Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

The only white character in the domestic tragedy play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry tries to convince an African American family that segregation is in their best interest.

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.

Her family was subjected to segregation. At the age of eight, her family tried moving to an all-white neighborhood. “Restrictive covenants, in which white property owners agreed not to sell to blacks, [they] secretly bought a property. The family was threatened by a white mob, which threw a brick through a window, narrowly missing Lorraine. The Supreme Court of Illinois upheld the legality of the restrictive covenant and forced the family to leave the house” (Chicago Public Library, 2003). Her own experience led her to write her play, seeing the multitude of her people being threatened, and treated as nobody’s due to their skin color. Overall A Raisin in the Sun embodied an era of hatred and racism as Hansberry experience foreshadow the ideas of the

Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, is a great example of the struggles faced by an impoverished black family; who strive to deal with the realities of life on the ghetto side of South Chicago. Written in the 1958, this play illustrates the destructive consequences of impecuniousness and repression on African American families. Throughout the play, Hansberry (who is he, describe) shows the day-to-day struggles of a black family and explains the different perspectives on the American Dream. Each character in the play have their own hopes and dreams, however, these end up clashing with one another. Hansberry uses the Younger family to show that despite oppression and subjugation; a dream to live a better life is achievable with family unity and support.

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.

Through Mr. Lindner’s visit to the Younger’s family, A Raisin in the Sun demonstrates racially segregated nature of Chicago’s neighborhood, and how the Younger family suffered emotional trauma in their everyday life due to their race in the form of stress they had to experience due to the non-violent tactics used by the people to racially segregate them from other people in the community, further leading them to have lesser options to improve their status.

Have you ever played monopoly with cheaters? Although monopoly is just a game it’s not fun playing with cheaters, games like monopoly are a lot like living under systems. Especially when there’s cheaters involved because people don’t like living under systems when people in power aren’t fair. The historical fiction play A Raisin In The Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, is about the struggles of living under an unfair system for an African-American family in the 1950’s. This family is large and living in a very small home, in this time period that was common because people were still adjusting to the idea of racial equality in the U.S.

Racism is a major issue since the colonial era and the slavery era. Heavy burden of racism in the country have fallen upon African Americans. Racism was a huge influence on the Youngster’s family in A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry. The Younger’s represent a typical African American family living in the 1950’s trying to survive in the ghetto’s south side of Chicago. This family was filled with dreams, and had a vision to progress, but there was obstacles that were interfering with the younger’s aspiration to move up the social ladder. The issues of segregation, discrimination in employment, and housing sheds light on the suffering that the Youngers faced causing their dreams to be deferred.

Karl Linder degraded the Youngers saying, yes you seem like a good family, honest family like the other families in the community but since you're a different skin color we don't

This explains that the American Dream is a failure because the African Americans will not be able to buy a house even though they try their hardest because the white society is strongly controlling the prices. After Mama buys the house, Karl Linder, a white man from the Claybourne Park, where Mama bought the house, comes to tell the Younger family that they are not wanted. When Walter tells Linder to get out of the house because they are moving in no matter what, Linder says, “You just can’t force people to change their hearts, son”, where he means white people’s hearts (Hansberry 1339). He is demanding the Younger family to change their minds and do not buy the house

“A Raisin in the Sun” highlights and develops themes of racial intolerance by focusing on three specific expository aspects: the era, ethnicity, and economic status. First of all, the story is set during the 1950’s in Chicago, where the common stereotype depicted African Americans as content, second class citizens. Contrary to this belief, however, many African Americans also chased the American dream, the widespread hope of being financially successful, just as the Youngers did. Yet, while some African Americans surrendered to conformity and assimilation, like George, to become successful, many focused on building from their roots, using pride and tradition to eventually achieve prosperity. Second of all, exposed to racism and prejudice for being African Americans, the Youngers often times find

Many people go through different moralities in there life some that they believe can change their life for the better but don’t know the consequences. This ties in with issues involving money. Many people believe that money is the way to happiness and do what they can to get money even if it means to hurt your loved ones. In the play “Raisin in the Sun” Walter Lee Younger is man that lives in South Side Chicago and at point in life that he’s in, he wants to do something in his life and make a difference for colored people. The way he believes he can accomplish that is by opening a bar to make money for his family while believing money is the only source of happiness. Walters ideal morality was to make sure he got his hands on the insurance money so he could open up the bar even if it meant his family would suffer when things went wrong.

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.

A Raisin in the Sun was a play written in the late 1950’s analyzing the cruel effects of racism amongst the Younger family. The younger family suffers from racial discrimination within their living space, place of employment, and the housing industry. Racism has been going on for a very long time in the United States and will always continue to exist. Racism has not only led to political but also social issues. "A Raisin in the Sun confronted Whites for an acknowledgement that a black family could be fully human, 'just like us."(qtd. White fear.) The setting took place in the ghetto, south of Chicago where mainly African Americans settled. In this division, apartments and houses were overly priced, crowded and poorly maintained. Crime rates were extremely high and most families lived in poverty. Due to segregated housing, it was a daily struggle for black families who had hopes in leaving the ghetto for better lives.

When talking to Linder about not moving into an all-white neighborhood, Walter stands up for his family and states they will still be moving in, spite of being the only black family in the neighborhood. “WALTER: What I am telling you is that we called you over here to tell you that we are very proud and that this is—this is my son, who makes the sixth generation of our family in this country, and that we have all though about your offer and we have decided to move into our house because my father—my father—he earned it… we don’t want your money” (145). Walter finally came to his senses and realized it was a true test of his character to not accept the money to stay away from a particular neighborhood because of the color of his skin. His internal conflicts to find his identity were resolved by setting a good explain for his son and follow in his proud father’s