The Raisin in the Sun is about an African American family who live in Southside Chicago in the 1950’s. In that time period, African American families typically didn’t have nice houses, good jobs, or a lot of money. The family of five in the book live in a two-bedroom apartment with a bathroom that’s down the hallway that they have to share with other families in the building. This causes a lot of tension and issues since they can never really get away from one another. These issues help develop some of the plot in The Raisin in the Sun and develops some of the character’s personalities and how significant they are in the play. Most of the characters in A Raisin in the Sun By Lorriane Hansberry that make influence in the story. The two …show more content…
She often doesn’t like conflict and is often the peacemaker in the house. Mama is known for her modesty and not caring what she does and does not have. “You must not dislike people ‘cause they well off, honey.” Even though it’s shown that Mama is more of a peacekeeper, she doesn’t take disrespect. “Mama absorbs this speech, studies her daughter and rises slowly and crosses to Beneatha and slaps her powerfully across the face.” Mama is the type of person that will put someone into place if it seems like they are getting out of place, which makes her impactful to the characters in the house. Lena’s humbleness, kindness, and judgement makes her an influence on the characters and the plot of A Raisin in the Sun. Walter Younger is the other big influencer in A Raisin in the Sun. Walter is conceited and is hot-headed. He doesn’t think about anyone besides himself, “I’m trying to talk to you about myself.”. Walter feels as if nobody ever listens to him or supports any decision he makes. “WILL SOMEONE PLEASE LISTEN TO ME TODAY!” Walter constantly nags about the same issues. Ruth says, “Honey, you never say nothing new. I listen to you every day, every night and every morning, and you never say nothing new.” Everyone is getting tired of the things Walter is saying. Walter’s constant complaining and him repeating his words constantly is a reason that he’s influential, Walter always complains about
In A Raisin In the Sun Lorraine Hansberry uses everyday objects-a plant, money, and a home to symbolize a family's struggle to deal with racism and oppression in their everyday lives, as well as to exemplify their dreams. She begins with a vivid description of the family's weary, small, and dark apartment in Chicago's ghetto Southside during the 1950s. The Youngers are an indigent African-American family who has few choices in their white society. Each individual of the Younger family has a separate dream-Beneatha wants to become a doctor, Walter wants to open a liquor store, and Ruth and Mama want a new and better home. The Youngers struggle to accomplish these dreams throughout the play, and a major aspect of their happiness and
The play “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry has many interesting characters. In my opinion, the most fascinating character is Ruth because of her many emotions and captivating personality. She goes through extreme emotions in the play such as happiness, sadness, anger, stress, and confusion. Ruth is very independent, firm, kind, witty, and loving.
In Lorraine's Hansberry A Raisin In The Sun. Walter wants to make money to support his family. He wants money because he thinks it makes him a “man”. How ever when his money is stolen, Walter’s perceptions of manhood shifts from valuing wealth and power to valuing family and pride.
The story of this play is simple and the majority of African-Americans faced such issues in the 1950’s, living on the south side of Chicago, struggles with poverty, dignity and dreams of a better life. Wanting better for your children and trying to fit in, while maintaining family values. A Raisin in the Sun is an excellent example of the relationship between family values and conflict. In this play it portrays: values and purpose of dreams, the need to fight for racial discrimination and the importance of family.
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a play about segregation, triumph, and coping with personal tragedy. Set in Southside Chicago, A Raisin in the Sun focuses on the individual dreams of the Younger family and their personal achievement. The Younger's are an African American family besieged by poverty, personal desires, and the ultimate struggle against the hateful ugliness of racism. Lena Younger, Mama, is the protagonist of the story and the eldest Younger. She dreams of many freedoms, freedom to garden, freedom to raise a societal-viewed equal family, and freedom to live liberated of segregation. Next in succession is Beneatha Younger, Mama's daughter, assimilationist, and one who dreams of aiding people by breaking down
Mama attempts to reference back to Big Walter in certain situations to use him as an example to show her family the true meanings of sacrifice and unification within a family. The Raisin in the Sun refers back to Big Walter and how he labored so hard for his family all the time. He put his dreams aside, which ended up drying up like “A Raisin in the Sun” (M’baye 171). Mama says, “Yes, [he was] a fine man- just couldn’t never catch up with his dreams that’s all” (Hansberry 30). Mama refers back to Big Walter as an example for her family to see because Big Walter worked his but off for the important things in life like family. He had dreams like everybody does, but he did not ever get so caught up that he lost track of his priorities. He labored day and night for his family to have everything they needed. That is the example Mama tries to use to talk to her children about family. Big Walter did whatever he had to do to supply for his family whether that meant working a few extra hours or even a few extra days. Every once and a while he may have worked an extra job just to provide the
A Raisin in the Sun was written by Lorraine Hansberry and is a play about an African American family who are struggling in the 1950’s to keep the family together. Although the play is portrayed in the 50’s many issues like the economy, racism, and family dynamics the characters had to face; these issues are still issues in the 21st century.
In the play “A Raisin in the Sun” written by Lorraine Hansberry, she is able to take us to place to see what it was like for an African American family to survive in the mid-twentieth century. The play details how the main characters are going through an evolving social and economic position, as well as the evolving gender roles. Hansberry uses the characterization of Beneatha, Ruth, and Walter in order to show the expectations and assigned gender roles for the characters in the story. In short, Beneatha is depicted as a woman who is challenging gender norms and expectations upheld by her family, whereas Ruth is seen as an example of a submissive housewife fulfilling her expected duties. Using “A Raisin in the Sun,” as well as “Marxists
In the play Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, Walter and Mama influence the plot the most out of all the characters. They do this in many ways using conflicts, dialogue, and their own actions to influence the plot. The setting is after WWII, in a Chicago apartment. The family is very tight and getting annoyed with each other.
Mama concerns herself only with the fact that she and her family will own the house, and not have to dwell in the tired, old apartment on Chicago's Southside. In a sense, Mama's dream has "crust[ed] and sugar[ed] over like a sugary sweet" (Hughes Lines 7-8). Her dream has changed to fit the circumstances she must cope with. The character of Mama represents those who do not shrivel up and die just because their dream does.
In the play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, money plays an essential role in character development. Raisin is set in the South Side of Chicago, in the late 1950s. The 1950s in the midwest were characterized by segregation, racism and poverty. The play follows the lives of a poor, urban, African-American family, the Younger’s, during this period of heightened racial discrimination in the United States. The Younger family is a single parent family, as the story begins after the death of the patriarch of the family.
In the book “A Raisin in the Sun”, love is defiantly a major key towards keeping the “Younger” family together as they go through thick and thin. Multiple times in the book, a character known as “Walter” apart of the Younger family screws up, whether it be, pursuing a silly addictive dream or investing family money, it never turned out well for Walter. Walter’s mom, Lena aka “mama” however, always loved Walter and although didn’t show it often, supported his drive to strive for greatness and greatly awarded him near the end of the book. Walter’s sister Beneatha however, was not impressed at his short comings and often called him out where he fell short by belittling him with insults but, that
The characters in A Raisin in the Sun have different values from one another. The values expressed between Mama, Walter, and Beneatha highlight their generational differences. Mama is from a different time period than Walter and Beneatha and this is expressed in her views. She is deeply religious, and holds her head high despite the fact that she does not possess much material wealth. Material wealth is not as important to her as freedom and happiness. Beneatha, however, holds education in high regard,
“ A Raisin in the Sun” is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry about the life of an African American family during the era of segregation. The play starts off with the Younger family receiving a 10,000 dollar check from Mr. Younger’s insurance policy. The family argues over what they are going to do with it. Mama wants to buy a house with it, Walter wants to invest in a liquor store, and Beneatha wants to use the money to go to medical school. The contrast of the characters’ personalities fuels the conflict and drives the story forward. Beneatha is a young college student and the sister of Walter. She has a dream of becoming a doctor. Beneatha is a dynamic character who is easily influenced by her family and the people
A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry's is play by a black family in 1959 Chicago, set in the family very crowded apartment, Walter Lee and Ruth share a room while Beneatha and Mama have the other; Travis must sleep out in the living room on the couch and they must all share a bathroom with other tenants in the building. From what we know from the lay out there is one small window in the kitchen and the apartment is scattered with worn furniture. The story focuses on the different dreams of each of the member of this family as they discuss what they can do with a $10,000 life insurance payment. The overall theme is the aspirations that make up the American dream - the idea that anyone can do well for themselves if they work hard to provide for our family.