Preview

Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
795 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
A Raisin in the Sun Dreams and goals are a big part of every day life. People need dreams and goals to survive. In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the characters all have different dreams and goals that they're trying to accomplish. Without dreams and goals people settle for what they have and don't strive for anything higher.
In the beginning of A Raisin in the Sun Walter Lee is trying to convince his family that his dream to invest in a liquor store will help them in the long run. In act 1 scene 1 Walter and Ruth are discussing how they're tired of everything, tired of living in their "beat up hole of a house" (Hansberry 32). Walter states that all he wants is to invest in a liquor store with a couple of his friends and every …show more content…
They wanted to own a big house, and have a yard that Travis could play in. "Been thinking that we maybe could meet the notes on a little old two-story somewhere, with a yard where Travis could play in the summertime…." (Hansberry 44). Lena younger was ready to do anything it took for her and her family to move, "I could maybe take on a little day work again, few days a week" (Hansberry 44). Besides the dream of owning a house Lena wanted a little garden for herself. When every one found out what Walter Lee did with the money Lena was ready to give up, but Ruth said "Lena- I'll work…I'll work twenty hours a day in all the kitchens in Chicago… I'll strap my baby on my back if I have to and scrub all the floors in America and wash all the sheets in America if I have to- but we got to MOVE! We got to get OUT OF HERE!!" (Hansberry 140). Ruth knew what she wanted and wasn't going to give up, even if all odds were against it. With Ruth sticking to her dream Lena finally realized that this new house was meant to happen. Lena and Ruth having this dream kept them going every day, knowing that the harder they worked the sooner their lives would be perfect, they could have every thing they ever dreamed
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    A Rasin in the Sun Cqa
    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A Rasin in the Sun Cqa

    In A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorrain Hansberry Walter experiences frustration throughout act one. The family lives in a small apartment with just two bedrooms. Mama and Beneatha share a room and the other one is for Ruth and Walter. Travis, the son sleeps on the couch everyday in the living room. Walter, the man of the house, works as a chauffer everyday making little money. However, opportunities arise with the insurance money that the family will receive from the death of Walter’s father. Unhappy with his job, Walter wants to be rich and devises a plan to acquire wealth with his friends to invest his father’s insurance money in a new liquor store venture. Nevertheless, the family believes in buying a new house to have a better life instead of risking it all on a risky venture. Walter demonstrates the trait of frustration throughout the Scene. At the breakfast table, Ruth does not agree with Walter’s Liquor store plan, thus Walter becomes frustrated and says “That is just what is wrong with the colored woman in this world… Don’t understand about building their men up and making’em feel like they somebody like they can do something” (34). The Liquor store to Walter is an opportunity that leads to a great provider for the family. Working as a chauffer for a rich white man has made Walter totally dissatisfied. There's no room for advancement as an African American. Thus Liquor store is the only hope for Walter to become rich and successful. In order to invest the money Walter needs support from his family, which he is not receiving according to the context. In Walter’s perspective Ruth is shutting him down with negativities and unreliability. Next, Mama comes and talks about how to spend the money. Mama wants a new house and she does not believe in investing in the liquor store. Walter comes in shortly after the check arrives and tires to convince Mama otherwise. However, Mama will not listen, which frustrated…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    An Analysis Of Langston Hughes Harlem: A Raisin In The Sun
    • 134 Words
    • 1 Page

    An Analysis Of Langston Hughes Harlem: A Raisin In The Sun

    Dreams change whether we want them to or not, but how might dreams change if they are ignored? Langston Hughes describes a dream deferred in his poem, "Harlem: A Dream Deferred", "What happens to a dream deferred?”; “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" He compares a dream deferred to various concepts. In connection to the play, written by Lorraine Hansberry, "A Raisin in the Sun" the Younger family, an impecunious African-American family, struggle in achieving their dreams, having to postpone them. Although the Younger family each face the same challenge, character Walter Younger is unalike the rest as his dreams deferred impact his personality and his actions. I argue that Walter Younger best illustrates the central theme of Hughes’…

    • 134 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    Beneatha and Ruth loved mama's dream, because their dream was mama's too.. Ruth loved the idea of getting a new house in a nice neighborhood, because she hated the "rat trap" (pg.1782) they had been living in. Beneatha dream was to use the money to go medical school. On the hand Walter's dream was to buy and invest in a liquor store.…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How The Family In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How The Family In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    In the story A Raisin in the sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a story about a poor family and how money has caused them to change the way the view life completely. The children of mama have all fallen far from her. she says that life is about being free and having family that cares about you. her kids think it’s all about money. The plot is the same in both. In both walter Lee Younger thinks it,s a good idea to invest the money in a liquor store. Beneatha Younger wants to invest the money in her education. Mama and rose want to buy a house. The story then tells you how each one wants to use and spends the money.…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A Raisin In The Sun Quote Analysis
    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Raisin In The Sun Quote Analysis

    The French author Victor Hugo once said, “There is nothing like a dream to create the future.” The quote means whenever you have a dream, the dream shapes and sets your future. Hugo’s quote is correct because dreams are the key to setting your goals so you can achieve further in the future. In Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, this quote is true because of Walter’s dream to be the man of the house, Benethea’s dream to live past society’s expectations of an African American woman and become a doctor, and Mama’s dream is to have her family united as one.…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does The Struggle In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
    • 276 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Does The Struggle In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    Albert Einstein once said “Try not to become a man of success rather try to become a man of value.” A Raisin In the Sun was written by Lorraine Hansberry in nineteen fifty nine.The play explores the struggles of an African American family to achieve their dreams. In the play Walter Lee Younger Jr. the son of Mama(Lena) evolves throughout the trials and tribulations the family faces in the play.…

    • 276 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Theme Of Dreams In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
    • 200 Words
    • 1 Page

    Theme Of Dreams In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    Deferred dreams are an ongoing theme throughout the play Raisin in the Sun. In the play some people had their dreams deferred like Walter, Mama, and Beneatha.…

    • 200 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    In the play that Lorraine Hansberry wrote, her tone was realistic. It was realistic because for example, they just so happened to move into a racially divided neighborhood and the last black folks to live their left because of the white people. According to the book they got “bombed out”. Many of the characters had their own tone though. Ruth Younger was a more about doing everything just to please Walter Lee making her tone caring. Lena Younger “Mama” was all about buying a house and doing things for Travis, making her tone many, Caring, Dependable, and Reliable causing her to be a more neutral character. Walter and Ruth’s son Travis always had an accepting tone which made him seem like he didn’t care what he didn’t…

    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Raisin In The Sun Literary Analysis
    • 453 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A Raisin In The Sun Literary Analysis

    Dreams take place in the subconscious of the human mind, and many times, humans are unaware that these dreams are taking place; however, as shown in A Raisin in the Sun, dreams often are at the forefront of the human mind and motivate those looking to follow them to do anything they can to achieve them. As analyzed using the Freudian literary theory, A Raisin in the Sun contains many examples of this theory, including each character's individual goals and dreams and how the dreams are personified through the use of symbols.…

    • 453 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A Dream In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
    • 1179 Words
    • 5 Pages

    A Dream In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    Some people have the opportunity and easier access to make the American dream a reality, for others it remains just a dream. A dream that is deferred by many obstacles and such. Larry Hughes poem, a dream deferred describes this situation. In Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family each have dreams that they want to fulfill but is disrupted because of family selfishness and family issues. Each character had different dreams of their own. Big Walter, Walter Lee, and Mama Younger and the effects of their dreams on the family’s morale. Hughes uses a metaphor of a raisin to describe neglected hopes and dreams, which in turn is reflected in Hansberry’s exanple of the Younger family and their greed to fulfill the American…

    • 1179 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Raisin In The Sun Quotes And Analysis
    • 1483 Words
    • 6 Pages

    A Raisin In The Sun Quotes And Analysis

    When I finished A Raisin in the Sun, I sat back and reflected on the primary thematic messages the author had shown. One of the themes I came across was the strength of a dream. Throughout the play, you are reminded of every dream each character has. Beneatha yearns to have a medical degree and become a doctor while Mama’s dream is for her children to be humble and grateful in a new home. Walter’s dream is to open up a liquor store and make money for his family to have a “better” life. Early on in the story, readers find out that Mama has a large check coming from her late husband’s life insurance. This excitement starts to create a large uproar of arguments in the family. The arguments ranged from Walter and Ruth to Mama and Walter to…

    • 1483 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Walter Younger Family
    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Walter Younger Family

    In the play, Walter primarily talked about his dream to his family, but they realized the people he chose to be in business with were bad people. Lena told him many times not to invest money into a liquor store because it was a waste of time and he was working with scammers, but Walter chose to go against everything she says and invests in the store.…

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparing Sonny's Blues And A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry
    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Comparing Sonny's Blues And A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry

    In James Baldwin's short story, "Sonny's Blues" and in Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun both address the gist of the "American Dream". The term "dream" for Baldwin and Hansberry means going through the worst to realize the best. In Baldwin's short story, Baldwin goes through the worst in life dealing with many hardships. He takes drugs to ease the tensions he has. He realizes what's best for him is music. Music is what helps him communicate about everything. In Hansberry's play, each character goes through the worst by living in one place together. The family places problems living together, whether it's the money, roaches, and their dream. However, in the end, the family realizes what's better for them. They realize that family is what matters the most than their dream. Also, that dreams can come later,…

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Raisin in the Sun
    • 607 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Raisin in the Sun

    Change is a major conflict for many people of the world today and in the past. In Loraine Hansberry’s, “A Raisin in the Sun”, each of the characters undergo a transformation either in their personalities or in their daily routines. However the reader gets to see three sides of Walter and how he reacts to the different situations placed before him in this drama, “A Raisin in the Sun”.…

    • 607 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Raisin in the Sun
    • 745 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Raisin in the Sun

    People have dreams to be successful in life but they are not aware of the hard work. Chris Gardner, from the movie, “The Pursuit of Happyness” and Walter Younger in the novel, The Raisin in The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry struggle with this problem in pursuing their dreams. “The Pursuit of Happyness” set in San Francisco in the 1980’s, focused on Chris Gardner, a man without money, who was pursing his dreams to make a better life for him and his family. The Raisin in The Sun, set in Chicago in the 1940’s, was about Walter Younger who was also pursuing a dream to open a liquor store to provide for his family. Although many people pursue their dreams, what helps make a person reach their goals is a positive attitude, intelligence and perseverance as evidence but both Chris Gardner and Walter Younger.…

    • 745 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics