Lorraine Hansberry's "Raisin in the Sun"

Paper Summary:

Lorraine Hansberry's play, "A Raisin in the Sun," is considered a powerful drama because it exemplifies the social and economic status of many African-Americans families after the war and before the civil rights movement. It explains that Martin Luther King and other African-American leaders have not yet surfaced, so the social climate still consists of racism in many forms. Housing discrimination was a serious issue and becomes a major focus in the play as the Youngers attempt to rise above their lower class status. It discusses how the play is also significant to literature because one of predominant themes is the American Dream. This paper explores how these issues operate together to emphasize the African-American plight during this era.

From the Paper:

"David Cooper notes that A Raisin in the Sun "manages to recover and sustain ethical idealism amid conditions, personal and societal, that would make fatalistic surrender understandable. It does so without sentimentality and in spite of the unresolved conflicts and uncertainties that are left over at the play's end" (Cooper). It is the quality of daring to dream amidst difficult conditions that make the play a success. Cooper notes that while the play is about "distress, futility, and tragedy" (Cooper), it is also about "hope and pride and what kind of conviction and commitment it takes to bring hope out of hopelessness, courage out of fear, and idealism out of fatalism" (Cooper). As the play progresses, we will see how this is true. Despite what the Youngers face, they never completely give up. Jeanne-Marie Miller states, "Hansberry's artistic vision was optimistic; she believed firmly that people could 'impose the reason for life on life.' She knew the tensions implicit in being born black and female, and never accepted the notion that either characteristic was limiting" (Miller 2202). An observation of the characters in the play reveals this aspect of Hansberry's vision. She blends the failures and successes together masterfully to illustrate her point."

More papers on Lorraine Hansberry's "Raisin in the Sun":

• Analytical Essay # 122460 : "A Raisin in the Sun" and the American Dream"
• Essay # 73250 : "A Raisin in the Sun" "
• Analytical Essay # 135069 : "Hedda Gabler" and "A Raisin in the Sun"
• Analytical Essay # 124275 : "Racism in "A Raisin in the Sun"

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