Lorraine Hansberry 's A Raisin

“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.

Broward College, Central Campus Theater in building 6, on Sunday, the 1st of November. The play was performed by Broward College students. The type of stage was Proscenium stage with extended apron. I thought it was a little bit small, but it did not show as a problem. The pre-show was dark and a feel of suspense. I felt excited to see how everything would play out. The play takes place down south of Chicago in the 1950’s.

Being black in America means to exist while subconsciously striving to reach out and own that imaginary white picket fence. You know, that nice house nested inside that white picket fence in that wonderful neighborhood with the perfectly cut grass on top of that sunny hill along with the perfectly paved roads leading up to it. African Americans see it all the time in televisions, magazines and newspaper ads. As poor blacks invest their life’s work in trying and subsequently failing to achieve this imaginary dream, they end up devouring any sense propriety remaining in their life; the play A Raisin in The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry exemplifies this tragedy.

Walter Lee Younger American dream is all about materialism and what he can get right now. He has the notion of a self-made man, who starts with nothing and achieve great wealth with hard work and determination. This consumes Walter Lee, so much so that it is all he can think about, he becomes envious of what others have accomplished such as Charlie Atkins dry cleaning business. He wanted the liquor so much so, that he put everything into it, but does not work very hard to accomplish his dream, he trust others instead of putting everything in his own hands to make them come true. Walter Lee wants the insurance money to buy a liquor store, just so that he can tell his son that he has accomplish a dream and he own something that will make their lives better. He wants his son to be proud of him and look at him with pride for all that he has accomplished. Walter Lee does not look at the long run, just the right now and the quick schemes and the liquor store is just a means to and end for him. Lena do not sees Walter’s dream stating “ we ain’t no business people, we just plain working folks.” Lena decided

After World War II, African Americans had unequal opportunities in many aspects of their lives. A Raisin in the Sun, a play by Lorraine Hansberry, mirrors the conflicts endured by African-Americans after World War II who were hoping to better their lives, but still held back by the racism and bigotry of earlier eras. Despite the legal barriers of segregation in the 1950s, black families were still being denied access to jobs, higher education, and particularly as it relates to the play, desirable neighborhoods in which to raise their families. At this time, black families like the Youngers, had planned living arrangements from zoning issues. They were blocked from the neighborhoods because of covenants and racial steering matters. The

In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry utilizes the insurance check to symbolize the American Dream as the check provides the members of Younger family with the opportunity to achieve their aspirations. The concept of the check reveals Walter’s and Mama’s perceptions of themselves and of their lifestyle, and their responses to the check reveals their contrasting approaches for escaping their impoverished world; therefore, Walter’s and Mama’s characteristics and reaction to the arrival of the check ultimately emphasize the racist nature of society that restricts opportunities for advancement for African Americans in the 1960’s. Hansberry illuminates Mama’s power within the household as she makes all of the decisions regarding the insurance check. Additionally, Hansberry highlights her dignity and pride in her African American heritage as she intends to escape poverty through providing structure and decent, secure living for her family, which she intends to achieve through buying a house. In contrast, with the arrival of the check, Walter exposes his weak identity through disappointment and hatred for his job and his lifestyle. His desire to invest the insurance money in a liquor store presents his desperation for financial success and control over his destiny. Ultimately, Hansberry utilizes the check as a symbol for the American Dream for the Younger family; thus, with its arrival, Mama and Walter reveal their opposing identities in the household and different intentions

Lorraine Hansberry was a famous African American playwright. Her play Raisin in the Sun takes places during the 1960’s on the southside of Chicago. The play was inspired by Langston Hughes poem “Dream Deferred.” The play follows the Younger family as they try to make their dreams come true. In her play, Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry uses Walter, Beneatha and Mama to show the negative consequences that occur when you defer your dreams.

However, once Mama realizes how this new abundance of money is tearing her family apart, she decides that it is time to make her dream a reality. Although when she told the family about the house, Walter saw it as the death of his dream to own a liquor store and provide enough money so his family could move. Once Mama figures out that she "been doing to him what the rest of the world been doing to him,"(Hansberry 60) she decides to give Walter the rest of the money. She instructs Walter to put some of the money in Beneatha's medical school fund and the rest of the money in an account with his name on it to do with as he wants. Thus putting her dream aside, so her son can feel like a man

Social or political issues of the time period can be portrayed in books or plays written during that time. One example is A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry. This play portrays many social issues, for example the achievement of the American Dream and racial tension and discrimination. Sexism is another social issue that is prominent in A Raisin in the Sun. There are the gender stereotypes for both male and female.

Raisin in the Sun when racism was everywhere and African Americans were still maids and still worked for the white people. Every African americans were struggling to maintain their family other than if you go to school which involves money. Walter is someone who cares more about money then his own family. When Walters father died the family ended up get insurance money and Walter wanted to take the money for himself. When Walter thought about the money he goes overboard and treats his family bad and loses his morals. Throughout the play Walter cares more about money and doesn't have morals because he went against his family for the sake of having money, he was selfish against his family because they ¨don't understand¨ him, and he doesnt show love towards they people that care for him.

People in different generations often have conflicting opinions. This is partly due to growing up in different times and learning different ideals. However, this difference is not always obvious. In “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, conflicting opinions is a common theme between characters. In spite of how the Younger family seems to have frequent conflicts, there is still a sense of family. It is within the family, however, that conflict seems to prosper most. Two characters who have frequently have conflicting opinions are Lena Younger and her daughter, Beneatha Younger. L. Younger and B. Younger are opposites of each other in their personal views on religion, gender roles, and family loyalty.

When people think American a few words that come to mind is freedom, opportunity, and justice, these things are what make the American dream that many strive for. In the play, Raisin in the sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, Invisible Life by Lynn Harris, and Quicksand by Nella Larson are all able to illustrate what the American dream looks like. These novels show how the dream is something different for everyone, but it also shows how hard it is to achieve especially for the black class.

No one can really know what goes on in the author’s mind. It is one of the most frequently asked question in each English class. To really know what the author is talking about, it is better to ask them directly in person, but the unfortunate part is that they might be dead. In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, the author, Lorraine Hansberry, choose to name her play from a famous poem by Langston Hughes. It is difficult to really know why she choose Hughes’ poem but there are reasons to infer. Lorraine Hansberry choose to name her play after Langston Hughes’ poem because of what the poem meant and that poem closely related to the characters within the play.

Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun illustrates the struggles of three generations of the Younger’s in the 1950's and 60’s of ill-starred Chicago; classism, sexism- feminism, and housing discrimination. In the play, Lorraine Hansberry reveals the struggles enforced on the characters in the play individually as well as with their desires as a whole family. They all must individually subdue racism from family and associates; while still enduring struggles and hardships that diminish any intended goals. However, the Younger’s must overcome the racial bigotry brought by society together, while still prolonging social pride and integrity. As well as the issues of race and gender, the Younger’s family symbolizes a colored family going through hard times towards middleclass respectability not only in civilization, but in their home as well.

In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry portrays the Younger family as a struggling black family in Chicago at a pivotal time period for race relations in America shortly after the conclusion of World War II. Hansberry uses the three main characters of Walter, Lena (Mama), and Beneatha in order to emphasize the theme of family and the American Dream, whether that be the hard to get along with Walter and his self pity, or the kind and warm hearted Mama and her constant struggle to keep her children in line, or the educated and expressive Beneatha who just wants to find herself and explore her roots. Ultimately, by the end of the story, they work out their problems and show the values of family as they move to a new house in a white neighborhood where they will surely be oppressed.