Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, set in the aftermath of World War II during the apparent racial tension between African Americans and whites, portrays the story of the Youngers, a poor African American family, who feel the confinement of their miniscule apartment and the social roles forced upon them by society in Chicago’s South side. They discover a chance at a new beginning when the matriarch of the family, Lena Younger, receives a $10,000 life insurance check. However, her children, Walter Lee and Beneatha, each have their own plans for the money which causes tension within the family. Throughout the play, they must find a way to work through their problems and fight against racial discrimination. In A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry incorporates various symbols such as Mama’s plant, Beneatha’s African connections, and the life insurance check. The use of these symbols helps describe the hopes and dreams of the Younger family trying to break the cycle of poverty and racism.

In the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry, Beneatha is an African American woman, who is discriminated against by her gender and her race. Beneatha and her family have aspiring dreams, hers being to become a doctor. Along with her dreams and her

In different countries gender roles can vary on how much they are utilized. Some countries do not think a woman is supposed to have a certain place in the world. In other countries gender roles can be a problem, meaning women are only supposed to have a certain job, a certain pay, and they are supposed to be married. In A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, It is based on a African American family The Youngers who go through challenges with money, family, and the death of a loved one. Lorraine Hansberry challenges traditional gender roles through the characterization of Beneatha. Beneatha does the complete opposite of what an average woman in the 1940’s/1950’s is supposed to do with their life and school.

In the story, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (1988), the main characters face many difficulties that pertain to their life in the 1950s. One issue the family faces is residential segregation. Another difficulty is pursuing education in a field that is predominantly male or female. A third challenge is dealing with money issues. Hansberry wrote the book to reflect the current events of the 1950s, but these events also relate to before the 1950s and the present, 2016.

Setting Is The Reason Behind Conflict In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the context of the play is reliant on the both the setting time and place. The conflict of the novel is the economic struggle that the Younger family faces more specifically, how to get past the discrimination of being a lower-class black family who is trying to evolve in the new America. Beneatha, as a character, goes through the most conflicts, which arise due to the time and location of the play and how she wants to change the world. Beneatha’s struggle is shown with blatant sexism, a distinct lack of opportunities, and the struggle to identify herself due to the setting of the play.

Mama’s comment at him proves he has lost his pride by walking out. Another way Walter’s dreams compromise his pride is when he wants to accept Mr. Lindner ’s offer. Mr. Lindner’s offer is very tempting to Walter once they lose the money, and Walter decides the money is more important than his family’s pride. Beneatha doesn’t believe Walter will go through with the plan until he says, “We going to do business with him”

In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry all the characters have big dreams, especially Mama. Mama’s dream and personality affects the dream’s of everyone around her in either a positive or negative way. Her caring, honest, and grateful characteristics help her develop the theme of dreams.

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry tackles several social issues, including racism, assimilation of the African American race, and sexism. In the play, gender roles were reinforced and challenged by both male and female characters. Beneatha Younger, a smart woman that seeks education and aspires to become a doctor during the 1950’s, is naturally a victim of gender stereotypes. However, although she and her dreams are constantly being belittled by the men in her life, she stands up for herself and fights against the stereotypes.

A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry is a dramatic play depicting economic and social prejudice during the Harlem Renaissance era in Chicago. The central theme of this written drama is centered upon a forgotten dream. In this same way, This theme could be applied to both Walter's dream of economic stability as well as Beneatha’s dream to be a doctor. Hansberry uses literary symbolism techniques to convey the theme of economic and struggle in society for minorities in America. This drama uses multiple examples of symbolism to contribute to the theme of class and wealth.

Beneatha gets the chance to attend medical school with the money from the insurance cheque, but due to Walter's decisions, she no longer has the funds to go to medical school. Beneatha is upset with Walter Lee, and she gives up on her dream of becoming a doctor. She says; “no—I wanted to cure. It used to be so important to me. I wanted to cure.

On average, women do more unpaid work, such as household chores and childcare, than men. This trend remains constant around the world and all throughout history (“Is the Gender Pay Gap Real?”). The women in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun are no exception. This story follows the Youngers, who are an African American family living in Chicago during the 1940s. Beneatha, Lena, and Ruth, the story’s main female characters, are the main source of strength for their family.

(Hansberry 46) In Lorraine Hansberry's family drama A Raisin in the Sun, Beneatha, the black, female lead,

Mandy Hale, author of The Single Woman: Love, Life, and a Dash of Sass, once said, “Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path.” This shows that fearing to do what others would not. When a woman goes their own path and things start to grow tough, will she turn the other way? In Lorraine Hansberry’s, A Raisin in the Sun, she portrays a misunderstood character who, at times can be disrespected by her family. Beneatha Younger, a well-educated, ambitious, and childlike young woman, aspires to “find herself” while maintaining her dreams of being a doctor. Ultimately, breaking the stereotypes of women in the 1950’s.

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.

Beneatha feels that by becoming a doctor she will have a new life (Cheney, 58). However like everything else in this play there are obstacles to overcome. The biggest obstacle is the fact that she is a black woman. In the sixties woman in general were treated unequally much less a black woman. The second obstacle is her brothers Walter “… go be a nurse like other woman” (Hansberry 1.1 1019). Walter is very much opposed to his sister’s education because of the fact that he wants to use the money to fund his dream.