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A Raisin in the Sun
by
Lorraine Hansberry
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A Raisin in the Sun
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A Raisin in the Sun Themes
Little Words, Big Ideas
Dreams, Hopes, and Plans
In A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family is given an opportunity to actualize its various dreams, hopes, and plans when a $10,000 check comes in the mail. The play explores the complications inhe...
Race
A Raisin in the Sun depicts ordinary Americans who happen to be black – and explores how the fact of their race inhibits them from accomplishing their dreams. In other words, A Raisin in the...
Pride
Pride is portrayed in an extremely positive light in A Raisin in the Sun. Since the play is depicting people who have little else to their name, pride is a means for them to hold on to their dignit...
Family
Family is portrayed in A Raisin in the Sun as an incredibly discrete unit that must project a certain image in the world. Within the family, relatives may quarrel, nag, and insult each other, but w...
Poverty
Socio-economically, the Youngers are at the bottom of the ladder. This not-so-great position affects Walter Younger the most. While his wife and mother are reasonably accepting of their situation,...
Suffering
The Younger family is cooped up inside a small apartment in the slums, barely making ends meet with Walter, Ruth, and Lena all working menial jobs. Throughout their sufferings, they keep dreams and...
Dissatisfaction
What will all the suffering and sacrifice going on, it’s not difficult to predict that the characters in A Raisin the Sun are, for the most part, dissatisfied. This dissatisfaction affects Wa...
The Home
A Raisin in the Sun takes places entirely in the Younger family’s cramped apartment. Although it’s technically their home, Mama dreams of shifting their home to a bigger house because s...
Gender
Notions of masculinity and femininity are woven throughout the play. Walter, in particular, feels his socio-economic situation much more strongly given that he’s supposed to be the "man" of t...
Choices
Individuals in A Raisin in the Sun frequently assert their right to make choices without consulting other family members. Ruth decides to put a down payment on the abortion of unborn new child with...
Sacrifice
In A Raisin in the Sun, incredible sacrifices are made for the benefit of the family. Some family members are more willing to shoulder sacrifice than others, however, which leads to conflict. Accep...