Comparison Of Lorraine Hansberry's I Have A Dream And A Raisin In The Sun

Martin Luther King Jr. is a well-known icon of the civil rights movement. Throughout his time leading the movement, he wrote two of some of his best works, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream,” which was a speech he presented on August 28, 1963 in Washington D.C. The letter on the other hand addressed his wrongful jailing in Birmingham, Alabama and also the treatment of African Americans. His speech is one of the most important speeches in America and he is mainly identified by it alone. These two works contain Logos and Pathos that add life and understanding to his writing, and overall changes the way readers and listeners alike think about the civil rights movement as a whole.

Lorraine Hansberry and Alice Childress are two of the most well known female, African American playwrights. As they both share similar profiles, famous plays of theirs, Wedding Band and Raisin in the Sun, share themes and ideas that are brought about by the way that they have grown up and lived in America. While these themes are the same, the execution and thought upon them do differ and can be identified in these two plays.

In the year of 1963, when racial discrimination was evident in the community, Dr. King delivered two of his most noted works called the “I have a Dream” speech and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to the public. These two pieces, quickly following each other in succession, were literary works of Dr. King devoted to the cause of racial equality and used eclectic devices and appeals to achieve that goal. King’s purpose bolstered in his “Letter” and “Dream” speech by key rhetorical devices are supported by audience oriented diction and appeals.

Out of all the characters in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, there are two main ones that influence the plot. Mama and Walter impact the plot the most because both characters have different perspectives and their actions significantly shape the plot.

Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was written and delivered on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and remains one of the most historically influential and world-changing speeches of all time. Fifty-two years later, this speech is considered to be one of the best persuasive speeches ever delivered. Dr. King is not only attempting to persuade his audience to understand the plight of minorities in the United States, but he is also attempting to encourage a nation to change for the betterment of mankind. Through the effective use of several literary elements, Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech prompted Caucasian Americans to look closer at the country 's dismal record of civil rights for black Americans and other minorities.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” As Americans, we are asked at a young age this very question time and time again. You can guess that not many people say, “ A bus driver”, but in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, that is exactly how Travis Younger responds. Like many young men, he wants to be like his dad when he too becomes an adult. It’s all part of the American experience: work hard, put in your time, pay your dues and you can be anything you want to be. But Travis is a child, and he learns an important lesson in A Raisin in the Sun: Everyone has dreams, but there are many factors in our daily life that will determine which dreams will be realized, and which will be deferred.

“I have a dream” Do you? Just how close are you to making that dream come true? In her play, Raisin in the Sun , Lorraine Hansberry takes us through the life of an african american family living in the 1950’s and describes their dreams. When she was twenty years old, Hansberry moved to Harlem where she became best friends with Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes was an african american poet, social activist, and playwright from Joplin,Missouri. During this time Hughes wrote a poem titled “ Harlem”. Hansberry based her play off of this poem and named it after a line in it, “ Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”(Hughes 2-3). Hansberry won best playwright for this play. She was the first african american to win this award, the youngest and the first woman to win. Hughes poem “ Harlem” is about what happens to a dream deferred. In her play, Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry uses Walter, Momma , and Ruth to show the negative consequences that occur when you put off your dream.

Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, addresses the hardships of an African-American family living in the projects of post-segregation Chicago. The family aspires to fulfill their dreams of owning a home despite the odds they face. W.E.B Du Bois critical race theory explains the issue of racism and white dominance that not only the family in the play faces, but the African American community as a whole.

After reading A Raisin in the Sun, a play about one man’s dreams for himself and his family and re-reading Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech in which he speaks of the realities of life and his dreams for the future of all Americans; there are multiple similarities that can be found within these two writings. To begin, both King and Hansberry show evidence of segregation in America at this time. Secondly, both King and Hansberry, through the character of Mama, share their dreams for the future in America. Lastly, both pieces discuss the emotions felt when they feel they’ve worked hard for something that is long overdue. One of the first similarities found within these two pieces of work can be found in the discussion of the issue of segregation.

Before the 1950’s, slavery had just been recently abolished and most people did not like slaves. During that time, the white people had discriminated against African Americans, talking badly and using violence against them. Also, they didn’t have rights that others did and were living in a nightmare. A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, is a play about the life of a poor black family that attempts to pursue their dreams but are brought down by society. “I Have a Dream”, by Mr. King, is a speech that deliberates the way that he and other people like him feel living their toxic lives that society creates. In both forms of literature, African Americans are trapped in a grueling life that white people are controlling.

Oppression and social injustice phased the African Americans living in the United States. Lorraine Hansberry and Dr.Martin Luther King Jr., exploited the reality of those issues in the 20th century through their literature. An African American family living in the 1950’s in Chicago face societal difficulties, oppression and racial injustice in Lorraine Hansberry’s, Raisin In The Sun. Dr. King Jr. acknowledges equivalent concerns in his well known speech, I Have A Dream, during the protest for civil and economic rights. Collating A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King Jr., they acknowledge oppression against African Americans as well as dreamfullment in their literary work.

Different Dreams and Ultimate Lessons What was American culture like when Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun, was written? At that time, years after the abolition of black slavery, African Americans could experience more freedom than in the past. But this liberty often existed on the only surface. As the reader can see in the play, there were many cases in which African American families were forced into painful, demeaning situations because of racial prejudice and discrimination.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.” This was said by Martin Luther King, Jr and, unknowingly, represented his life. He was a minister, and major advocate for the Civil Rights movement in America, and helped to gain equality for African Americans. While many people supported King, many changes he advocated came after his assassination in 1968. This essay will compare and contrast Martin’s two famous literary pieces, “I Have a Dream” and “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, and discuss whether he was successful with their intents.

There are many characteristics and developments that help define and improve the play A Raisin In The Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry. This play demonstrates the chaos within a family and the struggles that have to overcome and still go through. Throughout this play there is one character in particular that plays a strong role and is a main character without appearing much. Joseph Asagai is a strong man from Nigeria in Africa.

Lorraine Hansberry, the author of A Raisin in the Sun, supports the theme of her play from a montage of, A Dream Deferred, by Langston Hughes. Hughes asks, “What happens to a dream deferred?” He suggests many alternatives to answering the question. That it might “dry up like a raisin in the sun,” or “fester like a sore.” Yet the play maybe more closely related to Hughes final question of the poem, “Or does it explode?” The play is full of bombs that are explosions of emotion set off by the frustration of the Younger family, who are unable to grasp the possible reality of their dreams. The family shares the dream of having a better life but compete against each other for the insurance money given to Mama after her husband’s death. The