Discrimination In A Raisin In The Sun

In Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun a number of social issues are both explicitly and subtly exemplified through out the characters experiences and relationships. Living in a cramped Chicago apartment, the Youngers’ display both influential goals and conflicting restraints. Beneatha Youngers is a controversial character; she complicates society’s typical gender roles, introduces the wrestle between assimilation and ancestry of African-Americans, but specifically serves as a paradigm for her generation in the play.

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

This caused tension among the family for there was constant arguing and bicke- ring. This situation is far to common in families today, particularly is there is money involved and everyone has their own dreams as to what to do with it. At the end of the play Walter looses $6,500 dollars therefore hindering his and Benetha’s dream. Lena held onto her dream by moving the family to the new house.

A Raisin in the Sun portrays multiple examples of African Americans being discriminated against in the 1950s. The play reveals an obvious example of this. In scene 1 of act 2, Ruth states, “Mama, there ain’t no colored people living in Clybourne Park” (Hansberry 57). This quote reveals that the Younger family is afraid and ashamed of moving into a house in an all white neighborhood. Ruth’s excitement switched to sadness and disappointment real quick when she found out the location of their new home. However, towards the end of the play, the family agrees to do anything in order to not be put down by the whites and survive in Clybourne Park. In

Lorraine Hansberry’s play “A Raisin in the Sun,” was a radically new representation of black life, resolutely authentic, fiercely unsentimental, and unflinching in its vision of what happens to people whose dreams are constantly deferred.

Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, centers on an African American family in the late 1950s. Hansberry directs her work towards specifically the struggles faced by African Americans during the late 1950s. Through the dialogue and actions of her characters, she encourages not only a sense of pride in heritage, but a national and self-pride in African Americans as well.

Walter Younger wants to invest his money, and is tired of the white man stopping his desires. His dreams are to have money, so he can live the American dream just like the fellow white men. Also to provide for his family, and most importantly his children. He works as a chauffeur opening door, and driving the white man around. Walter in the story struggles with his living, and the poverty that his family are in. In the story, Walter tries to invest his money into opening a liquor business. After losing his money in the investment. Towards the end of the movie, he starts to realize that his dreams are already there. This was a major inciting incident in the story. To repeat, Walter and his family dreams are crushed by Walters poor choices.

Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun opened in a New York theater March 11, 1951. This play, although based on Hansberry’s own life and personal experiences was also inspired by Langston Hughes’s poem “Harlem”. Hansberry used this play to tell the story of a 1950’s African American family trying to better themselves. She also used this play to shine a light on the issue of racism that were prominent during this time frame. This highly successful play “ran for 530 performances and was nominated for the 1960 Tony Award for best play”, and has had several adaptations made in its honor(Aurora). Despite the fact that these adaptations were made to equal the original play there are many differences between them and their predecessor.

    Lorraine Hansberry faced many obstacles in her life which has made her  write this book A “Raisin in the Sun.” As said in Blooms Literature “She was the youngest of four children whose parents were well-educated, middle-class activists centrally engaged in the fight against racial discrimination. Early figures in the Civil Rights movement.” In the book “A Raisin in the Sun,” the first play written by an African American she made through experiences of  black people who live on Chicago’s South Side, Hansberry used members of her family as inspiration for her characters. Lorraine Hansberry life had comparisons in this book dealing with poverty

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.

Throughout Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, we see the positive and negative effects of chasing the American Dream. Hansberry expresses her different views on the American Dream through the characters and she portrays the daily struggles of a 1950 black family throughout A Raisin in the Sun. In this play, she is able to effectively show the big impact that even small decisions can make on a family. Hansberry shows the many different attachments that come with the fulfillment of this American Dream. Throughout A Raisin in the Sun, each family member has their own pursuit of happiness, which is accompanied by their American Dream.

A Raisin in the sun is an artfully written short story / play by Lorraine Hansberry. It tells a story about the hopes and dreams of a black family living in a poverty-stricken neighborhood of Chicago in the times of racial segregation in the 1950’s. In the opening of this story we meet the Younger Family, Walter Lee, Ruth, and their 10year old son Travis. Walter lee, Travis’s dad is talking to his wife Ruth about needing to get into the bathroom but having to wait because Travis is taking so long.

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.

*(Need hook) Growing up, Hansberry lived in Southside Chicago during a time when segregation was still very prominent among blacks and whites. Although there was no specific policy for segregation in Chicago, there was an unspoken rule that divided the two races. Her family was one of the first ones to move into a white neighborhood, and as a result they endured frequent threats of violence. Due to the fact that real-life experiences inspired the play, Hansberry managed to create an authentic image of African Americans living in America during that time. In the play A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry establishes an honest depiction of a black family living in America in the 1950s through the use of character foils, external conflicts,

Showing his frustration to his mother, Walter does not feel like he will ever acquire his dream because he feels like he never got the chance or opportunity to. The inability of not able to provide a better life for his household is causing him to stress, act out of character and clouding his decision making. With nowhere else to turn he thought he could use his father’s life insurance money to invest into a liquor store which turned into a scam. Walter feeling trapped from making advancements in life, he makes a huge mistake and learns from this error. In the play Walter is talking to mother describing his anger,