Great Midwestern Educational Theatre Company’s Study Guide for A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Table of Contents & Production Information Table of Contents • Dear Educator… • About the Play • Historical Issues • Educational Issues • Housing & Neighborhood Class Issues • Empowerment‚ Employment‚ & Diversity • Family Values‚ Family Roles Production Staff Director: Amy Ressler Stage Manager: Marquita
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committed to the Black struggle for equality and human rights‚ Lorraine Hansberry became a spokesperson for black Americans. Her writings reflect her fight for black civil rights‚ which is reflected by her views against racism and sexual and statutory discrimination. A Raisin in the Sun was first produced in 1959. The play personified many of the issues which were to divide American culture during the decade of the 1960s. Lorraine Hansberry‚ the playwright‚ was an unknown dramatist until she achieved
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1959 was the first Broadway debut of Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun. The play was considered a racial milestone of the time. Stated by The Washington Post‚ “Its impact on an artistic level had a power like Brown v. Board of Education or Jackie Robinson. It was a moment in theatrical history both epic and serene” (Washington Post 1). A Raisin in the Sun is about a 1950’s African-American family trying to reach their dreams and obtain a better life for themselves. Lorraine Hansberry uses
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A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a story about a family whose continues to struggle while reaching towards the American Dream. The American Dream is described as “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work‚ determination‚ and initiative.” The Youngers are a hardworking family who all have different interpretations of the American Dream. Mama‚ Walter‚ and Beneatha’s shared powerful dreams that give the a look into
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In the play‚ A Raisin in the Sun‚ by Lorraine Hansberry‚ an African American family living during the 1950’s in a small apartment deal with many struggles and differences that cause each member of the family to have different dreams. The family is given an insurance check from the father’s death that opens many doors for the family. Although this check opens many doors‚ the family’s thoughts of what they should do‚ do not line up‚ and it is uncertain which door the family‚ as a whole should take
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A Raisin in the Sun : Dream of Middle class A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959.[1] The title comes from the poem "Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred"[2]) by Langston Hughes. The story is based upon a black family’s experiences in the Washington Park Subdivision of Chicago’sWoodlawn neighborhood. Plot Walter and Ruth Younger and their son Travis‚ along with Walter’s mother Lena (Mama) and sister Beneatha‚ live in poverty in a dilapidated two-bedroom
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March 2011 Roser 8 Raisin in the sun essay Pursuing dreams People have dreams to be successful in life but they are not aware of the hard work. Chris Gardner‚ from the movie‚ “The Pursuit of Happyness” and Walter Younger in the novel‚ The Raisin in The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry struggle with this problem in pursuing their dreams. “The Pursuit of Happyness” set in San Francisco in the 1980’s‚ focused on Chris Gardner‚ a man without money‚ who was pursing his dreams to make a better
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Struggling for Opportunity In the 1950’s‚ black Americans were considered separate but equal. However‚ that was not how they were treated. They were still treated with disrespect and kept in a low social status. In the play‚ “A Raisin in the Sun‚” Lorraine Hansberry brings forth the struggles that were faced by black Americans living in Chicago in the early days of the civil rights movements such as job discrimination‚ housing discrimination‚ and unequal educational opportunities. One struggle
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A Raisin in the Sun‚ contains many conflicts and prejudice injustices through out the story. It draws your attention to each characters dream‚ aspirations‚ and their individual characteristics. A Raisin in the Sun is symbolic‚ shows Walter’s progress as a dynamic character‚ the development of Mama’s understanding of herself and her harvest (children) and finally the influences Big Walter had on their lives. There are many different instances where the title is symbolic. African Americans are
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wants and desires that come with wealth. The American dream consists of wants such as a car‚ a nice house‚ a family‚ and financial security. In the story A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry‚ Characters Walter‚ Beneatha‚ Mama‚ Ruth‚ and Travis all have dreams that they want to fulfill and finally have the opportunity to do so. Focusing on three of the characters whose dreams were made more apparent‚ Mama‚ Walter‚ and Beneatha all had very different dreams that were all resting upon the check of their
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