Colin Sorvillo Dr. Verghese English 2 Honors, Period A Date: The importance of having a dream and the devastation that occurs when that dream is shattered are central themes in many works of literature. Compare and contrast the treatment of these themes in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and “The Pursuit of Happyness”.
First, Hansberry uses Mama to show the negative outcome when Mama 's dream of getting a house was cast aside. Mama 's dream was to move out of her tired old apartment of about 45 years into a better neighborhood. Hansberry uses the line “ Or does it explode?” (Hughes 11).
Her dreams were unconventional because no female wanted to become a doctor and get a nob , females in that time period where just housewives. In all A Raisin In the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a realistic fictional drama that explores not only the tension between white and black society but the story is often reffered a sa turning point because it adressess so many important issues un the United States in the 1950s-1960s. Not only that but Hansberry touches on topics such as dreams being deferred. Dreams are important to everyone because they are neccesary for surviving and
In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry starts off with Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem,” to show what can happen to dreams that get caught in the middle of life. In Hansberry’s play a family of five African Americans live in a small crouched apartment on the south side of Chicago. Hughes’ poem relates to Hansberry’s characters because each one of them has a separate dream, however, not everyone’s comes true and “stink like rotten meat” (Harlem 6). The dream deferred can refer to anyone in the play. Ruth Younger, the wife of an abominable Walter Lee Younger, has dreams of moving out of the ratty old apartment and joining her family together for good.
Raisin in the Sun A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, takes place in Chicago’s Southside during the 1950s. This play is about an African American family’s life and their struggles that include segregation and discrimination. This book was based off of parts of Lorraine Hansberry’s life, so some of the trials and events that happen to the Younger family in this book are similar to the author’s. In this play, every character has an influence on the plot, but the two characters that have the most influence are Walter and Mama, based on their actions, dialogue, stage directions, and conflicts.
That's what she wanted to talk to you about… I think Ruth is thinking ‘bout getting rid of that child” (Hansberry 74-75). This shows how because Ruth’s dream is set aside, she is worn down, and has to accept the fact that she might not be able to provide for another baby. This connects to the line in Hughes’ poem “Maybe it just sags like a heavy load” (Hughes 9-10). Her dream being deferred crushes her into feeling like she can’t move.
Every hero has a some short of hard work in his or her success. In the story, “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, Len Younger (Mama) is down to earth, hardworking black woman who does not suffer fools. She had dedicated her life to her children and struggles to install her values in them. Throughout the play, Mama struggles to connect with her grandchildren, Beneatha and Walter. Mama’s faith was put to the test near the end of the play when she entrusts Walter with the $6,500 that is left from the insurance check.
Everybody has a family that they want to help or keep happy. In A Raisin in the Sun, it is centered around one family who all love each other and are very close. Most of them are not just living for themselves, but are trying to help others who are older or younger then they are. However, Some characters show this more than others. In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Mama demonstrates the theme that we do not simply live for ourselves, but for those who came before and will come after us.
Racism and Assimilation in Chicago: Selling Your Soul to the System Author Lorraine Hansberry explores racism and assimilation in her 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun. The play focuses on the Younger family, who are trying to make the most out of bad circumstances. The family gets a life-changing opportunity after their father dies and they recieve $10,000 in life insurance money. Each member of the family has their own idea of how to spend the money, from starting a business to becoming a doctor. However, all their goals seem unattainable due to the extreme African-Americans faced in pre-civil-rights Chicago.
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, the American Dream is defined as a happy way of living that is thought of by many Americans as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S. especially by working hard and becoming successful. In the play A Raisin in the Sun, the characters all strive to achieve the American Dream even while having completely different dreams and aspirations. Throughout the play A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry develops the theme of the American Dream through the eyes of Walter, Beneatha, and Mama. Throughout the play, the American Dream is developed through the aspirations of Walter, who’s American Dream is financial success through business. Walter and his family live in a small apartment in Chicago.
Dream Deferred Lorraine Hansberry was born in 1930 and grew up on the southside of Chicago. Her play, Raisin in the Sun, is based on the beginning of her life growing up in a middle-class African American family. Hansberry’s family purchased a house in a white neighborhood and the white neighbors attacked them. In result to this, the white neighbors went to court and Hansberry’s family was kicked out of the neighborhood. This play is also a reaction to Langston Hughes’s poem, Harlem.
A Raisin in the Sun A Raisin in the Sun takes place in Southside Chicago and is about an underprivileged family living in a small apartment. In the apartment lives Mama, Ruth, Beneatha, Lena, and Travis. This family is poor and is waiting for a 10,000 dollar check from mama’s dead husband.
Regarding the Genre, the play is mainly about the life of Black family in the south side of Chicago, that is why the Genre of family ( family drama) dominates the play, the family comes from an ordinary African-American working-class. Hansberry through the play describes the daily live of the African-American in Chicago. How they live, how their houses look,and how they are treated. It regarded as a family drama, because all the action took place within the house of the family.
(A dream deferred) influenced Hansberry to write her play in response to the topic question “What Happens To a dream deferred”?. The main idea of the story was to answer the topic question and it did just that by using symbolism. There were 3 characters who were used to symbolise what happens to a dream deferred. In her play, Raisin in the sun, Hansberry uses Lena Younger, Beneatha Younger, and Walter Younger to show the negative consequences that occur when you put off your dream. To begin, Hansberry uses Lena Younger(Mama) as one of the characters who had a negative effect from her dream being deferred or put off.
Big Walter 's dream drys up like a raisin amidst the harsh and imprisoning environment of poverty in Chicago. Mama experiences this first-hand as her husband withers away as she says, “I seen….him….night after night….come in….and look at that rug….and then look at me….the red showing his eyes….the veins moving in his head….I seen him grow thin and old before he was forty….working and working….killing
