...Outline Thesis Statement: One of the major themes of "A Raisin in the Sun" is the devaluation of capitalism as a measure for success and its replacement by family pride. I. Walter Lee is obsessed with obtaining money from the very beginning of the play. His very happiness depends on success, and he measures this in wealth. 1. He longs to be successful. His speech at the end of Act II, Scene 2 beginning "You wouldn’t understand yet, son, but your daddy’s gonna make [...] a business transaction that’s going to change our lives [...] You just name it, son, and I'll hand you the world!" (Hansberry, 96) 2. Money is the only means of being successful or obtaining success. When asked why he cares so much about money, Walter screams, "Because it is life, Mama!" (Hansberry, 64) II. Mama encourages him to take her place as head of the family, despite disagreeing with his lust for wealth. 1. Mama tries to convince him that money is not the solution to Walter's crisis of purpose in a speech: "Something has changed. You something new, boy. [...] You ain't satisfied or proud of nothing we done. You my children - but how different we done become." (Hansberry 62) 2. Still she trusts him with the money in order to further his pride and encourage his familial responsibility. "I'm telling you to be head of this family from now on like you supposed to be." (Hansberry, 94) III. After the money is all but depleted, Walter stands up for himself and his family and spurns money in favor...
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...November 13th, 2009 A Raisin in the Sun “What happens to a dream deferred?” asks Langston Hughes. Lorraine Hansberry in A Raisin in the Sun explores the answer to his question through the Younger Family. Initially, the Younger Family members received a 10,000 dollar insurance check after their father’s passing. Each of the Younger’s had his own idea as how to spend the check. Each member believing that his or her idea will solve the family’s problems and will make their dreams come true. However, it takes more than money to fulfill their dreams. Each one must first identify his true desire before he can attain his goals. In order for Mama’s, Beneatha’s, and Walter’s dreams to become reality, each of the Younger members must transcend his or her selfish ways to become the independent respected adult each wishes to be. Mama’s dream was for her children, Walter and Beneatha to become independent. Mama wants nothing more; she just wants to see her children relying on themselves. She demands that members of her family respect themselves and take pride in their dreams.Mama wants Beneatha and Walter to understand that she will not be around forever to hold their hands. When Mama received the insurance check she went and purchased a house in an upscale, white neighborhood. Although she was doing what she thought was best, the purchasing of this house caused many problems among her family. Money is only a means to an end for Mama; dreams are more important to her than material...
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...In the play A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry it compares Walter with the poem Harlem, in this case Hansberry took the title from the poem, in order to convey the dream deferred. The Younger family shows their dream deferred throughout the play. Walter exemplifies the poem Harlem, his dream is to own a business, luxuries, and money. He is a sensitive person, when it comes to Ruth he tries to be nice but fails because of the way Ruth treats him. Walter makes many interesting comments and makes the worst mistakes in the play, but later in the play he transforms himself into a better person because preferably of getting the money that Mr.Linder is willing to pay their family to not to live there, he stands up like a man and didn’t take their money. Walter claims to his wife, Ruth, ... “That’s it, There you are. Man say to his women: I got me a dream. His women say: Eat your eggs. Man say: I got...
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...A Raisin Review Kenneth Hawthorne English/125 3/15/2016 University of Phoenix A Raisin Review “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or faster like a sore and then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode”. (Langston Hughes, Harlem) The author Lorraine Hansberry was born May 19, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois. Lorraine Hansberry's writing style is autobiographical, and was the first black playwright to create realistic black characters for the stage. Leanne Hansberry's play a raisin in the sun received multiple most notably the (New York drama critics Circle award for the best player of the year) she was the youngest playwright, fifth woman and first black woman to win this award. Although Lorraine Hansberry died at the age of 35 cancers 1965, her depiction of the 1950s black family in the south side of Chicago is something that will last forever in the hearts and minds of readers forever. You could say that Lorraine Hansberry made an autobiographical story about all families dealing with death, money, pregnancy, race, and ideals. However, this play was not just about black-and-white, it was introspective look into the black community. The play shows how the black community views itself in 1950's Chicago and that had to be difficult. In the 1950s and early 60s, there was no room to be fake and imaginary, you had to give the people an authentic...
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...A Raisin in the Sun Renee Ngala University Of Phoenix A Raisin in the Sun Culturally diverse people represent a distinct and precise set of needs than that of others within their communities, city, and state. I chose to examine concerns and challenges of one’s culture depicted by some of the actresses and actor in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. In this book report, I will identify the unique needs of the different characters, and propose a plan for delivering culturally competent strategies to address those issues. Lena Younger Lena Younger is the mother of Beneatha and Travis. Lena is a God fearing lady whom is a dedicated hard worker. Lena lives in a small apartment with her two children, daughter-in-law, and grandson. Lena’s strong family loyalty is apparent all through the movie. Lena is going through emotional turmoil because of the passing of her husband. She finds out that she is to inherit a lump sum of money from her husband’s life insurance policy. Lena strong ties with her church and family places her in a predicament on how to spend her money. Although Lena would love to give the money to her church, but her dedication to her family and their living condition, she decides to purchase a house big enough for her family. (A Raisin in the Sun, 1961). By Lena showing how much she values her family and spiritual beliefs, functions as a driving force for the difficult decisions she made through the movie. All decision factors...
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...A Raisin in the Sun By: Daniel Alejandro Mendivil Ahuatzin 4th hour Racism is a major issue that has affected the United States since its discovery. Racism is the hatred by a person of one race pointed at a person of another race. The United States has grown up to improve as a whole but this process is a long way away from completion. Some citizens still believe that African-Americans are inferior to Caucasians and that they should be slaves. In the 1950s, whites and blacks were segregated to a point that they could not go to the same schools or even use the same bathrooms. Chief Justice Earl Warren abolished the segregation of schools in May of 1954. The desegregation of schools has helped people of all races grow up together in a non-hostile environment where they can develop relationships with people of other races. Throughout the play A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry criticizes the racial and discriminatory climate of America in the 1950s and early 60s. It becomes obvious to the reader that the racial tension Hansberry experienced growing up reflected on the way her literature is written. Moss and Wilson state that, “Lorraine Hansberry’s South Side childhood, particularly her father’s battle to move into a white neighborhood, provided the background for the events in the play” (314). Hansberry experienced many of the situations she placed the Younger family at first hand. Hansberry’s father, Carl Hansberry, was put in a similar circumstance when he moved...
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...Bob Jim English Composition II 4/22/2014 A Society Divided Life in America was tense for African Americans in the 1950’s or 1960’s. They were not treated the same way as white people were and this created many conflicts in society. Lorraine Hansberry wrote the play, “A Raisin in the Sun” to depict the story of a black family living under these circumstances who are trying to find a way to be happy. The Younger family, including Beneatha, Lena, and Walter Younger, all had positive dreams that were taken away by the negative encironment that were surrounding them. The image of these characters created by Hansberry reflects with the history and culture focusing on African American events. From the beginning, Lena Younger or Mama is seen flowering her plant. She treats the plant as a way she would to her kids. It symbolizes a way to nurture dreams and keep them thriving such as a plant. Everybody has dreams, and Mama’s dream is to live in a nice house. She has “been thinking that we maybe could meet the notes on a little old two- story somewhere, with a yard where Travis could play in the summertime” (989). In addition to her dream, she describes her house with a nice backyard for the kids to play in and “a little garden in the back” (990). She would also help pitch in some money by “take on a little work again, few days a week” (990). She just hopes this one dream would bring the family together under one roof. Her dream cannot be reached because she still...
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...A Raisin in the Sun Persuasive Essay Prompt I believe the most important lesson about life that I learned by reading and studying Lorraine Hansberry’s play was that life has its peaks and valleys. The opening of the story starts with a family name the Younger’s in their apartment in the South Side of Chicago during the 1950s. It goes on to show us that it isn’t the best apartment in Chicago. It tells us that there is only one bathroom on their floor and that it isn’t very big and they refer to it as a “rat trap”. Next it tells us that Lena Younger is expecting a $10,000 life insurance check from the estate of her late husband, Walter Lee. With the check she is planning to retire from her job as a maid for a white family. Lena’s son, Walter Lee Junior, wants to use the money to buy a liquor store. His wife, Ruth, also a domestic in a white household, hopes to move to a larger apartment. Beneatha, Lena's daughter, dreams of going to medical school to be a doctor. When the check finally arrives anxiety breaks out in the family. Walter Lee feels he should get the money because he is the head of the family. While Ruth and Beneatha agree with each other that it is Lena's money, and she should decide how she wants to spend it. Lena realizes that the family's survival depends on their escape from the apartment. Because of this she makes a down payment on house in Clybourne Park. The only problem is that Clybourne Park is an all-white residential neighborhood. The plans for...
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...LORRAINE ANSBERRY H A Raisinin the Sun Characters RUTH YOUNGER TRAVIS YOUNGER WALTER LEE YOUNGER (BROTHER) BENEATHA YOUNGER LENA YOUNGER (MAMA) JOSEPH ASAGAI GEORGE MURCHISON MRS. JOHNSON KARL LINDNER BOBO MOVING MEN The action of the playis set in Chicago's side, sometime South between World War II and thepresent. Act I Scene I Friday morning. Scene II Thefollowing morning. Act II Scene I Later, thesame day. Scene II Friday night, a few later. weeks Scene III Moving day, one later. week Act III An hour later. ACT I SCENEI The YOUNGER living room would comfortable wellbe a and ordered roomifitwere for a not number of indestructible contradictions to this stateofbeing. furnishings andunIts typical are 486 Lorraine Hansberry distinguished and their primary feature now is that they have clearly had to accommodate the livingof too many people too for many years—and they aretired.Still,we can seethatatsome time, a time probably no longer rememberedby the (except perfamily haps for MAMA),the furnishings this room were actually selected of with care and love and even hope—and brought tothis apartment and arranged with taste and pride. That was a long time ago. Now the once loved patternof the couch upholstery has to fight to show from under of itself acres crocheted doilies and couch covers which have themselvesfinally come to be more important than the upholstery. And hereatable or a chair has been moved to disguisetheworn places thecarpet; in but the carpet...
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...Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin In the Sun depicts the struggles of three generations of the Younger family in the 1950’s of South Side Chicago. The nucleus of the family Lena Younger “Mama” is portrayed as a generous and wise woman throughout the text. Hansberry introduces us to Mama and describes her through the stage directions as “being a woman with “a dark brown face” which is “surrounded by the total whiteness of her hair” also a woman “who has adjusted to many things in life and overcome many more.” The total whiteness of her hair is nuanced; it represents an image of aging as well as sage. Mama quickly assumes her role as head of the home as she enters. Through dialogue she quickly displays her everlasting knowledge and good judgment in raising children. “When it starts getting chilly in the fall a child ought to have some hot grits or something when he goes out in the cold.” Mama’s prudence is further conveyed in her skepticism and towards Walter opening the liquor store. “Well whether they drinks it or not ain’t none of my business. But whether I go into business selling it to em is, and I don’t want that on my ledger this late in life.” Mama always asserts her Christian principles and offers to lend a helping hand in her family’s lives. She always senses superficiality about one of her family member’s and offers advice on how to overcome the situation. This is portrayed in her advice to Ruth to stay home from work. “I’ll just call her up and say you got the flu…cause...
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...An Analysis of A Raisin In The Sun “A Raisin In The Sun” is a play written by an African-American playwright, Lorraine Hansberry. It was first produced in 1959. Lorraine Hansberry’s work is about a black family in the Chicago’s South-Side after the Second World War. The family consisted of Mama (Lena Younger), Walter Lee (her son), Ruth (his wife), Travis (their son), and Beneatha (Walters younger sister). The Younger family lived in poor conditions and can’t afford to have better living standards. However, Lena is waiting to receive a $10,000 check from her ex husband’s insurance money. The two main characters in the play, Mama and Walter, want this money to be used for the benefits of the whole family. Even though both of them want to benefit the family, each one has different idea on what to do with money and how to manage it to benefit everyone. Walter Lee, like his father want’s his family to have a better life and wants to invest the money in a liquor store. Walter want’s the money so that he can prove that he is capable of making a future for his family. By doing well in business, Walter thinks that he can buy his family happiness. Walter has dreams, which he most likely got from his father. He dreams of a better life for his family and himself to be financially stable and have a comfortable living. Ruth, on the other hand is stable and down to earth. She doesn’t make rash to choices to accommodate a dream. She will just make do with what she has. Mama is a loving...
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...Contrast Between Siblings, Walter Versus Beneatha In reading the play “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, one can almost get the feeling they were there in Chicago in the 1950’s. The Younger’s are an African-American family whom live in a small, dilapidated two-bedroom apartment in Chicago’s south side. The play opens up with the struggling Younger family barely making it through life, but then surprisingly find out they are receiving a life insurance policy from their father; whom previously passed. The inheritance left behind by their father equals ten thousand dollars, but with this money comes sibling rivalry between Walter and his sister Beneatha. Walter, the only son of Lena Younger “Mama”, is the typical African American man from the 1950’s who is trying to support the family with his job as a chauffeur. He believes everything revolves around him and his opinions are more important than the women in his family. Walter is constantly arguing and fighting with his wife Ruth, Mama, and his sister Beneatha. He blatantly disregards his family’s concerns, more specifically, Beneatha’s concerns, and always feels like he must have the final word in any argument that unfolds. In Walter’s opinion, much like most men from his decade, he believes that the man of the house is the ultimate decision maker. Walter thinks he is realistic with his dreams, while “living in a white man’s world”; however, he is an idealist who believes that a future full of money will bring him and...
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...The selected play is A Raisin in a Sun. Conflict is defined as a struggle that the protagonist faces towards an opposing force; an example of conflict in A Raisin in the Sun is the Youngers’ struggle to survive against financial issues and a white-ruled society. A subplot is defined as a story within the main story that is not as important as the main plot; an example of a subplot in A Raisin in the Sun is the issue with Ruth’s unwanted pregnancy throughout the story. The rising action is a series of events in the plot that leads towards the main event; an example of rising action in A Raisin in the Sun occurs when Mama gains the insurance money and makes a down payment towards a new house, giving the rest to Walter, who makes an investment...
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...play A Raisin In The Sun primarily using the character Walter Lee. Another work of literature that touches upon this issue of pride is the short story “The Rocking Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence, where the protagonist Paul demonstrates pride leading to madness taking over. These works are comparable with the theme of Pride being that both character’s, Walter and Paul, on took daring actions for their mother with the best of intentions. However although alike, these works differ because Walter’s mother wants to better her family’s living situation and fulfill a dream as opposed to Paul’s mother who is simply greedy as well as hungry for money and materialistic things. Throughout Hansberry’s A Raisin In The Sun the members of the Younger family each explain their own desire for success and a better life. While each member of the family hopes for something different, in the end they all wished to better their family situation. Walter’s discussion with Ruth in the beginning of the play illustrates his definition of success and the “American Dream” when he is ranting “Charlie Atkins was just a “good-for-nothing loudmouth” too, wasn’t he! When he wanted me to go in the dry-cleaning business with him. And now- he’s grossing a hundred thousand a year. A hundred thousand a year! You still call him a loudmouth!” (Hansberry 615). This scene shows how Walter is envious of wealth and considers bringing in a large income being a success. Much like the Younger family from A Raisin In The...
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...A Raisin in the Sun Argument Essay Everyone has to make a decision at some point in their life and while reading A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, one of the main characters named Walter Lee Younger has to make a decision of his own. Walter has to make the decision to take Mr. Linder’s money and not move into their new house or to reject Mr. Linder's offer and move into their new house. Because the Younger’s morals stop them from being paid to not move into the new house, they are correct to not take the money from Linder, since the Younger family works too hard and sacrifices too much to have someone tell them where they can or cannot live and the pride of their family is more important than money. The Youngers worked too...
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