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A Raisin In The Sun Literary Analysis Essay Prompt

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Recommended: Symbolism in raisin in the sun

Courtney Woolf
Mr.Dixon
English
11 April 2023

Literary Analysis Essay Prompt The title of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun was taken from the following poem, Harlem, by Langston Hughes, written in 1951. Her care for her plant is similar to care for her children, unconditional and unending despite a less-than-perfect environment for growth. They end up supporting each other in the end. In the raisin in the Sun, there is lots of symbolism, conflict, and characterization. It will also show the importance of supporting each other. Mama's feeble plant represents her family's deferred dreams for a better future, which have struggled to survive under the strain of life in Chicago's South Side. Mama's unending devotion to her small houseplant …show more content…

. ain't never had enough sunshine or anything.¨ Like the plant, the Youngers have also struggled to overcome the circumstances, such as racial prejudice, that curb their growth and social mobility. The most overt symbol in the play, Mama's plant represents both Mama's care and her dream for her family. In her first appearance onstage, she moves directly toward the plant to take care of it. It all means hope, in which Mama takes the plant to their new house. It represents how her family will succeed and thrive in their new living conditions, a new beginning for them. Mama´s American Dream is about how she has always wanted to live in her house and also serves as a symbol for the plant. Mama's Plant Symbol Analysis. Mama's feeble plant represents her family's deferred dreams for a better future, which have struggled to survive under the strain of life in Chicago's South Side. Mama's unending devotion to her small houseplant signifies her constant care for her family and her attention to its …show more content…

When Mama says her flower "expresses ME!", she is referring to the symbol of hope and ambition that the flower represents. This flower is a symbol of Mama's commitment to her family and their dreams. The flower is also symbolic of Mama's determination to keep her dreams alive, even in the face of adversity. This is Mama's way of recalling Beneatha's tirade about self-expression, but it also reveals the affinity Mama feels for the enduring houseplant. Mama is trying to teach Beneatha how a little plant can mean as much as a family means. The plant is the whole reason Mama wanted to buy a house with a backyard where she can get a garden going and plant her plants kind of like how she has helped her family start to get along towards the end of the story. Beneatha is vehemently against acknowledging her mother's faith and denies God's existence. This goes against her mother's very strict Christian beliefs, and Mama strikes her daughter in the

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Throughout the play Mama has a small potted plant that she cares deeply about. Not only does this small plant represent her family’s delayed dreams for a better future, but it also represents Mama’s constant care for her family. “Growing doggedly in a small pot by the apartment’s kitchen window, Mama’s plant has “spirit” despite the fact that this little old plant...ain’t never had enough sunshine or nothin.” This plant connects to the family by sharing the need of desires. For example, the plant needs sunshine to thrive and grow big and strong.

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Mama’s plant in A Raison in the Sun, represents hope; hope for their future of having a house and a garden in the back. Mama is able to tend this dream plant and keep it alive even with the harsh atmosphere. When mama feels Walter and Beneatha are losing touch with her, she portrays her feelings through the dream plant, "Lord, if this little old plant don't get more sun than it's been getting, it ain't never going to see spring again" (40). This shows Mama truly believes that if Walter and Beneatha keep acting the way they do, they will not only ruin mama’s dream but also fail to initiate Big Walter’s legacy. Another piece of evidence that proves this, is when Ruth and Mama were talking about the now run-down house her and Big Walter used to

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In the beginning of the play when the plant makes its debut, it is described as “a feeble little plant growing doggedly” (Hansberry 23). It is not a beautiful plant, but it could win a prize for its tenacity. Its appearance may not match Mama’s, but its will to survive most definitely does. Mama is “full-bodied and strong” (23) with an air similar to that of “the noble bearing of the women of the Hereros of Southwest Africa” (23), which does not parallel the appearance her beloved plant.

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, But are consistently being differed. Lena Younger, otherwise known as, “Mama” is Walter and Beneatha’s mother and the head of the household. With her deceased husbands ten thousand dollar insurance check Lena bought a three thousand-dollar house with a garden where her family would be happy and hopes to save the rest of the money for Beneatha’s medical school. Lena’s dream, “ Festers like a sore” and is the only dream that somewhat comes true.

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Mama cares for the plant by feeding, watering and checking all through the day on it to make sure it was still doing well. She also does this for the family. Mama always wants the best for them and would do anything to keep them happy and well. Mama uses the plant as her fuel to always put the family first and to remember her dreams, as well as remind her family of theirs (Shmoop Editorial Team). Throughout the play, Mama’s plant symbolizes many things to the Younger family.

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This contributes to the theme of hope by showing that even though things may be bad, the good moments make it better. The similies contribute to the theme by showing that the tomatoes that she has, although few, are great and the future is looking

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To get started, the azaleas in the novel represent Maudie Atkinson because of her loving, strong minded, and compassionate character. Azaleas stand out because they are able to grow even in harsh and unbearable conditions. They still turn out to be in a perfect beautiful condition, unlike many flowers who need a good environment to grow. Maudie is a perfect representation of an azalea because she lives in the prejudiced, judgmental town

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Mama’s potted plant symbolizes many things, but the most prevalent is family. In Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raison in the Sun, Hansberry uses a plant to represent family. Just like any living thing, a plant needs to grow, to be watered, to be cultivated, and to be nurtured. Here are some examples of how Hansberry symbolizes family with a plant. To properly care for a plant you must watch over it as it grows and water it daily.

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Reader Response: 3 “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, is a play about a black families experience in 1950s South Side Chicago. The story revolves around what happens to the family when Lena Younger, the matriarch of the family, receives a ten thousand dollar life insurance check upon the death of her husband. Everyone from the family has different plans for what they want to do with the money. Lena Younger serves as the head of the family. She is Walter and Beneatha’s caring mother so they and Ruth call her Mama.

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The character purchased a house for her family to enrich and grow in life, regardless of the challenges they face just like the plant with little sunlight to survive. The family soon held together once they moved into their new house which also meant a new beginning. Susan Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, themes identified are dreams and faith that each character signifies throughout the entire play. The family was slowly falling apart from the challenges that they faced that pushed their dreams away and faith was slowly leaving as well. Through these trials, Lena Younger did what she felt was the right and new beginning for her

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Trusting Walter, her son, she mistakenly gave him the money. Mama specifically told Walter to put away some money away for Beneatha Walter's sister. Like Walter Beneatha has big dreams. She wants to go to medical school

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A Raisin in the Sun addresses major social issues such as racism and feminism which were common in the twentieth century. The author, Lorraine Hansberry, was the first playwright to produce a play that portrayed problematic social issues. Racism and gender equality are heavily addressed throughout the play. Even though we still have these issues today, in the 1950’s and 60’s the issues had a greater part in society. Racism and gender have always been an issue in society, A Raisin in the Sun is an important piece of American history during that time period.

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