A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry tells the story of a lower-class African American family’s struggle to gain middle-class acceptance when Mama, the sixty-year old mother, receives a $10,000 insurance check from the death of her husband. The drama primarily focuses on how the ten thousand dollars should be spent. Walter Lee Younger, the son, so desperate to better provide for his family, wants to invest all the money into a liquor store with two of his friends. Mama objects and instead decides to use part of the check as a down payment on a house in a white neighborhood. Conflicts with Walter escalate. In an attempt to resolve things with her son, Mama entrusts Walter with the rest of the money. He immediately invests it, without the consent of Mama, in his liquor store idea, with the belief he will quadruple his investment. However, one of Walter's business partners runs off with the money. In spite the loss and being warned by white neighbors that blacks are not welcomed, the Youngers continue with their plans to move. A Raisin in the Sun previously named The Crystal Stair debuted on Broadway at Ethel Barrymore Theater on March 11, 1959. It had a total of 530 performances before the curtain closed one last time on June 25, 1960. But this successful play didn't have an easy beginning. Before it even premiered for the first time, the play was considered a risky investment and took a year to raise money to launch it. However, this rocky start lead to a
A Raisin in the Sun, play by Lorraine Hansberry depicts the life of the Younger family. Youngers is an African American family living in Chicago in 1950s, they are struggling for money. As the play proceeds, they run into a plenty of problems. The younger family is slowly tearing apart. Ruth younger the wife of Walter Lee Younger is holding the family from ripping apart. Ruth is the person who supports everyone in the family. Ruth's capability of thinking through and beyond with her fearless and rational nature makes her mature, selfless and loving women.
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
The drama A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, shows the life of the Youngers, an African-American family living on the Southside of Chicago in the 1950s. In the beginning, the Youngers are about to receive an insurance check for $10,000. This money comes from the deceased Mr. Younger’s life insurance policy. Each of the adult members of the family has an idea as to what he or she would like to do with this money. Mama, wants to buy a house to fulfill a dream she shared with her husband. Mama’s son, Walter Lee, would rather use the money to invest in a liquor store with his friends. He believes that the investment will solve the family’s financial problems forever. Beneatha, Walter’s sister and Mama’s daughter, wants to use the money for her medical school tuition. Ruth, Walter’s wife, discovers that she is pregnant, but
A raisin in the sun is a book by Lorraine Hansberry that tells the story of a lower-class black family's struggle to gain middle-class acceptance while facing internal family conflicts the book was written in 1959, so the movie is an interpretation of the book. Yet the movie made it seem as if Walter is a very selfish man. Reading the book brings a different visualization .The movie also was able to move to different locations, the book however, which was written originally to be acted out on stage. Yet besides all the differences, a common theme ran though in both the book and the movie
Exposition The characters are introduced by Hansberry. It is the 1950’s in a tiny apartment in Southside Chicago. The Younger family has just suffered the loss of Walter’s dad, with a $10,000 inheritance check supposedly to arrive in the near future. Upon hearing about the check, Walter, the protagonist, hopes to be able to take the money to invest in a liquor store. His sister, Beneatha hopes to be able to use it to attend medical school and Mama
Welcome to the Windham High school drama club revival of A Raisin in the Sun!
“Mama-sometimes when I’m downtown and I pass them cool quiet looking restaurants where them white boys are sitting back and talking bout things…sitting there turning deals worth millions of dollars…sometimes I see guys don’t look much older than me’’- (1.2.226). A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry was published in 1959, develops the plot of an African American family facing a war against racism in the slums of Chicago.
In a Raisin in the sun people wondered about Walter Lee’s inner journey. A Raisin in the sun is a play that explorer’s the struggles of African American people who achieve their desires. It’s about an African American family trying to pursue an American dream of owning their own home but in the process they encounter racism and they must decide what is really important in life.
“Money is not the key to happiness,” no big pay amount would make much of a difference. As people in America everybody thinks you cannot afford to avoid the unhappiness of having to life, having plenty of cash does not make your any more enjoyable then what it is in the present. Happiness depends on how you feel towards your loved ones which in Lorraine Hansberry's Play, “A Raisin In the Sun” Walter's obsession with money often caused him to act unkindly to his loved ones. In the book Raisin in the Sun a family from the Southside of Chicago they lived in a small apartment trying to find a way out of the community they have lived in. The Younger family was dealing with living in a white dominant society dealing with poverty and prejudice acts. The Youngers’ try to ignore the obstacles and stay on their feet throughout the 1950s.
The story of this play is simple and the majority of African-Americans faced such issues in the 1950’s, living on the south side of Chicago, struggles with poverty, dignity and dreams of a better life. Wanting better for your children and trying to fit in, while maintaining family values. A Raisin in the Sun is an excellent example of the relationship between family values and conflict. In this play it portrays: values and purpose of dreams, the need to fight for racial discrimination and the importance of family.
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a play about segregation, triumph, and coping with personal tragedy. Set in Southside Chicago, A Raisin in the Sun focuses on the individual dreams of the Younger family and their personal achievement. The Younger's are an African American family besieged by poverty, personal desires, and the ultimate struggle against the hateful ugliness of racism. Lena Younger, Mama, is the protagonist of the story and the eldest Younger. She dreams of many freedoms, freedom to garden, freedom to raise a societal-viewed equal family, and freedom to live liberated of segregation. Next in succession is Beneatha Younger, Mama's daughter, assimilationist, and one who dreams of aiding people by breaking down
A Raisin in the Sun was written by Lorraine Hansberry and is a play about an African American family who are struggling in the 1950’s to keep the family together. Although the play is portrayed in the 50’s many issues like the economy, racism, and family dynamics the characters had to face; these issues are still issues in the 21st century.
A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry displays the hardships of a family in South Side Chicago, pushing to break the fetters of poverty. The check arriving alleviates the struggles of poverty, and it creates more unity, and a sense of overcoming in the household. Due to the check, Ruth and Travis hope for a better future in their new home, Walter obstinately hopes to open a store, and Beneatha truly finds what she is passionate about, while each of them attempt to understand family. As a result of Mama buying a house, Ruth and Travis express their feelings of euphoria for a better life.
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.
An hour after the moving van parked in the driveway of 406 Clybourne street in Clybourne Park the younger family waved at the van when it slowly moved away and they went inside when the van was out of view. The family worked together to put away their belongings and they stood hand and hand and they took a breath of fresh air. Beneatha went first to her room to put away her stuff then Ruth and Walter went next and Travis left to go hunt for his new room. They all left until Mama was left there alone looking out the big window. Mama gingerly stepped to the window and put her plant down smiling in thought. When the door bell rung she jumped and went to the door. At the door was a white woman and when the door opened and saw mama she flinched and said “Hello, I’m your neighbor it’s nice to meet you.” She said “I’m Susan it’s nice to meet you.” She said this slowly, deliberately like she’s talking to a foreign person and Susan put out her hand and mama did not reach for it her face was just a blank stare. Then after a while mama stammered “h-hello I’m Lena Younger its very nice to meet you.” And she reached out and shook Susan’s hand and Susan quickly took it away. Then she said “Well I just came to say,” Susan took mama’s shirt and pulled her face so close to mama’s that their noses were touching. “stay out of our way, we will stay out of your way if you stay out of ours.” She shoved mama into their brand new house and slammed the door so hard that