Raisin In The Sun Critical Analysis

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

During the 1900s many black families barely had enough money to pay for the basic necessities needed to live. At times some families would receive a significant sum of money, something they were not used to getting. Deciding on how to spend this money is what caused problems among some families. In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, she argues that there are times when in a state of financial instability and where money is a necessity to completing one’s dream that some family members choose to put their dreams over others when suddenly given the opportunity. After Mama’s husband died she was bound to receive an insurance check that would be used by the Younger family. Before even receiving the

The saying “money can’t make you happy” is a popular and controversial statement. For someone with money it is almost unfair of them to comment, for someone without money this can be used as a comfort and a way to look past financial issues. But in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun we take an indepth look on how money can really affect a family that prior to the death of a father and husband, had no money. Hansberry begins her play with Langston Hughes's poem Harlem (Dream Deferred). The poem begins with a lofty question, “What happens to a dream deferred (line one)?” And it continues as so:

The play A Raisin in the Sun illustrates the social and economic pressure that is placed on the Younger family, especially Beneatha who aspires to become a doctor at the time where not many women could even imagine such aspirations. The Younger family's daughter Beneatha is an outspoken intelligent member who raises the argument for the other side of the spectrum at all times. Beneatha is aspiring to become a doctor and has some hope that some of the money from her father's social insurance cheque would help go to her medical school. The pressure of being lower middle class severely affects the relationships of the Younger family as Walter, Beneatha's older brother shows no regard for his sister as he sees her as the only one in the house not

What is the meaning of money for you? For some people money means the world to them and even where the only place they can find happiness. However, for others money doesn’t mean anything to them; those people can live just with what they have and still be happy. According to “A Raisin in the Sun” written by Lorraine Hansberry demonstrates some of the conflicts people of color had in the late 1950’s when the subject involved money. Walter, one of the main characters of the play and also the only grown man of the family had the most problems with money, but at the same time he just wanted the best for his family. Beneatha, Walter’s sister, wanted to prove that a black woman could be a doctor not just a nurse to the racist society they were living in. Mama, the mother of Walter and Beneatha. Always trying to do the right thing for her family. All Mama wanted was a successfully family in a perfect house.

“Money is not the key to happiness,” no big pay amount would make much of a difference. As people in America everybody thinks you cannot afford to avoid the unhappiness of having to  life,  having plenty of cash does not make your any more enjoyable then what it is in the present. Happiness depends on how you feel towards your loved ones which in Lorraine Hansberry's Play, “A Raisin In the Sun” Walter's obsession with money often caused him to act unkindly to his loved ones. In the book Raisin in the Sun a family from the Southside of Chicago they lived in a small apartment trying to find a way out of the community they have lived in. The Younger family was dealing with living in a white dominant society dealing with poverty and prejudice acts. The Youngers’ try to ignore the obstacles and stay on their feet throughout the 1950s.

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.

Lorraine Hansberry was a writer during the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement. She was the first woman, the first black person, and the youngest person to get a show on broadway with her hit A Raisin in the Sun. The name comes from Langston Hughes’ famous poem Harlem (Dream Deferred) where Lorraine got all of her inspiration from. Harlem is about what happens when you put off a dream for too long. In A Raisin in the Sun Hansberry uses the characters Walter, Beneatha, and Momma to show the consequences of deferring your dreams.

Cynthia Kersey once said, “The only opinion about your dream that counts is yours. The negative comments of others merely reflects their limitations- not yours.” This quote applies to Beneatha, a character from Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin In The Sun, because throughout the book readers see her talk about her aspirations in life and everyone always tells her she is aiming too high. They tell her that she should not be so bold and to settle and do what a typical woman should, but she is so driven she refuses to let them degrade her and her dream. She continues to push for what she wants no matter what anyone says. Throughout the book A Raisin In The Sun Beneatha appears to be insensitive, strong-willed

A Raisin in the Sun is an excellent example of distinctive character’s and conflict. Walter Younger and Ruth have no values to share together to help them appreciate one another. To a significant point, no view of possible solutions to their problems as they both find no peace in society. Walter accepts what he believes in the world is presented to him. At first, he does not wish to change his position.

To begin with in chapter 5, on page 36, Walter says how Sugar Ray Robinson, and Joe Louis who walk or ride down the streets of Harlem. One day Walter decided to hang a boy with a couple of friends, and when the pastor walked into the basement he knew more about what their were doing than they did. Finally Walter realized he had a speech problem, and could not read to the class no more. So, one day he was reading a comic book, and his teacher threw it away and gave him a fairy tale book. That’s was when Walter realized he loved reading books.

Each people have to face different choice in their life, and no one can prediction the consequence of the choice they made. In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the theme of making their own choice to achieve their dream without the opinion from family member can be clearly seen through the character of Mama, Walter and Beneatha.

A poor African-American family living in the streets of Chicago had the chance to live the life they’ve been dreaming of for years. but does the mental picture that they paint in their heads include racism, the fear of getting bombed out of their home and the feeling of being unwanted in a place the have worked so hard to get? The younger family received ten thousand dollars from their deceased father which they are using to buy a home in a white neighborhood. Mr. lindner whom is a representative of clybourne park offered the younger family a very large sum to stay away from clybourne park because of their skin tone and in addition to all that they are expecting a baby. Even though the younger family suffered through discrimination,

When I called walter for dinner that evening,he answered that he wasn’t hungry.I called him for a second time and told him to come to the kitchen, my husband sat at the table with his dinner in front of him.By that time i looked at Walter and his legs looked stiff so he could barely walk.

During the story, “A Raisin in The Sun”, holds two influences, Walter, and Mama, who have the most significant impact among the plot. Here’s why; Lorraine Hansberry has created this play to prove what life was like before our modern generation had come about. As to why Lorraine brought Walter and Mama to help make up the conflicts and rising action to the plot. If the play was created without Walter, it would only be a story based upon, Beneatha, and Mama. There’d be no Ruth, no Travis, or new baby soon to come about. Whereas, if there was no Mama around anymore, the family would have no intelligence, faith, or leader, to help the children determine how to handle their problems or know what to do with themselves.