Arguably the first play to portray Black characters, themes, and conflicts in a natural and realistic manner, A Raisin in the Sun received the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play of the Year. Hansberry was the youngest playwright, the fifth woman, and the only Black writer at that point to win the award.
How did people respond to A Raisin in the Sun?
Many people have called Hansberry a visionary and her writing prophetic. She addressed issues unfamiliar at the time but soon to be at the forefront of discussion: concepts of black beauty, generational conflict, class differences, feminism and black Americans’ relationship to their African past.
Was A Raisin in the Sun successful?
Once Raisin had opened, it garnered almost immediate success despite the tepid audience at its last preview performance. The first play to debut on Broadway that was either written by a black woman or directed by a black director (Lloyd Richards), Raisin earned four Tony Award nominations, including Best Play.
How did A Raisin in the Sun impact society?
A Raisin in the Sun opened the eyes of many to the discrimination, racism, and struggles that black families faced. Everyone including white people could relate to the play because everyone has their own idea of freedom, and the dreams they wish to achieve.
How did they get the money in raisin in the sun?
This money comes from the deceased Mr. Younger’s life insurance policy. Each of the adult members of the family has an idea as to what he or she would like to do with this money. The matriarch of the family, Mama, wants to buy a house to fulfill a dream she shared with her husband.
Why was A Raisin in the Sun successful?
The crowning achievement of this film version of A Raisin in the Sun is its very fidelity to its theatrical origins: the way it successfully brings to the screen the play’s elucidation of the difficulties that African Americans have contended with for generations, presenting fully realized black characters in a medium
Why was A Raisin in the Sun significant?
Lorraine Hansberry wrote this drama, becoming the first African American woman to have a play produced on Broadway in 1959. Set in the 1950s, Hansberry’s work addresses the racial and gender issues that occurred then and still ring true today.
How did A Raisin in the Sun end?
A Raisin in the Sun ends with the Younger family leaving their longtime apartment in Chicago’s South Side neighborhood in order to move into a house they’ve purchased in the otherwise all-white neighborhood of Clybourne Park.
What does Travis received from his father before leaving for school?
Clearly, Travis is spoiled. In the first scene of the play, we watch him cleverly get what he wants (the fifty cents his teacher has told him to bring to school) from his father after his mother has emphatically stated that they just don’t have fifty cents.
What does Mama’s plant symbolize?
Mama’s Plant
Her care for her plant is similar to her care for her children, unconditional and unending despite a less-than-perfect environment for growth. The plant also symbolizes her dream to own a house and, more specifically, to have a garden and a yard.
What are the social issues in raisin in the sun?
The play shows problems like racial inequality, gender in equality, views about other countries, and the problem with money. Racial inequality is a recurring theme throughout the play. The Younger family, who are African American, are unwanted in a neighborhood that is occupied by mainly white people.
Was A Raisin in the Sun a true story?
A Raisin in the Sun is not a true story but is based on many situations that happened to black families. Lorraine Hansberry the writer of the play had a real-life experience like the Younger’s. Her family had to fight in court for the right to own the house they bought in a white neighborhood.
What is the climax of the story A Raisin in the Sun?
Answer and Explanation: The climax of A Raisin in the Sun occurs when Bobo tells Walter that Willy Harris, their business partner, has run off with their money for the liquor store. Ruth, Walter’s wife, is horrified. Beneatha is stunned that someone else’s actions have robbed her of her dreams.
Does Walter get his money back A Raisin in the Sun?
He’s prepared to totally shame himself for the money. In the end, though, Walter is redeemed when he eventually refuses to take the money from Mr. Lindner.
Who got the money in A Raisin in the Sun?
Later she relents and gives the remaining $6,500 to Walter to invest, with the provision that he reserve $3,000 for Beneatha’s education. Walter gives all of the money to Willy, who takes it and flees, depriving Walter and Beneatha of their dreams, though not the Youngers of their new home.
What idea does Walter get money back?
Walter’s Bright Idea
Walter comes up with an idea to make his situation better. He dreams of opening a liquor store with one of his friends, because he feels it will allow him to make enough money to provide for the family and give him the power to be his own boss.
What does Ruth value in A Raisin in the Sun?
Ruth constantly puts the wellbeing of the family above her own needs. When she learns that she’s pregnant, she even considers having an abortion because she knows the family can’t afford another mouth to feed. In the end, Ruth finds hope in the family’s decision to move into a bigger house in a better neighborhood.
What difficulties did the first production of Raisin in the Sun face?
A Raisin in the Sun Introduction
With only one white cast member, an inexperienced director, and an untried playwright, Hansberry had difficulty finding financial backing for the play at a time when theater audiences were overwhelmingly white.
What is the historical context of the play A Raisin in the Sun?
A Raisin in the Sun is a play about an African American family aspiring to move beyond segregation and disenfranchisement in 1950s Chicago. Despite its specific era, the work speaks universally to the desire to improve one’s circumstances while disagreeing on the best way of achieving them.
How much was the insurance check that the younger family received?
As Mama tells Ruth, Big Walter “finally worked hisself to death” in an effort to support his family financially, procuring a $10,000 life insurance policy that would provide for his family after his death.
What does A Raisin in the Sun say about the American dream?
Walter Lee is the son of Mama and the husband of Ruth, his dream is to buy a liquor store, he wants the ability to “own” something and the privilege to call something his. The American Dream is achieved through risk-taking, challenging the expectations of society, and sacrifice.