Category: A Raisin In The Sun

Lorraine Hansberry was the first black female writer to have a play performed on Broadway. A Raisin in the Sun is one of the best-known works of Lorraine Hansberry. Through the African-American black family, the Youngers, she speaks about vital issues such as gender, poverty, and racial discrimination. Her play mainly focuses on the dreams of the main characters, which motivates them. Through the play “A Raisin in the Sun” Hansberry portrays the three generations of black women Mama, Beneatha, and Ruth who, despite their double fronted subordination, continue to dream of a better tomorrow. Although the aspirations of these women vary in subject, they all engage the furthering their roles as women, to acquire their dreams.

In the 1950s African Americans faced a lot of racial discrimination. The African American dream was close to acquisitiveness. The play is an aggravating reflection of racial attitudes of the 1950s and of today. The Younger’s family has just received a $10,000 dollar cheque for their dead father’s life insurance policy. They live in a two-bedroom apartment on the black side of town in Chicago. Racial prejudices against blacks in that era and a low income are the roots of conflict in the family.

The conception of the American Dream can be seen in so many works in literature. Many playwrights tried to reflect this concept in their works in order to give an obvious representation of American society. A raisin in the sun reflects the life of the Youngers, a typical African-American family lived during the II-world war and it clearly portrays the dilemma of an African American family accurately and realistically in which each member had a deferred dream. Their dreams turn into dried up resembling a raisin in the sun. Their fight for cheerfulness dried up because they had to concentrate all of their energies on surviving.

Mama, Ruth, and Beneatha all have very dissimilar perceptions of what it means to be a woman, resulting from their generation gap and personal experiences.

Mama is otherwise called Lena Younger, the ruler of the family takes a conservative view of the roles of women. A Christian woman who values moral accountability, she tries to keep her family from sacrificing their ethics in order to achieve. It is Mama who has the authority of deciding how her husband’s ten thousand dollar life insurance cheque that the members of the family have been anticipating will be spent. Her dream is to buy a house with a garden so that her family can live in more space and peace. Despite the dilemma, she struggles with Mr. Linder, who asks them not to move to his neighborhood where only the white people live, and with the members of her family, but she is able to accomplish her dreams at the end of the play.

Ruth is a woman who is fairly neutral when it comes to the way she perceives her role as a woman. She carries out the traditional domestic work of a woman. She shares Mama’s interest in using the insurance money in order to secure a house of their own where she can spend as much time in the bathtub relaxing as she wants. Ruth comes very close to giving up her dreams. Walter hardly acknowledged her. He even husband is falling fast and the only conversation between them is about money. Walter, the new baby, and the lack of money limited her dreams greatly. She was close to leaving him and calling it quits, but held on and kept her dream alive.

Beneatha, Mama’s daughter, hopes to find her identity through looking towards true African heritage. She is a clever college student who wants to be a doctor, but only if she gets the money for tuition. It is very difficult for her to get her dream because of the time period she is in. She wants to be different from the woman of her generation. She expects to achieve her dream by a determined woman with the ambition on achieving her American dream.

Walter, Mama’s son, wishes to become rich one day. Walter wants to invest money in the liquor business with a few of his friends. But he loses all the money he has invested in the liquor store. At that time the women in the family must try and keep the family together. Ultimately, losing everything they have unites them because at the last moment Walter changes his mind about taking money from Mr. Lindner. Walter tells him that they have moved into the house because their father earned it for them. At this moment the entire family’s spirits are lifted and they are proud of the decision Walter has made. This act of standing by your family to achieve the American dream of succeeding no matter who you are and where you come from unites them. They learn to support each other and put their families before their own. By owning a house, having high morale, and the support of their family, each of them is on their way to fulfill their American dream.

The Youngers had a complexity of dreams that came from true living and working hard for a better future of a family. One can understand the lesson out of this play that every person must be optimistic about the outcome of their dreams. The fulfilled dreams were meaningful and the deferred ones were also meaningful, but not as much as the dreams that did not bring unity within a family. Through the women in this play, we are able to vicariously live a day in the life of black women and catch a glimpse of both the hardships and triumphs of their existence. Hansberry’s portrayal of these lives challenges the traditional views of womanhood by demonstrating that women are just as strong as men in hard situations and can continue to dream and challenge themselves despite the obstacles they encounter along the pathway of life.

A Raisin in the Sun is an all-time classic and has been around since 1959. This book was written by Lorraine Hansberry and inspired by a poem named “Harlem” by Langston Hughes. Both “Harlem” and A Raisin in the Sun are about African-Americans in the 1950s with big dreams. It spotlights the Youngers family who is poor and about to receive a check for $10,000. Throughout the play, you see how the main characters battle to manage the harsh conditions that standard their lives. A Raisin in the Sun addresses so many important issues during the 1950s in the United States and shows how difficult it was for African-American families to live in the United States at that time. The theme of this play portrays the importance of family and to aim high. I believe family is one of the most important things in life because it provides a type of love and support, you can’t receive anywhere else. The family also supplies a framework of values to every one of its members, who serve one another and share life’s joys and sorrows. By aiming high and having big dreams you can improve the quality of your life. In A Raisin in the Sun, images used by Lorraine Hansberry, help portray the dreams, expectations, and exasperations of an African-American family attempting to break the traditional cycle of racism, segregation, and poverty in the mid-1900s.

In every family, each member has their own distinct dreams and they each have different paths to achieve those goals. All dreams require sacrifice and hard work, but support is the most essential part. Support from the people who love you most, your family. Each member in the Youngers family has their own specific individual dream they are trying to achieve. One wants to attend medical school and go to college, one wants to move to a bigger house for a better life, and the other wants to open a liquor store to be able to provide more for his family. Each individual’s dream serves a significant mental capacity. It provides each of them with hope, inspiration, and direction. These dreams additionally isolate the characters, arousing conflict among them. The $10,000 is not sufficient for each individual dreams to be fulfilled, which causes even more conflict between the characters. Throughout the play, Walter feels as if no one supports his plan of using the money for the liquor store. He is so upset he drinks more than usual and says things with no filter, “No! ‘Cause ain’t nobody with me! Not even my own mother!” He displays his anger by getting even drunker, skipping work, and yelling at Ruth saying “Who even cares about you?” Little does he know he’s going to regret yelling at them for thinking they don’t trust and support him.

An important topic in this book is money, and the things it makes people do. Throughout the play, Walter gets caught up in the money and he starts to change. He forgets where the money truly came from. He forgets that the money was a life insurance check that Mama had received after the death of her husband. Mama strongly believes in the importance of family and she attempts to educate this value to her family as she struggles to keep them functioning and together. Mama’s insurance check represents hope, as every member of the family considers it to be a one-time opportunity to make their dreams work out. From the beginning of the book to the end, the check goes from symbolizing hope to symbolizing the loss of their dreams. Mama tells Walter how being able to have a life here is such a blessing and how “Once upon a time freedom used to be life-and now it’s money.” After momma talks about how freedom used to be everything, Walter says, “No—it was always money, Mama. We just didn’t know about it.” Even in today’s society most people these days care more about money than anything else. They believe money guarantees happiness, but it never does it just satisfies your temporary needs until you get bored of it. Money is always nice to have but nothing is more important than family and their trust.

In Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin In the Sun, an African-American family living in a tiny, run-down apartment on the south side of Chicago, encounters barriers due to poverty and structural racism as they try to turn their dreams into reality. Sadly, the Younger family’s struggles with racial tensions in the 1950s are not unlike what Black Americans face today. In spite of more laws prohibiting discrimination, Black men and women still frequently face pressure to conform to the dominant culture’s norms and values in order to achieve their dreams. Many African-Americans have decided to assimilate to the dominant culture by straightening their naturally kinky hair, just like Beneatha Younger did to her hair in the play. While this might not seem like a big sacrifice, what is harmful is the message that People of Color must conform to white standards of attractiveness in order to succeed in today’s world. While much has changed in America since this play was written, African-Americans still face many of the same barriers to success as members of the Younger family. Thanks in part to the racist leanings of our current administration, African-Americans continue to face the harmful practices of housing discrimination, racial stereotyping, and income inequality.

When the Youngers receive an insurance check for $10,000 in the mail, Mama decides to put a down payment on a house in a white neighborhood. Shortly afterward a neighborhood representative shows up with an offer to buy their house, forcing the family to decide whether to take the money or move into a neighborhood where they are not wanted. While there are laws against such practices today, the majority of neighborhoods continue to be segregated. Even though housing discrimination based on race is now prohibited by law, many African-American families still can’t afford housing in safe neighborhoods with good schools. And those who can afford to move might not want to deal with the pressure to assimilate.

According to Mother Jones political writer Kevin Drum, neighborhood matters. He writes in “Attention Parents: Your Neighborhood Matters More Than You Do,” growing up in a good neighborhood has immensely positive effects on future success. He cites a study showing that children who moved to a better neighborhood when they were young enjoyed much greater economic success than similarly aged children whose families had not moved.

Fitting in with the dominant culture, for People of Color, often means giving up the right to have natural hair. A USA Today story adapted by Newsela, reports New York City’s move to ban policies that penalize black hair. The story describes some of the recent cases where Black individuals were discriminated against because their hair was not acceptable to those in power. They cite a high school wrestler who was forced by a referee to cut his dreadlocks before he was allowed to proceed with his wrestling match. The article mentions the U.S. Department of Defense’s ban on Afros, braids, and twists, all of which are traditionally hairstyles worn by black people. Black hair has been deeply symbolic in the U.S. since the 1800s and this symbolism is employed in the play. Because Beneatha Younger straightens her hair, her Nigerian friend Joseph Asagai, who doesn’t believe in assimilation, calls her hair “mutilated.”

African-Americans, especially males, have another reason not to wear traditionally black hairstyles. Racial profiling by police is a growing problem. When professional basketball player Allen Iverson wore his hair styled in cornrows, he received death threats. He had the power and money to handle the reactions but many who are still chasing their dreams can’t afford to take that chance.

While A Raisin in the Sun depicts ordinary Americans who happen to be Sad, today many of these barriers remain in place. The dominant culture continues to pressure those who are different to assimilate in order to achieve their dreams.

A raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that details the experiences of an African American family that lives in Chicago’s south side. The family receives a check following the death of Mr. Younger. The family members have conflicting ideas on how to use the money. However, the son attempts to multiply the money by investing it and ends up losing everything. Dreams and ambitions are predominant themes in Raisin in the Sun. Each of the family members desires to fulfill their dream. Ruth and the matriarch seek to move out of their neighborhood in the poor southside of Chicago into a more affluent area. Beneatha dreams of attending medical school while Walter seeks to gain financial independence by opening a liquor store. The American dream and its overarching inclination towards materialism disadvantages minority groups like people of color such as the Younger family.

In the play Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry takes her audience back to the era of segregation. While the American dream had been long imagined as being married, having two kids, a pet, and a moderate house in an affluent neighborhood, the mental connotations of achieving the American dream were overlooked. Lorraine’s play attempts to blend the cliché perception of living the American dream in a well-off neighborhood with the psychological implications of the dream. Walter dreams of success and he loathes his living conditions. He complains about not having anything to pass on to Travis. He says, “I have been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the living room – and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live” (34). Walter’s deplorable financial situation which is the result of his race and the missed chances because he is black has significantly impacted his perception of the American dream. Living the American dream transcends the material implications as it has commonly been assumed. The play Raisin in the Sun proves that dreams are unique to every individual. As the Younger family undergoes the tribulations of living in a disadvantaged section of Chicago, the reception of Mr. Younger’s life insurance policy payout forces them to understand the differences in their ambitions and desires.

The definition of the American dream has always been material. The dream has always been associated with the upper-middle-class American family. The ideal family is one where the man works a well-paying job, the wife also works, and together they own a pet and raise a family of two children, a girl, and a boy. The ideal description of the American dream is the fulfillment of immaterial needs like personal happiness. While it is often assumed that the fulfillment of the American dream can only occur through the attainment of material comforts, it is not limited to financial success. The pursuit of the American dream outrightly disadvantages some groups like people of color. Ruth says, “Walter Lee say colored people ain’t never going to start getting ahead till they start gambling on some different kinds of things in the world-investments and things… He needs this chance Lena” (42). Race and society’s perception of colored people hinders their attainment of the American dream. Ironically, economic class is in itself a stumbling block to the achievement of the American dream.

Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun shows the marked variations of the American dream among the different demographics. The play juxtaposes the African American dream with the American dream as a way of accentuating racial inequalities. Being an African American, Walter has missed out on many opportunities and he has to contend with being a chauffeur for a rich family. Walter despises his work and he says, “Mama, a job? I open and close car doors all day long. I drive a man around in his limousine and I say, ‘Yes, sir; no, sir; very good, sir; shall I take the Drive, sir? Mama, that ain’t no kind of job… that ain’t nothing at all” (73). Walter’s statement lays bare the racial inequalities and the consequences of availing more resources to one race at the expense of another. While the white man is rich and can afford a driver, Walter is in a fight to figure out his destiny by gaining financial independence.

The economic and housing discrimination of the era severely impeded the African Americans’ realization of the American dream. People of color held simple jobs with meager pay and lived in condemned sections of urban areas. The anger, exhaustion, poverty, and desolation due to his job and economic standing affect Walter and his immediate family members. Mama says, “I seen.. him… night after night… come in… and look at that rug… and then look at me… the red showing in his eyes… the veins moving in his head… I saw him grow thin and old before he was forty… working and working and working like somebody’s old horse… killing himself” (129). Mama’s statement is characterized by ellipses that reflect her comprehension of her son’s futile pursuit of the American dream. The Younger family experiences hardships in both the personal and professional spheres. In her time, Mama’s pursuit of the American dream entailed moving from the South where discrimination was rife, to the North where opportunities awaited African Americans. The matriarch tells her son, “In my time we were worried about not being lynched and getting to the north if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch of dignity too” (74). Her relocation was in futility because as opposed to the slavery and lynching in the south, the north is characterized by segregation as she is unable to buy a home in a white neighborhood.

The American dream has been greatly misunderstood. The idealized perception of the American dream is that it holds immense possibilities to which no limits exist. The materialistic view of the American dream is grounded on making it in life through the acquisition of wealth. The blanket application of the American dream regardless of one’s race, social and economic standing has made it a pipe dream for many individuals. Although the American dream has been characterized as elusive, it can be achieved through inclusion. Hansberry shows the importance of inclusion through the Younger’s family’s desire to settle in a white neighborhood. Hughes portrays it through his emphasis on the importance of the provision of equal opportunities to all regardless of their race and social standing.

In A Raisin In The Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, she introduces us to an African American family who has to endure poverty. Hansberry also shows us how the Younger’s members of the family value money the most, While their mother tries to show them the value of family. Mrs. Younger shows the value of family by wanting to invest in everyone’s dream and hers. Mama, Walter Lee Jr., and Beneatha have cherished dreams.

Mama’s dream is that her children will have a good life, that’s why she tries to do everything she can for them. For instance, Mama wants to buy her family a house. She wants her family to be happy, which Mama believes will happen if they get a bigger and better place to live.”… I just tried to find the nicest place for the least amount of money for my family (58 ). Mama thinks the best way to go about with the money is to buy a house. She feels as it will uplift her family into a better spirit since they will be in a different setting soon.

Although mama had many short-term dreams, her long-term dream was to make sure her family as well. Mama is supportive when it comes to raising a family, which shows that she cares for her family. Mama looks at Travis and says that she “…went out and … bought you a house! … It’s going to be yours when you get to be a man” (56 ). Even though mama and them struggling, she feels as the house will bring them closer and also get them out of the small apartment.

Mrs.Younger known as mama wanted to give her children the one thing she’d always dreamed of, Although her dreams weren’t theirs. Mama feels as with the house that the family now has hope and can accomplish their lives. However, she realizes Walter has a dream of his own, which she couldn’t support. “… So you butchered up a dream of mine – you – who always talking about your children’s dream (Pg 59).” Walter quotes that to mama which made her come to her sense. That she had been doing what everyone else in the world was doing to Walter by not giving him a chance. That caused mama’s dreams to become complicated because she wanted to put the rest of the money up, but she ended up giving the rest of it to Walter so he could follow his dreams.

All in all mama’s biggest dream was not destroyed. Her dream was for her and the rest of the family to live a better life and to continue to love, care, and cherish one another at the end of the day. Also, that better days are coming even with the late big Walter being gone, but he blessed them with something much more.

The growth of the Younger family is very strange but, an amazing one. They started off as a family that was struggling but was still able to make a decent living. They were expecting an insurance check. They got the check because he passed away while working. It was a $10,000 dollar check, but something drastic happened that changed the story. Was it for better or worse?

The Younger family was an African American family living in an apartment building in Chicago where the rooms weren’t that big and the whole building shared the same bathroom. The father died while working to help support his family, and now the Younger family is going to receive an insurance check worth $10,000 dollars. Back then that was worth a lot more than it was now, Everyone in the Younger household was waiting for the check. In the book Raisin In The Sun they talk about the check, it all starts with the theme of hearing a bell which was the mailman bringing the check. In the story, it says “Get down them steps boy!” Everyone that is in the house is getting excited because everything they’ve ever known is about to change in this one moment. They’ve been living in one apartment with cramped rooms and one single bathroom for everyone in the apartment building.

They got the check and let’s be honest all of them knew what they wanted to use the money on, but they couldn’t agree on one thing. Grandma just wanted to have a place where she could have a garden, Ruth just wanted to move into a bigger house or an actual house where they don’t have to share it with at least 15 other people, and then Walter wants to invest in a liquor store in New York so that he could be rich, He asked Ruth to talk to Mama about it; it says in page 10 of Raisin In The Sun “Mama would listen to you. You know she listens to you more than she does me and Bennie. She thinks more of you, All you have to do is just sit down with her drinking your coffee one morning and talking about things like you do and you just sip your coffee see, and say easy like that you’ve been thinking about that deal Walter Lee so interested in, about the store and all, and sip some more coffee, like what you saying ain’t really that important to you.” Walter was so focused on the liquor store that he lost his mind and started to act differently.

While Walter was out drinking he met up with his friends and they started talking about the idea of the liquor store. Walter’s friend Willy compromises the amount of money they would have to invest and he lowered it down to $10,000 for Walter. That gets Walter’s hopes up again and tries to convince Mama to give him the money but he failed and ran off to go drinking again.

The Younger family was getting ready to move into their new house in Clybourne Park before Mr. Linder came trying to convince them to not move into the neighborhood. Walter and Ruth walk out of the room and grab a box and give it to Mama. It’s full of gardening tools, but then Travis walks out and brings in a gigantic box, and hands it to Mama. She opens the box and it’s a big gardening hat and all the adults laugh at him except for Mama she explains to him how much she loves and how thankful she is.

Just as things are starting to look up, Walter has the money and he’s supposed to put most of it in the bank and the rest for him to invest. Instead, he takes it all and invests it all in the liquor store idea. He goes back home saying he gave all the money to Willy to invest in the liquor store. Everyone gets mad but, most of them stay hopeful until the news from Walter’s friend Bobo comes in with terrible news. He comes in and tells them that Willy ran off with all the money. When Walter realizes that the money is really gone he goes making a mess looking for something, but nobody knows what he’s looking for except for him.

Everyone is asking Walter what he is looking for and he explains to them that he’s looking for Mr. Linder’s card so that he can call him and get the money back and then some. Right now the Younger family, in general, is at its lowest. Beneatha just realized she’s not going to be able to go the medical school, Ruth just realized that she’s not going to be able to move into her new house, and Mama is not gonna be able to have her garden or a yard for the kids to play in. While Mr. Linder is on his way they are all arguing. Mama explains to him that he can’t do it to think about Tavis and the baby that’s on the way.

When Mr. Linder arrives he says he soo glad that Walter called that he came to his senses. When Walter is about to sign the paper Mama says to look at Travis and show him how a real Younger man of the house deals with their problems. Walter pauses and looks Travis deep in the eyes and he thinks about it. He then Denise the contract and says he’s sorry but they’re all going to move into the house and there is nothing that he could do that would change his mind.

In Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in The Sun, she demonstrates a variety of human behaviors through the different characters. This play is based on an African American family in Southside Chicago, 1959. The father, Watler is a dreamer who wants to use his father’s insurance money and invest in a liquor store, with the hope that it will get his family out of poverty. Travis is an innocent young boy who plays walters son. Beneatha, who plays Walter’s sister is an aspiring doctor and is very self-filling. Lastly, Mama, or Lena, plays Walter and Beneatha’s mother. She is very giving and does whatever she can to improve her family. Throughout this essay, I will be analyzing the characters in the play A Raisin in the Sun.

Mama demonstrates the maternal nature of humans. Mama is a minor character in the play. She loses her husband before the play begins and is receiving a ten-thousand-dollar life insurance check. She is a woman of deep-rooted faith and is very passionate about her family. Although Mama has a conflict within her family. She sees Walters’s negative change in personality, She sees her daughter, Benenthia, drifting away from Crist and she feels she’s “just seen her family falling apart today . . . just falling to pieces in front of her eyes” (Hansberry 1543). Despite her and her financial situation, family problems, and being widowed, Mama still remains optimistic. Because of the behaviors that mama shows, mama can be viewed as … by the readers.

Walters’s character demonstrates the greedy nature and tendencies of humans. Walter Younger is the main protagonist in the play. He’s passionate, ambitious, and a risk-taker. At the beginning of the play, Walter is unhappy working for a rich white man, as a chauffeur. He is an aspiring business owner and wants to greedily use all of his father’s life insurance money to invest in a liquor store with his friend. Throughout the play, he continues to selfishly imagine himself becoming a rich businessman in an office and the status that comes with it. This creates an internal and external conflict within Walter. Walters’s jealousy causes him to become angry, over-drink, and be ungrateful. This internal conflict within himself creates an external conflict with his family. His anger, jealousy begins to slowly drift apart the Younger family. Because of these behaviors, Water can be viewed as …. By the readers.

Travis Younger’s character shows the purity of humans. He is the son of Ruth and Walter Younger. Travis is an innocent young boy and loves his family. For example, when “Mama: She holds the check away from her, still looking at it. Slowly her face sobers into a mask of unhappiness. Ten thousand dollars. She hands it to ruth. Put it away somewhere, Ruth. She does not look at ruth; her eyes seem to be seeing something somewhere very far off. Ten thousand dollars they give you. Ten thousand dollars. Travis: To his mother, sincerely. What’s the matter with Grandmama—doesn’t she want to be rich?” (Hansberry 1520). Travis also knows about his family being in poverty but doesn’t fully understand the complexity of it. For instance, in the beginning scene, Travis’s teacher tells all the students to bring fifty cents to school with them. When he asks his mother, Ruth for the money she says “I ain’t got fifty cents” and then continues to beg for the money. Travis wants to financially help out his family by carrying groceries after school, which shows responsibility. The readers of the play could see Travis’s character as hope for the next generations of Youngers.

‘A Raisin in the Sun’ is a play written in 1959 by Lorraine Hansberry about a family struggling with oppression and discrimination as they try to improve their financial situation with an insurance payout following the death of Walter and Beneatha’s father. The play deals with several different themes. The three biggest themes are the value of dreams, racial discrimination, and the importance of family, and this is important because, without these controversial themes, the family would not have been as strong as they are. Each theme changes the family’s views and opinions on life and their circumstances.

‘A Raisin in the Sun’ is mostly about dreams as the main characters struggle in their everyday lives to deal with their oppressive and discriminatory circumstances. Everyone in the Younger family seems to have their own dream or perspective about what they would like to do with the insurance payout. Beneatha wants to put the money towards medical school. Walter wants to invest the money into a liquor store with his friends and thinks it will solve all the family’s financial problems. Mama wants to move houses to fulfill her dreams with her husband. Walter’s wife, Ruth, agrees with Mama, although she hopes Walter can provide an opportunity for more space for their son, Travis. The whole Younger family struggles to obtain their dreams throughout the whole play, and a lot of their emotions contribute to the attainment or failure of these dreams and values. By the end of the play, the Youngers realize that the most important dream they have is buying a house because it unites the whole family and brings everyone closer. They all realize even though life is hard with all the oppressive circumstances, if they have each other, everything will be okay. They come to understand that family is more powerful than their money or financial situation.

Racial discrimination is another major theme that Hansberry uses in this play as it was written in 1959 so racial tensions and segregation were high. The Younger family deals with and handles this in several different situations, but the most prevalent situation is when the Clybourne Park Association sends Mr. Lindner to try to persuade the family not to move into an all-white neighborhood. Mr. Lindner and the people of the association he represents do not see the Youngers as people, they only see them by the color of their skin. He tries bribing the family not to move in and then threatens to tear the whole family apart and the values and dreams for which it stands. Walter considers taking the money at one point, but the Youngers do not back down and they come back with more defiance and strength. The whole play shows us how to deal with racial encounters and discrimination. The Younger family shows the reader that they must stand up to discrimination because you cannot let someone take your dignity just because the color of your skin is different. They overcome the color of their skin by letting Mr. Lindner know that you do not have to be black to live in a white neighborhood. Even though the family cannot agree on anything or what they should do with the money, they all agree that racism is terrible and no one should oppress them just because of the color of their skin. The family comes together to take a stand against racism as they figure out they are way stronger as one instead of single individuals.

The importance of family is perhaps the strongest theme in the play because it is fundamental to the growth and development of everyone’s life. The Youngers do a good job of showing us this because even throughout everything going on in their lives, they stay strong together. In the end, they realize their dream is to buy a house and be a strong family together. Mama strongly believes in family and she tries to teach the rest of the family this as she struggles to keep them from falling apart. Beneatha and Walter learn this lesson about family towards the end of the play when Walter must deal with the loss of the stolen insurance money and Walter’s sister, Beneatha, then denies him as her brother. Even when facing this hard trauma, the family unites and overcomes Mr. Lindner’s racist remarks and actions. They are all strong individuals, but now they are individuals that function as a family, they work together as a whole to become stronger. When they begin to put the other people in the family before them, we realize that family is stronger than anything. By the end of the play, they all figured out how to work together and support each other because they are stronger together instead of single individuals. They all figure out that they will have everything they want in life if they just have each other.

In conclusion, family is all we have, and the Youngers do a good job showing us the importance of family because even in their roughest times, they stuck together as they each made sacrifices for each other. In the beginning, everyone in the family held different values and dreams as they all wanted to do something different with the money, but by the end, they realized that it has nothing to do with the money at all, because it’s not about how rich you are, it’s about family and being there for the ones you love most, because without family, everyone is nothing. They also take a stand against racial discrimination as they figure out that it does not matter what color your skin is and you do not have to be white to live somewhere. The Younger family mutually agrees that racism is bad and should not be tolerated.

This paper is going to be about the aspects of juxtaposition in two stories named ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ and ‘A Woman of No Importance’ which have several issues that are both similar and different. The aspect of juxtaposition will show the parallelism in the actions or events in both the plays through the dialogues and the behaviors that the characters show at different circumstances in the story and how these dialogues bring out the symbolism of good and bad, modernity and traditionalism, shallowness and depth as well as change and stagnancy. This paper will explore the parallels that are shown through juxtaposition by the different characters in the plays.

‘A Raisin in the Sun’ which was written by Lorraine Hansberry, is the tale of the days in the life of the Youngers who were a family of African American origin, living in the south Side of Chicago in the year of 1950s. It is a play that opens and shows the Youngers receiving a check of ten thousand dollars. This amount has arrived from the Mr. Younger’s life insurance policy after his demise. Each and every adult in the family has a goal of what they want to do with their share of money. The head of the family Mama, wants to buy a house to finally fulfil her desire that she had shared with her husband and she says: “[God] did give us children to make them dreams seem worthwhile” (Hansberry, 49). Mama also knows the importance of money which is proved from the quote “So now it’s life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life – now it’s money” (Hansberry, 76). Mama’s son named Walter Lee wants to use that money to invest in a liquor store along with his friends. His notion is that the investment would curb the family’s financial troubles and he says: “You wouldn’t understand yet, son, but your daddy’s gonna make a transaction . . . a business transaction that’s going to change our lives” (Hansberry, 109). Walter’s wife, Ruth agrees with Mama and she also wishes that she could provide a better life for her and Walter’s son Travis. Beneatha who is Walter’s sister and mama’s daughter, wants to use the money for the fees of her medical school and she also does not want her family to join the world of the white people and she tries to find her roots back in Africa rather than going forward with something that is not her identity. As the play commences and progresses, there is a lot of clashes between the Youngers over their own dream. Ruth also realizes that she is pregnant and she is scared that if she decides to have the child, she would put more financial strain over her family. In the end after several hardships, the family decides to move out of their old home and go together in the future with several hardships but also hope.

‘A Woman of No Importance’, written by Oscar Wilde, indicates from its very title that the person without importance is a woman Mrs. Arbuthnot. The important person, Lord Illingworth, upon the recognition of the handwriting of Mrs. Arbuthnot says that it reminds him of a woman of no importance. The Lord has money, social recognition and has a wit that outshines everybody else in a conversation. Mrs. Arbuthnot has dedicated her whole life to her son named Gereard without knowing the fact that Lord Illingworth is the father and the son is tempted by the rich life of the lord and his offer, but in the end, he has the realization that the person who is important to him is his mother who sacrificed everything for him. Thus, in the end, the person who is not important is the Lord because he has lost his son and his respect. The true significance and meaning of importance are evaluated in the play.

There is a very prominent literary device that is used in both the plays of ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ and ‘A Woman of No Importance’ and that is juxtaposition. Beneatha is perceived in a romantic relationship with Asagai who was her first man of choosing in the second scene. The two had quarrels but it was still evident that they cared for one another and had learnt a lot from each other through the course of their relationship. When she first saw him, she said, “Asagai, I’m very glad you are back”. Asagai brought her presents and although he was a bit harsh, he had attempted to teach her to be herself and not lose her roots or her identity (Hansberry, 65). The relationship between Beneatha and George is completely different aspect of the story. The readers already know that she is not fond of George, she says he’s so ‘shallow’, and she states this when Mama and Ruth ask her the reason why George and his money and status are not enough for her. The first scene with them together shows her with her hair short and George does not approve of it. “What have you done to your head – I mean your hair! And he calls the look ‘eccentric’ (Hansberry, 82). These two scenes and characters show the idea of assimilation to describe how the two men are opposites. Asagai strives for the radical aspects in the modern world of the 20th century while George is still clinging to the past traditional values that he shares with the Youngers. The contrast and the juxtaposition of their personality in the scenes symbolizes the restrictions and the clash between tradition and new progress, dynamic and static, dangerous and safe as also highlights the hurdles of generation gap.it also shows that the aristocratic and traditional character is shallow but the person who does not have riches and works hard and has seen the hardships of life has far more depth of character than their counterpart. Walter is such a hard-working person and that is evident when he says, “Do you know what this money means to me? Do you know what this money can do for us?” (Hansberry, 75). There are several literary devices which are used to describe the characters in the play such as the portmanteau word ‘slubborn’ which is used on Travis by Ruth and means sluggish and stubborn. Irony is also used here when Walter believes that corruption dominates all the successful businesses and he gives the graft beforehand but his friend runs off with it rather than the collector. There is also use of dramatic irony in the play such as when Walter asks Bobo if everything is fine.

Similarly, juxtaposition has also been used in ‘A Woman of No Importance’. The characters in the play have been drawn from different genres of drama and society comedy to the level that two different plays seem to be going on simultaneously. The happy and light characters of Hunstanton do not know how to react to the melodramatic aspects of Hester and Mrs. Arbuthnot. This juxtaposition of the two different worlds with each other seems to shock Illingworth out of his superior character and his impervious behavior and reduces him into a vulgar speech of common melodramatic speech while he insults during his parting. There is also the juxtaposition of speech styles and the textures as well as tones that reflect the ambivalence of modes. The language used by the dandy characters is filled with wit, polish, refinement which clashes with the melodramatic exaggerations of the speeches of the Puritans. Their styles also differ in the functional manner because the witty speeches are amusing, but are not significant to the action while the melodramatic speeches advance the action. There is also the juxtaposition of good and bad through these uses of language of the morally dubious characters and Wilde establishes equilibrium in the lexical opposites in the aim to confirm the presence of moral hierarchies in the Victorian society. It is evident from dialogues such as by Lady Carline in the first act: “In my young days, Miss Worsley, one never met anyone in society who worked for their living. It was not considered the thing” (Wilde, 8). “And for me, the world is shriveled to a palm’s breath, and where I walk there are thorns”. Which is said by Mrs. Arbuthnot? The literary devices such as dramatic irony and parallelism are used. Parallelism is depicted through the dialogue between Mrs. Allonby and Lord Illingworth, “LORD ILLINGWORTH. I never intend to grow old. The soul is born old but grows young. That is the comedy of life. MRS. ALLONBY. And the body is born young and grows old. That is life’s tragedy” (Wilde, 20). The dramatic irony is depicted through the fact that Gerard is the son of Lord Illingworth but he does not know that and the audience does. Gerard sees life materialistically and he says “GERALD. Of course, I am. It means everything to me things that were out of the reach of hope before may be within hope’s reach now. HESTER. Nothing should be out of the reach of hope. Life is a hope” (Wilde, 8). The literary device of dramatic irony gives a glimpse to the audience of the situations that the characters are facing without their own knowledge and how it changes the course of their lives.

Therefore, both the plays use juxtaposition in a parallel manner to show two different as well as similar aspects. The first aspect is the difference between the tradition and the modernity and the second aspect is of the aristocracy and the simple life of the working class. The difference between the aristocracy and the working class in ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ is shown by Asagai and George where they show the dichotomy of aristocracy and middle class as well as tradition and modernity. In the case of ‘A Woman of No Importance’, the dichotomy of shallowness and depth has been shown by the use of language between the characters as well as their aristocracy and simple life is also shown through the use of language. This proves that the juxtaposition of language and the expressions of the characters with their lifestyle and what they represented were used in both the plays to show different aspects of the class difference and the differences between culture and gender. The use of juxtaposition makes the stories more impactful and makes the readers realize that the dialogues and the characters are not flat, but they are complex and round characters.

References

1. Hansberry, Lorraine. Khdzamlit. Weebly.com, 1994, https://khdzamlit.weebly.com/uploads112611261956/a_raisin_in_the_sun_-_lorraine_hansberry.pdf
2. Wilde, Oscar. A Woman of No Importance. J. Lane, 1894.

Introduction:

Lorraine Hansberry’s play, ‘A Raisin in the Sun,’ explores several prominent themes that resonate with audiences even today. Among these themes, the pursuit of dreams and the search for identity stand out as central to the experiences of the Younger family. This theme analysis essay will delve into the significance of dreams and identity in the play, examining how they shape the characters’ lives, relationships, and aspirations.

Dreams as Catalysts for Change:

In ‘A Raisin in the Sun,’ dreams serve as catalysts for personal growth and transformation. Each member of the Younger family has their own dreams, representing their desires for a better life. Mama dreams of providing her family with a secure home, free from the cramped and oppressive conditions of their current apartment. Walter Lee dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur, longing for financial prosperity and the chance to improve his family’s circumstances. Beneatha dreams of pursuing her education and becoming a doctor, seeking personal fulfillment and a sense of identity.

The Influence of Dreams on Relationships:

Dreams in the play not only shape individual characters but also impact the dynamics of family relationships. Conflicts arise when the characters’ dreams clash or face external challenges. For instance, Mama’s decision to use the insurance money for purchasing a house instead of investing in Walter Lee’s business idea leads to tension within the family. These conflicts underscore the sacrifices and compromises required when pursuing individual dreams within a shared familial context.

The Deferred Dream:

Hansberry introduces the concept of the “deferred dream” in ‘A Raisin in the Sun,’ illustrating the consequences of unfulfilled aspirations. The title itself, derived from Langston Hughes’s poem “Harlem,” suggests the potential bitterness and frustration that can arise from dreams left unrealized. The play explores the emotional and psychological toll of deferred dreams on the characters, highlighting the sense of disappointment, anger, and disillusionment that accompanies the denial of opportunities due to racial discrimination and societal constraints.

Identity Formation and Self-Discovery:

Identity formation is another significant theme in ‘A Raisin in the Sun.’ Beneatha, in particular, embodies the struggle to define her identity within the context of her African heritage and societal expectations. She experiments with different identities, exploring her roots and searching for her place in a predominantly white world. Beneatha’s journey mirrors the broader quest for self-identity experienced by many African Americans during the era of the play, emphasizing the importance of cultural heritage and self-expression in shaping one’s identity.

The Importance of Dreams and Identity:

Through the exploration of dreams and identity, ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ underscores the significance of personal agency and the pursuit of happiness. The play challenges the limitations imposed on African Americans by a racially divided society, offering a glimpse into the resilience, determination, and dignity with which the characters navigate their circumstances. It encourages audiences to reflect on the importance of dreams and the role of identity in defining one’s place in the world.

Conclusion:

In ‘A Raisin in the Sun,’ Lorraine Hansberry presents a powerful exploration of the themes of dreams and identity. Through the experiences of the Younger family, the play emphasizes the transformative power of dreams, the challenges encountered in their pursuit, and the ways in which they shape personal identity and familial relationships. By delving into these themes, ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ continues to resonate with audiences, urging us to reflect on our own dreams, aspirations, and the impact of societal forces on our individual and collective identities.