Category: A Raisin In The Sun

Introduction:

Lorraine Hansberry’s play, ‘A Raisin in the Sun,’ holds a significant place in American literature as it explores themes of race, family dynamics, and the pursuit of dreams. This critical analysis essay will delve into the various elements of the play, including its historical context, character development, and social commentary, to highlight the enduring relevance and profound impact of ‘A Raisin in the Sun.’

Historical and Social Context:

Set in the 1950s, ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ emerges from the context of racial segregation and discrimination prevalent in post-World War II America. Hansberry vividly captures the realities faced by African Americans, depicting the limitations and injustices they encountered in housing, education, and employment opportunities. By situating the play in this historical context, Hansberry shines a critical light on the systemic barriers faced by marginalized communities.

The Struggle for Equality:

At its core, ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ revolves around the Younger family’s pursuit of equality and dignity. Each character grapples with the effects of racial prejudice, striving to carve out a better future. Through the character of Lena Younger (Mama), Hansberry explores the resilience and determination of black women, who become the pillars of strength within their families, navigating the complexities of racism and societal constraints.

Dreams and Sacrifices:

The play centers on the dreams and aspirations of the Younger family. Walter Lee, Beneatha, and Mama each possess distinct dreams that symbolize their hopes for a better life. However, Hansberry also examines the sacrifices required to pursue these dreams. The play exposes the tension between personal aspirations and familial obligations, shedding light on the difficult choices faced by individuals within the context of limited opportunities.

Family Dynamics and Identity:

Hansberry delves into the complexities of family dynamics, exploring the generational divide between the older and younger members of the Younger family. Each character grapples with their own sense of identity and wrestles with societal expectations. Beneatha’s quest for self-discovery and affirmation of her African heritage, as well as Walter Lee’s struggle for masculinity and pride, highlight the challenges faced by African Americans in defining their identity amidst societal pressures.

Social Critique:

‘A Raisin in the Sun’ serves as a powerful social critique, challenging the existing power structures and calling for racial equality. Hansberry skillfully exposes the flaws in the American Dream, questioning whether it is equally attainable for all citizens. The play reflects the frustration and disillusionment experienced by African Americans as they confront the harsh realities of racial prejudice and economic inequality.

Conclusion:

‘A Raisin in the Sun’ remains a seminal work that tackles issues of race, family, and the pursuit of dreams with remarkable depth and insight. Lorraine Hansberry’s exploration of the quest for equality and dignity resonates with audiences to this day. By weaving together powerful themes, complex characters, and social critique, the play confronts the audience with the harsh realities of discrimination while offering glimpses of hope, resilience, and the indomitable human spirit.

In its enduring relevance and impact, ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ serves as a testament to the power of literature to shed light on societal injustices and foster empathy and understanding. The play continues to inspire dialogue and reflection, urging us to confront the systemic barriers that limit the pursuit of equality and to strive for a more inclusive and just society.

How far would you go to make your dreams come true? Would you be willing to give up things you love and go through many hardships just to turn your dream into a reality? Even if the dream has a low chance of coming true and is an unrealistic goal, will you still stop at nothing to get it? Well in both A Raisin in the Sun and A House on Mango Street the characters go through a lot, just to make their dreams come true. Even though these stories are not the same in many aspects, they share the same theme of trying to find their identity and making their dreams come true when they have to go through many different struggles to succeed. Both stories go through the problems of racial discimination, big changes, family issues, and self identity. Let’s now dig deeper into the similarities between these two stories.

First of all, one of the biggest common themes both stories share is turning their dreams into a reality. In A House on Mango Street, Esperanza was dreaming of getting out of her neighborhood and getting her own house. With her family, she moved frequently from one place to another. Her mother tells her that they’re going to stop moving one day and they’re going to move into a huge home. Deep down, Esperanza realizes she’s never going to move her family into a comfortable big home. It would be important for her to be the one to make her dreams come true. There is a resemblance between The House on Mango Street and A Raisin in the Sun. By spending his father’s money in the liquor store, Walter from A Raisin in the Sun thinks of how to make his family happy. Walter thinks money is life and there is nothing more important in life than money. He knows in the end, however, that happiness is when you are embraced by your family, which embraces all the steps along the way for you. In A Raisin in the Sun he says, “And we have decided to move into our house because my father—my father—he earned it for us brick by brick. (MAMA has her eyes closed and is rocking back and forth as though she were in church, with her head nodding the Amen yes) We don’t want to make no trouble for nobody or fight no causes, and we will try to be good neighbors. And that’s all we got to say about that. (He looks the man absolutely in the eyes) We don’t want your money. (He turns and walks away). (Act 3)” When Walter said that, we can finally see him change and value his family. He finally acknowledges all his father’s hard work and we no longer see him as a greedy man. Beneatha also had a dream of becoming a doctor. Even when her brother doubted her, she still worked hard for her passion and denied what Walter and other men said. In the play she said, “ No—I wanted to cure. It used to be so important to me. I wanted to cure. It used to matter. I used to care. I mean about people and how their bodies hurt …(act 3)” We can see that Beneatha really cares for others and has a true passion to become a doctor. Beneatha, regardless of people denying that women should be doctors, proved those people wrong and fought for what she wanted. Both stories share that common theme of working hard to make dreams come true, but having to face reality and realizing the truth.

Secondly, a big similarity between both stories is how they both struggled to fit in society because of race and gender. Both families have trouble with racial discrimination and have trouble adjusting to american culture. In A Raisin in the Sun and A House on Mango Street, culture, gender, and race played a big role. For Esperanza, her whole life is essentially determined by recognizing what she can hold of her identity as a Latina and which aspects of American culture she should fit. In the play, the desire to blend in economically and socially in order to make their own life happier, while maintaining their own sense of belonging is a struggle for the younger family. In the play Walter says, “ Mama – sometimes when I’m downtown and I pass them cool-quiet-looking restaurants where them white boys are sitting back and talking ‘bout things…sitting there turning deals worth millions of dollars…sometimes I see guys don’t look much older than me – (Act 1 Scene 2)” From this quote in the play, you can see how much more privileged white people are than people of color. Even if those men were the same age as Walter, they will always have much more privileges than people like Walter will ever get. Both Esperanza and Walter have to deal with the problem of not being treated fairly just because of their race and skin color. Both stories also deal with feminism where Beneatha and Esperanza are trying to find their identity as females. The author also answers feminism issues. She proposes, through Beneatha’s character, that marriage is not mandatory for women and that women should have successful career ambitions. Even though the men in the play are doubtful towards women and don’t believe that women should be powerful, the author proves that wrong. In the play Walter said, “Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ‘bout messing ‘round with sick people – then go be a nurse like other women – or just get married and be quiet…(Act 1 Scene 1)” From this, we can see Walter turning down the idea of Beneatha wanting to be a doctor and stereotyping women as people who are only capable of being a nurse and getting married. He makes women appear as people who are not important and helpless in society. Eventually we see Beneatha breaking that stereotype and proving Walter wrong. In both stories the characters overcome all these issues of racism, sexism, and finding their identity.

In conclusion, both A Raisin in the Sun and A House on Mango Street are quite similar. The two stories share many similar topics and themes where the characters both face similar challenges. We saw how Walter, Beneatha, and Esperanza worked hard to make their dreams come true while facing many hardships. The characters grew and developed an understanding that achieving your dreams isn’t easy and sometimes the road will be rocky. We also saw the characters struggling to fit in society because of race and gender. Both families had trouble with racial discrimination and have trouble adjusting to american culture. The characters were essentially determined to recognize what they can hold of their identity and their desire to blend in economically and socially in order to make their own life happier while maintaining their own sense of belonging. Both stories were amazing and had good meanings behind them. The main lesson we learned from all of this is sometimes in life we all have to go through certain struggles to get a good outcome.

A Raisin In The Sun is a drama that follows a poor family named The Youngsters. The family is mourning the death of the father of the family. Since he had insurance his family would receive a $10,000 insurance policy. Everybody wants a piece of the money, the movie shows how the battle for the money unfolds.

The battle of the money started when the son Walter Lee decided that with the money he would purchase a liquor store so they could invest in it to get them out of poverty. Walter wanted nothing else in the world except his liquor store so he would stop at nothing until he got just that. The mother of the family wanted to purchase a house for the whole family to live in cause she thought that’s what her husband would have wanted. Bernetha the daughter wanted to use the money to get her through medical school so she could be a doctor. They had such little money but some many decisions for it.

The family was very very poor they were living from check to check every month. They could barely provide the necessities that the basic human needed to survive. They couldn’t afford the nicer things in life so when they heard they were getting that insurance check they saw that as an opportunity for them to find a way out of the slums of Chicago. They did what they could to get the little money they had even if that meant asking.

The characters have very different emotions. Like Walter Lee was a dreamer, a doer, But also very money hungry. Bernetha hates the sight of Walter all she wanted was to be able to live her own dream and become a doctor. Ruth was very calm and patient with the kids and with making the decisions of what to do With the money they had got back. The emotions of the family made it hard for everyone to agree on one thing for the money to go to because they all had big dreams that they wanted to fulfill.

Overall the family got the 10,000 dollars back and attempted to fulfill everybody’s dream with the little they did have left after the accident with Walter’s friend. In the process of figuring out what to do they put a downpayment on a house, bought new garden tools, and Ruth a new hat. Everybody was finally happy with the way things happened towards the end of the play even though they went to multiple situations where they could have given up. They kept on pushing as a family.

In the story, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the dichotomy of African American life is explored within the roles of Joseph Asagai and George Murchison; Boyfriends of Beneatha Younger. Asagai and Murchison represent this conflict. Despite both characters being attracted to Beneatha, George is Joseph’s polar opposite. George is a wealthy pedant, who values material success and embraces Western civilization. He is depicted as a rather callous man with a superiority complex, and he does not support Beneatha’s future aspirations. Unlike Joseph Asagai, George has very little in common with Beneatha and is more concerned with his social status than appreciating his African ancestry in experience, when they want to take either American or African. African Americans experience a good deal of struggle when they want to take both African and show more content.

This conflict between assimilation and entirely assuming Pan-Africanism is depicted by the roles of George and Joseph. George is the person who personifies assimilation. He criticizes Beneatha’s raw hair and measures individuality by American standards. Joseph Asagai is George’s foil and the ardent advocate of Pan-Africanism. Joseph is an international student from Nigeria who is madly in love with Beneatha and expects her to go back with him to Nigeria. While Beneatha is more attracted to the honest, charming, caring Joseph Asagai, she is not willing to totally accept Pan-Africanism and refuses to assimilate into African society. Beneatha’s reluctance and difficulty in choosing the right way in presenting some African American citizen’s struggle to accept Pan-Africanism within the mid-twentieth century period.

Joseph Asagai shows up twice in the play, in Act I Scene II, and in the third and last act. His name, fundamentally his last name, uncovers a great deal about this character, as an Asagai is a war spear utilized by exploiting the groups of southern Africa. However, it could also be interpreted as a trace of a distinctive variety of struggles: the one for finding one’s identity. As will be called attention to, Asagai is a key decision as Beneatha continued looking for herself. There is no direct data on Asagai’s bodily facets or his fashion of dress. But in view that he factors out that Beneatha’s coiffure imitates the hair of a white man or woman in Act I, Scene II, and considering he takes a lot of satisfaction in his African identity, we can anticipate that he does now not costume in an “assimilated” way with nearly entire certainty. This would be a contradiction to his moves, and in the play, there is no information that factors into Asagai being a contradictory persona in this aspect. Apart, Beneatha, a wise and assured character, would likely have pointed out his contradictions if there have been any. Asagai himself mentions in Act III that in his village “it is the incredible man ‘who can even study a newspaper” (Hansberry, p. 1002), from which we can also conclude that he is from the Nigerian countryside.

Throughout the play, Asagai is portrayed as an intelligent, well-mannered, and eloquent character that additionally suggests a lot of recognition to the elderly, in this case to Mama in Scene II of the first act. Nevertheless, in the first act, he talks truly mockingly to Beneatha, teasing her about the seriousness of her search for her identity. Since Asagai is positive about his identification, he talks from a role of superiority that comes close to arrogance. On the other hand, he suggests that his relationship with Beneatha is something he values and takes seriously, in fact, he is the one longing for something “more unembellished”, while Beneatha wants time. His items to Beneatha replicate her wish to be aware of her African heritage, demonstrating that despite his from time to time mocking tone, he respects and supports her to find her racial identity. This is why he made the quite a terrific effort to deliver her his sister’s clothes. His nickname for Beneatha, “Alaiyo” (meaning “one for whom food is no longer enough” in his native language Yoruba) is some other proof of Asagai’s grasp of Beneatha’s intelligence, the pursuit of information and mental qualities. His second entrance to the play is in Act III, set a few weeks after the first act. The cause for his entrance is that he gives to help the household pack boxes, which suggests his correct manners and helpfulness. In this act, Beneatha and Asagai interact in a considerate conversation, and the mocking tone and his desire to exhibit his superiority, which I have noted in the remaining paragraph, are gone. We can therefore conclude that his relationship with Beneatha has developed. All in all, the character of Asagai shows a lot of qualities, he is depicted in a very high-quality manner. Asagai is polite, thoughtful, eloquent, and helpful, and his intentions with Beneatha are sincere.

Information on his family background is brought indirectly, in a dialog between Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha in the first scene of the play. Beneatha describes Murchison as “probably the richest boy I will ever get to know” (quoting Ruth), however during the conversation we research that the Murchisons are no longer solely well-off, however also snobbish (Beneatha: “…the only people in the world that are more snobbish than rich white people are rich colored people. ” (Hansberry, p.954), and Beneatha would not feel welcome in their family. In the identical conversation, we additionally get to recognize that Beneatha does no longer consider George Murchison a genuine love of hers, as she points out pretty directly: “Oh I just suggest I couldn’t ever be absolutely serious about George. He’s so shallow” (Hansberry, p. 954). Additionally, when asked with whom she is going out, she says his title with displeasure. In distinction to Beneatha, her family is quite fond of the notion that their daughter or granddaughter ought to marry such a prosperous person. Beneatha, on the other hand, confidently assumes that as a future doctor, she will no longer need to take money into account when deciding on a husband.

Compared to Asagai, George Murchison doesn’t disclose a lot about his thoughts and political or intellectual positions. On stage, he doesn’t talk as lots as Asagai and on the whole reacts to different characters with one-liners. As I will point out below, this contributes to his look as a “shallow” character that he is portraying himself throughout the entirety of the play and that the readers would assume that he is the bad character that everyone would assume and hurt Beneatha due to his ideologies.

Physically, he is described as good-looking, except for any greater unique information. He wears stylish clothes that disclose that he is coming from a rich historical past and are regarded as typical of “college boys” by way of Walter. He orders Beneatha to exchange her coiffure returned to the one she wore earlier than Asagai satisfied her to swap to an extra herbal one, and to alternate her clothes, when you considering that she is wearing the African robes Asagai gave to her. In doing so, his tone is downright disrespectful (“Look honey, we’re going to the theater, we’re not going to be in it…” (Hansberry, p. 972). Regarding Beneatha’s quest for know-how on African culture, Murchison also indicates a boastful and dismissive attitude. This goes beyond the discussion about hairstyles, as Beneatha shifts the theme to a more typical one, exclaiming that she “hates assimilationist Negroes” (p.972). Murchison reacts by mocking her, paraphrasing the Pan-Africanist discourse of pride in the outstanding West African civilizations. Thereby he reveals a crucial characteristic of his: his rejection of his African roots is not fueled by using ignorance, he knows the terminology of Pan- Africanism. Rather, he openly dismisses it because he thinks it has no value. He is an individual who does now not -want to know more, for the reason that his best is adapting to mainstream American society.

This first impression is deepened in the second scene of Act II when Murchison and Beneatha enter the stage again. In this scene, we analyze that Murchison is in fact not fascinated in getting to recognize Beneatha’s personality. He brazenly states that he wants her to “cut it out” and that “guys […] are going to go for what they see. Be glad for that.” (p.982). His shallowness and anti-intellectualism are pleasantly summed up by means of his closing assertion in the play: “You read books – to analyze data – to get grades – to omit the route – to get a degree. That’s all. It has nothing to do with thoughts.” This announcement demonstrates the unmistakable difference between Asagai’s optimism and intellectualism and shows why Asagai and Beneatha are completely a higher and more noteworthy fitting fit for each other. In the event that we consider the two men’s portrayals of Pan-Africanism and assimilationism, at that point we need to presume that this delineation is never again nonpartisan, yet an underwriting of Pan-Africanism and the idea of dark social liberation. George Murchison is now not basically introduced as any person who doesn’t understand about his heritage, but as any person who doesn’t -want to recognize whatever about it. His pursuit of cash and an instructional degree is fueled with the aid of egoistic and material desires, no longer by idealistic motives, as in the case of Asagai.

In conclusion, with these two characters Joseph Asagai and George Murchison, it is shown throughout the play that they are two completely polar opposites, and how they are treating Beneatha and the effects that are shown towards the family and her.

A Raisin In The Sun took place in the South side of Chicago between 1940 and 1960. During this period, a large number of African Americans migrated from the South to Chicago in search of a better living condition and new jobs, which resulted in many housing and race problems in the state. Since white people wanted to prevent African Americans from entering their community, they formed the “restrictive covenants”, which prohibited house owners from renting or selling houses to black people. This led to overcrowding and poor housing conditions because many black families had to flock into one tight area. Their apartments often had limited space and no bathroom, with all the occupants in one building sharing a single hall unit. Moreover, white people also maltreated black people due to racism and social discrimination. From their perspectives, African Americans were inferior to them both physically and intellectually; or worse, they saw black people as their servants.

Hansberry has reflected on this situation in A Raisin In The Sun and describes how this setting affected Walter and Benetha, the two main characters. The Younger family, consisting of 5 members, lived in an old apartment. The furnishings in this apartment had shown some signs of weariness because they had to “accommodate the living of too many people for too many years”. Travis, Walter’s son, had to sleep in the living room because there were only 2 bedrooms; and Beneatha was sometimes frustrated due to the shared bathroom in the building. Therefore, Walter and Beneatha both formed their dream to seek a better environment.

For Walter, he felt trapped in this tiny apartment with a poor family and a low-income job. He was a chauffeur for a white man, which was no different from a servant. Walter believed that money was the only solution to the family’s problem, which led to his dream of opening a liquor business and becoming rich so that he could support his family and provide his son with a better future. Hansberry used Walter to represent the ambitious but uninformed African Americans at that time. The family destitution had motivated his dream, but Walter was not educated enough to be thoughtful in making decisions. He was willing to put all of the money that Mama gave him into Willy Harris, a person that he didn’t know much about. In that amount of insurance money, there was also Beneatha’s portion as Mama wanted to support her dream of studying in a medical school. However, with a selfish thought that black women should stay at home and support their men in the family, Walter gave all the money away without considering his sister.

On the other hand, Beneatha was the most educated member of the Younger family. Unlike Ruth, who barely raised her voice in the family, Beneatha wasn’t afraid of expressing her opinions on gender roles, religion, and racism. In particular, she held a modern view of gender roles, which was opposite to Walter’s. She believed that men and women should be equal; and she had the right to follow her dream of becoming a doctor, which was considered taboo for her status. Beneatha expected her family to pay for her tuition but didn’t care much about her family’s setbacks. However, Beneatha was more thoughtful than the other Youngers. Although the family wanted her to marry George due to his richness, she chose Asagai as she took pride in her identity and identified much more with Asagai’s desire to discover their African origin than with George’s desire to assimilate into white culture.

The setting of A Raisin In The Sun strongly affected Beneatha and Walter in many ways. They had different views regarding education, gender roles, and culture. They had different dreams, but they shared one thing in common, which was putting their dreams above others. In other words, they were willing to fight for their dreams as they believed that those dreams would bring them a better future.

The biggest symbol in the story, Mama’s plant represents both Mama’s care, the dream for her family, and wanting success. In the beginning, momma is helping the plant to take care of it. She says that the plant never gets enough light or water, but she takes pride in how it nevertheless flourishes under her care. Her care for her plant is like her care for her children, despite a less-than-perfect environment for growth. The plant also symbolizes her dream to own a house and to have a garden and a yard. With her plant, she practices her gardening skills. Her success with the plant helps her believe that she would be successful as a gardener. With her persistence and dedication to the plant, she hopes that her dream may come true.

The life insurance check that Mama receives after the death of her husband represents hope, as each member of the family sees it as a one-time chance to make their dreams come true. However, money does not solve as many problems as they imagined. Before it even arrives, the family begins to argue about how it should be spent. “That money belongs to Mama, Walter, and it’s for her to decide how she wants to use it. I don’t care if she wants to buy a house or just nail it up somewhere and look at it. It’s hers. Not ours–hers,” argues Beneatha, Walter’s younger sister. Walter sees the check as his opportunity to get his business, Beneatha wants to use it to finish medical school, and Mama wants to buy a house. In the end, the only thing it ends up getting them is a house in a neighborhood that doesn’t want them there. The check goes from symbolizing hope to symbolizing the loss of their dreams.

The sun is also a main symbol in the story. Sun also represents hope; a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. The sun is played through the story by the tiny window behind the kitchen area. Only a little light shines through the house through that tiny window. This shows that there might be little hope but at least there is still hope shining and trying for the family. The hope that does make it to the family, they use it very well and makes the best out of everything, or at least try to besides the bickering.

“A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. A drama film created in 1959. The setting took place in Chicago. The main characters are viewed in my opinion as Ruth, Walter Lee, and Betty. Ruth is a caring person. Walter Lee is a selfish character. Betty is a mean character. The development of the movie was when the family got that 10,000-dollar insurance check. Then it changed when Walter Lee lost the money trying to invest. Overall, the movie was worth watching.

A drama film created in 1959 by Lorraine Hansberry. The film took place in Chicago. Lorraine Hansberry born May 19, 1930, was an African American play writer. Lorraine Hansberry’s film was first produced on Broadway. “A Raisin in the Sun” was the first drama in 1959. Overall, this play showed how drama really can be real.

The characters acting made the drama seem as if it was based on a true story. Ruth is presented as the caring one. Ruth was there for everybody. Ruth was always putting up with Walter’s problems. Even though Walter can be a headache at moments, she does it because she cares. Now, Walter Lee on the other hand was selfish. Walter Lee was giving the money to put a down payment on the house and the rest for him and Betty. Instead, he took the money to invest. Walter ends up getting played and one of his friends ran off with the money. Walter Lee disappointed the whole family, including Betty, Walter Lee’s sister. Betty is a mean and nagging person. Betty’s always downing her brother Walter Lee, especially when he lost the money. It took the momma to tell Betty to show love after the world has been downing him. The characters in this film seem as if they are a real-life family.

Walter, the father, was the reason the family got the insurance check for 10,000 dollars. The money showed a lot of the family’s true colors. Walter Lee got crazier and the momma became wise. The money also made Betty and Walter Lee’s relationship worse. Betty starts calling him no good. The mother had Betty to be on his side for once. The world is bringing him down. Also, Walter Lee disappointed the family by being selfish. Walter got finessed and was trying to get the money back by selling the house. Money played a big role in the development of the story.

The film was about a family, who was suffering from poverty until a 10,000 dollars insurance check came. My opinion of the film is that it was a great film. The characters played there and made the film look realistic.

“A Raisin in the Sun” is a playwright written by Lorraine Hansberry, an African American woman, in 1959. The film takes place in Hanberry’s birthplace, Chicago. The cast includes Claudia McNeil as Lena Younger, the mother of Beneatha Younger (Diana Sands) and Walter Younger (Sidney Poitier), and Stephen Perry as Travis Younger, the son of Walter Lee Younger and Ruth Younger (Ruby Dee). “A Raisin in the Sun” is a great family drama that teaches you about the value of family.

Throughout the film, the Youngers tend to struggle while being in a state of poverty. Located in a small, overcrowded apartment located in Chicago’s ghetto. Inside the apartment is the Younger family, struggling to meet their needs with the little money that they do have. The major conflict in this film is the $10,000 life insurance check from the deceased Walter Younger. While Lena thinks the money should be used to buy a house, pay for Betty’s college classes, etc., Walter Lee wants to invest it in order to become a liquor store owner. Their two points of view intensify the conflict in the story.

There are very emotional scenes as it goes deeper into the film. Beneatha wants to become a doctor, a dream which both her family and one of her male friends, George, thinks is a little “out of wack” for an African American female. She still pursues her dream, and, with the $3,000, she could have paid for her classes if it wasn’t for Walter’s bold move that caused them to lose it all. Walter, on the other hand, is obsessed with becoming a liquor store owner. He began to have a drinking problem which influenced his wife’s abortion. He didn’t care about anything but the dream he had for his family. Lastly, Lena, the mother, struggled to try and keep everything(and everyone) together. She encouraged a very strong Christian religion within her household and didn’t let her children talk down on each other. Also, when Walter started talking to Ruth recklessly, Lena stepped in. Throughout the film, Lena was the glue that held the family together no matter what the problem was.

I’d give this drama a rating of three out of five stars. This film reminds me of a show I used to watch with my mom called Good Times. In addition, teaches a valuable lesson. I give it three stars because I wouldn’t watch it willingly. I enjoyed watching it in class though I’d prefer watching an action or mystery show.“A Raisin in the Sun” is a great family-based drama. From Walter and Ruth’s argument.. to Betty and Lena’s arguments, the film is full of morals. It teaches us that, even in the roughest times, the family has to stay together and be strong for each other. Money is not more valuable than family, and you have to be proud of who you are, even if you are not your best at the moment

Category A, Overall Theatrical Experience

The play, A Raisin in the Sun is fundamentally about dreams, as the main characters struggle to deal with the oppressive circumstances ruling their lives. The play further speaks on the issues affecting society then and today, such as unemployment, identity theft, racism, inflation, and corrupt mortgage brokers, all things that shatter people’s dreams. Walter, for example, dreams about having money for him to afford to buy something for his family. Beneatha wants to go to medical school so that she can become a doctor. Ruth enjoys a happy family and marriage. Mama, on the other hand, wants a big house. The family members all try to attain their dreams through the play, and we get to see their depression and happiness directly related to either the failure or attainment of these dreams. The play communicates to the audience the need to actualize one’s dreams despite the challenges faced.

The play also highlights the need to fight racial discrimination as the governing body of the new neighborhood the Youngers want to move to sends a representative to deter the family from moving into the all-white area. The Youngers respond to the racial discrimination by defiantly replying to it, standing up, and holding on to their dignity by moving into the neighborhood. The playwright seeks to communicate the message that racism should not be left unchecked, but rather it is vital to stand up to it and call out those doing the act. The play further outlines the importance of family as we see the Youngers family struggle economically and socially, but Mama, Lena instills family values. The family eventually unites and comes together to realize their dream of buying a family.

Category B, The Actors

The actors were indeed successful in the specific roles that they got to play. Sidney Poitier, who plays the character of Walter Younger, does it in such a candid and remarkable manner that propels him to massive success. Poitier has enormous power that he can control as he acts as the restless son of the Younger family. He can brilliantly communicate the turmoil of an edgy young man who wants to get rich and does everything possible to try and achieve that. We get to see his pursuit of wealth as he tries to liberate himself from the black way of life like his sister’s love interest, George. Poitier is so eloquent that it comes through when he either has nothing to say even when speaking an intense line. He can express devious thought processes just as much as he can dance and clown.

Claudia McNeil, who plays the role of matriarch Lena Younger, is also quite successful as she gives a heroic performance. Despite her character being simple, McNeil brings a spirit of nobility to her personality. Another successful actor was Diana Sands, who portrays the over-intellectualized daughter Beneatha Younger. Sands plays her role so effortlessly as she juggles her two love interests and her distraught at the family’s loss of money from her dead dad’s insurance.

Category C, The Director

I believe that the play was cast correctly as all the characters were appropriate for their role. The actors were able to portray honesty within the play, which makes it such an explosive play. Despite being such a difficult thing to achieve, simple honesty is shown in such an illuminating manner by the actors. The actors are also able to bring out the comics and crises within the play beautifully. All the actors cast were black is also another proof that the play was cast correctly. The play’s author, Lorraine Hansberry, wrote it to portray the lives of black people, and casting them is nothing short of appropriate.

Beneatha’s traditions and beliefs differ greatly from the rest of her family. She believes her education and independence to be of utmost importance, while Mama and Ruth value their family more than anything. Beneatha is an intellectual; as the most educated member of the family, she has obtained a mindset that she is above everybody else. This helps her stay focused on her goals, and despite the many demeaning remarks her family has thrown at her, she continues to follow her path to becoming a doctor. Beneatha also contradicts the norm of her family as she strives for a connection to her culture, and searches for her identity on a more spiritual level than the others. An instance of this is how she openly disagrees with her family’s religious convictions; while talking to Mama, Beneatha exclaims “I mean it! I’m just tired of hearing about God all the time. What has He got to do with anything? Does he pay tuition? (1.1.50)” Mama is extremely offended by Beneatha’s outburst because Mama has taught her children to believe that God is divine under any circumstances, but Beneatha doesn’t trust this.

Hansberry was wholly against the traditional gender roles that were ever-present in the 1950s. She was a bold feminist, and the characters in her play both mocked and contradicted these roles. Walter Lee, for instance, has gone through great emotional turmoil at his inability to be the man of the house. While he does have a job, he has never earned enough to provide a satisfactory life for his family; this gives rise to the majority of his struggles and is the reason behind his pigheaded need to open a liquor store. He is a mockery of these futile stereotypes, and he even goes so far as to taunt Beneatha for her manner of living. Amid an argument with Beneatha, Walter Lee yells “Who the hell told you to be a doctor? If you are so crazy ‘bout messing ‘round with sick people – then go be a nurse like other women – or just get married and be quiet… (1.1.125)” Alternatively, Hansberry portrays Beneatha as a contradiction of these gender roles. Beneatha has never had any intention of choosing a path of life ‘made for women’; she is unapologetically outspoken and she refuses to rely on a man for anything. She is portrayed as an antithesis of the gender norms from the 50s. From these portrayals, we learn not to allow stereotypes and prejudices to get in the way of our journey to success, in the same way that Beneatha does.

Hansberry challenges the stereotypes of African Americans through how she concludes the Younger family’s journey. At the end of the play, the Youngers finally get the house that they have always dreamed of having. But when Ruth and Walter Lee find out that Mama has bought their new house in a white area, all of their previous elation fades, replaced immediately with dread. Segregation was a big aspect of life during the 50s, so the Youngers moving into a neighborhood where their white neighbors held up tremendously racist stereotypes against them was a risky measure. When informing Mama of the money that Lindner offered them, Ruth and Mama joke “What they think we going to do – eat em’? … No, honey, marry ‘em. (2.3.121)” This entirely reflects the social environment and beliefs of these times, and Hansberry confronts these issues by having the family move into their house regardless of Lindner’s opinions. She wants us to see that she doesn’t accept the idea that we have to allow other people’s judgments to impede our paths to success.

Mama’s ‘feeble little plant’ is a symbol of her care and dreams for her family. Mama wasn’t able to give her children the life that she and Big Walter wanted to give them; in the play, she talks about how she had imagined that the house they were living in now would have been a temporary place until they could afford to live in her dream house with both a garden and a yard. But she and Big Walter couldn’t make that dream come true while he was alive, so Mama settled for having a plant that embodies those hopes and desires. When talking to Ruth about Big Walter, she says “Lord, child, you should know all the dreams I had ‘bout buying that house and fixing it up and making me a little garden in the back – and ain’t none of it did happen. (1.1.45)” She gives that plant as much love and care as she can, but it isn’t enough to keep the plant healthy and alive. This is a symbol of how, no matter how much she tries and how much of her love she gives them, Mama can’t provide enough for her family to allow them to thrive. By the end of the play, when the Youngers are preparing to move into the new house, the family gifts Mama gardening tools and a gardening hat so that she can have the right equipment to grow her garden. This signifies that she is finally getting her chance to fulfill her dreams, and she gets to do it with her family by her side.

To each of the Youngers, the new house is a chance to start over and create a more fulfilling life. For Ruth and Walter Lee, owning this house is a chance for them to raise their family in a more comfortable and untroubled environment; their kids can grow up in a nice neighborhood with enough bathrooms and bedrooms for everyone to be content. It’s also a chance to restart her and Walter Lee’s failing relationship in a better environment. To Mama, owning a new house signifies a hope for transformation and a chance for their family to stay together under better circumstances. However, after Lindner offers the family money to convince them not to move into the predominantly white neighborhood, it also becomes about pride. Moving into the new house will not only help them set their lives on better paths but will prove to Lindner that his racist ideals won’t scare them away; the family’s reactions when they find out that Walter Lee almost takes the bribe money are a good portrayal of this. When Mama finds out, she says “Son – I come from five generations of people who were slaves and sharecroppers – but ain’t nobody in my family never let anybody pay ‘em no money that was a way of telling us we weren’t fit to walk the earth… We ain’t ever been that dead inside. (3.1.143)” She is essentially stating that their family has too much pride to stoop to Lindner’s level and that she is extremely embarrassed by Walter Lee’s actions.

Many of the issues presented in the play are still hugely relevant in our times; matters such as racism, poverty, and sexism affect the lives of countless people today. Redlining, for instance, persists as a major issue, and it causes serious consequences like health inequality and an unfair division of wealth. In the play, Mama says “Them houses they put up for colored in them areas way out all seem to cost twice as much as other houses. I did the best I could. (2.1.93)” This is an example of redlining and how it affects marginalized people, and these effects are similar to the consequences of redlining today; These examples, along with outright racism, are problems that we as a society have been working on for extended periods, and still haven’t found a suitable solution to. It is no revelation that poverty and sexism are still prevalent issues in the present times. Gender pay gaps, anti-homeless architecture, and abortion bans are just a few instances of the terrible conditions still in play. It’s critical to recognize how these issues have not come to a stop yet because it’s been 6 decades since the play was produced, and we haven’t gotten much closer to resolving these conflicts.