The document discusses the themes of racial inequality and the dream aspirations of the African-American Younger family in Lorraine Hansberry's play 'A Raisin in the Sun.' It explores how characters like Walter, Beneatha, and Mama navigate their desires amidst economic struggles and systemic racism, emphasizing the complex relationships and conflicts within the family. Ultimately, the play highlights the intersection of dreams, dignity, and the realities of racial discrimination during the late 1950s.

1. A Raisin in the Sun
Though there was a heightened sense of tension over civil rights in the late 1950s when A Raisin in
the Sun was written, racial inequality is still a problem today. It affects minorities of every age and
dynamic, in more ways than one. Though nowadays it may go unnoticed, race in every aspect alters
the way African–Americans think, behave, and react as human beings. This is shown in many ways
in the play as we watch the characters interact. We see big ideas, failures, and family values through
the eyes of a disadvantaged group during an unfortunate time in history. As Martin Luther King said,
Blacks are "...harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly
at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what...show more content...
Toward the end of the play his spirit is broken, and he behaves almost like a madman, plotting to
give in to Lindner and accept his offer; this action greatly worries his mother. The whole time,
Walter wasn't simply looking for a chance to follow through with his plans. He was seeking support
from the system that he found himself subject to. This idea comes up in Gertrude Samuels' Even
More Crucial Than in the South. "...the real drive that is now rising ominously is a demand for
personal dignity" (Samuels 1546). His personal dignity is at stake repeatedly throughout the story
when he finds himself battling against a troubled family and a corrupt system. The racism–steeped
social system negatively affects African–American males and females, causing deeply rooted issues.
The three women in the story, Beneatha, Ruth, and Mama, represent the different views Black
women took during these troublesome times. There were women like Beneatha, who didn't want to
live the typical life of a wife and mother, and openly disapproved the assimilation of Blacks into
American culture as well: "Because I hate assimilationist Negroes!" (Hansberry 1500). She wanted to
become highly educated, and to change the world somehow. She wanted to be something. Beneatha
is a very strong–willed, hard–headed character. This could very well have been caused by the unfair
rules of her time constantly being reiterated to her through several mediums. Over and over again
she is told that she must
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2. Raisin In The Sun Essay
Have you ever been in a situation where you had a dream that you've always wanted to come true
but someone crushes it or says it won't happen even how hard you try to accomplish it? In a Raisin
in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry proves the dreams of Walter, Beneatha, and Mama come true, but
not exactly how they expected. All of their dreams revolve around the life insurance check from the
late Mr. Younger, each of the family members have their own plans of what they can do with the
check, which ultimately builds walls between the siblings and Mama. Right away in the book,
Walter's dream is to become the owner of a liquor store. When Walter came home from work one
afternoon, he immediately asks Mama, "did it come?" (hansberry 70). When walter says this, he is
implying that his life and what he wants to do for a career is revolving around the check from his
dad. Walter also becomes selfish, and hopes that his mother will let him take the check to purchase
the liquor...show more content...
She says to Walter" Well I do all right? thank everybody! And forgive me for ever wanting to be
anything . Beneatha also states "A That that was what one person could do for another, fix him
up–sew up the problem, make him all right again. That was the most marvelous thing in the world ...
I wanted to do that. I always thought it was the one concrete thing in the world that a human being
could do. Fix up the sick, you know–and make them whole again. This was truly being God ..."
(133). Beneatha is determined and stand up for what she really wants to do. Beneath favorite thing
helping people that are in need. Its upsetting when Walter makes Beneatha's dreams not so high up
on his list by giving the money away.For Beneatha's dreamed to be crushed by Walter giving all the
money to WIlly devastates Beneatha because all she wants to do is be devoted to helping people
with medical
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3. Raisin In The Sun
Base on reading Act 1 and 2 in "The Raisin in the Sun", I decided that I am going to choose option
number one for many reasons. I believe the theme of the play in this book would connect closer to
Mama's money since the family is base on the check. The theme that I thought on this play would be
money connects to hopes and dreams. In the story of "The Raisin in the Sun", there is a family of 5
African Americans who live in a small dirty apartment. In their home, each person needs the money
to accomplish their owned hopes and dream to what they settle forward in their life. Some people
like Walter need the money for their desired, while others like Beneatha does not want to touch
money since it is not her. For instance, After Mama received 10
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4. A Raisin in the Sun Essay
A Raisin in the Sun Creativity of Hansberry played a crucial role in the development of
African–American drama since the Second World War. A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by
African–American author which was set on Broadway and was honored by the circle of New
York theater critics. Drama of A Raisin in the Sun (1959) brought Hansberry to the Award Society
of New York Critics as the best play of the year. A Raisin in the Sun shows the life of an ordinary
African–American family which dreams of happiness and their desire to achieve their dream. A
Raisin in the Sun is a play telling the story of an African–American tragedy. The play is about the
Younger family near the end of the 1950s. The Younger family lives in the ghetto and
...show more
content...
The driving spring of action is the desire of the Youngers to leave the ghetto, which causes fierce
resistance to their future white neighbors. The events of the play took parts not in historically racist
South, but in the North, where people are usually more tolerant. The play is attractive not only by
acute but also deep character development. Images of Walter Lee, torn between traditional values of
the African–American community – principles of love, unity, and human dignity – and values of
American society, obsessed with the idea of material success, is extremely interesting, as well as the
image of his mother, symbolizing the best traits of African–American people. There are conflicts in
the play especially between the siblings. Who has more rights to fulfill their personal dreams,
which deserves their dream to come true sooner? Mama Lena is facing these difficult decisions.
Making the right decision is hard for her because she wants to make it right for everyone and
wants no one to be hurt by a wrong decision. Incidentally, the play tells the story of a family which
members diligently pursue work which has not paid much, especially in the environment of racial
intolerance. The story of Lena's daughter, who is still looking after herself, is, therefore, more
volatile. And her son of Walter Lee, who soon abandons himself because he wants more from his life,
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5. Raisin In The Sun
Dreams are a powerful ideas in society. We encourage our children to follow their dreams, but
dreams can be a double–edged sword. Striving for dreams can cause us to be blind to reality, and
see the world in an idealized form, instead of with all of its flaws. This fine line between dreams
being beneficial and harmful is central in Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun. In the
play, Lorraine uses Walter's characterization as a dreamer and his interactions with others to
symbolize how dreams can not only blind oneself to reality, but also break down even the bonds of
family. Walter's dreams aren't only detrimental to his family monetarily, but also socially within their
house. Walter's wife is a prime example of this. Early
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6. Raisin In The Sun
In a carefully worded essay I will discuss the aspect of 'race' as a hindrance to the
aspirations of the Younger family in A raisin in the sun.
When we analyse Lorraine Hansberry's A raisin in the sun, we realize from the very
start her inspiration behind the title is found in Harlem; a poem by Langston Hughes.
The speaker asks a very sensitive question: "What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?"
This analogy that Hughes explores, shape the very heart of Hansberry's enquiry
about a poor black American family's different aspirations and their hindrance that
occurred because of racial segregation, discrimination and inequality due to a lack of
civil rights in the American history.
When we...show more content...
Another aspect that served as a hindrance to their aspirations was that racial identity
caused the black society to be indoctrinated with a sense of inferiority to white
Americans, and their false outlook that their purpose was to serve the white
'superior' race. This can be seen in Ruth's character where she has to work as a
domestic worker for wealthy white families. Ruth is constantly reminded of the vast
differences between the wealthy white families that she 'serves' versus their
disadvantaged family.
Even after falling pregnant, Ruth would not even dare to miss a day away from work,
due to fears that her agent will lay her off. Since sharing the role as provider for her
family with Walter Lee, she is constantly aware that without the extra income, her

7. family would not survive. Ruth's aspirations are hindered due to the fact that she is
stuck in a position where she needs to support her family financially rather than
taking on the maternal "stay at home"–mom role that white moms
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