to suppress depression undeniable. She did this by placing the family of five, soon to be six, in a two–bedroom apartment with no bathroom. This small, cramped apartment also symbolized the pressures from society to divvy up the limited resources partitioned for African–Americans. By setting the scene this way, Hansberry also was able to set the mood. The feeling of tension and need for the characters to fight for their fair share is apparent in the opening act, as Ruth rushes Travis into the bathroom before the neighbors. These feelings serve as a foundation for the problems in act three between brother and sister, Ruth's motive to have an abortion, and represent an explanation to the need so many African–Americans felt to compete against each other. Hansberry characterized the lack of resources, a common theme here, not only in the lack of space, but also in the lack of food, money, and sunlight. As conflict intensified in the small space, Mama realized that her be–loved family was falling apart and only the reality of owning a home could bring unity. To overcome the mountains of negative emotions the Youngers turn to their beckons of hope. The three main symbolic items Hansberry used were Mama's Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 3. A Raisin In The Sun Essay Questions The days of two bedrooms for six and the hassle to reach the bathroom shared between two households may be ancient history for the Youngers. You could say the Younger's haven't been fortunate when it comes to their wealth, but one slip of paper may change everything about how this family has lived. The only issue is that each member of the family has a different idea of what they want to do with this newly aquired check. This well–known play focuses on this family's difficult decision as to what they will do with the money as well as the realization that money is not the solution to all of your problems. Despite all of the hardships that this family suddenly has to face, because of the money, they are able to make the best of it in the end....show more content... Ruth has found out she is pregnant but is debating whether to get an abortion or not because she does not want to cause anymore trouble within the family. Mama puts a down payment on a house that will better hold this now growing family. Walter is still very caught up in wanting to invest in this liquor store and Mama sees how much he wants it so she gives him sixty–five hundred dollars to put toward it. Walters so called partner takes off with the money and Walter is left with nothing. This devastating event is an eye–opener for Walter and after a few trips to the bar and the sadness comes and goes he realizes that "money isn't life" (Hansberry 74) and that he should focus more on keeping his family united. Meanwhile, the Youngers have been offered money if they choose not to move into Clybourne Park. Walter finally steps up and refuses the offer because he has made the choice to listen and do what is best for the family. I think family is very important and the outcome definitely touched me. It was hard for Water to accept the fact that money isn't the most important thing but just his decision the focus more on the family made a huge difference. Yes, the Youngers may still not have a great amount of money but the difference between the beginning of the story and now is that they have each other and that is so much more Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 4. Response Analysis On A Raisin In The Sun The situation that play out in Hansberry's play A Raisin in the Sun can be put side by side in situation that is happening in modern America, and we can see how each of the characters have characteristic that we still see in people today. Using Reader–Response Analysis we can see that how people act, think, and handled problems in the play A Raisin in the Sun is still how people today still handle problems. A Raisin in the Sun is perfect example of how a family can handle problems that occur between them, and still be able to work together to get over them. The biggest problem that the Younger family faced was what each member of the family was going to do with the insurance money. Each family member had their own way on how they wanted to spend the insurance money this then created a divided between them and how they interacted with each other. Money and pride still today has a big factor in how people interact with each other. It never really stops, people can be prideful and not want something given to them. Then you have ones that, when people given and given to them they do not care, and just want you to take care of them. We see an example of the first type of person in the play. The main one that comes to mind that is prideful is Lena Younger. She is the head of the house, what she says is law to her family members, but she also is a motherly figure that helps all of the Youngers. People who are strong minded and are protective of others can be Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 5. A Raisin in the Sun Essay In A Raisin In the Sun Lorraine Hansberry uses everyday objects–a plant, money, and a home to symbolize a family's struggle to deal with racism and oppression in their everyday lives, as well as to exemplify their dreams. She begins with a vivid description of the family's weary, small, and dark apartment in Chicago's ghetto Southside during the 1950s. The Youngers are an indigent African–American family who has few choices in their white society. Each individual of the Younger family has a separate dream–Beneatha wants to become a doctor, Walter wants to open a liquor store, and Ruth and Mama want a new and better home. The Youngers struggle to accomplish these dreams throughout the play, and a major aspect of their happiness and...show more content... Walter believes that money will solve all of their problems and he speaks about money constantly "because it is life [. . .]"(1010). Walter's selfishness can be seen at the climax of the play when the family finds out that Willy has ran away with the money: "I never. . . went to the bank at all. . ."(1032). Consequently, Walter used the money to begin his own business. Beneatha, Walter's younger sister is a college student who is independent, a feminist, and has the desires to become a doctor. A portion of her father's insurance money is to be set aside for medical school. When the check arrives, tensions within the family begin. After Beneatha learns of the loss of the stolen money, she denies Walter as her brother saying, "That is not a man. That is nothing but a toothless rat. He is no brother of mine" (1039). At this point in time, it is obvious that the power and significance of money is tearing the Younger family apart. Last but not least, Mama and Ruth have the aspiration of living in a new home. The apartment in which they currently reside is small, dark, and handled with care: "the furnishings of this room were actually selected with care and love and hope [. . .]" (988). It is evident that the home is a very important to the Younger family and it is a critical Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 6. A Raisin In The Sun Rhetorical Analysis A Raisin in the Sun Paragraph one In the short play A Raisin in the sun conflict's both internal and external occure for in three of the main characters regarding their dreams. When the opportunity came for them to accomplish their dreams through using the insurance money they've come across from the loss of a family member, one of the main characters, Walter, wishes to be successful in life; but he needs the insurance money to do so. He wants to use the insurance money to open up a liquor store because he believes this would change his life. A exceptional quote that shows his determination to be successful in life is when he speaks to Ruth "You tired, ain't you? Tired of everything. Me, the boy. The way we live–this beat up hole–everything"( Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 7. Argumentative Essay On A Raisin In The Sun A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry shows how people's actions can be perceived as both good and bad. In this play, the Younger family is trying to achieve the American dream, "the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American"(cite dictionary.com). The Youngers are a black family living in a poor part of Chicago. The family inherits ten thousand dollars from a relative. Each family member has their own idea about how to use this money to fulfill their dreams. The play uses the decisions of the family members to make the reader think about what are the right choices. Mama is the matriarch of the family, and she wants to use the money to buy a house in a white neighborhood. She wants to move to this neighborhood because it is a better environment for her family. Lindor is a man who lives in the white neighborhood and he appears to make decisions for the benefit of the family. The decisions that Mama and Lindor make and the actions they take can be viewed as good or bad for both the individual and the community. However, Hansberry uses a man by the name of Linder who tries to help himself and the Younger family, but with that, he is promoting segregation. On the other hand, with mama moving, they are putting their lives at risk, however they will be moving past segregation and trying to make all lives equal. Both Lindor and Mama were thinking about themselves and not others around the community. In the play, Mama, makes the decision to move into a new house, with this choice Mama puts her family in a tough situation. This benefits the family in several ways such as boosting their moral, and allowing them to live in a more pleasant area. As Mama told Walter, " Walter Lee – it makes a difference in a man when he can walk on floors that belong to him" (2.1.92). One huge factor of moving to a better area, if confidence. With this boost of a better house, it could make Walter and the rest of his family work harder, allowing them to make more money. However, there have been recent bombings on colored houses in white neighborhoods. As Johnson mentioned "you mean you ain't read 'bout them colored people that was bombed out of their place out there?" Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 8. A Raisin In The Sun Analysis In Lorraine Hansberry's a Raisin In the Sun the character Ruth is talking about getting rid of her child and mama wants Walter to be like his father and tell her not to but he can't bring himself to do it. In act one scene three there is a lot of tension and fighting so hansberry wants to break the tension with some humor. One example of humor is when beneatha comes out of her room in a Nigerian dress singing songs and confusing Mama (76). Another example of how there is humor after beneath a comes out with her dress Walter also comes in the scene drunk and dancing and chanting with beneatha (77–79). Hansberry made things calmer and broke the tension because a book or play is not good if it is serious scene after serious scene they have to have humor in their book or play. In Lorraine Hansberry's a Raisin In the Sun the character George murchison is a very important character to Hansberry's book and is very different than Agasai. One difference between George and Agasai is he is very full of himself and Agasai is more humble and does not really talk about himself and money. A second difference is George is not really talking about his emotions and Agasai is very honest about his emotions. A third difference is George is assimilates with his surroundings but Asagai acts how he acts everywhere. In Lorraine Hansberry's a Raisin In the Sun the character Beneatha stopped putting hair cream in her hair after Asagai asks her why she does it. The reason the Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 9. A Raisin in the Sun 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...show more content... Toward the end of the play his spirit is broken, and he behaves almost like a madman, plotting to give in to Lindner and accept his offer; this action greatly worries his mother. The whole time, Walter wasn't simply looking for a chance to follow through with his plans. He was seeking support from the system that he found himself subject to. This idea comes up in Gertrude Samuels' Even More Crucial Than in the South. "...the real drive that is now rising ominously is a demand for personal dignity" (Samuels 1546). His personal dignity is at stake repeatedly throughout the story when he finds himself battling against a troubled family and a corrupt system. The racism–steeped social system negatively affects African–American males and females, causing deeply rooted issues. The three women in the story, Beneatha, Ruth, and Mama, represent the different views Black women took during these troublesome times. There were women like Beneatha, who didn't want to live the typical life of a wife and mother, and openly disapproved the assimilation of Blacks into American culture as well: "Because I hate assimilationist Negroes!" (Hansberry 1500). She wanted to become highly educated, and to change the world somehow. She wanted to be something. Beneatha is a very strong–willed, hard–headed character. This could very well have been caused by the unfair rules of her time constantly being reiterated to her through several mediums. Over and over again she is told that she must Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 10. A Raisin in the Sun A Raisin in the Sun "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry is a play centered around an African–American family on the Southside of Chicago set after World War II. This groundbreaking play was the first of its kind revolving around the race relations of the middle of the twentieth century. This play has won over many hearts and minds with its intense drama and relevant storyline. This play's title is off the poem "Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes, where Mr. Hughes contemplates on what happens to a dream deferred "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" This play's main theme is dreams of each of the characters. Each character has their own version of how they want the future to be. Also each...show more content... She talks of how he was a great father figure and how when she had a miscarriage he basically worked himself to death."Yes, a fine man–just couldn't never catch up with his dreams, that's all"(Hansberry 1304). she decides to take it upon herself to fulfill their dreams. Her dream was differed and put aside for the family. "Mama's Christian response to a lifetime of oppression could be read as "a syrupy sweet," as the sugaring over of present realities with the crust of faith and prayer. Hansberry's characters carry the existential load voiced in Hughes's poem; yet, while these responses on their own are self–destructive" (568 Matthews). While she doesn't care much for money as her son does, her idea of everything is freedom. Freedom to do whatever one wants. Eventually in the end she collects her fragile little plant just like her family and takes it to the new house to flourish. While Walter and Mama both have reasonable dreams to do whatever with the money. Beneatha is so far the most interesting character in the whole play. She is the younger sister of Walter and is living with the family. Beneatha's dreams is not so much so dependent on the money but more of a cultural dream. She is a student at a local college/university studying to be a doctor. She has riffs with her older brother just like how typical siblings always fight. But what makes the fighting different is how Walter doesn't Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 11. Analysis Of A Raisin In The Sun In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry many character have dreams. Beneatha's to become a doctor, Mama's to buy a house and Walter's to own a liquor store. These dreams affect each character differently. In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry illustrates Walter Lee's dream of owning a liquor store affects him negatively by causing him to constantly be thinking about money and causing him to make bad decisions, it also affects him positively, by teaching him an important life lesson. Walter Lee's dream of owning a liquor store impacts him negatively because it makes him desperate for money and constantly worrying his financial situation. It has been in his mind so much that it is almost all he thinks about, he is constantly asking Mama when his father, Big Walter's life insurance check will arrive. "Walter– "Did it come," Mama– "Can't you give people a Christian greeting before you start asking about money." (Hansberry 70) Walter's constant worrying about when the life insurance money will arrive impacts his life negative because it leaves him stuck on the thought of money. If he is always thinking about money then he isn't thinking about other important things like his family or his work. Furthermore since he is always thinking about the life insurance money it means that his thoughts will be snowballed. First he is always thinking about when the money will come, then he will be stuck thinking about what the Younger's will do with the money and if he will get it Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 12. A Raisin In The Sun Essay Life is often a bumpy road full of struggles, misfortune, and in some cases disaster and when these things occur it can cause you to defer the things you dream about. In Lorraine Hansberry's play A Raisin in the Sun, we see through the lives of the struggling Younger family that sometimes you have to put aside your dreams and aspirations in order to deal with all the struggles and oppositions that are thrown at you in life. The Younger family comes upon a stroke of misfortune when the insurance money which was given to the family due to the loss of a family member is stolen. This causes the younger family to ultimately unite as one realizing the importance of putting family first, keeping your pride and dignity as a human being when all else...show more content... When Walter gave away Mama's insurance money Beneatha, his sister, had the initial reaction of a feeling of hatred toward her brother and she felt as if she didn't love him anymore. Mama then explained to Beneatha an important lesson on family by saying, "Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most? When they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain't through learning – because that ain't the time at all. It's when he's at his lowest and can't believe in hisself 'cause the world done whipped him so!" and in saying this she showed Bennetha that family is the most important thing, no matter how much of a dilemma has been caused. This displays the serious importance of family being a main priority even in the ups and downs of life. In addition to Mama teaching a valuable lesson, Walter decides to teach one of his own to the family. When Walter loses the money he calls Mr. Linder, the man who didn't want them to move into the white neighborhood, to tell him they want to take the offer. However, when he arrives Walter decides to show his family that he can be a man by refusing the buyout, keeping their dignity, and continuing with their plan of moving into the new white neighborhood. The Youngers showed that they are strong and that they know how to stick together in a difficult situation standing with what they believe to help the ones they Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 13. A Raisin in the Sun Essay A dream is a wish that someone hopes to fulfill in their lifetime, or in the near future. The American dream is interpreted in multiple ways, and even though this is true, the structure of the American Dream is the same. When talking about the American Dream, most people think of families thriving together and succeeding in what they want to do. The American dream is based on freedom, justice, success, and in socioeconomic terms. In A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family have different dreams and all of them felt that their dream is more important than their families' dreams. Most of the members of the Younger family face difficulties in achieving their dream, but only a few will accomplish this. The value and purpose of the...show more content... Mama at one point said, "My husband always said being any kind of servant wasn't fit thing for a man to have to be. He always said a man's hands was made to make things, or to turn the earth with–not to drive nobody's car for 'em–or–(she looks at her own hands) carry them slop jars" (Hansberry 103). Big Walter was the inspirer of the family, especially to Mama, who taught not to degrade yourself in front of anyone and be whoever you want. Mama carries these teachings on with her children and Mama's contribution to family support through menial jobs and continues even after Big Walter's death. There were lots of racial tensions between the blacks and the whites at the time, and because of this, they fled the south to escape the oppression in the south to seek jobs and justice in the north. Mama's American Dream for peace in the north is compromised by the rampant segregation that her family faces in being compelled not to buy a house from the white neighborhood of the Clybourne Park Improvement Association (M'baye 178). Mama tells Walter, "In my time we were worried about not being lynched and getting to the North if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch if dignity too" (Hansberry, 74). This proves how Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 14. A Raisin Of The Sun Essay 3: Suggested Topics A Raisin in the Sun was a play written in the late 1950's analyzing the cruel effects of racism amongst the Younger family. The younger family suffers from racial discrimination within their living space, place of employment, and the housing industry. Racism has been going on for a very long time in the United States and will always continue to exist. Racism has not only led to political but also social issues. "A Raisin in the Sun confronted Whites for an acknowledgement that a black family could be fully human, 'just like us."(qtd. White fear.) The setting took place in the ghetto, south of Chicago where mainly African Americans settled. In this division, apartments and houses were overly priced, crowded and poorly maintained. Crime rates were extremely high and most families lived in poverty. Due to segregated housing, it was a daily struggle for black families who had hopes in leaving the ghetto for better lives. The Younger family is a black family that struggles to gain middle class acceptance. When the play opens, Mama, who is the mother of the Younger family, is waiting for a $10,000 life insurance check from the death of her husband. Walter Lee Younger who is the son of Mama, shows signs of disappointment with his current living conditions "I got a boy who sleeps in the living room... and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live..."(1477). Walter was desperate to attain a better live for their growing family that he Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 15. A Raisin In The Sun Whenever the powers go out during a storm, the Wi–Fi also does not work. Our power at my house went out for some reason. I could not finish my homework without the Wi–Fi because I was doing it on my laptop. In the book, A Raisin in The Sun, all the characters had conflict with technology. Beneatha plays a song with the music player. Walter and her are singing and dancing to it. They probably had to switch songs all the time. Nowadays, it just keeps playing or it replays the song. Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 16. A Raisin in the Sun Essay A raisin in the sun is a true story about an African American family that fights about who should get the money. Mama is the one that has the money, she wants to use the money to buy a house but Walter wants the money to invest it in a liquor store, and Beneatha needs the money for college to become a doctor. Eventually Mama decides to give the money to Walter but then Walter loses the money,the guy he gave the money to ran off with the money.When the family bought the house Mr.Linder pays them a visit and tells them not to and tries to talk them out of it. The reason why he doesn't want them to move in because the neighborhood is full of white people and if they move in then other African Americans will try to move in too. The...show more content... Also another theme would be about money because in the story as you can see Walter needs the money to open up his liquor store and Beneatha needs the money to go to college, and Mama who want to buy a house instead of living in a place where it's so small and having to share a bathroom with the neighbors.this all shows money problem, each of them has a dream they want to achievel but they can't, just like how Beneaths dream was to become a doctor but it's not going to happen because they lost the money. The setting of "A Raisin In The Sun" is in a tiny apartment in Chicago south side 1950s. the place is really crowded, especially with 5 people living in it. There's only 2 rooms. Travis, Walter's son sleeps in the living room on a small couch. The kitchen is so small. They have a small bathroom that they have to share with their neighbors.(pg.861)When Ruth finds out she's pregnant right away she thinks of getting an abortion because she knows theres no place for the baby to sleep. in 1950's in the south there was a lot of racism you can tell that by how the neighbors didn't want them to move in the neighborhood. This story is a true story but sadly things that happened in that story still happens today . people are still races to other races. White people are still racist to african americans like they always say how african americans are dangerous, they bully people and other kind Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 17. A Raisin In The Sun Literary Analysis Our parents always told us that we should have goals and dreams in our life, and through them we will gain happiness. There are some things in life that get in the way of our dreams and goals. In the Declaration of Independence, It states that we have the right to pursue happiness. For example having everybody in the world be equal, and not be shamed upon or looked at differently due to the color of their skin. The poem ВЁThe Negro Mother,ВЁ the play A Raisin in the Sun, and the article Innocence Is Irrelevant, all show how our society and they way people can get in the way of our happiness. In our class we read a poem called ВЁHarlemВЁ which related to the book, A Raisin in the Sun. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is about the...show more content... In Innocence is Irrelevant shows how mothers will stick out for their children under any circumstances. In the summer of August 31, 2017 Emily Yoffe wrote an article called Innocence is Irrelevant. This article is about a women named Sweat who got framed by her boyfriend, by putting drugs in her house and then calling the police and framing her. The story goes on to tell us how she has to commit guilty to a crime to take care of her family. Sweat is hoping to make her life happy is by knowing that her kids are happy and protected. Unfortunately having to plea bargain is making it very difficult to make sure her kids are protected. For example when Sweat said, " she believed that this would result in the police pinning the crime on her sons" (Yoffe, 23). Taking the blame for her boyfriend all started when he didn't abide by Sweat's rules in the house and smoked marijuana in front of her kids in the house. She kicked him out and wanted him out of her life. The outcome was he framed her and called the police on her. When the police found the stash she made a very bold decision and told herself. "I'm not going to let my children go down for someone else's mistake. A parent should take ownership of what happens in the house" (Yoffe,21). In doing so to protect her sons she told the police the marijuana was her's. Sweat is relatable to Mama in A Raisin in the Sun because Sweat and Mama both want what's best for their children. In class we read a lot of articles Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 18. Character Analysis A Raisin In The Sun Mohammad Saifan Raisin in the Sun Analysis What makes a person make a good choice or a bad choice? What influences that person? Is it the people around that person? These are all questions to wonder about, and in the end of the script it is all answered. Walter in "A Raisin in The Sun," by Lorraine Hansbery, is a character surrounded by women who do not understand him. Over the course of the story, Walter makes many choices that change their lives in the story, because of Ruth, Beneatha, and Mama. First, Ruth, is one of the women in the house who changes Walter's decisions in the story. Her relationship towards him is poor. Ruth nags at the beginning, saying "Eat your eggs Walter" (Hansberry 34). This angers him because she repeats it multiple times throughout, not understanding him, showing their strained relationship. Ruth is also shown to not be on Walter's side on multiple occasions. For example, when Walter finds out that Mama spent the money on a new house, he does not like it. Ruth however is not feeling the same way as him, and tells him "Walter honey, be glad" (Hansberry 92). Ruth tells Walter to be glad, because their views are different. Ruth thinks this was beneficial to the family, yet Walter does not. This hurts Walter throughout the story as he feels alone with no one on his side. Walter know this when he says "Cause ain't nobody with Me! Not even my own mother!" (Hansberry 85). Since he is alone, and believes no one cares about him, he tries to fix his own mistake when he decides he will get more money saying, "That White man is going to walk in that door all to write checks for more money than we ever had." (Hansberry 143). Ruth does not like Walter's idea, but he does not care as no one is on his side, which disappoints Ruth. Additionally, Walter's sister Beneatha, is another woman in the house who also affects Walter's decision because of their negative relationship. She is aiming to be a doctor. Walter thinks that is not a good idea when he tells her "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). Likewise, she does not respect Walter at all, that Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 19. Raisin In The Sun In a carefully worded essay I will discuss the aspect of 'race' as a hindrance to the aspirations of the Younger family in A raisin in the sun. When we analyse Lorraine Hansberry's A raisin in the sun, we realize from the very start her inspiration behind the title is found in Harlem; a poem by Langston Hughes. The speaker asks a very sensitive question: "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" This analogy that Hughes explores, shape the very heart of Hansberry's enquiry about a poor black American family's different aspirations and their hindrance that occurred because of racial segregation, discrimination and inequality due to a lack of civil rights in the American history. When we...show more content... Another aspect that served as a hindrance to their aspirations was that racial identity caused the black society to be indoctrinated with a sense of inferiority to white Americans, and their false outlook that their purpose was to serve the white 'superior' race. This can be seen in Ruth's character where she has to work as a domestic worker for wealthy white families. Ruth is constantly reminded of the vast differences between the wealthy white families that she 'serves' versus their disadvantaged family. Even after falling pregnant, Ruth would not even dare to miss a day away from work, due to fears that her agent will lay her off. Since sharing the role as provider for her family with Walter Lee, she is constantly aware that without the extra income, her
  • 20. family would not survive. Ruth's aspirations are hindered due to the fact that she is stuck in a position where she needs to support her family financially rather than taking on the maternal "stay at home"–mom role that white moms Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 21. A Raisin in the Sun Essay A Raisin in the Sun Creativity of Hansberry played a crucial role in the development of African–American drama since the Second World War. A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by African–American author which was set on Broadway and was honored by the circle of New York theater critics. Drama of A Raisin in the Sun (1959) brought Hansberry to the Award Society of New York Critics as the best play of the year. A Raisin in the Sun shows the life of an ordinary African–American family which dreams of happiness and their desire to achieve their dream. A Raisin in the Sun is a play telling the story of an African–American tragedy. The play is about the Younger family near the end of the 1950s. The Younger family lives in the ghetto and ...show more content... The driving spring of action is the desire of the Youngers to leave the ghetto, which causes fierce resistance to their future white neighbors. The events of the play took parts not in historically racist South, but in the North, where people are usually more tolerant. The play is attractive not only by acute but also deep character development. Images of Walter Lee, torn between traditional values of the African–American community – principles of love, unity, and human dignity – and values of American society, obsessed with the idea of material success, is extremely interesting, as well as the image of his mother, symbolizing the best traits of African–American people. There are conflicts in the play especially between the siblings. Who has more rights to fulfill their personal dreams, which deserves their dream to come true sooner? Mama Lena is facing these difficult decisions. Making the right decision is hard for her because she wants to make it right for everyone and wants no one to be hurt by a wrong decision. Incidentally, the play tells the story of a family which members diligently pursue work which has not paid much, especially in the environment of racial intolerance. The story of Lena's daughter, who is still looking after herself, is, therefore, more volatile. And her son of Walter Lee, who soon abandons himself because he wants more from his life, Get more content on HelpWriting.net