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Lorraine Hansberry, 2005.
A critique of Adrienne Rich's article on the author Lorraine Hansberry.
1,044 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how in her article "The Problem With Lorraine Hansberry", Adrienne Rich summarizes Lorraine Hansberry'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 She is waiting for a black feminist to gain access to Hansberry's unpublished work and help us see her in her "fullest political context" (Adrienne Rich pg. 253-54). "
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Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin In the Sun", 2005.
A summary and review Hansberry's story about the lives and times of one black family in 1950s.
968 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 34.95
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Abstract
This paper introduces and analyzes Lorraine Hansberry'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)."
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Racism in Lorraine Hansberry's Plays, 1996.
Examines realistic, optimistic, non-revolutionary depiction of racial conflict in "A Raisin in the Sun" & two more dramas.
2,700 words (approx. 10.8 pages), 3 sources, $ 95.95
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From the Paper
" This study will examine racial conflict as it is portrayed by Lorraine Hansberry in three plays, A Raisin in the Sun, What Use Are Flowers? and The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window. As an intelligent black woman and artist born in 1930 and dying in 1965, Hansberry is clearly aware of the significance of racism in the United States, and she includes racial bigotry and stereotyping as important elements of each of these three plays, either directly or indirectly.
However, Hansberry is an optimist, not a revolutionary. Her work leans toward the reassuring rather than the disturbing. Her characters, for the most part, live in a world which still contains the salvation and healing that love and personal development can bring, even in the face of racial and other obstacles."
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"A Raisin In The Sun" ( Lorraine Hansberry ), 1999.
Discusses the play's themes, plot, characters, values, social and racial views.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 8 sources, $ 55.95
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From the Paper
"The purpose of this research is to examine Lorraine Hansberry's play A Raisin in the Sun. The plan of the research will be to set forth the pattern of ideas and events in the play and then to discuss the means by which this pattern is elaborated in the action, as well as the sociopolitical context in which the playwright's intended effect of the play on the audience can be most readily identified.
The action of A Raisin in the Sun in general involves what people want and what they are willing to pay to get it. Indeed, describing what the characters want very much describes what the play is about. The Youngers, an extended black family, share the dream of escaping their two-bedroom Chicago tenement and everything it represents. How the dream should be fulfilled now that an insurance legacy is coming their way marks the main level of ..."
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Lorraine Hannsberry's "Raisin in the Sun", 1997.
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).
945 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 33.95
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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."
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"A Raisin in the Sun" by Larraine Hansberry, 2001.
A discussion of the themes of obsession and materialism in the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Larraine Hansberry.
1,225 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 41.95
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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."
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"Raisin in the Sun", 2005.
This paper examines the cultural context of Lorraine Hansberry's play "Raisin in the Sun".
1,360 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, on the surface, the plot of the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry 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.""
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"A Raisin in the Sun", 2002.
A review of Lorraine Hansberry's play, "A Raisin in the Sun".
1,301 words (approx. 5.2 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 43.95
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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")."
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The American Dream in Literature.
This paper discusses the "American Dream" as seen in the male characters in Lorraine Hansberry'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
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Abstract
This paper explains that Lorraine Hansberry'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."
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"A Raisin in the Sun", 2002.
A review of Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun".
749 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 26.95
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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."
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"Raisin in the Sun" and "The Piano Lesson", 2002.
An analysis of the theme of the black experience in Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" and August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson".
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 8 sources, $ 44.95
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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 Lorraine Hansberry'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.
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"A Raisin in the Sun", 2005.
An analysis of the characters Walter Lee, Lena Younger, and Beneatha from the play, "A Raisin in the Sun," by Lorraine Hansberry.
816 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 29.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the play, "A Raisin in the Sun," by Lorraine Hansberry and, in particular, looks at how the characters of Walter Lee, Lena Younger, and Beneatha provide a good representation of the trials and tribulations that the majority of the black population was facing during the 1950s and even the 1960s. It shows how each of them either persevered and reached his or her ultimate goal in the face of adversity or at least maintained hope in the eventual actualization of that goal.
From the Paper
"From the onset of the play it is made known that Walter Lee, the man or father of the household is underpaid and unappreciated as the chauffeur for a white man. Walter has begun the planning phases of a joint opportunity for investment into and the opening of a liquor store. His goals include the ability to provide a better life for his family and to be able to attain their residence, currently they are living with his mother and sister in an apartment. "I got a boy who sleeps in the living room and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live..." (1777). Walter also wants to show his son that a black man or woman can be successful and work for themselves and not have to work for the white man."
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"Raisin in the Sun", 2005.
The social and economic conditions depicted in Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun".
1,987 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 63.95
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Abstract
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."
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Willy and Walter's American Dream, 2004.
A comparison of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" and Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun".
811 words (approx. 3.2 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 28.95
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Abstract
This paper presents a contrast between the plays, "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller and "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry. The paper explains how Willy in "Death of a Salesman" and Walter in "A Raisin in the Sun" share some similarities and major differences. The paper contends that the two men both have a dream that is burning within them and they both try to succeed and fail miserably. The paper concludes that Willy and Walter not only represent the American Dream, they also illustrate that how we face failure and mistakes has a significant impact upon our lives.
From the Paper
"Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman and Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun are plays that focus on individuals that fail to achieve their dream. Willy Loman dreams that one day he will be recognized for his exceptional sales ability. Walter Younger hopes to invest money in a liquor store and find his way out of poverty. While both characters share this experience, each man is effected differently by what he gains from his loss. Willy and Walter teach us that dreams are not always easy to reach and if we are so lucky to reach them, they seldom arrive without painful lessons. These men show us that there are two paths in life when it comes to failure--one is fatal and the other is fruitful and it is ultimately up to us to decide which way to go."
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"A Raisin in the Sun", 2004.
An analysis of the play, "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry.
1,401 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 46.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses Lorraine Hansberry's play, "A Raisin in the Sun". The paper examines the central theme of the play as it relates to the American dream. It explains how this theme is significant to each character of the play and also contends that the characters represent the spectrum of personalities found in any American society.
From the Paper
"We learn how people can become blinded by their dreams through the character of Walter. Part of Walter's problem is the fact that he feels desperate. He realizes that he is getting older and still has not really achieved anything. He tells his wife, "I'm thirty-five years old; I been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the living room . . . and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live" (Hansberry 2209). In dealing with this realization, Walter tries to find a quick way to make his dream of having lots of money come true. He becomes blinded by desire. This kind of blind dreaming is something that happens to a lot of people. Their desire becomes so strong that they cannot see that risks often outweigh possibilities. "
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