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 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

Abstract
The paper provides an overview of Lorraine Hansberry's early years and discusses how her family's struggle for African-American rights, and specifically, her family's move to an all-white neighborhood, had a very large impact on shaping "Raisin in the Sun". The paper looks at the Younger family in "Raisin in the Sun" and points out the real similarities between them and the Hansberry family. The paper also looks at how critics note the historical and sociological significance of the play's events and of the main character, Walter Lee.

From the Paper
"A Raisin in the Sun is the most well-known and successful play written by Lorraine Hansberry, who died tragically young of pancreatic cancer in 1965 at the age of 34 (SocialJusticeWiki). The play was groundbreaking in many ways--it was the first play produced on Broadway written by an African-American female, and the first directed by an African-American director since 1907 (Social Justice Wiki). In breaking down these barriers, Hansberry was following in the tradition she had learned from her parents since the time of her birth. Her parents were hugely active in the struggle for equal rights, and figures like Paul Robeson, W.E.B. DuBois, and Langston Hughes often came to her parents' house (Voices from the Gap). But it is not just details of Hansberry's adult life that seem inspired by her upbringing, but there are even strong elements of biography in her plays and other writings."

Tags:African, Americans, whites, segregation, discrimination, Walter, Lee, Younger

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 discusses the plot and themes of Lorraine Hansberry'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 Lorraine Hansberry'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."

Tags:characters, plot, segregation, destiny

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 details the plot and main characters in Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" which focuses on an African-American family residing in Chicago. The writer analyzes the significance of light in Hansberry's work which makes its first appearance in the opening of the play when the sun shines in on the Younger's cramped apartment. The writer contends and explains the manner in which the light provides emotional nourishment to the protagonists as well as heartache and despair. This paper also looks at the symbolism of Mama's plant which although she knows will never fully grow and reach its ultimate potential she continues to care and nurture it, much in the same manner as she cares for her own family.

From the Paper
"The plant does not simply symbolize Ruth and Walter's inability to fully grow and flourish as a couple and a mother and a father in the apartment. It also has more personal symbolism. It symbolizes the dream of Mama to own her own home, a place of her own rather than the rented territory of others, with a cramped and small bathroom for five (and perhaps six, given Ruth's impending pregnancy) other people, all dreaming and yearning to break free. The plant is a more specific and powerful symbol, too, because it is a green and living thing. It underlines Mama's desire to have a garden and a yard. Clearly, Mama could make many things grow. If she made a plant grow in a terrible apartment, with little help, just as she and her husband helped her children Beneatha and Walter flourish with little help from society, think of what Mama could do with her own yard, full of sunshine and space."

Tags:literature, american, imagery, plants, light, african, american