Abstract
This paper illustrates the role of social, family and individual influence in the three plays by focusing on how influence changed the lives of the protagonists of Aristophanes' "Lysistrata", Sophocles," "Oedipus Rex" and Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun." The paper examines how the influence on an individual or society may have radical effects. The paper comments separately on each play and then describes the common theme and ideas throughout the three plays. The writer looks at the influence of society on the individual and the influence of the individual on society.

From the Paper
"Every individual is at some point of his life influenced either by someone or by society. This influence totally changes him for the better or for the worse. The impact totally transforms the individual to such an extent that he is a completely different person. The inspiration is so great and effective that there is a revolutionary change in the individual and he becomes a new individual altogether. However, the change could be for the better or for the worse. The influence could be negative in which case the person will be completely destroyed emotionally or physically and the impact could be so devastating that this destruction could even be self inflicted. On the other hand, a positive influence could make a better individual in character or in strength and enable him to achieve the impossible."

Tags:individual, society, revolutionary, change, impact, aristophranes, lysistrata, sophocles, oedipus, rex, hansberrys, a, raisin, in, the, sun

Abstract
This paper presents a discussion of ways in which the American Dream is brought out in the play"A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry. The paper further compares that with Dr. Martin Luther King's speech "I Have a Dream."

From the Paper
"The purpose of this research is to examine how Lorraine Hansberry's play 'A Raisin in the Sun' treats the theme of the myth of the American Dream. The plan of the research will be to set forth the pattern of ideas in the play that point to the American Dream as a principal focus of narrative and then to discuss the means by which these ideas are developed as action. The idea of fulfillment of a dream dominates 'A Raisin in the Sun' not only in the..."

Tags:Raisin, in, the, Sun, Lorraine, Hansberry, Langston, Hughes, Dr., King, speech, martin, Luther, King, Jr., I Have a Dream

Abstract
The paper analyzes the theme of the American Dream within this study of "Clothes" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry. The paper discusses how for both authors, the idea of material wealth is the foundation for attaining the American Dream. However, the paper illustrates how the problems associated with material wealth offer limited solutions to the dilemma of the family unit that the male protagonists provide in these works.

Tags:america, dream, raisin

Abstract
The theme of family is explored in an examination of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" - a play about the trials and tribulations of a black family living in Chicago's Southside in the 1950s. The paper takes the position that the real hero of the play is the entire family, not just one character.

From the Paper
"The real hero of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" is the Younger family itself. By focusing on the specific dreams and conflicts of each member of the family, Lansberry manages to paint a disturbingly accurate picture of black urban life in Chicago's Southside in the Fifties or more accurately, sometime between World War II and the present, as she writes at the beginning of her play. Hansberry's masterpiece is all the more interesting because it prefigures much that was..."

Tags:Raisin, family, play, Hansberry

Abstract
This paper discusses how Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun" is considered by critics to be one of the strongest portrayals of the African-American nuclear family. It looks at how the implicit theme of "A Raisin in the Sun" is the impact of the family upon the actions of individual units, especially in relation to African-American families. It also examines how the social premise and moral conflicts of the play focuses on the pursuit of the Younger family to better their current situation. It analyzes the family through several different topics, including the impact of family experiences upon individual action, the impact of social influences upon the entire family, the impact of social and political factors upon the family, and finally, the gender roles that come in conflict within the nuclear family model.

From the Paper
"Common family experiences have a dramatic impact on the actions of each individual unit, and it unites the family in their pursuits. The Younger family is considered lower middle class; three generations occupy the nuclear model, with grandmother Lena at its head, Walter, Ruth and Beneatha as the second generation, and Travis as the youngest. The hardships endured by the family unit as a whole in their pursuit of survival binds them together. Lena and her husband worked tirelessly to raise their kids. Walter works extremely hard as a chauffeur in order to support his family, while Ruth has the full responsibility of handling the house and monitoring the family. It is the result of their persistent hardship that drives them to all yearn for change and greater social mobility (NPR, npg). "

Tags:younger, family, african-american

Abstract
This paper reviews the play 'A Raisin in the Sun', by Lorraine Hansberry. According to the paper, 'A Raisin in the Sun' is about the dreams that people have. More specifically, it is about the dreams of people who do not have the opportunity to pursue those dreams. The paper reports how the main theme of the play is deciding what to do with a large sum of money that is won by one of the characters.

From the Paper
"He then describes the life his son will have. This description is partly about material possessions like their house with a gardener and a black Chrysler. However, Walter also describes how his son will be able to go to any school that he wants to and that his son will be able to be anything that he wants to be. As Walter says, "Just tell me, what it is you want to be--and you'll be it" (Hansberry 94). This shows that Walter's dream is linked to his desire for his son to be proud of him and for his son to have opportunities in life. Mama's dream is not to change as much as the others. Instead, she just wants her family to live in a safe neighborhood and have a home they can be proud of. The interesting thing about all of these dreams is that they are all worthwhile. All three of the characters have valuable uses for the money and want to use it to better their own futures. "

Tags:mama, walter, Langston, Hughes, African-American

Abstract
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")."

Tags:youngers, walter, lee, death, money, dreams

Abstract
A critical essay on Lorraine Hansberry's play, "A Raisin in the Sun" that discusses the theme, the major characters and their dreams and struggles. The paper examines the effects of racism, discrimination and the matriarchal system that impacts the lives of the characters.

From the Paper
"Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun" is a traditional three-act drama with a theme about the importance of having the right dreams and striving to achieve them. What gives the play its power and humanity is not just the struggle of the characters to make their dreams a reality, but their special circumstances as poor people who are African-Americans living in a racist and oppressive society, that makes their struggle even more formidable. The play centers on the five members of the Younger family who..."

Tags:Hansberry, African American, black, dreams, dignity, racism, equal rights, feminism

Abstract
This paper examines Lorraine Hansberry'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."

Tags:black, white, society, racism, dream

Abstract
This essay examines the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry. The paper discusses the political history of the 1950s and 1960s and the relationship between the period of time in which the family in "A Raisin in the Sun" lived and the events that unfolded in the play are discussed. The paper concludes that "A Raisin in the Sun" is truly a window into the lives of African Americans in the 1950s.

From the Paper
"Beneatha seeks to become a doctor in an era where there were few female doctors, and on top of that even less African-American doctors. In that aspect, she is trying to push the limits of the glass ceiling that society has placed upon her. In addition to what society places on her, Beneatha has to deal with the limitations that her family imposes on her; in one scene, she expresses her atheistic beliefs to her very traditional mother and is slapped and made to apologize."

Tags:money, white neighborhood, legal segregation, dreamer accuracy