a raisin in the sun argumentative essay

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Argumentalizing ‘A Raisin in the Sun’

Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 play  A Raisin in the Sun is a sturdy classic of 20th century American literature and African-American literature and history, and it deserves to be as widely taught in high school English classes as it is.  We have worked with multiple partner schools on the work, and our projects have been honed through iterative implementations to focus on several debatable issues, but one in particular.

The three debatable issues that we have helped partner teachers organize their instruction around are these.

The first of these three DI’s directs student attention to characters and characterization in the play, particularly as these are used by Lorraine Hansberry to illustrate and develop the play’s concern with independence and autonomy, and how they reflect on the play’s other thematic concerns — racism, filial bonds and obligations, authentic manhood.  The character binaries set up in this debatable issue lend themselves especially well to the Argument Face-Off activity.

The third focuses on the sociological and historical matter in the late 1950s and on into the 1960s of racial assimilation versus racial nationalism or separation.  This became a strategic question considered by civil rights movement leaders of this period, and is one that has had residual permutations and lingering effects down through to the present moment.

But it is the second debatable issue that our partner schools have spent the most time with.  It is capacious, capturing an extensive range of interpretive meaning-making that we want (typically) 9th or 10th grade students to begin to become comfortable doing, but it also seems sufficiently narrow and focused on a fundamental question Hansberry herself was grappling with, over whether or to what extent America’s racial challenges and the particular condition of American urban common folk were solvable or transcendable.

On balance, A Raisin in the Sun expresses a more optimistic than pessimistic view of the world.

We have developed a set of possible argumentative claims and counter-claims that we use with partner schools in varying ways — to present models, to give students more fully to scaffold their argument and counter-argument building, to prompt refutation activities, to assist their response to counter-arguments in their interpretive essay writing.  This basic and widely applicable resource, which we use widely in our argumentalization of units and projects, helps orient instruction and assessments on academic argument.  When collaboratively created with partner teachers, it also enables them to have thought through the viable arguments and counter-arguments on both sides of the debatable issue, which is essential to teach effectively using argument pedagogy.

The claims and counter-claims are aligned with the set of selected passages that we have created that can be used by students to harvest textual evidence for their interpretive arguments.  Selected Passages should always be balanced between positions; so in this instance there are 10 passages that support the position that the play is more optimistic than pessimistic and 10 passages that support the contrary position.  The passages are all aligned with one or more claims on the Possible Claims and Counter-Claims resource.  And they can be similarly used with great flexibility — from a more fully scaffolded approach that gives students the Selected Passages to analyze, discuss, and ultimately use in their arguments, to one that doles out a small percentage of them as models and instigators for more autonomous student work.

Finally, we have used informational texts alongside this argumentalized version of interpretive study of the play.  I am generally somewhat skeptical of the pairing of informational texts and literary works.  Oftentimes the connection between the two is topical, but not thematic or formal in any way.   Simply because texts share the same or a similar topic does not mean that their ideas or formal properties are aligned in any way.  It’s a little bit like pairing courses in a meal simply because they share a protein or other main ingredient: Chicken Kiev and tacos pollo share a protein but aren’t likely to match well on the plate.

But it can be done effectively, and in this instance I think that pairing  A Raisin in the Sun with informational texts on housing discrimination prior to the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act couples very well with the environmental backdrop, and even some of the direct thematic concerns, of the play. An extremely thorough and compelling treatment of the historical phenomena of racist urban housing practices is contained in Ta-Nehisi Coates’s famed 2014  Atlantic Magazine  essay on reparations.  We have excerpted it to significant rounding and enriching effect in the unit on Lorraine Hansberry’s masterwork.

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A Raisin in The Sun

Introduction to a raisin in the sun.

A Raisin in The Sun is a popular play by Lorraine Hansberry . It was performed for the first time in 1959. Hansberry has borrowed the title from a popular poem by Langston Hughes , “ Harlem .” The play revolves around an African American family living in Chicago who wants to bring improvement in its status through the insurance that their widowed mother, Lena Younger, is going to receive after her husband’s death. 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.

Summary of A Raisin in The Sun

The play presents the story of a few weeks from the life of the Youngers family, an African American family living in the poor neighborhood of Chicago’s Southern area during the 50s. The play starts with the Youngers discussing how to spend the money they are going to receive from an insurance company after the death of their patriarch. The total amount of the policy is $10,000 to be received through a check. As the money is expected to arrive, all the family members are presenting their individual ideas on how to spend the money carefully not to let it go wasted. Each one of them has an idea. Mama, Lena, the mother of the Youngers, knows the importance of a house, the reason that she insists that they must purchase a house in some good neighborhood.

However, Walter Lee, the male member of the family has his own plans; he wants to make an investment in the liquor business with the partnership of his friend Bobo and Willy, the street- smarts . His optimism about the success of his investment has made him gleeful so much so that he hoodwinks the family by giving the money to Willy for the liquor store investment in his hope to reveal it later when he succeeds. Despite his optimism, he is unable to convince even his own wife who conjoins his mother in having a house of their own. Also, Mama disagrees with the plan because it is against religion. However, she gives the rest of the money to Walter for the business investment on the condition of reserving three thousand dollars for her daughter’s education.

During these two supposedly relieving plans, the female member, Beneatha, Walter’s sister has her own plan of pulling the family out of this mess through the money she wants to use in her medical education. She is the representation of ‘new woman’ as against the traditional opinion of a female character . Like her name, everyone is beneath her . She was self-centered at the beginning of the playmaking the family sacrifices their desires to accommodate her expensive hobbies, which keep changing from time to time. Her love interests George Murchison, and Joseph Asagai influences her life choices . George was a wealthy black man who tries to ignore the accomplishments of black people and fit into this white-dominated society and a narcissist who shows off in front of Beneatha by talking about intellectual concepts.

Whereas Joseph, a Yoruba student teaches Beneatha the rich culture and heritage of her ancestors in Africa and embraces her identity as a black woman. He later proposes to marry him and go back to Nigeria and continue her medical practice. Beneatha thinks that as the family does not desire to join the world ruled by the white, she resorts to her identity recognition by recalling African heritage at the end of the play.

The competing dreams of the Younger family members make them unable to reconcile with each other. Meanwhile, Ruth , the wife of Walter Lee, comes to know about her pregnancy that she thinks would add to the family’s financial woes. When both husband and wife are considering the abortion, Mama, the matriarchal figure of the house, pays down payment for the purchase of the house. Her idea of having their own residence in Clybourne Park may help the family pull out of poverty . On the other hand, the local people send their representation, Mr. Lindner with an offer for them to stay away from the area by giving them money. This house is located in Clybourne Park, an entirely white neighborhood. When the Youngers refuse, Walter faces the stark reality of losing his investment through his friend, Willy Haris, who has run away with his money. Albeit, the family learns that they lost the money to Willy they refuse to take money from Mr. Linder.

Beneatha also adds to the family problems by rejecting George Murchison and accepting Joseph Asagai who wants her to complete her medical education first. During the breakup with Beneatha, George says that he didn’t show interest in her because they could talk about ‘quiet desperation. Although the family moves to the new house, the future is not safe but they are optimistic about staying united to win success and live a better life.

Major Themes in A Raisin in The Sun  

• The American Dream: The play shows the theme of the American Dream through the Younger family. Each member of the family has a unique dream that they want to materialize with the insurance money of their patriarch. However, the best dream any of them has is of Mama who thinks that having a good house in a decent, white locality would provide a better future to the next generation. Walter’s dream of having a good liquor store, too, is an American Dream, though, it is another thing that he trusts his partner who runs away with it. Similarly, Beneatha’s dream of having a medical degree could be associated with an individual American Dream. However, it is Mama’s American Dream in which lies the dream of everyone; a better house in a better neighborhood, the reason that Walter flatly refuses to budge from his stand later when facing Mr. Lindner.
• Female Identity: The play presents three towering feminine figures in the play; Mama, who is heading the family after the death of her husband and has a claim over her husband’s insurance money, her daughter Beneatha who sees the family future in her own prospect as a medical professional and Ruth, her daughter-in-law who sees the future of her children. All three of them strive against the patriarchal figure of Walter Lee who dreams of becoming a good investor by investing the insurance money in the liquor business with his partner. Although he wastes the money, Mama’s idea of having a house of their own rules supreme in the end. Beneatha also takes the lead by turning away Murchison and challenges Walter’s narrow-mindedness.
• Masculinity: The play shows the theme of masculinity in the debilitating role of Walter Lee when he shirks from his responsibility of taking the lead and helping the family stand up to face the prejudice prevalent in Chicago and economic challenges. Instead, he squanders away the money of his father’s insurance, he feels that his dream of sending his son to college and purchasing a Cadillac were just wishful thinking of a young man. He comes to the point and ultimately rejects Mr. Lindner’s offer of leaving the neighborhood to find some other place for their house for which her mother has already paid.
• African Identity: The theme of African identity in the play, A Raisin in the Sun, is obvious, for it is a play of the Youngers, an African American family, facing prejudice on fulfilling their Mama’s desire of having a house in the white neighborhood. Even before they shift, Mr. Lindner comes to warn them to stay away and makes an offer. This prejudice reminds the Youngers of their background. The arrival of Asagai and Beneatha’s love for him makes it more prominent when she becomes too eager to learn about African heritage.
• Class Differences: The theme of class differences is accentuated when Mama advises all her children that getting a house in the white neighborhood in the city of Chicago is their key to the future. However, Mr. Lindner’s arrival shows them the reality that they can get more money by not raising their status which, in his words, is not moving to their locality. This class difference, in the words of Mr. Lindner, would cause rift and unease in their neighborhood that they do not want. However, the final refusal of Walter Lee is rather an intransigence when the Youngers see this difference as an obstacle to their efforts for their future improvements.
• Significance of Family: The theme of the significance of family has been shown through Mama’s taking lead in thinking that a permanent place at good locality would rather lead to family’s better future than the success of each individual, though it could be that Walter Lee’s investment could also lead to the same success. However, Walter Lee’s stupidity of trusting every individual without consulting the collective family wisdom leads him to squander money rather quickly. The same goes for Beneatha’s case as she is also thinking on individual lines for her medical success only, for if she succeeds it is only her success, while in Mama’s success lies the success of every individual on account of her centrality in the household.
• Marginalization of African Americans: Before the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans were not seen as equals. Mama sees her efforts after receiving her husband’s insurance coming to fruition. However, she is unaware of the strength of the hatred of the white community that it could be strong enough to hinder their move to a better neighborhood. The final intransigence to Mr. Lindner’s suggestion after some thoughts to his lucrative offer in return for their decision of not moving invites second thought of refusal from Walter Lee. It is because he sees it as an effort of marginalization of their family on the basis of racial difference.
• Hopes and Aspirations: The play shows the theme of hopes and aspirations in the dreams of the Youngers. Every Younger individual harbor a dream ; Mama’s dream of having a house in a good neighborhood, Walter Lee’s dream of having a good business to uplift their status, and Beneatha’s dream of having a medical degree. But the fulfillment of the hopes and aspirations of all the Youngers depends on the insurance money. Once it is squandered by Walter Lee, all of them face frustration and disappointment.
• Pride: The theme of pride rules supreme in the play in that the Youngers have little else to lose except their pride. Therefore, when it comes to their pride in having a house, they furiously turn to intransigence toward Mr. Lindner for making them stay away from the locality.
• Lack of Communication: The theme of communication is significant as every individual in the Younger household is unable to communicate what they want to do. Although Walter Lee takes the lead, he also knows that Mama, Beneatha, and even his wife Ruth have failed to understand his investment. This is a lack of communication that none of them could talk or understand each other’s plans or desires.

Major Characters of A Raisin in The Sun

• Walter Lee Younger: Walter Lee Younger is the only patriarch in the family and also the only person to have tried to materialize his dream though without any tangible success. Son of Mama and her late husband, Walter is married to Ruth with two children. His driving job is assisting the family to make both ends meet, while Beneatha is only a helping hand. His only aspiration is to start his business as a liquor store that would grow and change the family fortune. However, his unpredictable behavior causes the loss of business in which his friend, Willy, steals the invested money, and the only hope of the family of having a patriarch leading the way ends up in smoke.
• Lena Younger (Mama): Mama, the dominating matriarchal figure of the family, is Lena Younger, whose husband, Walter senior, has recently died, leaving for his family a good sum of $10,000 of his insurance policy. Mama’s sanguinity lies in thinking about having a proper house in some good locality that could improve the family fortune. The sanguinity of her suggestion and then the payment of the down payment show significance when Walter Lee sees his money gone with his friend who has fled. Her wisdom has saved them from total failure, and they have something to take a stand against Mr. Lindner’s unjust offer.
• Beneatha Younger: Beneatha Younger is the modern face of the Younger family having innovating thinking and a new philosophical approach toward her own race. She thinks that her medical education could pull the family out of this mess. Her rigors on her speech improvement show its results in her talkativeness. She discusses philosophical ideas of religion, class, race, and education with her fiancé as well as family members. Yet, her American Dream of improving her career seems to be selfish and individualistic.
• Ruth Younger: Ruth is a source of the future generation as Travis’s mother and the wife of Walter Lee. Living in a constant tension of improvised living and poverty has taken years from her life, making her old before her time. Working constantly has kept her busy for a decade yet she does not complain and constantly nudges Walter to do more for their son.
• Joseph Asagai: Asagai is not only the fiancé of Beneatha but he also seems to be her philosophical mentor who fills her mind with new ideas about their rich heritage and racial privilege. His Nigerian roots have made him proud of his race, forcing him to realize Beneatha that she is not from the inferior race. He desires to take her to Nigeria after their marriage.
• George Murchison: Although not superior to Asagai, Murchison is another suiter of Beneatha who constantly courts her and succeeds, too. However, his willingness to be subservient to the white culture does not impress Beneatha much on account of his competitive rather than collaborative approach to life.
• Travis Younger: As the only male child in the household, Travis is suffering from the slackness and stupidity of his father, Walter Lee, who does not have good work and a career. He has had to work to earn money besides playing with the neighboring children. His household life is restricted to the sofa in that dingy, little apartment.
• Mr. Karl Lindner: Mr. Lindner represents not only the white community but also the white thinking about the African American community. His coaxingly threatening warnings fall flat when he confronts Walter and Mama. Although his offer sways his opinion at home, Walter, later, stands up to face him, rejecting his offer.
• Willy Harris: Although Willy Harris is Walter’s friend, he does not appear on the stage and only gets mentioned when he starts a liquor business or runs away with the money.
• Mrs. Johnson: A neighborhood lady, Mrs. Johnson’s significance in the play lies in her persuasion of the family for not leaving the neighborhood.

Writing Style of A Raisin in The Sun

A Raisin in the Sun is written by Lorraine Hansberry. She used the dialect of the African American community that is not only distinct but also pure. The characters speak in their domestic setting and individual style as Beneatha and Asagai show their superior and formal education even in everyday conversation, while Mama, Mrs. Johnson, and Ruth demonstrate their crude language. The diction and tone of the play, too, suit the community, neighborhood as well as main audience . Lorraine mostly turns to irony , sarcasm , and other devices of figurative language to make her dialogs effective.

Analysis of the Literary Devices in A Raisin in The Sun

• Action: The main action of the play comprises the American Dream of the Youngers that they are going to realize on an individual level from the insurance money they are going to get after the death of the patriarch. The rising action occurs when Ruth Walter comes to know about her pregnancy and the falling action occurs when Walter Lee comes to know that his money is gone.
• Anaphora : The play shows examples of anaphora such as, i. Anybody who talks to me has got to be a good-for-nothing loudmouth, ain’t he? And what you know about who is just a good-for-nothing loudmouth? Charlie Atkins was just a “good-for-nothing loudmouth” too, wasn’t he! When he wanted me to go in the dry-cleaning business with him. And now —he’s grossing a hundred thousand a year (Act-I) ii. you just sip your coffee, see, and say easy like that you been thinking ’bout that deal Walter Lee is so interested in, ’bout the store and all, and sip some more coffee, like what you saying ain’t really that important to you— And the next thing you know, she be listening good and asking you questions and when I come home —I can tell her the details. This ain’t no ɻy-by- night proposition, baby. I mean we ɹgured it out, me and Willy and Bobo. iii. You ain’t looked at it and you don’t aim to have to speak on that again? You ain’t even looked at it and you have decided— (Act-II) The examples show the repetitious use of “good-for-nothing”, “sit your coffee” and “You ain’t.”
• Allusion : The play shows good use of different allusions as given in the below examples, i. Asagai—Joseph Asagai. He’s an African boy I met on campus. He’s been studying in Canada all summer. (Act-I) ii. I am from the Clybourne ParkImprovement Association and we have had it brought to our attention at the last meeting that you people—or at least your mother—has bought a piece of residential property at. (Act-II) iii. BENEATHA George Murchison! I wouldn’t marry him if he was Adam and I was Eve! (Act-III) The first example shows the reference to a region, the second to a place in Chicago, and the third to Adam and Eve.
• Antagonist : Walter Lee Younger is the antagonist as well as the protagonist of the play. It is because he not only squanders the money but also becomes a responsible patriarch by the end of the play after he refuses Mr. Lindner’s offer.
• Conflict : The play shows both external and internal conflicts. The external conflict is going on between the Youngers and the economic situation including the white dominance, while the internal conflict is going on in Walter Lee’s mind about his responsibility and his attitude .
• Characters: The play, A Raisin in The Sun, shows both static as well as dynamic characters . Lena Younger and Walter Lee both are dynamic characters as they show a considerable transformation in their behavior and conduct by the end of the play. However, all other characters are static as they do not show or witness any transformation such as Mrs. Johnson, Beneatha, Ruth, Lindner, and even Asagai.
• Climax : The climax in the play occurs when Bobo arrives to inform the Youngers that Willy has run away with their invested money.
• Epigraph : The play shows the use of the epigraph as given in the example below, i. What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a rose – And then run? Does it sink like rotten meat Or crust and sugar over – Like a syrupy sweet? This short extract from the poem of Langston Hughes shows the use of an epigraph.
• Foreshadowing : The play shows many instances of foreshadows as given below, i. You mean you didn’t read ’bout them colored people that was bombed out their place out there. (Act-I) The mention of colored and bombed shows the situation that the Youngers are going to face in the area where they move.
• Hyperbole : The play shows various examples of hyperboles such as, i. So you would rather be Mr. Arnold than be his chauʃeur. So—I would rather be living in Buckingham Palace. (Act-I) ii. I seen one marching out of there like Napoleon yesterday. (Act-I) Both of these examples exaggerate things as Walter cannot be Arnold nor can he live in Buckingham Palace. Also, nobody can be Napoleon.
• Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, i. It is morning dark in the living room, TRAVIS is asleep on the make-down bed at center. An alarm clock sounds from within the bedroom at right, and presently RUTH enters from that room and closes the door behind her. She crosses sleepily toward the window. As she passes her sleeping son she reaches down and shakes him a little. At the window she raises the shade and a dusky Southside morning light comes in feebly. She calls a pot with water and puts it on to boil. She calls to the boy, between yawns, in a slightly muffled voice . (Act-I) ii. She cannot help speaking directly to him. An imploring quality in her voice , her manner, makes her almost like a girl now. (II) These two examples show images of light, color, movement, and sound shown in the instructions of the play.
• Irony : The play shows the use of irony when Bobo comes to the Youngers to inform them that Willy has run away with the money, a fact that the audiences are already aware of but the Youngers are not.
• Metaphor : A Raisin in The Sun shows good use of various metaphors as given in the examples below, i. So you would rather be Mr. Arnold than be his chauʃeur. So—I would rather be living in Buckingham Palace. (Act-I) ii. So you butchered up a dream of mine—you—who always talking ’bout your children’s dreams …. (Act-II) iii. You mean you ain’t read ’bout them colored people that was bombed out their place out there?. (Act-II) These examples show that several things have been compared directly in the novel such as the first shows comparing her husband to Mr. Arnold, the second shows comparing Mama to a butcher, and the third shows white people as soldiers throwing bombs at the colored people.
• Mood : The play, A Raisin in The Sun , shows various moods; it starts with quite a realistic and bitter mood but becomes highly sarcastic and critical with the passage of time until it reaches its end which is depressive and serious.
• Motif : Most important motifs of the play are music, money, Beneatha’s hair, and house.
• Protagonist : Walter Lee is the protagonist of the play, A Raisin in The Sun. The reason is that it is he who shows his patriarchal responsibility by the end despite losing money.
• Setting : The setting of the play, A Raisin in The Sun , is the poor neighborhood of the South Side of Chicago.
• Simile : The play shows good use of various similes as given in the examples below, i. About to march out of here with that head looking just like chickens slept in it. (Act-I) ii. I always thinks like Booker T. Washington said that time— “Education has spoiled many a good plow hand”—. (Act-II) iii. Walter Lee, fix your tie and tuck your shirt in, you look like somebody’s hoodlum! (Act-III) These are similes as the use of the word “like” shows the comparison between different things. For example, the first one shows this comparison between the head and the coop, and then between Walter and Washington, and then between Walter’s appearance and that of hoodlums.

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104 A Raisin in the Sun Essay Topics & Examples

Below, see A Raisin in the Sun essay topics collected by our team . Use these original titles to examine the themes of poverty and the American dream.

🏆 Best A Raisin in the Sun Essay Topics & Examples

📌 simple & easy essay topics for a raisin in the sun, 🔖 most interesting a raisin in the sun essay prompt, ❓ a raisin in the sun essay questions.

• Walter Lee Younger: Character Analysis Essay This promise is immature; Walter knows very well that getting the money to invest in his business remains a point of contention, yet he promises Willy that he would take the money.
• Play Review: “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry The family is living in a shabby South Chicago apartment and each of the family’s members is on the pursuit of his/her dream.
• Comparing A Raisin in the Sun by L. Hansberry and Fences by A. Wilson As the story opens, each person in the family is thinking of what to do with the money they are about to get from an insurance firm as compensation of Mr.
• Racial Discrimination in “A Raisin in the Sun” Racial discrimination is the main theme of the book, strongly reflecting the situation that prevailed during the 1950s in the United States, a time when the story’s Younger family lived in Chicago’s South Side ghetto.
• Literature Comparison: A Raisin in the Sun and A Dream Deferred Despite the seeming difference in genre, stylistic choices, characters and settings, the novel Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and Langston Hughes’ poem A Dream Deferred have a lot in common; in fact, one […]
• Beneatha’s Dream Analysis From “A Raisin in the Sun” However, as levelheaded as she is, she still has a dream of her own. Beneatha’s dream of becoming a doctor defines the character’s main decisions, making her more vulnerable and relatable.
• “Raisin in the Sun” and “Harlem” Hansberry and Hughes introduce the same idea of a dream compared to a raisin dried up in the sun, but explain it in different ways in order to show how the interpretation of a thought […]
• Realism in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry “A Raisin in the Sun” is a play in three acts whose action unfolds sometime between the end of World War II and the 1950s.
• Compare and Contrast Lena Younger and Walter Lee Younger She seems more concerned about the status of living conditions and the ability to enjoy the freedom as opposed to being in possession of money.
• Generations in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry For instance, in Lorraine Hansberry’s play Raisin in the Sun, the concept is shown via the manifestation of generational parity and its influence on the Youngers family’s characters.
• “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorrain Hansberry Review That little plant is the symbol of hope for a family determined to escape the squalor and violence of the ghetto.
• A Raisin in the Sun: The Play by Lorraine Hansberry Climax in the play is realized when Walter is made to understand by Bobo that Willy, the man entrusted with the money to start a liquor business has run away with the money, this thus […]
• “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” and “A Raisin in the Sun” In this regard, the decisions of Hamlet, Claudius, Walter, and Lena illustrate the character’s commitment to family despite differences of opinion and disagreements.
• Race Barriers to Dreams. “A Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry Focusing on the life of a Black American family, the author discusses the problems of race-based prejudice, segregation, historical memory, and the role of generational gaps in racial minorities’ attitudes to injustice.
• The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Drama In the play A Raising in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, each member of the Younger family has his/her own idea on how to spend $10,000 that the family received from the insurance cover of […]
• Deferred Dreams in Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” In the play A Raisin in the Sun, the playwriter uses art to fictionalize encounters of a delayed dream by a family; it is a supposition of the poem by Hughes.
• The Play “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry As a result, the educated and intelligent Beneatha chooses the sincere Asagai, with whom she is not shy about leaving her hair curled and dancing to African music. Thus, Beneatha is a strong heroine who […]
• Walter Lee Younger in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry The story that best exemplifies the traits of the character at the beginning of the play is the opportunity to sell the house.
• Hero or Zero: Analysis of Walter in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry When his mother gets insurance for ten thousand dollars after his father’s death, he decides to take a risk and invest a part of the money in a liquor store.
• Appearance in “Othello” and “A Raisin in the Sun” The paper under analysis is based on the comparison of Othello by Shakespeare and A Raising in the Sun by Hansberry through the manifesting of the theme of the racial segregation and the nature of […]
• Hanisberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” and Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” The characters in A Raising in the Sun are real in the sense that the reader can have a feel of a mother’s love for her family and for her children to succeed in life.
• My Life and “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry Racial segregation is a core factor which intended many famous American writers, playwrights, social figures in the first half of the twentieth century to show the real state of things in the “democratic and free” […]
• Racial Segregation in Two Books “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansbury and “The Child by Tiger” by Thomas Wolfe In this paper, we will discuss the elements of ‘racism’ portrayed in the two books, “A Raisin in the Sun”, written by Lorraine Hansbury, and “The Child by Tiger”, by Thomas Wolfe.
• A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry: Play Analysis It does well to portray the social features of strong segregation and racial discrimination that prevailed during the 1950s in the United States, a time when the story’s younger family lived in Chicago’s South Side […]
• “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry: Major Full-Length Play Lena expresses misgivings about Walter’s plan to invest in the liquor business, and he, in turn, accuses his mother of destroying his dream of becoming a successful businessman and providing for his family. Hansberry wants […]
• A Raisin in the Sun by Jane G. A. Racial discrimination is the main theme of the book, strongly reflecting the situation that prevailed during the 1950s in the United States, a time when the story’s Younger family lived in Chicago’s South Side ghetto.
• “A Raisin in the Sun” Play by Lorraine Hansberry This paper is discussing the character of the relationship between mama and her son Walter together with the problems which are brought up in the interaction of these two characters in the play.
• The Novel “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry Taking a closer look at the way the Youngers family lives, one can see the writer’s concern for the Black American society and the relationships within the Afro-Americans as well as the relations between the […]
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• “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry Literature Analysis The book, A Raisin in the Sun, clearly Lorraine Hansberry’s masterpiece, presents a 1950s life of a family- the Youngers; the family is caught up with individualism as they make decisions regarding money acquired from […]
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• “Of Mice and Men” and “A Raisin in the Sun”: The American Dream
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• A Point of No Return After Which the Life of a Person Can Never Be the Same in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• In What Ways Is Hansberry Challenging Stereotypes of African Americans in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Is the Conflict in the Story “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• How Is the Theme of Assimilation Treated in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Why Is Walter Unhappy in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does Eat Your Eggs Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Why Is the Play Called “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• How Is Beneatha Different From Other Younger Family Members in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Is the Main Theme of “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does Africa Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does the New House Signify to Each of the Youngers in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• How Is Money a Symbol in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• How Does Walter Change From the Beginning of “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does Big Walter Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Who Steals the Money in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does the Liquor Store Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does “A Raisin in the Sun” Say About Identity?
• What Does the Green Hat Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Why Do You Think Mama Changes Her Mind and Gives Walter the Insurance Money in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Is the Significance of Mama’s Plant in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Are Main Symbols in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Why Did Walter Open a Liquor Store in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does the Insurance Money Represent to Mama in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does the Music Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does the Apartment Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Why Is Mama’s Little Plant So Important to Her in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does Ruth Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Why Did Mama Give Walter the Money in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Is the Importance of Having Mama Return to the Empty Apartment to Grab Her Plant in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Are the Greatest Strains on Walter and Ruth’s Marriage in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
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Argumentative Essay: A Raisin In The Sun

The play “A Raisin in the Sun'' by Lorraine Hansberry whose title comes from the poem “Harlem” by Langston Huges communicates the story of a poor African American family living on the Southside of Chicago. The household strived to survive in Chicago, which like other towns back in the 1950s suffered enormously from racism and discrimination. At first glance, when the Younger’s family were knowledgeable about the ten thousand dollars check that Mama would receive as Big Walter’s insurance money, each member of the family had their opinions of what they saw fit to do with the money. Unfortunately, each character had different dreams which contradicted one another’s and this threatened the unity of the family. But when Mama used some of the money to purchase a house, the family became united again. Within the short play “ a raisin in the Sun '', Big Walter, a character who doesn’t appear in the play, impacts Mama and Walter lee’s actions, dreams, and character development.  

In the short act a raisin in the sun, Big Walter affects Mama’s actions, dreams, and character development. Within the story, when Mama learned that Ruth was about to abort her baby, she demanded that Walter oppose the idea for Big Walter, his father would have taken the same actions. In the text, Mama asserts “I'm waiting to see you stand up and look like your daddy and say we don't give up one baby to poverty and that we ain't going to give up nary another one” page 554. Mama advises Walter Lee to let Ruth keep the baby since Big Walter would have taken the same motive. She specifically uses the words “stand up and look like your daddy” to convey the idea that it is her dream to see Walter Lee grow up and behave just like his father Big Walter. Moreover, she utilized part of the insurance money to purchase a house since she and her husband shared a common dream of owning a house one day. In the text, it mentions “Now when you say your prayers tonight, you thank God and your grandfather 'cause it is him who saved you the house-in his way.” page 561. Mama informs Travis “it was him who gave you the house” because she bought the house with Big Walter’s life insurance money and he would have loved to see his dreams get fulfilled. Equally important, not only did Big Walter alter Mama’s actions and dreams but her character development as well. Towards the end of the play, Mama realizes that, for Walter Lee to be the head of the family just like his father, she has to trust him. On page 565, when handing over the rest of the insurance money to Walter Lee, Mama declares “ I'm putting it in your hands. I'm telling you to be the head of this family from now on like you are supposed to be”. Mama ascertains to Walter Lee that “ I'm telling you to be the head of this family” because she wants him to watch over the family similar to the way Big Walter did. And as such, she entrusted him with the rest of Big Walter’s insurance money as a starting point. She specifically gave him Big Walter’s insurance money because according to Big Walter, through children a black man’s dream is kept alive. This exemplifies the idea that Mama did not only give Walter the money to accomplish his dreams but also to keep his father’s dreams alive. In conclusion, Big Walter influences Mama’s actions, dreams, and character development.

Moreover, Big Walter who doesn’t appear in the short play a raisin in the sun'' did not only influence Mama but rather impacts Walter Lee's dreams, actions, and character development as well. In the play, Walter is filled with bitterness after he learned his mother purchased a house with Big Walter’s insurance money other than giving him the money to pursue his dreams. In the text, the author states “So you butchered up a dream of mine, you-who-always talking about your children's dreams” page 563. Walter tells Mama “you butchered up a dream of mine” because she has used Big Walter’s insurance money which was Walter Lee’s last hope to make his dreams of opening up a liquor store come through. Walter specifically says that “you who always talk about your children's dream” to hurt his mother as deeply as possible since he knows that children's dreams are very important to both Mama and Big Walter. Additionally, when Mama finally entrusts Walter with the rest of the insurance money, he gives it to BoBo and Willy so they can go to Springfield and facilitate documents that will make it possible for him to open up a liquor store. However, when Walter Lee discovered Willy ran away with the money, he broke down into tears because not only are his dreams butchered but he realizes that his father's hard work has gone in vain as well. In the text, he states “That money is made out of my father's flesh” page 575. Walter says that “ That money is made out of my father's flesh” because Big Walter worked himself to death in the cause of the money and he let it go in vain. Walter Lee is extremely filled with deception because he realizes his opportunity to make his dreams come through has been deferred by a loyal one he trusted. Similarly, Big Walter did not only affect Walter Lee’s actions or dreams but influenced his character development as well. Walter Lee’s selfishness and desire for money to construct his dreams shifted towards the end of the play. Money signified life to Walter Lee, But ultimately he rejected Linder’s offer to sell the newly secured house to acknowledge his father for what he did. In the text, he states “we have all thought about your offer and we have decided to move into our house because my father-my fair-he earned it '' page 585. Walter Lee declares that “my father-my fair-he earned it'' because his father worked himself to death striving for the money that was used to buy the house. This exemplifies the idea that Walter Lee declined Linder’s proposal to make Big Walter’s dream of owning a house come through since in the cause of hustling for the family he lost his life. In conclusion, Big Walter affects Walter Lee’s actions, dreams, and character development. 

In summary, Big Walter, a character who doesn’t appear in the short play “a raisin in the Sun'', Influences Mama and Walter Lee’s actions, dreams, and character development. Though Big Walter’s insurance money played a big influence on the characters, his character as a whole impacted their behaviors as well. In the play, Mama wants Walter Lee to be just as caring as Big Walter so he can be the head of the family. Similarly, Walter Lee feels the need to get a job because he realizes the responsibility he needs to take care of, which is why he was desperate to get the insurance money. Although the Younger’s family faced financial issues, the family became more united at the end when they all decided to move into the newly purchased home rather than focusing on personal interests. Although some aspects in life can hinder one's dreams, there is always a different path to follow and achieve other things in life.

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A Raisin in the Sun

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Since A Raisin in the Sun opened on Broadway in 1959, it has been revived numerous times all over the world. The play has been adapted into multiple films, translations, and even a Tony Award–winning 1973 Broadway musical. The play concerns a very specific demographic during a particular moment in American history. Why do you think the text speaks to so many different types of audiences? What about the play can be universalized?

Consider the Langston Hughes poem “Harlem,” from which Lorraine Hansberry takes the name of the play. How does the play illustrate the ideas in the poem? What is the message of the poem? How does this translate in the play? Who or what is the “raisin in the sun”?

The end of the play leaves the future of the characters open. For instance, the audience never learns whether Beneatha goes to Africa. Two playwrights, Bruce Norris—with his 2010 play Clybourne Park —and Kwame Kwei-Armah—with the 2013 play Beneatha’s Place —wrote works that speculated upon what may have happened next for the characters. How would you continue their stories? What do you think happens next?

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — A Raisin in The Sun — A Raisin In The Sun Ending Analysis

A Raisin in The Sun Ending Analysis

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Sample Argumentative Essay On Coming Of Age In A Raisin In The Sun

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: United States , America , Race , American Dream , Dreams , Racism , Family , Social Issues

Words: 1400

Published: 02/23/2020

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In the play A Raisin in the Sun, one of the most important themes is the coming of age of the main characters, Walter and Benethea. In the beginning of the play, they are both very flawed and selfish characters – Walter seeks to help the family in the wake of his father’s death, but his decisions often lead to disastrous consequences. Benethea, on the other hand, must learn to make her own decisions and forge ahead in life, as well as change her already established preconceptions of race and identity. Hansberry’s play, like the Langston Hughes poem “ Harlem” (from which the play derives its title), discusses the futile nature of the American Dream, especially when having to deal with the deeply entrenched racial prejudice of the 20th century. In this play, the ideals of the American Dream are shown to be foolish and idealistic, and that it cannot be a reality for everyone as long as systemic socioeconomic inequalities exist between black and white. Many of the play’s characters represent the two opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of black-white interactions in America, showing their ability to assimilate into the traditional ideal of the American Dream. George Murchison, a wealthy black man, provides the Youngers with a strong example that black people can actually achieve prosperity and happiness in America; at the same time, however, the Youngers seem to dismiss him as no better than the rich white people who scoff at them. Racist whites and the rich are often equated; at one point, Walter laments that he will never get the same equal chances for success that white folks do: “sometimes when I’m downtown and I pass them cool-quiet-looking restaurants 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” (Hansberry 61). George Murchison is directly contrasted by Asagai, Benethea’s friend from native Africa; he represents a certain type of freedom from the racism African-Americans encounter. Instead of having to be afraid of his roots, and the same kinds of discrimination that tie the Youngers down and keep them from the American Dream, Asagai is proud of the differences between his skin and the Youngers, as well as his own country’s traditions. At one point, he criticizes the Western dog-eat-dog method of achieving success: “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?” (Hansberry 116). He provides an alternative to the whole system of the American Dream, which leads the Youngers to become competitive and spiteful to others like George Murchison. Between Asagai and George Murchison, Benethea chooses Asagai - and by extension, a closer connection to her African roots and a departure from the cutthroat chase for the American Dream. At one point, the whites even offer to buy out the Youngers in order to stay away from their neighborhood; one of Martin’s more virtuous and transcendent moments in the play is when he chooses not to give into that bribe (and pursue the American Dream anyway): ““We have decided to move into our house because my father—my father—he earned it for us brick by brick. We don’t want to make no trouble for nobody or fight no causes, and we will try to be good neighbors. And that’s all we got to say about that. We don’t want your money” (p. 148). This action demonstrates Walter’s eventual maturity and perseverance in his pursuit of happiness. While the play does not reveal whether or not the Youngers succeed after moving out of their apartment, it does demonstrate the tremendous hurdles black people have to go through in order to chase the American Dream (which are more numerous than their white counterparts). Langston Hughes’ “Harlem,” (from which the play’s title “A Raisin in the Sun” is derived) is indicative of the idea of race and the cultural elite, and the potential damage that can happen when one tries too hard to identify and assimilate into white culture (i.e. The American Dream). His opening line, “What happens to a dream deferred?” is evocative and rhetorical. He waxes philosophical about the things that black people wish they had the privilege to do, were it not for the interference of institutionalized racism and an oppressive white culture. Hughes’ continual questions relate to the black experience: he wants to know where his chance for equality has gone – whether it is gone forever, or whether the missed chance weighs him down; “maybe it just sags / like a heavy load” (Hughes, lines 9-10). The final line of the poem, “Or does it explode?” is Hughes’ final bit of hope; perhaps, instead of festering and withering away, the disappearing dream explodes in a brilliant blaze, perhaps making those who deferred the dream notice it. It talks about going out in a blaze of glory, perhaps telling the African-American culture that, if their dreams will be deferred, at least that abandonment will be seen and observed. In some ways, it is a call to action to attempt to take what is theirs – their hopes and dreams. On the other hand, it may be exploding in their face, reminding them of the dream they cannot achieve. The American Dream and how it relates to the black experience is also explored in the poem “Incident” by Countee Cullen. “Incident” is a frank depiction of racism and how it affects a small child in Baltimore. An eight year old black boy, just visiting Baltimore, runs across another little boy from Baltimore, a native, who calls him a racial slur. Despite all of the wonderful things that he encountered throughout the entirety of Baltimore, this one event sticks with him in lieu of all others. This incident ruins the innocence of this young boy, as he encounters racism, presumably for the first time, showcasing that the shadow of prejudice can often blot out the other happy experiences in one’s life (and cuts off his access to the American Dream). The poem is titled “Incident” for good reason; this is not an accidental occurrence, and this once situation merits importance especially in this young boy’s life. Before this, he was “heart-filled, headfilled with glee,” but afterwards it is implied that this is the thing that stuck with him all that time (Cullen). Despite the fact that he saw a great many things for more than half a year, “Of all the things that happened there / That’s all that I remember” (Cullen). Much like in “Harlem” and “Incident,” A Raisin in the Sun explores the impossibility of the American Dream for African-Americans, because of the systemic racism that gets in their way. The numerous obstacles that the Youngers must overcome – including questions of racial identity and the inability for whites to fully accept black families entering their neighborhoods – are shown to be tremendously prohibitive elements in their pursuit of the American Dream. The play, however, does show the Youngers taking some positive steps toward actualizing themselves as people and family members; Benethea draws herself closer to her family, learning to tolerate her brother’s decisions and way of life. She still remains fiercely independent, and it is entirely possible she will run away with her Nigerian boyfriend, Asagai, to be married and work as a doctor in Africa. This play shows the very limited opportunities afforded to African-Americans to achieve the American Dream, which then leads them to sometimes act out of desperation when one finally arrives.

Works Cited

Cullen, Countee. “Incident.” Literature: A Pocket Anthology. Editor R.S. Gwynn. Publisher: Pearson/Longman, Penguin Academics Imprint. Fourth Edition. ISBN: 10-0-205-65510-6. Hansberry, Lorraine. A raisin in the sun: a drama in three acts. New York: Random House, 1959. Print. Hughes, Langston. "Harlem by Langston Hughes." Poetry Foundation. N.p., 1 Jan. 1994. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175884>.

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