Top 28 A Raisin In The Sun Essay Topics & Ideas

Several minor characters have a major impact on the story and serve an important function within the play. Choose minor characters and show their significance and how they serve to further elevate a theme. Consider George Murchison, Joseph Asagai, the neighbor, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Karl Linder, and/or Willy Harris. Write an essay in which you identify the gender dynamics in the play, considering whether the gender roles are as rigid or scripted as they appear to be.

a raisin in the sun theme essay

The mom may have three or four kids; the boys in the family may be involved in gangs because they don’t have a dad in the house; and mom may have two jobs because she only makes the minimum wage and can’t buy enough food on just one job. There are a lot of people who just barely make it from paycheck to paycheck. So don’t be fooled, I would say to that man, because even though life is a lot better than it was in 1959, there are still a lot of problems and many black families still struggle. Okay, what would he say, how would he react, to seeing a Raisin in the Sun, if he were to see it today on Broadway? I can imagine he would enjoy it a write my english paper for me lot, but he would probably think to himself, there aren’t that many black folks who have to live in squalor like that anymore. Thank God, he would say to himself, life has gotten better for most black families.

Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry: The Struggles Of African Americans In The 1950s

Petrie revises Hansberry’s play by making slight changes to the setting, character development and interactions. He alters the setting by the presentation of the Youngers furniture to give the appearance that they are less impoverished. Petrie presents Beneatha’s character as foolish and immature rather than Hansberry’s version being an African American women embracing her heritage and rebelling against societal constraints. In the play Joseph Asagai plays a pivotal role in encouraging Beneatha to break through society’s oppression by pushing her to embrace her roots.

a raisin in the sun theme essay

Whether or not Ruth will actually decide on an abortion is debatable, for Ruth says to Mama in Act I, “Ain’t no thin’ can tear at you like losin’ your baby.” Ruth says this as Mama is recounting the pain of having lost her own baby, Claude. At this point in the play, Ruth’s pregnancy has not yet been verified, but the dialogue spawned by the abortion controversy in this drama is as relevant today as it was in 1959, when the play opened. She is different from Lena in that she vocalizes her frustrations with her spouse, Walter.

All these points come together to make a sound representation of American society, not just for the 1950’s; the author’s work gives timeless lessons regarding standing up to prejudice, class and economic oppression. From the opening scene of the play, we are made aware of the violence — “Set off another bomb yesterday” — menacing the Youngers and their dreams. The Youngers also face the coercion of the Clybourne Park Neighborhood Association.

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She also makes the comment, “ Oh, I just mean I couldn’t ever really be serious about George. Beneatha realizes that there is more to a person than their wealth. Lorraine Hansbury’s “Raisins in the Sun” is the story of a lower-class African-American family living in South Chicago in the 1950s. It is only with the help of aspiring dreams that these various members of the Younger family are seen to battle on in a society bent on deferring or quashing them.

  • 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.
  • Achieving the American Dream has been the ideal for people living in the United States.
  • We help them cope with academic assignments such as essays, articles, term and research papers, dissertations, coursework, case studies, PowerPoint presentations, reviews, etc.
  • James Hughes was, by his son\’s account, a cold man who hated blacks , feeling that most of them deserved their ill fortune because of what he considered their ignorance and laziness.

These ideas and dreams have turned into delusions, which have grown out of control causing damage to his sister Beneatha and others go to my blog around him. In this scene, she is the only one aware of their current living situation. Walter’s reaction towards Ruth is to portray a dominant and breadwinning role in the family, so while he hands over the money to his son he stares at his wife to make an impression on them. Perhaps part of his dream is to be the sole breadwinner and top authority figure for his family, and he may also be acting this way because he wants his son to look up to him rather than someone else. He wants to set an example of being a man of the house, and doesn’t want to look inferior in front of his son.

How To Cite This Essay:

The visual appearance of the characters in the play ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ and how it symbolizes the play’s themes. Comparison of how characters manage with economic hardship in the novel ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck and the play ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ by Lorraine Hansberry. For the purpose of helping students write great essays about this play, our service summarized and included all good essay topics for ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ in one list. Lorraine Hansberry was the first African-American dramatist to perform a play in Broadway. ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ raises a lot of social topics such as gender roles, racial segregation, the dependence of personal development on material problems, and many other controversial issues. He tries to find a new better way to solve his family’s economic situation, but none of his family members have same belief as him.

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