A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry Essay - 1839 Words

A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, has often been dubbed a â€Å"black† play by critics since its debut on Broadway in 1959. This label has been reasonably assigned considering the play has a cast that consists primarily of African American actors; however, when looking beyond the surface of this play and the color of the author and characters, one can see that A Raisin in the Sun actually transcends the boundaries of racial labels through the universal personalities assigned to each character and the realistic family situations that continue to evolve throughout the storyline. As seen when comparing A Raisin in the Sun to â€Å"The Rich Brother,† a story for which the characters receive no label of race, many commonalities can be found†¦show more content†¦Perhaps the most prominent of all the commonalities seen between A Raisin in the Sun and â€Å"The Good Brother† would be the similar personalities of the characters of both stories. The New Republic drama critic Tom F Driver wondered if â€Å"it may have been Miss Hansberry’s objective to show that the stage stereotypes will fit Negroes as well as white people.† Regardless of her intention, creating stage stereotypes that fit both black and white is exactly what Hansberry has done. To prove this stereotype theory, one only needs to show how the assortment of character personalities portrayed in Raisin can all be seen blended into the two main characters of â€Å"The Good Brother.† The blending of character personalities can first be seen by comparing both Walter and Lena from Raisin, with Pete and Donald of â€Å"The Good Brother.† Walter, as noted by literary critic Gerald Weales in his article â€Å"Thoughts on A Raisin in the Sun,† â€Å"has accepted the American myth of success at its face value.† Walter feels his success is solely based on his financial standing and not on his ability to maintain a home and a family. This acceptance of the â€Å"American myth† is also seen in the character of Pete. While he doesShow MoreRelatedA Raisin Of The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry894 Words   |  4 PagesA Raisin in the sun by Lorraine Hansberry there are three major female characters represent three different spectrums of their lives. A Raisin in the Sun a number of social issues are both explicitly and subtly exemplified through out the characters experiences and relationships. First, Hansberry introduce Beneatha who is twenty year old college student with dreams of becoming a doctor in her life. Second, the author mention Ruth as a soft character in the story that wants to become wealthy andRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry802 Words   |  3 Pagespositively to the actions of the White Americans. This leads to African Americans conforming and giving society what they want by changing their style of speech and appearance, this is called cultural assimilation. In Act II, Scene I of A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry interprets the concept of cultural assimilation with the actions of George as he arrives and unintentionally interrupts Beneatha and Walter’s â€Å"African† performance. This scene signifies the struggle between trying to assimilate intoRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry2035 Words   |  8 PagesLorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is a remarkable play written in 1959 by an African American author about an African American family. This ti me period was in the early days of the modern awakening of civil rights awareness. It was a timely play challenging the then current stereotypical view of a black family by depicting a realistic portrayal of a specific black family with aspirations, hopes, dreams, dignity, and ambition as would be expected from all families regardless of race. TheRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry1199 Words   |  5 Pagesas a person. Walter Lee Younger is a man that goes through many different character changes, which cause conflict amongst the other characters. Once he goes through his rite of passage, he is able to fix his flaws and mature. In Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, characterization is used to portray that one must experience a rite of passage in order to mature. Walter Lee Younger starts off the play as a man who is selfish and immature, willing to put money before family. He is characterizedRead MoreA Raisin Of A Sun By Lorraine Hansberry2114 Words   |  9 Pages July 26, 2015 A Raisin in a Sun A dream is what a person strive for to achieve success in their lives. Langston Hughes, ask in Montage of a Dream Deferred, â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the Sun?† A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry is mainly about a family dream to do better for themselves. All the characters in this story has hopes and dreams. The problem with that is that everyone has their own individual dream which cause conflict within the familyRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry987 Words   |  4 PagesA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry A Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, which debuted on broad way in 1959. They play takes place sometime in the 1950’s, a time period wrought with social issues which were ignored by the general public. The play concentrates on the Younger family; Ruth, Travis, Walter Lee, Beneatha, and Lena, the family head. The events of the play take place over the course of only a few weeks, where-in the Younger family is to receive a largeRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry544 Words   |  2 Pages A raisin in the sun is a book that explains the life of a family that is in hard times but some how gets through it. The Younger family is at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to economic status this affects the whole family and dreams and values, but the one thing they are good at are arguing and keeping their dreams alive by being a family and loving and caring for one another when nobody else does. The book a raisin in the sun written by Lorraine Hansberry is about a family that areRead MoreA Raisin Of The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry1581 Words   |  7 PagesLorraine Hansberry, a female playwright and black activist, spent almost all of her life dealing with American racism, poverty, and lack of social mobility. As a person who witnessed the daily struggles of African Americans, Hansberry wanted to expose the hypocrisy in the idea that America was the land of equal opportunity. As a result, in 1959, Hansberry wrote the play, A Raisin in the Sun, which details the Youngers, an African American family, who experienced racism, poverty, and the lack of socialRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry?605 Words   |  2 PagesLorraine Hansberry, the author of â€Å"A Raisin in The Sun†, was born in Chicago, Illinois. Hansberry was the youngest of four children. Her father Carl Augustus Hansberry was a prominent real estate broker and her mother Louise Perry was a stay home mother. She grew up on the south side of Chicago in the Woodlawn neighborhood. Later the family moved into an all-white neighborhood, where they experienced racial discrimination. Hansberry attended a predominantly white public school while her parentsRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry774 Words   |  3 PagesMany can see the appeal of the play† A Raisin in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry because it is telling how much the Younger family wants the American dream, the better life that each character wants are different from each other. The family wants the insurance money to start their dreams, the money that would not have been available if not for the death of the head of the family. Walter Lee Younger American dream is all about materialism and what he can get right now. He has the notion of a self-made