A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Essay - 1343 Words

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a play that displays housing discrimination in Chicago during the 1950s. Housing discrimination was partially an effect of the Great Migration. This was an event during the 1950s that resulted in about six million African Americans â€Å"migrating† from the south to the north, Midwest, and west regions of the United States. This caused the population of black people in major northern cities to increase rapidly. They are then only able to live in certain neighborhoods, which keeps their communities segregated. Clybourne Park is a play that was written by Bruce Norris. It was written in response to Hansberry’s play. In Clybourne Park, gentrification is displayed within the dialogue. Gentrification is†¦show more content†¦The north figured that giving the African Americans jobs would help improve the economy. This opportunity of work encouraged the people who had yet to migrate to do so. Those who did were soon disappointed when they discovered their salary. Yes, they were given a job opportunity, but their wages were nowhere near as much as a white person’s. The second quote, made by Mama, was made when she was discussing the high price of the colored houses in another neighborhood. She stated, â€Å"Them houses they put up for colored [people] in them areas way out all seem to cost twice as much as other houses/I did the best I could (2.i). Hansberry gave an example of enforced racism when Mama was looking for housing in Chicago. The circumstances made it almost imp ossible for African American to leave the slums. One of the reasons they were â€Å"trapped† in neighborhoods was redlining. Bradford Hunt’s article reads, â€Å"Redlining is the practice of arbitrarily denying or limiting financial services to specific neighborhoods, generally because its residents are people of color or are poor.† The HOLC, Home Owner’s Loan Corporation, â€Å"color-coded† maps of the cities show the African American neighborhoods and white neighborhoods. This outline gave the redlined areas the impression of being an investment and insurance risky. The third quote, made by Lindner, was about how â€Å"Negros† would live happier when they were in their own communities. He stated, â€Å"†¦I want you to believe me when I tellShow MoreRelatedA Raisin Of The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry894 Words   |  4 PagesA Raisin in the sun by Lorraine Hansberry there are three major female characters represent three different spectrums of their lives. A Raisin in the Sun a number of social issues are both explicitly and subtly exemplified through out the characters experiences and relationships. First, Hansberry introduce Beneatha who is twenty year old college student with dreams of becoming a doctor in her life. Second, the author mention Ruth as a soft character in the story that wants to become wealthy andRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry2035 Words   |  8 PagesLorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is a remarkable play written in 1959 by an African American author about an African American family. This time period was in the early days of the modern awakening of civil rights awareness. It was a timely play challenging the then current stereotypical view of a black family by depicting a realistic portrayal of a specific black family with aspirations, hopes, dreams, dignity, and ambition as would be expected from all families regardless of race. TheRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry802 Words   |  3 Pagespositively to the actions of the White Americans. This leads to African Americans conforming and giving society what they want by changing their style of speech and appearance, this is called cultural assimilation. In Act II, Scene I of A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry interprets the concept of cultural assimilation with the actions of George as he arrives and unintentionally interrupts Beneatha and Walter’s â€Å"African† performance. This scene signifies the struggle between trying to assimilate intoRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by L orraine Hansberry1199 Words   |  5 Pagesas a person. Walter Lee Younger is a man that goes through many different character changes, which cause conflict amongst the other characters. Once he goes through his rite of passage, he is able to fix his flaws and mature. In Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, characterization is used to portray that one must experience a rite of passage in order to mature. Walter Lee Younger starts off the play as a man who is selfish and immature, willing to put money before family. He is characterizedRead MoreA Raisin Of A Sun By Lorraine Hansberry2114 Words   |  9 Pages July 26, 2015 A Raisin in a Sun A dream is what a person strive for to achieve success in their lives. Langston Hughes, ask in Montage of a Dream Deferred, â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the Sun?† A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry is mainly about a family dream to do better for themselves. All the characters in this story has hopes and dreams. The problem with that is that everyone has their own individual dream which cause conflict within the familyRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry987 Words   |  4 PagesA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry A Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, which debuted on broad way in 1959. They play takes place sometime in the 1950’s, a time period wrought with social issues which were ignored by the general public. The play concentrates on the Younger family; Ruth, Travis, Walter Lee, Beneatha, and Lena, the family head. The events of the play take place over the course of only a few weeks, where-in the Younger family is to receive a largeRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry544 Words   |  2 Pages A raisin in the sun is a book that explains the life of a family that is in hard times but some how gets through it. The Younger family is at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to economic status this affects the whole family and dreams and values, but the one thing they are good at are arguing and keeping their dreams alive by being a family and loving and caring for one another when nobody else does. The book a raisin in the sun written by Lorraine Hansberry is about a family that areRead MoreA Raisin Of The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry1581 Words   |  7 PagesLorraine Hansberry, a female playwright and black activist, spent almost all of her life dealing with American racism, poverty, and lack of social mobility. As a person who witnessed the daily struggles of African Americans, Hansberry wanted to expose the hypocrisy in the idea that America was the land of equal opportunity. As a result, in 1959, Hansberry wrote the play, A Raisin in the Sun, which details the Youngers, an African American family, who experienced racism, poverty, and the lack of socialRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry?605 Words   |  2 PagesLorraine Hansberry, the author of â€Å"A Raisin in The Sun†, was born in Chicago, Illinois. Hansberry was the youngest of four children. Her father Carl Augustus Hansberry was a prominent real estate broker and her mother Louise Perry was a stay home mother. She grew up on the south side of Chicago in the Woodlawn neighborhood. Later the family moved into an all-white neighborhood, where they experienced racial discrimination. Hansberry attended a predominantly white public school while her parentsRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry774 Words   |  3 PagesMany can see the appeal of the play† A Raisin in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry because it is telling how much the Younger family wants the American dream, the better life that each character wants are different from each other. The family wants the insurance money to start their dreams, the money that would not have been available if not for the death of the head of the family. Walter Lee Younger American dream is all about materialism and what he can get right now. He has the notion of a self-made