The Youngs appear to be a representation, and an inspirational symbol for African American families in 1950s America as Walter chooses to stand up against social normalities and oppression. It is, as put by Judith E. Smith, “a plotless story, in the way that life itself never seems to offer much in the standard notions of plot” . To achieve dreams, and make a stable life, the presence of money helps greatly. But because of the society and human status African American people lived in, in the 1950s, it was extremely hard to pursue dreams and create a bountiful life. Lorraine Hansberry represents this idea in the award-winning play, “A Raisin in the Sun.” The play portrays the story of a poor family, the Youngers, residing in a small apartment in the southside of Chicago. During Act I and II, the Youngers eagerly await a $10,000 Insurance check, following the death of the hard-working Walter Senior.
Even though slavery had been abolished, colored people were not treated equally. The most significant scene which openly portrays racism, however, is the visit with Karl Lindner. Although he does not identify himself as racist, and although his tactics are less violent than some, he wants to live in an all-White neighborhood—and he is willing to pay the Youngers off to stay out of White neighborhoods. This type of racism is often dangerous because it is more easily hidden.
The Ambition That Almost Broke The Family In A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry
Mama has lived in poverty for her entire life, and it is because of this poverty that she lost her baby, “little Claude” . Ruth, however, has had the opportunity to raise a healthy son, and since she has never known any other way, she takes this for granted. Ruth does not view her unborn child as part of the family, and thus when determining what is in her family’s best interest, she fails to think of “exemplification essay outline the baby. Ruth comes to the conclusion that bringing another child into their already crowded apartment would be unfair to her family. Mama, on the other hand, is grateful for being able to have the opportunity to give birth to a healthy baby, since she knows that at the time many African-American babies were dying from poverty, https://writemyessaytoday.us/write-my-coursework/ and just a short time before, from slavery. It is because of this that she strongly disagrees with Ruth’s decision to have an abortion.
- Other times, that recently developed identity may actually be found in a home.
- ” Although the story focuses somewhat on materialistic things, opposite of nature like Walter’s desire for money and Beneatha’s desire to become a doctor, many examples of nature can be found throughout the story.
- It is a simple and sad story about a life lived without consequence.
- Being the youngest of the family makes it hard she says because by the time you get older, your siblings have had enough and become bored with you.
The unfamiliar presence of a large amount of money sparks the desires of a better life for the characters in the play. By basing A Raisin in the Sun around an insurance check and repeating the ways money can change the characters’ lives from poverty, Lorraine Hansberry argues that money is the prevailing power in society. Walter wants to invest money in the liquor business with a few of his friends.
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All the family members are dreaming of having a better lifestyle after having this amount, but their dreams ended in smoke when the money seems to have gone as easily as it has come. Yet another symbol of nature or natural symbol is mama’s plant, which represents her care and dream for her family. When she first appeared on stage, mama moves straight toward the plant to take care of it. She states that the plant never gets enough light or water, but she takes pride in how it still grows beautifully under her hands. So much nature is composed in this description of the plant and this therefore reveals about mama and how caring she is; a natural quality of any mother.
Beneatha had to give up her independence and take a shot to her pride by marrying Asagai, so that she can pursue her dreams of becoming a doctor and curing others. Her passion of curing and helping others is also at risk because her marriage with Asagai is based on the foundation of her becoming a doctor and not love. This marriage breaks some important principals and pride that she has because she’s now having to depend on someone to pursue her passion of becoming a doctor and she has also fallen victim to a tradition which she despises. The society in her time often has a predetermined goal for a woman, which consist of roles such as becoming a housewife, secretary, nurse, or teacher. Being an intellectual, independent, prideful and strong person Beneatha feels that these roles are limiting and that she is destined for much more. This feeling of power gets to his head, which he convinces himself that he’s right and nobody around him can comprehend the ideas that he has in his head.
Hat starts off a desire or a whim, evolves into a defining moment for each Younger family member. The play generally describes several themes which revolve around the life of African-Americans in 1950s. Through gender issues, American Dream and poverty, Hansberry discusses family life in a contextual manner that permits imagination of the social set up of Youngers. She constantly rejects and criticizes the ideas of her brother who makes misinformed decisions based on mediocre interpretation of the American dream. She challenges Walter’s male chauvinism and rejects men like George Murchison who have no recognition and single respect for women in the society . The writer clearly exemplifies how the perception of women towards their identity in the society has tremendously changed.
“A Raisin in the Sun” is the story of a lower class black family living on the south side of Chicago. The Youngers struggle socially and economically throughout the play but unite in the end to realize their dream of buying a house. Mama strongly believes in the importance of family, and she tries to teach this value to her family as she struggles to keep them together and functioning. Walter and Beneatha learn this lesson about family at the end of the play, when Walter must deal with the loss of the stolen insurance money and Beneatha denies Walter as a brother.