Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin And The Sun, There Is A...

The epigraph to Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, there is a poem by Langston Hughes titled: â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† I believe the reason why Hansberry chose this particular poem as the epigraph to her play to be a form of foreshadowing and metaphor for the Younger family. In Hughes’s poem, there are four potential outcomes for when a raisin is left in the sun. It could fester like a sore and then run. A could smell like rotten meat. It could crust and sugar over. Or does it explode? Each of these potential outcomes could even be a direct parallel to each of the Youngers’ dreams, particularly Walter’s. However, throughout the course of the play several Youngers’ dreams come into direct conflict with one another or even the family dynamic itself. Especially when it involves the life insurance policy check that is coming which could change all their lives. Which also becomes a main focal point for all the strife in the family. Beneatha could best be described as the dawning of the modern woman in the 1950s. She’s educated and independent and aims very high for her ideal career choice as a doctor, but needs money for her schooling. And yet when it comes to her outlook on life Asagai summarizes her the best by bestowing upon her the name â€Å"Alaiyo.† Which means: One for whom bread-food-is not enough. Her attitude towards the money though could best be described as passive, unlike Walter who is constantly bringing up the topic she honestly could care lessShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of `` Lorraine Hansberry `` And Langston Hughes Essay1393 Words   |  6 PagesAwareness, paying attention, and being conscious of one s thoughts are some of the few things that can improve how people live and think. If more people start to become more aware of others thoughts and feelings, then it will affect those other people and oneself in positive ways. A few writers who discuss this topic are David W allace, Lorraine Hansberry, and Langston Hughes. In his commencement speech, Commencement Speech, Kenyon College, David Wallace explains the importance of getting a degreeRead MoreEveryday Use, Lorraine Hansberry And The Sun, And Langston Hughes s Poetry Essay1055 Words   |  5 Pagesthroughout literature, they still tend to be very similar. In Alice Walker’s short story â€Å"Everyday Use,† Lorraine Hansberry play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun,† and Langston Hughes’s poems â€Å"Harlem† and â€Å"Theme for English B† they evaluate the social construction of African Americans. What makes these authors so alike is the similarities that they share; being that they were all born in the early 1900’s, are all of African American ethnicity, and acknowledge the social construct of African Americans in theseRead MoreThe Dreams Of African Americans1352 Words   |  6 PagesIn the early 1950’s, it was extremely hard for an African America n to have their dreams come true. A poem by Langston Hughes entitled â€Å"Harlem† describes the dreams of African Americans during this time period. Lorraine Hansberry wrote â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† based off of this poem and it further depicts the struggles African Americans went through trying to achieve their dreams. The main characters in A Raisin in the Sun have dreams of their own, however, each stanza in the poem Harlem closely relatesRead More Unfulfilled Dreams in Lorraine Hansberrys Raisin in the Sun2536 Words   |  11 Pagescrystallizing and internally segmenting his own derived purpose and meaning of life until it is indiscernible from its original state of grandeur and grace? Those are some of the questions that Lorraine Hansberry poses for consideration in her play, A Raisin in the Sun. It is no accident that she chose Langston Hughes poem as a gateway into the incredible experience of true life, living, dreaming and working for a better tomorrow as enacted and emoted by her plays characters, the Youngers. More specificallyRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin1278 Words   |  6 Pages A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a realistic fictional drama in which the play s title and the characters represent the play s theme. The play focused on black American struggles to reach the American Dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness during the 1950’s and the 1960’s. The idea of everyone having the chance to achieve a better life should exist for all. Hansberry created her title using a line from Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"A Dream Deferred† the original poem was writtenRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin1120 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"A raisin in the sun† was written by Lorraine Hansberry. The play was not expected to do so well because it had one white cast member, an inexperienced director, and an untried playwright. Set in the south side of Chicago in the 1950s, the play begins in the morning in the Youngers apartment. Their apartment has two bedrooms, one for mama and Beneatha, and one for Ruth and Walter, w hile Walter’s son Travis sleeps on the couch in the living room. Ruth gets up first and talks and Walter and TravisRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Harlem 1303 Words   |  6 PagesJames Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet; a Joplin, Missouri native and an active, versatile writer, earning acclaim as a poet, novelist, playwright and columnist. He was one of the first poets to explore an innovative sing-songy, stylized delivery called jazz poetry. As an African-American, his point of view, collectively synergized with this then-new literary art, catapulted his writings between the 1930s - 1960s. He is often credited as the leader of the Harlem Renaissance, and â€Å"famouslyRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin1474 Words   |  6 PagesLorraine Hansberry created the play A Raisin in the Sun. A Raisin in the Sun recounts an anecdote about The Youngers who is a poor African American family living on the Southside of Chicago. A chance to escape from neediness comes as a $10,000 extra security watch that the female authority of the family (Lena/Mama) gets upon her significant other s passing. Lena s kids, Walter and Beneatha, each have plans with the cash. The most established child, Walter (a man of 35 with a spouse and a youthfulRead MoreDreams As A Mode Of Freedom1611 Words   |  7 Pagesmotif began to articulate a more hopeful future. While some of the poems by the Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes harbor a melancholy attitude echoing that of the Negro Spirituals, Hughes’s work can mainly be seen as the turning point for how the motif of dreams would be portrayed in the works of prominent black authors and figureheads. Langston Hughes was the beginning of the positive portrayal of the dream. At the time, Hughes flourished within his community and it wouldn’t be until many yearsRead More Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun - Dignity and the American Dream1248 Words   |  5 PagesDignity and the American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun   Ã‚  Ã‚   The American Dream, although different for each of us, is what we all aspire to achieve. In Lorraine Hansberrys, play, A Raisin in the Sun, each member of the Younger family desperately hopes for their own opportunity to achieve the American Dream. The American Dream to the Younger family is to own a home, but beyond that, to Walter Younger, it is to be accepted by white society.    In the book entitled Advertising the American