Thematic Analysis Of Lorraine Hansberry’s “a Raisin In The Sun”
I believe that Beneatha gave up on her dreams because she was afraid. Afraid that she would not get too far or accomplish everything that she wanted accomplish. Beneatha was afraid that despite her achievement she would still fail. In the beginning of the play, it is straightened and halfway through the play, she cuts it to an afro. The afro, another symbol of nature represents her embracing her natural heritage. It can be seen here that this powerful social statement has been controlled by nature-her natural hair.
Conflict is one of the underlying themes in the play, which was written by Lorraine Hansberry, it helps to tell the story and explain the situation that the Younger family is in. Of the Youngers has been before they have learned about anticipated changes. You can also explore the subject of family ties and affection as a possible theme unless you have already been given a prompt to write on.
These thesis statements for “Raisin in the Sun” offer a short summary of different elements that could be important in an essay but you are free to add your own analysis and understanding of the plot or themes to them. Using the essay topics below in conjunction with the list of important quotes from “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry at the bottom of the page, you should have no trouble connecting with the text and writing an excellent paper. Walter was unhappy having to squash his family into his mother’s small apartment having his son sleep on the couch. Walter struggled with his manhood due to his inability of being the breadwinner in the household.
Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry: The Struggles Of African Americans In The 1950s
Walter Lee shows a type of pride that could be called “manly” pride. A Raisin help writing my research paper in the Sun realistically presents the struggles of the oppressed class against a privileged majority working to maintain society’s status quo. Hansberry also addresses the personal crutches we sometimes use to justify our own failures. Her main theme focuses on the power of the family structure and the need to stand up to injustice.
The house was “protected” by a racially restrictive covenant, which legally prevented ownership or occupancy of property by blacks. The covenant was enforced, the Hansberry family was evicted and Carl Hansberry sued. The case made it to the United States Supreme Court; Hansberry v. Lee , however, did not overturn the constitutionality of racially restrictive covenants. It wasn’t until 1948, in Shelley v. Kraemer, that the court would find such covenants discriminatory. The play remains a potent touchstone, still speaking to viewers about race, gender roles, family, hope and desperation, capitalism, the American dream and so much more. The 2010 Bruce Norris play Clybourne Park depicts the white family that sold the house to the Youngers.
Related Documents: A Raisin In The Sun Essay
Two years after its Broadway premiere, “A Raisin in the Sun” appeared in movie theaters, starring Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee. In the trailer for the 1961 film, the producer David Susskind provides a lengthy introduction that describes the awards the play received and the importance of its story before any scenes from the movie are shown. We match this scene from “Raisin” with a 2013 article on the present state and persistence of housing discrimination in the United States.
- Money became a necessity to get them out of their current situation.
- Some of the action also takes place in the kitchen and in the two small bedrooms.
- The younger generation’s concept of the American dream reflects the changing times and the new opportunities that are now available for African-Americans.
- By leaving their dingy apartment, the Younger family would be able to escape poverty and create a new life.
- A shocking image in the story is the Trappist monks sleeping in their coffins.
- In the play and Lorraine Hansberry’s life, there are many connections.
The play ends with the Youngers moving out of the tenement, heading for the suburbs, despite every indication that their fellow Americans will not welcome them. Mama Lena is the last to exit the apartment, and her pensive farewell serves as a prelude to a future of offstage malevolence. Insulted by this “civil” effort to keep his family out of the neighborhood, Walter Lee declines. However, he later realizes he has been swindled out of every penny entrusted to him, having given it to an acquaintance who promised to speed up the liquor license process and then skipped town. He invites Lindner back and rehearses a speech to accept the humiliating offer. The progress of each character’s thinking in ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ by the end of the play.
The Younger household is not a safe haven, especially for women who question male leadership. After years of labor, Walter Senior passed away, but from his hard work came an Insurance how to write an opinion essay check that represented his dedicated life to his children. Mama’s nurturing personality is also represented in the play, this is symbolized by the way she treats the houseplant. Much the same as her family, Mama’s plant does not have the essential assets to prosper.