A Raisin In The Sun Theme Essay
According to Keating and how to write a discursive essay Cagle, in the post-classical period, “cinematographers began to…
According to Keating and how to write a discursive essay Cagle, in the post-classical period, “cinematographers began to mix the visual markers of newsreel authenticity with different stylistic choices that also connoted realism, many of which deemphasized glamour”. This heightened sense of realism can be seen in A Raisin in the Sun as the simplified setting contributes to the realistic nature of the plot. It focuses on the truthful problem of racism in America in the 1950s, and the struggle of immigrants to progress in society, and their strive to challenge the seemingly insurmountable immobility of the class system. The conflict that the Young family faces highlights their culture being introduced into Hollywood film, and the unified response of African Americans towards feelings of white supremacy. The decision Walter has to make between pride and money, involves his entire family.
- Another theme of the lay was the need to fight racial discrimination.
- Lena Younger is the epitome of the self-reliant woman, having worked side by side with her husband to provide for the family and continuing to be its stabilizing force.
- In New Year by Gail Harada, “This is the old way, the whole clan gathered, the rice steaming over the charcoal…” (Lines 1-3), the quote flashed back to the old tradition of celebrating New Year’s Day.
- The barriers between generations and the sexes are referred to several times in this domestic drama and are reviled as weakening the bonds between the family members.
The furniture is worn, past its prime and in need of being replaced but the Youngers do not have the financial means of replacing it. Hansberry allows the readers to view the living room as a symbol of the Youngers’ poverty level. What was once purchased as a sign of hope has changed, “Weariness has in fact won in this room.
Major Themes In A Raisin In The Sun
The play powerfully demonstrates that the way to deal with discrimination is to stand up to it and reassert one’s dignity in the face of it rather than allow it to pass unchecked. Every character in the play has dreams including Walter who acts as the antagonist and protagonist. This underlines the importance of dreams in the play and their portrayal as an integral component of characters’ life and encounters.
By the end of the play, Walter has made a complete reversal from his materialistic ways. This is shown when he turns down Mr. Lindner’s offer of money to deter them from moving into the new house. It seems that Walter eventually comes to a more mature understanding of the important things in life, or as Mama says to Ruth, “He finally come into his manhood today, didn’t he? He tells Travis, “Your daddy’s gonna make a transaction… a business transaction that’s going to change our lives.
Depiction Of The Relationship Between A Writer And Their Work In The Play A Raisin In The Sun
This is similar to the clan in the play because the clan realized their old traditions and they decided to celebrate New Year’s Day in that style. It conveys the message that old ideas are still present because when Mama is still alive, she can show her and teach her family her old beliefs and ideas. Another quote from the play in Act III indicated by Mama, “…Isn’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay’em no money…” shows the reader that Mama’s old belief is to never take money from people.
Due to the complex makeup of her characters and the symbolic nature of their beliefs and dreams, the play works well as a showcase for the realistic struggles and societal obstacles in place during this time. After receiving the money, he needed from Mama he believes that his idea in investing in a liquor store is set in motion. He tells his son that after the transaction their lives will change. He believes that once the investment is made that all their problems will be solved. Walter says, “You wouldn’t understand yet, son, but your daddy’s gonna make a transaction … a business transaction that’s going to change our lives. … That’s how come one day when you ’bout seventeen years old I’ll come home and I’ll be pretty tired, you know what I mean, after a day of conferences and secretaries.
As an African-American family that has its roots in the South, Mama and her offspring are of the later generations that have supposedly benefited by the economic migration North to Chicago. A Raisin in the Sun questions this simplistic view of the North/South divide and uses the Younger family’s predicament as a means to depict the ongoing social segregation that may be found in the North at the time
my site of writing . Hansberry’s use of the format of drama to critique the social and racial divide in American society, and the ridiculous figure of Lindner reinforces the criticism of white domination.
You can curse your life but you must not abandon it or dreams will be deferred for good. He wants to be financially secure- enough to at least raise himself above the servant class. But all his dreams vanish when he makes the unwise investment and loses money. His dreams have not vanished however from his spirit, they have only started consuming him. This results in extreme frustration as he turns to alcohol for some consolation.