A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry: A Character Analysis

The play A Raisin in the Sun, begins with the introduction of the Younger family who lived on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950’s. During this time period, there was segregation around different areas in the United States, which caused problems for families who wanted to find better neighborhoods for their loved ones. Therefore, when the Younger family desired to move to Clybourne Park, a predominantly white neighborhood, they were faced with issues such as cultural identity. Throughout the play, Beneatha the youngest daughter of the Younger family, shows that she struggles with cultural identity because she refused to become an assimilationist, wants to express herself and find her own identity.

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 to be 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. She dreamed this because in the apartment that she resided in was too small, and dumpy, as Ruth called it. Her grandson Travis had to sleep on the couch, and all

In the play, A Raisin In The Sun, Mother tries to keep everything under control because she believes in her children and their dreams, yet understands that they still need to learn and strengthen their value's as they begin to realize their own aspirations. She is the head of the family around whom the conflicts arise and are resolved.

Ironically, in my current position as a Payroll Specialist, I encounter change almost every day. Payroll processing always involves change and updates, which requires the staff to use whatever effective tools available to ensure that changes are continuously moving the team toward new innovations and implementations. Sometimes there is resistance, but for the most part, once the task are identified and the staff fully understand their roles, we begin with a conversation and work around the issues or concerns. There are instances when plans fail, or the outcome is not what we expected, but we come together as a team and analyze what went wrong and how come up with ideas as how we can we make the process better going forward. Most of the change

Lorraine Hansberry’s novel, A Raisin in the Sun, revolves around a middle-class African-American family, struggling during World War II. By reading about the Younger’s true to life experiences, one learns many important life lessons. One of the aforementioned would be that a person should always put family’s needs before their own. There are many examples of this throughout the novel. Just a few of these would be the example of Ruth and her unborn baby, Walter regaining the respect of his family, and Mama and her unselfish ways.

   We can learn a great deal by observing a given moment in history. The politics, fashion, and religion of a given society reveal the inner workings of the individuals that combine to make the society functional. While every society is different and unique, there are universal themes that apply to every society; the need to eat and sleep as well as the concept of "family" exist in all societies. In Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun," we are witness to the common drama that occurs within a family set in a specific historical period.

If I had to choose one of the five video lessons, I would choose the Labor Union lesson. In the nineteenth century, many workers worked long hours for very low wages. Corruption prevailed in America and many organized laborers benefited from the lack of government regulation. They could subject their workers to long hours of work in horrid conditions. There were no laws to protect workers if they became unemployed, and there were no laws to enforce the protection of children. When the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 happened, it paved the way for change. It was one of the first peaceful protests that would produce a catalyst for workers.

In A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, Both Mama and Walter want to use the money for their own dreams but end up dividing the family over their own conflict, but ironically it helps Walter achieve a sense of purpose as an adult and leader of the family. They feel saved and able by the insurance money, but it creates many conflicts within the family, as well as many conflicts with society. The money allows each member of the Younger family to dream big of what to do with it, but does not seem to work for them in the long run. Mama, who is in charge of the money, sees herself as head of the family and wants her son, Walter, to grow up. As a result, she is conflicted about how much freedom she should allow Walter.

   “Why do some people persist despite insurmountable obstacles, while others give up quickly or never bother to try” (Gunton 118)? A Raisin in the Sun, a play by Lorraine Hansberry, is a commentary on life and our struggle to comprehend and control it. The last scene in the play between Asagai and Beneatha contrasts two contemporary views on why we keep on trying to change the future, and reaches the conclusion that, far from being a means to an end, the real meaning of life is the struggle. Whether we succeed or not, our lives are purposeful only if we have tried to make the world a better place for ourselves and others- only, in other words, if we follow our dreams.

A Raisin in the Sun by “Lorraine Hansberry A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry's play, made its critical debut on Broadway in 1959. The name comes from the anthem Harlem, generally called “delay of the other”, by Langston Hughes. It tells the story of a group of individuals who come from a poor family in the Washington Park subdivision of the Woodlawn area in Chicago, where they were trying to "better" themselves with the installation of the security after the fall of their father. In New York, experts called it the best diversion in the year 1959.

According to Vocabulary.com, a sympathetic character in literature is a character who is likable or who evokes feelings of sympathy from the audience. A prime example of a sympathetic character is Walter Lee Younger from A Raisin in the Sun. This is because he is the protagonist, his qualities are highlighted well, he is a victim, and he is a sacrificer..

Mama and Ruth are African American women who both play an important role in A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry. They didn’t have much because they were black, and the society was racist. They were around many times and just like mama, Ruth has been a part of the main conflict. Ruth is important because she always has a problem and constantly makes smart remarks towards a certain character. She’s also pregnant and decides to get an abortion without asking he husband how he feels.

In Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem,” he discusses the idea of unfulfilled dreams and their plausible outcomes using symbolism and imagery. He initially describes a “deferred” dream as a sun-dried raisin, depicting the dream originally as a fresh grape that now has dried up and “turned black” (Jemie 63). This idea provides Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun with its basic foundation, for it is a play about a house full of unfulfilled dreams. As the poem goes on, Hughes depicts the idea of a deferred dream as something rotten or gone bad. According to Onwuchekwa Jemie, this may be an allusion to the American Dream and its empty promises (Jemie 64).

Pixar has dazzled the masses for years with its masterfully wrought films, its wonderful imagery, and its age-old lessons. Inside Out is about Riley, or more importantly, the little people in Riley’s head. From the beginning there was Joy, and life was great… For about 33 seconds, then Sadness was there. Joy was never exactly sure just why Sadness was around or what her job was, but as the boss, Joy, worked in spite of Sadness to help Riley lead her life.

Identity can be a never ending worldwide in one’s journey; some know all along who they are and the path they want to pursue in life, while most spend a lifetime trying to find their voice, passion or meaning. Oscar Wilde once said “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” In the play of A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry, Walter Lee Younger is constantly trying to find his identity and his place in the world. Walter Lee a 35-year-old chauffeur wants to have the life of the men he drives around; however, when faced with reality Walter Lee tries his luck at finding his identity at the bottom of a bottle.