Hansberry noted that her play introduced details of Black life to the overwhelmingly white Broadway audiences, while director Richards observed that it was the first play to which large numbers of Black people were drawn. Frank Rich, writing in The New York Times in 1983, stated that A Raisin in the Sun “changed American theater forever”. In 2016, Claire Brennan wrote in The Guardian that “The power and craft of the writing make A Raisin in the Sun as moving today as it was then.” Walter and Ruth Younger, their son Travis, along with Walter’s mother Lena and Walter’s younger sister Beneatha, live in poverty in a run-down two-bedroom apartment on Chicago’s South Side.

If you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing….Have you cried for that boy today? I don’t mean yourself and also for the family ‘cause we lost the money. I am talking about for him; just what he been through and exactly what it done to him. Kid, whenever do you think it’s the time to love someone the absolute most; once they done good and made things possible for everyone? When she says, “I used to care” this is not only directed at her dream but herself, because her dream was a reflection of herself and who she was, so Walter’s actions not only crushed his sister’s dreams but it also crushed her identity as well.

A Raisin In The Sun & The American Dream

The fear of failure despite achievement is shown in the play through the character, Walter. Throughout the play we see Walter battle himself because of his inability to properly support his family. He sees his dad work so hard all his life and not get to see his dreams fulfill, leaving behind his family. I believe although Walter speaks about doing better he never made an initiative because of his fear of failure despite. He feared that even if he worked just as hard as his father he too would not see the fruits of his labor. He would want his hard work to be for something, not to go in vain.

• In addressing gender imbalance in the society, Hansberry defines a man using Walter whose course of action is mainly dictated by the fact that he is a man .
• “A Raisin In The Sun” was the first drama by a produced African American women on Broadway.
• This is a clear example of his inability to make important decisions, and reinforces his failure as a leader.

Having been brought up in the South during dangerous times of lynching, she relocates to the Northern part with the hope of finding peace and a better life. Despite the fact that Lena is ahead of time, her dreams remain anchored on the well being of her family rather than selfish interests. Lorraine Hansberry is an African American Playwright and writer who was born in Chicago, Illinois 1930.

Dreams Of African American Women In A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry

She also pleads with her sister-in-law, Beneatha not to provoke her brother about the kind of businesses he is involved in. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. In Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, the character of Mama was raised during a… Family is loving someone unconditionally and mutually; family is those who greet the worst self of someone without judgement and still stick around after; family is the people… When watching a film, such as A Raisin in the Sun, one has to go into it with an open mind and a little skepticism.

Therefore, the alterations to this genre are difficult to anticipate, but in the future are interesting to study with the advantage of historical hindsight. Cultural changes and societal issues manifest and present themselves in the comparison of films such as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and A Raisin in the Sun. In the words of Barry Keith Grant, “The case of melodrama is significant because of its centrality and extreme adaptability in the history of cinema” .

In Act I, Walter responds that “money is life” when Mama asks Walter why he always think about money. He believes that money is all of their problems are about, but he is rarely successful with money. These difficulities and barriers that retard othello essay topic his and his family’s progress to fulfill his dream constantly frustrate Walter.

Class Tensions Within The Black Community

Lena Younger, a.k.a. Mama is a down-to-earth, hard-working black woman who doesn’t suffer fools. Mama has dedicated her life to her children and struggles to instill her values in them – with mixed results. One of Lena’s most poignant moments might be when she admits to Ruth that sometimes her children frighten her. Except for the face-slap moment, Mama is mostly kind and patient with her family. Her nurturing personality is symbolized by the way she treats her houseplant. Just like her family, Lena’s plant lacks the necessary resources to flourish.