"A Raisin in the Sun" and Domestic Life

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Lorraine Hansberry's play, "A Raisin in the Sun", is a dramatic tour de force and was one of the more important developments in American dramatic literature in the second half of the 20th century. It looks at how her moving play focuses on the domestic life of the Younger family as they decide what to do with a check that they have received after the death of Walter Lee's father. It shows how, from the very beginning of the play, Hansberry creates a tone that sets the stage for the later dramatic action and how the play is, ultimately, a meditation on how the human spirit is able to rebound after our dreams have been destroyed. It analyzes how Hansberry reveals the specific dreams of each character in the play and how, in each case, their dreams are disappointed in some strange and sad fashion.

From the Paper:

"All of the Youngers do have important, although different dreams. Beneatha dreams of going to medical school, Mama dreams of moving into a new house, and Walter Lee wants to open a liquor store. The problem is that the amount of money that the family has is finite and can only serve to fulfill some, and not all, of the Younger's dreams. Walter Lee's dream has a particular significance in relation to his manly pride, and the failure of that dream is terrible. However, "By the end of the play, they learn that the dream of a house is the most important dream because it unites the family," and it is through this common dream that the Youngers realize their true strength ("Themes, Motifs, and Symbols")."

More papers on "A Raisin in the Sun" and Domestic Life:

• Analytical Essay # 122460 : "A Raisin in the Sun" and the American Dream"
• Book Review # 74728 : "A Raisin in the Sun" and Symbolism of Light"
• Comparison Essay # 113914 : "A Raisin in the Sun" and "Two Kinds"

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