A Raisin in the Sun

1. A Raisin in the Sun By: Lorraine Hansberry

2. Lorraine Hansberry • Born May 19th, 1930 in Chicago Illinois • Playwright, author, and activist • Granddaughter of a freed slave • Parents contributed to NAACP and the Urban League • Her family moved to an all white neighborhood in 1938 and was violently attacked • Attended University of Wisconsin in Madison and dropped out after 2 years • Attended New School for Social Research in New York

3. Lorraine Hansberry • First wrote The Crystal Stair  Later named A Raisin in the Sun • Ran 530 performances of this play • The first black playwright • The youngest American to win a New York Critics’ Circle Award • Film version of A Raisin in the Sun received an award at the Cannes Film Festival

4. Lorraine Hansberry • Active in the civil rights movement • Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died on January 12th, 1965 • After her death, her former husband adapted a collection of her writing and interviews in To Be Young, Gifted and Black, which opened in Broadway and ran for 8 months.

5. Foundation • Setting: South side of Chicago between 1945 – 1959 • Point of View: Third Person Objective

6. Important Characters • Walter Lee Younger: protagonist, big dreamer, wants money • Beneatha Younger(Bennie): 20 years old, college student, dreams of being doctor, struggles with identity • Lena Younger(Mama): strong religious and moral beliefs, maternal, dreams of owning a house • Ruth Younger: about thirty, takes care of family, very strong

7. Other Characters • Travis Younger: doesn’t have a bedroom, carries grocery bags for money • Joseph Asagai: Nigerian student, loves Bennie, proud to be African • George Murchison: wealthy black man, likes Bennie • Mr. Karl Lindner: only white character, from Clybourne Park • Bobo: Walter’s friend • Willy Harris: Walter’s friend, behind liquor store scheme, never appears onstage

8. Summary Overview • The news of the check starts trouble within the family • Ruth discovers that she is pregnant and begins to worry • Ruth and Walter consider abortion • Mama is disturbed by the thought and puts a down payment on a housein Clybourne Park • Bennie rejects George Murchison • Bennie then receives a proposal from Joseph Asagai who wants her to follow her dreams and then follow him to Africa.

9. Summary Overview • Walter invests the remaining part of their money in the liquor store • Willy Harris runs away with the money • Mr. Karl Lindner, a representative from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association visits the family • The family rejects Mr. Lindner’s bribe • The Youngers pack up and move to their new house with an optimistic attitude toward the future. • The believe if they stick together they can succeed and fulfill all of their dreams.

10. Quotes • “Then isn’t there something wrong in a house – in a world – where all dreams, good or bad, must depend on the death of a man?  Asagai • “Oh – So now it’s life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life – now it’s money. I guess the world really do change.”  Mama • “You tired, ain’t you? Tired of everything. Me, the boy, the way we live – this beat-up hole – everything. Ain’t you?”  Walter

11. Themes • Dreams • Racial Discrimination • Family • Pride • Poverty • Suffering • Gender • Choices • Sacrifice

12. Symbols in the Text • Mama’s plant • Bennie’s hair

13. More Quotes • “There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing.”  Mama • “Well – I do – all right? – Thank everybody! And forgive me for ever wanting to be anything at all!”  Beneatha • “Mama – sometimes when I’m downtown and I pass them cool-quiet-looking restaraunts where them white boys are sitting back and talking ‘bout things…sitting there turning deals worth millions of dollars…sometimes I see guys don’t look much older than me.”  Walter