Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

In his 1931 book, The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams defined the American dream as, “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” (Adams). Throughout the 1950s, the American Dream was a major philosophy believed by many. Much of society felt no matter what race, gender, or nationality they are, they are capable of achieving success. Within the play, A Raisin in the Sun, the characters are faced with many difficult challenges and obstacles that they strive to overcome. Each of them focus on a better life for themselves and the Younger Family. In A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Beneatha dreams of becoming a doctor because in her perspective becoming an

Furthermore, Beneatha is Mama’s youngest child. She dreams of majoring in the medical field as a doctor. “Well, I do all right? thank everybody! And forgive me forever wanting to be anything at all! Forgive me, Forgive me, Forgive me ( Hansberry).  Even though she is not very independent at all, she is planning on the money to help herself through college. For

Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun features an African American family in the late 1950’s as they look forward to achieving their individual dreams in the era where racism and economic hardship among African Americans was the norm. While Hansberry doesn’t directly mention well-known events in the civil rights movement, she illustrates the realistic struggles an African American family would have faced during this time. In the introduction of the play, Robert Nemiroff illustrates several themes and issues that are addressed throughout Hansberry’s play. One of the subjects Nemiroff mentions is the “value systems of the black family”(Nemiroff, “Introduction,” 5-6). A main value that Hansberry illustrates throughout the play is the

The character of Beneatha Younger illustrates the best-educated member of the Younger family. Beneatha dreams of becoming a doctor. This dream originates from a childhood experience where a playmate injured himself while sledding, but a doctor was able to save him, with only a small scar left as evidence of the accident. This left Beneatha with the determination to learn medicine. Beneatha's obstacles differ greatly from both Walter's and Lena's. First, Beneatha is only twenty years old, and attractive. Women such as Beneatha were expected to marry and have children, not become a doctor or have any education pasts that of high school.

Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun is modeled after Langston Hughes 1959 poem “Dream Deferred.” Hughes asked “What happens to a dream deferred?” (l. 1). And later goes on to saying “dry up like a raisin in the sun” (l. 2-3) and “stink like rotten meat” (l. 6). The Young family all have their personal dreams and are all deferred at some point. Walter wants to achieve riches by investing the money from the insurance check into a liquor store. His sister Beneatha would rather have the insurance money to herself and pay for her medical school. Both Mama and Ruth want to leave the tiny house they are cramped in and move into a nicer home, mainly for Travis. They want Travis to have his own room, not a living room and coach, but an

In Lorraine Hansberry’s “ A Raisin in the sun” a constant theme of money, morality and hoping for a better and a new life kept coming into play. To demonstrate this theme is best shown through Ruth. Ruth Younger is wife of Walter Lee Younger a lady that works as a maidher family's poor financial situation, she has to double as a housewife and a working mother... She finds hope when the family decides to move into a better home in a white neighborhood, and decides to keep her child. In the play Ruth shows she will do anything to make her family. We came across some example in the play that show it. Ruth loves her family and shows she doesn't care about money and just cares about family. Showing she has morals, because she wants to get a house

Ruth, a character from Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, goes through a change in demeanor over the course of the book. In A Raisin in the Sun, Ruth begins as a woman who works day in and day out doing domestic labor to provide for her family - her husband, Walter; her son, Travis; her sister-in-law, Beneatha; and her mother in law, Lena. She is quiet-mannered and lives in a small apartment with her family, where she manages to get by. During the play, Ruth develops a stronger will, and it changes her relationships with both the people around her and herself.

In Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, Lena Younger (Mama) is the steady and cohesive influence in a family beset by internal and external turmoil. Mama fights to uphold ethical standards that her children do not always share. Although the younger generation does not initially espouse Lena’s standards, in the end, they find a greater appreciation for the dignity of her values. Mama’s emphatic proclamation that “we a people who give children life” encapsulates her entire belief system (Hansberry 1861). The theme of life forms the foundation of Mama’s values, and it guides her interactions with all members of her family. It sheds light on what Hansberry herself states about A Raisin in the Sun---that the Youngers represent “people

The first piece of literature is, "Raisin in the Sun." This story was written by Lorraine Hansberry during the 1950's after World War 2. The story was used as an example of an average African American family during this time period. It talked about the financial struggles and decisions African Americans faced while also talking about the low status of females during the 1950's. It also talks about conflicts that occurred between African American family members. The Battle Royale is the next piece of literature that is written by Ralph Ellison. This piece of literature was written in the 1950's as well. The story follows a young African American male that claims to be invisible. He states these claims because during this time period African

Do you believe it's okay to be different? In the book Raisin In the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Beneatha searches her identity throughout the play. She also wants to be different from her family. How? Beneatha tries everything in her power not to give up on her dream of becoming a doctor. Throughout this play, it shows how this African American family struggles to become successful while going through segregation and racism. Beneatha doesn’t let none of this stop her, difficult situations happen and she has to still figures out who she is. In this play you’ll see how independent Beneatha is, she doesn’t believe in God but she believes in herself and she doesn't want to follow her culture.

Each member of the Younger family had their own distinct dream, but one thing they had in common was their lack of money. Their lack of income is the greatest factor stopping them from achieving their dreams. First there is Mama who dreams of moving her family into a white neighborhood with a big yard for her to garden and her children to play. She has had this dream since her and Big Walter first moved in to the apartment they currently live in. Despite the family’s hard work over the years they cannot afford the new house. The rest of this family also share this same dream, but the one it affects the most is Mama since she has had it the longest. The next dream is Walter Lee’s. Where he wants to own his own business and become rich. His main

It is not usual for writers to agree on an opinion about a certain piece of writing, in this case we are referring to A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Lorraine Hansberry is a African-American author was born in Chicago Illinois during the 1930’s, an era where America had selected a new president, also known as the last years of the great depression. Lorraine Hansberry is also proven to be the granddaughter of a freed slave, however Hansberry’s father was a successful real estate broker, and her mother was a schoolteacher. Her parents contributed large sums of money to the NAACP and the Urban League.

Beneatha is godless and is therefore a heathen. Despite being Walter’s sister, her dreams and expectations are much higher than Walter’s. Beneatha dreams of becoming a doctor because she loves to heal people. Additionally, she would love to reconnect with her African heritage. As the play advances, Beneatha’s dream slowly dissolves away until there is nothing left of it.

In A raisin in the sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, an African American family living in racist community are working hard to endure this complex life, which made it hard for them to continue on aspiring for a better life like a normal family does. The Youngers live in a small room which has worn furniture that once was selected with care and love, but time took its toll on it. Suddenly, unexpected news about a ten thousand dollars check knocked on their door, the family started dreaming again, thinking that the enigma of the ten thousand dollars will drive them from darkness to light. The play title was taken from the poem “A Dream Deferred” which presented the negative effect on those who lost their dreams. Steven Smith argues that

Every family has their own problems right? Well, in the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry so does this family named the Younger family. They are black family and live in a house that was not fit for five people to live there. They were also a black family and they lived in a time when blacks were not liked. There is a certain Younger, whose name is Walter.