Analysis Of A Raisin In The Sun

Walter believes that money will solve all of their problems and he speaks about money constantly "because it is life [. . .]"(1010). Walter's selfishness can be seen at the climax of the play when the family finds out that Willy has ran away with the money: "I never. . . went to the bank at all. . ."(1032). Consequently, Walter used the money to begin his own business.

Welcome to the Windham High school drama club revival of A Raisin in the Sun!

A raisin in the sun is a book by Lorraine Hansberry that tells the story of a lower-class black family's struggle to gain middle-class acceptance while facing internal family conflicts the book was written in 1959, so the movie is an interpretation of the book. Yet the movie made it seem as if Walter is a very selfish man. Reading the book brings a different visualization .The movie also was able to move to different locations, the book however, which was written originally to be acted out on stage. Yet besides all the differences, a common theme ran though in both the book and the movie

The situation that play out in Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun can be put side by side in situation that is happening in modern America, and we can see how each of the characters have characteristic that we still see in people today. Using Reader-Response Analysis we can see that how people act, think, and handled problems in the play A Raisin in the Sun is still how people today still handle problems.

Lorraine Hansberry was a writer during the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement. She was the first woman, the first black person, and the youngest person to get a show on broadway with her hit A Raisin in the Sun. The name comes from Langston Hughes’ famous poem Harlem (Dream Deferred) where Lorraine got all of her inspiration from. Harlem is about what happens when you put off a dream for too long. In A Raisin in the Sun Hansberry uses the characters Walter, Beneatha, and Momma to show the consequences of deferring your dreams.

Greetings to you on our final week of class! It has been a journey that I’m glad I have received the chance to experience in which I learned a lot. This week I chose to compare and contrast “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Everyday Use” because they have a lot of similarities. “Everyday Use” was one of my favorite stories to write about in week’s two forum. I pretty much got a good understanding about “Everyday Use” in week two but I feel like I know this story like the back of my hand now that I compared and contrasted it with another story. I did find it hard to come up with more stuff to write about that I didn’t cover in week two. My strengths were that “Everyday Use” was one of my favorite stories to write about so I had a better idea of what I was going to elaborate on but my weakness was just writing in general along with finding the motivation to do it. Looking forward to constructive feedback!

“Money is not the key to happiness,” no big pay amount would make much of a difference. As people in America everybody thinks you cannot afford to avoid the unhappiness of having to  life,  having plenty of cash does not make your any more enjoyable then what it is in the present. Happiness depends on how you feel towards your loved ones which in Lorraine Hansberry's Play, “A Raisin In the Sun” Walter's obsession with money often caused him to act unkindly to his loved ones. In the book Raisin in the Sun a family from the Southside of Chicago they lived in a small apartment trying to find a way out of the community they have lived in. The Younger family was dealing with living in a white dominant society dealing with poverty and prejudice acts. The Youngers’ try to ignore the obstacles and stay on their feet throughout the 1950s.

Walter does not keep his hopes up for his dream long though they are again crushed. The money Mama gives Walter he gives to Willy Harris. Willy runs away with the money and Walter is back to the way he was the first two times his dream is deferred. Walter makes the decision to call Carl Lindner. Walter is going to sell the house Mama just payed for because he feels like money is what will make his dream come true. Walter talks a big game but, when Mr. Lindner shows up to the apartment Walter is unable to sell the house due to his son being present. Walter finally realizes that his dream may not come true this very moment but, by selling the house it would take away from the rest of the family’s dreams.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation- we are challenged to change ourselves.” This quote by Viktor E. Frankl perfectly reinforces the idea of Walter’s amendments. In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, one could argue that among the characters, Walter is the most dynamic. From the beginning and throughout most of the play, Walter remains unchanging, chasing his dreams and feeling entitled to his family’s support. By the end of the play, he has experienced a change in emotions and priorities, assisting the theme by highlighting the importance of family and where they fit in “dreams deferred.”

Throughout out the whole play, “A Raisin in the Sun.” many of the scenes were either very uplifting or very dark and almost ominous. After reading this play many themes could be brought up but one that really connects with the overall storyline, is that even when times are tough and things are going down hill real fast, family will always be there to help lift you up.

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 poem A Dream Deferred can be best explained as thinking of what can happen to a dream. The author, Langston Hughes, wonders what happens to a dream that is not pursued. He asks, “Does it dry up, like a raisin in the sun?” That answers the question- why did Lorraine Hansberry pick the title of her award winning novel, A Raisin in the Sun. She chose this name because of the dreams the characters in her play have. Walter Lee Younger, one of the main protagonists, has a dream to buy a spot in a liquor store as a partner by using the money he received after his father, Walter Young, died. Walter Lee goes against his mother's desires and spends all the money, instead of giving half to his sister for her schooling. The money is then stolen by his business partner (Hansberry 128). Here, we see Walter Lee’s dream being crushed just like in the poem, when the author asks, “does it explode?” (Hughes).

In the drama, A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry sheds light on the hardships a struggling Black family faces. As the long awaited insurance check arrives, the family debates how to spend the money. Walter Lee exhibits frustration over his job and desires more success in his life. While Mama continuously worries that her son's dream of owning a liquor store is not the right path for the family, she believes her dream will be most beneficial for everyone. In addition, Ruth is pregnant and yet it is not her only dream to become a mother, she dreams for roots and to live comfortably. Pride in ownership, as well as financial success and family stability not only conflict with each other yet all depend on one check.

At the end of the play the family is devastated of the news of Walter losing the money. But none more hurt than Walter, he feels like a failure and in current state made a decision that puts the story on hyperdrive and the audience on their heels. Walter calls Linder to make a deal about the house Moma bought. Right before Walter could even consider making the deal with Linder, Moma moved Travis in the room and forcing Walter to make a decision of a lifetime to Linder,

During the story, “A Raisin in The Sun”, holds two influences, Walter, and Mama, who have the most significant impact among the plot. Here’s why; Lorraine Hansberry has created this play to prove what life was like before our modern generation had come about. As to why Lorraine brought Walter and Mama to help make up the conflicts and rising action to the plot. If the play was created without Walter, it would only be a story based upon, Beneatha, and Mama. There’d be no Ruth, no Travis, or new baby soon to come about. Whereas, if there was no Mama around anymore, the family would have no intelligence, faith, or leader, to help the children determine how to handle their problems or know what to do with themselves.