focusing on the little things going in her life at the moment such that poverty heavily influences what one can do. SETTING 1. Place and Symbolic Significance A Raisin in the Sun takes place in Southside Chicago. The entire Younger family shares a cramped, two bedroom apartment. When the play begins, the kitchen is shown to be as small as a closet. Throughout the play, most if not all action takes place in the living room, which serves as a multipurpose dining room as well as bedroom. Located on each side of the living space is a bedroom. The bathroom is communal, and is located outside. 2. Time Period and Contextual Significance The events that happened in this play occurred between World War II and 1958. During the 1950s in America, people of color were being racially segregated in society by those who believed they were of higher importance and quality. 3. Time Span A few months pass. CONFLICTS 1. Main Conflict a. Type of Conflict The Younger’s vs. Racism – external b. Values Embodied in Conflict Man vs. Idea c. Thematic Significance of Conflict The Younger’s, badly treated by others; have a hard time finding themselves – both culturally and individually. Race plays a major role in their ranking in the social class and limits what they can or can’t do on a day to day basis. Their moving into a white community comes to a halt, as they are not welcomed by the neighborhood committee. Living life as one of color is not easy; instead it is bombarded constantly with fear and life scaring threats. 2. Minor Conflicts and Thematic Significance A minor conflict that characters in A Raisin in the Sun face is that of financial instability. Due to the large percentage of African Americans who were in debt and in poverty at the time, money was a big part of everyday life. It controlled what people did and bought. Money prohibited the Younger’s from moving to a house where everyone would be able to have personal space of their own since the beginning. Instead, it happened by the $10,000 inheritance check that was given. Even with all the hard work that was put into finding them a new home, the white neighborhood association offered them money to stay away, as they weren’t appreciated. SYMBOLS AND MOTIFS
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
This gives the audience many altered ways that they, personally, can interpret the play from. Allowing for many different opinions on a single passage whether they may be relevant or not. Out of many different perspectives, Marxist, has an important part within the play, separating the ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ classes, creating a divide between the stereotype white people and the archetypal black culture. This perspective plays a vital role, beginning at the very start of the play right through till the closing stages. It sets the scene, making the divide between the two ‘different’ cultures, in which over the course of the play, slowly gets bridged with the uncovering of the forgotten stories, told by the Aboriginal Ex-servicemen. Bringing men closer together through the hard times that they had endured together. As the text starts, it begins with an easy to spot, element of Marxism, pushed by the white Vs Black component in the early stages of the book, with name calling and bullying. As the text continues, the element of Marxism is still present but less obvious, with the uncovering of lost and untold stories which bring the segregation between the two cultures of white and black, stereotype and archetype to an
In the film A Raisin In The Sun in 1961, written by Lorraine Hansberry and presented by Columbia Pictures, there are several adaptations that were added and deleted. One adaptation that was added was the different settings. In the play (Hansberry), the setting primarily takes place in the Younger’s living room. The film presents different settings such as Walter’s and Ruth’s bedroom, Benetha’s and Mama’s bedroom, the bar, Walter at work, and the new house.
The drama A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, shows the life of the Youngers, an African-American family living on the Southside of Chicago in the 1950s. In the beginning, the Youngers are about to receive an insurance check for $10,000. This money comes from the deceased Mr. Younger’s life insurance policy. Each of the adult members of the family has an idea as to what he or she would like to do with this money. Mama, wants to buy a house to fulfill a dream she shared with her husband. Mama’s son, Walter Lee, would rather use the money to invest in a liquor store with his friends. He believes that the investment will solve the family’s financial problems forever. Beneatha, Walter’s sister and Mama’s daughter, wants to use the money for her medical school tuition. Ruth, Walter’s wife, discovers that she is pregnant, but
Symbolism is a major tool used throughout the book “A Raisin in the Sun”. The author, Lorraine Hansberry, does a great job using symbolism in her play to convey her point. Lorraine Hansberry uses a variety of different things as symbols such as objects as well as people. The use of symbolism in the play is crucial because it helps understand things better and in more depth.
A Raisin in the Sun is a Move about dreams. The movie starts off in south side Chicago, evolving around a time period where racism was still common. The genre of the film is known as drama, and is based upon the Younger family. They receive a check from the death of the father in the story. The main characters’ struggle to deal with society, or in other words the “man.” The Younger family all have dreams that they wish to fulfil, and the ten-thousand-dollar check is the ticket to their dreams. There are many roles in the characters in the movie, for example gender. Walter feels that he’s supposed to be the man of the family. Once again, their race inhibits them from accomplishing their dreams.
A Raisin in the sun shows the hardship many need to face in order to attain this notion of the American Dream. The book did more than then just show what everyone faced, she shows the struggles that many African American families had to face when trying to achieve the notion of the American Dream. She does this by showing the environment that many African American lived in when there was bombing in the neighborhood or when white people would force African American who finally bought a home, out. Lorraine also shows the struggles of the characters of the book like Walter who struggles with the decision he makes and the contradictions that stop him from achieving his goals of being wealthy or when Beneatha goes against the norms of society
“ A Raisin in the Sun” is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry about the life of an African American family during the era of segregation. The play starts off with the Younger family receiving a 10,000 dollar check from Mr. Younger’s insurance policy. The family argues over what they are going to do with it. Mama wants to buy a house with it, Walter wants to invest in a liquor store, and Beneatha wants to use the money to go to medical school. The contrast of the characters’ personalities fuels the conflict and drives the story forward. Beneatha is a young college student and the sister of Walter. She has a dream of becoming a doctor. Beneatha is a dynamic character who is easily influenced by her family and the people
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.
A Raisin in the Sun was written by Lorraine Hansberry and is a play about an African American family who are struggling in the 1950’s to keep the family together. Although the play is portrayed in the 50’s many issues like the economy, racism, and family dynamics the characters had to face; these issues are still issues in the 21st century.
Imagery in The Raisin In The Sun displays uniquely to distinguishes each feeling or reaction proceeding to the characters. The reader gets more of a better image of situation, actions and feelings as illustrated “Mama: Son do you know your wife is expecting another baby? (Walter stands stunned and absorbs what his mother has said.) That’s what she wanted to talk to you about…” (Act 1 Scene 2 Page:1568.) With this image you can examine him feel so much emotion Walter at that time. The imagery of him just sitting there blank as stone, the feeling of anguish, speechlessness and surprised with the news that may seem as bad news giving him the image of unhappiness. Furthermore, it exposes the possibility to be a restriction Walters dream and the families dream as said according to Mama: “Mama: I'm waiting to see you stand up and look like your daddy and says we done giving up nary another one… I'm waiting.” This is a big interpretation towards the American Dream that they needed money but it was a load of work to provide enough for Travis and the baby. It consumes the part of Walter that he can't explain with money, it was his one and only chance to use properly for himself. In Addition, Walter is not just being selfish but he is just seeing the outcomes of his dream be put down. Then again there was also a big huge family that was living in the house; in which was also needing to provide Mama but she expected more from her son, to be wise enough to choose between the right and
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.
This play depicts the different desires of each member of the Younger family as they talk about what they can do with a $10,000 insurance payment. This play depicts two major discriminations. One is about gender issues, and the other one is about racial discrimination.
The production spearheaded with a solemn poem by Langston Hughes entitled "Harlem." Preparing for an emotionally empowering theater piece, the poem quieted the audience and placed a serious blanket over us. While appropriate for me, I found it extremely coincidental that the poem's title, ties in directly with James Baldwin and his extensive writings on the 1943 Harlem race riots. With the lights off and just a solitary voice reciting the poem, it gave us, the audience, an immediate notion of play's melancholy style.
The use of furnishing in diverse scenes of the play, symbolizes the lack of movement and progress African Americans experienced. The playwright also introduces women that hold positions of leadership and that are yet subjected to social restrictions or prejudices of being enclosed and restricted to the household. Lastly, the portrayal of the sector of the population as those who aim to create an identity through the restoration African origins, also portrays the aspiration of the people to gain rights in the United States. A Raisin in the Sun constantly immerses the reader into the historical period of the 1960´s decade, characterized by poverty and lack of rights of African Americans, through the use of stationary, domestic, and cultural