Characters in Raisin in the Sun Essay - 876 Words

Characters in Raisin in the Sun The characters in Lorraine Hansberry^s play are very significant in understanding the play. The characters are examples of they way Lorraine lived day by day her live when she was a kid. The success of the play was brought out by the characters and her way of keeping our interest with each one of them. They characters are very critical in understanding the play. There were four main characters that made the play a sellout, Lena, Ruth, Beneatha and Walter Lee. Each one of these characters had a dream to try to accomplish. The Characters portray the plays meaning in the way the play evolved into a masterpiece. Lorraine Hansberry studied African history while working on A Raisin in the†¦show more content†¦Africa becomes a symbol of heritage and a troublesome but hopeful future (Cheney 56). With the help of Paul Robeson, W.E.B Dubois and Frederick Douglass she created the play A Raisin in the Sun. Paul Robeson was a famous baritone singer. He inspired her to write A Raisin in the Sun. She loved his voice and the songs he sang. Hansberry learned from him ^...the way that most blacks lived, and the dangers of being an artist^ (Cheney 45-46). W.E.B Dubois was an original thinker and a sociologist. Hansberry ^...gained admiration for black intellectual, socialism, and black leadership^ (Cheney 40). Frederick Douglass was a another writer. Hansberry learned about slavery and its psychology. She also learned a ^...invaluable lesson that the sufferings of a people may be presented truthfully in ways that rise above propaganda to the level of art^ (Cheney 36-37). A Raisin in the Sun is a very interesting play about the Younger^s, a family that lives in the Chicago south side ghetto. The characters in the play are Ruth her husband Walter, their son Travis, also Beneatha and Lena. The family is poor and very much so hopeless in finding a new home. Lena is lucky though she found a very nice home in Clyborne Park in a white neighborhood. In the beginning of the play the family is waiting for a 10,000 dollar check. Each family member has there own thoughts on what they should do with the money. Lena wants a newShow MoreRelatedA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1322 Words   |  6 PagesIn the play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† written by Lorraine Hansberry, she is able to take us to place to see what it was like for an African American family to survive in the mid-twentieth century. The play details how the main characters are going through an evolving social and economic position, as well as the evolving gender roles. Hansberry uses the characterization of Beneatha, Ruth, and Walter in order to show the expectations and assigned gender roles for the characters in the story. In shortRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis917 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry the Younger family faces many conflicts. This is mainly because they are living in Chicago in the 1950’s. This was a time where many African Americans were discriminated, which caused the family to have many issues with money, jobs, and family. Two characters from the pay that help influence the plot would be Mama and Ruth. This is because of the roles they play, their conflicts, and their actions towards other character. Without the roles ofRead MoreRaisin In The Sun Character Analysis1156 Words   |  5 PagesThe Raisin in the Sun is about an African American family who live in Southside Chicago in the 1950’s. In that time period, African American families typically didn’t have nice houses, good jobs, or a lot of money. The family of five in the book live in a two-bedroom apartment with a bathroom that’s down the hallway that they have to share with other families in the building. This causes a lot of tension and issues since they can never really get away from one another. These issues help develop someRead MoreCharacter A nalysis Of A Raisin In The Sun1299 Words   |  6 Pagessoul longs for the satisfaction of meeting a goal? The obstacles along the way may cause one trouble, but one still strives for that personal satisfaction of knowing something grand was accomplished. A Raisin In The Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, gives off many aspects of the story’s characters wanting the reward of being able to say, â€Å"I did it†. Beneatha Younger, a passionate, strong-willed woman will do whatever it takes to pursue her dream of attending medical school. Along the way of wantingRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1052 Words   |  5 PagesName Instructor Name Class Date Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, tells the story of the Younger family, an African-American family living in poverty in 1950s Chicago. The family patriarch, Walter, is a limousine driver struggling to make ends meet and desperate to find a way to propel his family toward wealth. With his father’s death comes an insurance check for $10,000 and each member of the family has different ideas on what to do withRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Raisin In The Sun798 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play a Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee Younger is an African American man who portrays the role of a father, son, and husband. He has a dream to invest the incoming inherence into something that may help his family in the future. Once this idea comes to him it takes over his mind, and he cannot stop thinking about it. It acts as though its a drug, he addicted to talking about it. Also, when it is brought up in a conversation and someone disagrees he become very defensive. In a ddition, he isRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1004 Words   |  5 Pagesand preferences of the decision-maker. Our decisions are consequently what dictates our types of living conditions and can expand as far as determining our own health or the health of our families. In Lorraine Hansberry’s story A Raisin In The Sun the fictional character from the book, Mama, decides to use the insurance money she received from the loss of her husband to move out of her current neighborhood to move into a more suitable neighborhood for her and her family. After reading the story, IRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1026 Words   |  5 PagesIn A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, one of the featured characters is outgoing and ambitious Beneatha Younger, sister of Walter and daughter of Mama. Beneatha, commonly referred to as Bennie by her family, is an aspiring doctor and currently in medical school. In addition to these desires, she also acquires relati onships with Asagai and George Murchinson, two prominent male characters, throughout the course of the play. Although her career choice and relations with these men are completelyRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1592 Words   |  7 Pagesacquisitiveness have always had the ability to turn people into someone they are not. Greed can tear apart families and friendships when a person neglects others for their own benefit. This is depicted perfectly in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun which follows the lives of the Youngers, an African-American family living in 1950’s South Side Chicago. The focus is on a man named Walter Younger, who has the difficult decision of choosing between his personal dream and the progression ofRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of A Raisin Of The Sun Essay845 Words   |  4 PagesWriting Assignment 4: Character Analysis of â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† The male protagonist of this story is Walter Lee Younger, an African American, who plays the roles of a son, husband, father, and brother. The story is set in a Chicago Southside apartment, â€Å"sometime between World War II and the present [1959]† (Hansberry 919). Walter is physically described as â€Å"a lean, intense young man in his middle thirties, inclined to quick nervous movements and erratic speech habits—and always in his voice