Abstract This paper examines how in her article "The Problem With LorraineHansberry", Adrienne Rich summarizes LorraineHansberry's life and work in her perspective as a white, lesbian, feminist writer. It looks at how she relates to Hansberry as a feminist writer and how she feels she is not so equipped to deal with the racial issues that are found in Hansberry's work "A Raisin In The Sun".
From the Paper "Adrienne Rich still has many unanswered-and unanswerable questions about Lorraine Hansberry such as: "What did she dream of being free to write should she gain validation from the American white male establishment?" "What did it mean to be one of the tiny handful of black women artists who have found it possible to have their works published, performed, or seen?" and "Where would Hansberry have placed herself, had she lived till now, in relation to the feminist movement of the present?" Rich will continue to see Hansberry as "a problem and a challenge." She is waiting for a black feminist to gain access to Hansberry's unpublished work and help us see her in her "fullest political context" (Adrienne Rich pg. 253-54). "
Abstract This paper presents a critical examination of the symbolism at work in the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by LorraineHansberry, and its effect upon the audience. It examines how Langston Hughes' poem sets the tone.
From the Paper "In her title for the play A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry makes an apparent reference to the poem Dreams by Langston Hughes. In most printed editions of the play an excerpt from this play is used to set the tone of the play and foreshadow the upcoming action in the play..."
Tags:lorrainehansberry, a raisin in the sun, symbolism, dreams, audience effect.
Abstract This paper discusses the archetype of the emasculated, angry black man as set forth by Larry Neal in his essay, "The Black Arts Movement", and applies this archetype to the character of Walter in LorraineHansberry's "A Raisin In The Sun".
From the Paper "In his essay, "The Black Arts Movement", Larry Neal discusses how in literature "the Black man is both an object of love and hate" by the black women in his life. (1966). Neal says that in African-American "literature of previous decades the strong Black mother was the object of awe and respect. But in the new literature, her status is ambivalent and laced with tension" (1970). Her status is called in to question because of the resentment of her son. The son feels like he is "emasculated" like his father, because his mother, and later on his wife, is the economic provider for the family (1970). Neal says that the only way for a man to reclaim his masculinity is "through revolution. It either must be an actual blood revolution, or one that psychically redirects the energy of the oppressed" (1971). "
Tags: arts, black, hansberry, movement, neal, character
Abstract This paper introduces and analyzes LorraineHansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun". The paper explains that this story, much like Langston Hughes' poem of the same name is about freedom, pride, blacks and their dreams. The paper summarizes the story and explains that the main theme of the story is dreams, as dreams are what keeps a person or family alive and help them look to the future.
From the Paper "Mama decides to give Walter the money. This is the victory for Walter's dream since Mama feels he has always had to face unfortunate circumstances. Even though the rest of family doesn't approve of this, Mama is willing to take this risk for the love of her son. She knows that her son is suffering from broken dreams. The scene where Walter is shown talking to his son Travis is particularly poignant. He promises Travis that they will one day own a Chrysler that is "elegant" rather than "flashy," and will also employ the services of a gardener. He also predicts that once Travis goes to college, his father would "hand you the world!" (625)."
This paper describes Lorraine Hannsberry's "Raisin in the Sun" and a poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes included in the book (and quoted in full in the paper).
Abstract This paper discusses that both Hansberry's book "A Raisin in the Sun" and the included poem ?Harlem,? by Hughes are written by African-American writers. The author states that both focus on the question of what happens to ?a dream deferred.? The paper states that Hansberry, through the characters within her drama, answers this question in the same manner as does Hughes.
From the Paper "Hughes? poem, which asks if a deferred dream will ?...fester like a sore-- / and then run?? can easily be applied to Walter's dream of having a better life, which festers inside him. In the first act of the Hansberry's drama, Ruth points out to Walter that his thoughts are always focused on one thing: his dream. Her speech to her husband is an indication that his dream is festering and not going away."
Abstract This paper is a critical analysis of "A Raisin in the Son" by Larraine Hansberry, the story of a black family's struggle to break out of the poverty that is preventing them from achieving their dreams. Using the components of setting, imagery, and characterization, the theme of man versus society is analyzed and the reader is shown that if you are not careful, becoming obsessed with money can cost you your dreams.
From the Paper "Great care is taken in the presentation of Walter's character, which helps the reader to see how easy it is for him to become obsessed with money and nearly pay for it with the loss of his dreams. In the play, all Walter thinks about and talks about is money. When Walter complains to his wife that she will not listen to him, in exasperation she tells him, "Honey, you never say nothing new" (1875). Walter Younger is thirty-five years old and is a limousine driver. He is unhappy with his job and is desperately seeking an opportunity to improve his home situation and his standing."
Abstract This paper discusses the plot and themes of LorraineHansberry's play, "A Raisin in the Sun." It discusses the metaphorical significance of the title of the play and how it relates to the plot and characters that are portrayed in the work. The paper specifically focuses on the theme of respect, both giving and receiving, as the key to understanding LorraineHansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun."
From the Paper "What we must seek out and learn to understand about the Youngers is that every action they take and every stage of their development is predicated upon their level of respect for themselves and each other. In the beginning, respect is hard to come by, and what there is is falsely laid. But after the loss of the money, the family is forced to take real stock of themselves and what they realize is that their perception of being in a hopeless situation, of having their best potentials in life disappear, is actually totally incorrect. Mama knows this, and in the act of buying their way out of the Black neighborhoods, she is liberating them from their lack of self-respect, they are proving their ability to be independent."
Abstract This paper examines how LorraineHansberry'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")."
Abstract This paper explains that, on the surface, the plot of the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by LorraineHansberry is merely about an African-American family's struggle to get out of the ghetto on Chicago's Southside; however, a deeper examination of the work demonstrates the author's utilization of numerous themes and complex characters, which require multiple levels of analysis: African-American identity, social status and racial challenges within the intricacies of universal human nature. The author points out that hints of Hansberry's childhood surface throughout the play and have clearly influenced her thoughts and beliefs: Father waged a legal battle for the right to purchase a home in a previously all-white neighborhood that reached the Supreme Court, "Hansberry vs. Lee", which they won, but the family was subjected to vicious physical attacks. The paper relates that the title of the play refers to the protagonist Mama's longing to escape the ghetto so that her children can be raised in the sunlight of a better neighborhood and thus better education.
From the Paper "Another way that Hansberry illustrated her world through her work was in her definition of universality. Indeed, prior to the publishing of the play, universality was monadic in its conception and application. It had been developed and applied to mean whiteness rather than including the diversity of modern-day society. Moreover, black art separated itself from the mainstream by isolating discussions of social problems from racial issues. However, Hansberry conversely sought to concurrently consider "social significance and racial consciousness." Her attention to details opened the door for white audiences into an understanding of black experiences that made those experiences understandable and relevant. The inclusion of the black experience within the framework of the human experience forced a redefinition that opened the term universality to include the minority voice. Author James Baldwin articulates this milestone, saying "never before in American theater history has so much of the truth of black people's lives been seen on stage.""
Abstract This paper examines LorraineHansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun" about Walter the resentful patriarch of the family who acts out certain attitudes affecting the black community in his time. It looks at how Hansberry clearly writes from her own experience, the family she writes about exists in a specific time period--the 1950s--and a specific milieu--the south side of Chicago. It shows how The Younger family is on the verge of escaping from the ghetto, with each family member having his or her own dream and how this dream begins with the desire to achieve the American dream. It discusses how by the end of the play the seamy reality of that dream has been exposed and the family has shifted to a celebration of its own value system rather than aspiring to emulate white society.
From the Paper "The kind of experience the Youngers have leads them to a spiritual and familial regeneration, and they transcend their ghetto not by moving to the suburbs but by understanding themselves and their place in black society. The prevailing racism has left the Youngers with a feeling of inferiority they try to overcome. The anger that such treatment creates is subdued in this family. The one vital element in the Younger family that sets them apart from much of the black experience today is the fact that they are, in the end, a family. The breakdown of the family in the ghetto is much discussed today. The Youngers have stayed together, something difficult even in the 1950s and something which shows them as atypical. Hansberry is not painting a false picture, and she is promoting the idea that family can help solve some of the problems faced in a racist society."
Abstract This analyzes two plays as expressions of the black experience in America, while focusing on the characters and symbolism in these plays. The plays are LorraineHansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" and August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson". The literary work by August Wilson reflects the painful past and anticipated future of the African American race whereas Hansberry's play shows how an African-American family is united in love and pride as they struggle to overcome poverty and harsh living conditions in the midst of the 20th century.
This paper discusses the "American Dream" as seen in the male characters in LorraineHansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" and Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman".
4,125 words (approx. 16.5 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 110.95
Abstract This paper explains that LorraineHansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" and Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" reflect the painful aspects of the American Dream by allowing the reader to understand the complications which arise as people plan their lives and set out to reach their dreams. The author points out that the plays contain elements of personal tragedy: (1) Hansberry's Walter Younger is able to turn his negative experience around and learn from it but (2) Miller's Willy Loman lives his entire life misled by his own misconceptions about his dream. The paper relates that each play represents very real segments of society, which help us understand the American Dream through different eyes: Walter Younger gives the reader insight into how African American men in the 1950s saw and pursued their dreams, and Willy Loman provides insight into how white men in the 1940s might have attempted to achieve their dreams.
From the Paper "We get a glimpse of Walter's dream early in the play when he is arguing with Ruth. He tells her that Charlie Atkins is grossing $100,000 a year now and she could not be on his side for just a little while and support him joining Charlie in the dry-cleaning business. Walter also knows that his key to success is getting his mother to support him as well. This is part of his mistake--he is trying to get everyone to be on his side rather than going about starting a business and doing things the hard way. He also tries to get Ruth to convince his mother that his idea with Willy is not a "fly-by-night proposition". Walter also expresses his skepticism about becoming rich when he tells Ruth, "Baby, don't nothing happen for you in this world 'less you pay somebody off!" When Mama tells Walter that she has no intention of giving him any money to invest in the liquor business, he tries to manipulate her with guilt."
Abstract The paper looks at LorraineHansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" and Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll House" and shows how the relationship between the couples in these works are molded by the society that surrounds them. The paper describes how Hansberry's Walter and Ibsen's Nora face difficult situations that force them to realize that their relationships are not all that they could or should be.
From the Paper "Marriages can often be defined by the era in which they are created. Men and women find that their relationships are molded around societal institutions and traditional conventions of their time. Two plays that illustrate this notion are Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun and Henrik Ibsen's A Doll House. The couples in these plays demonstrate how marriage can be defined by the so-called rules of society. Ruth and Walter are severely affected by their society and Nora realizes that she does not have to be the doting wife that her society and Torvald expect."
Abstract This paper discusses how the the different manners in which the birth of a child is received by various characters in both novels/plays. It looks at the parents' reactions individually and how they accept this as a couple. The reactions are compared in these two works.
From the Paper "People are often so accustomed to seeing the birth or impending birth of a child bring joy to a family, that it often comes as a shock to them when an imminent birth is not accompanied by rapturous delight. In both "Raisin in the Sun" and ?Fences,? by Lorraine Hansberry and August Wilson respectively, the discovery that a baby is expected is met with several reactions?none of them being joy. It does bear mention, that in "Fences" the expectant mother is not Troy's spouse, whereas in ?Raisin in the Sun,? the child is biologically tied to both Ruth and Walter Lee. Although it may seem impossible to compare the two instances because of this very fact, the truth of the matter is that Ruth and Walter Lee are so estranged by his increasingly erratic behavior over the money that the level of turmoil in their household is certainly no less than that in the "Raisin in the Sun" household."
Abstract This paper looks at the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by LorraineHansberry, first staged in 1959, and Robert Nemiroff's comments on whether the play is still timely three decades later. Nemiroff concludes that it is, and since the play deals with upward mobility against the forces of racism, this writer agrees that the play contains a timeless quality.
From the Paper "A Raisin in the Sun, the play written by the late Lorraine Hansberry, was first performed on Broadway in 1959. It was a remarkable play, the first one to present Black families without stereotype, and mapping out the multiple problems facing Black families of the day. Those issues included not only overt racism but the stereotypes held by the employers they worked for, clashes between older generations who remembered the overt racism experienced in the South, and younger generations who wanted to move into middle class life complete with home ownership and jobs that did not cast them in the role of servants. One young person in the family is in college and intends to attend medical school."
