Conflicts in an American Family in play A Raisin in the...

Conflicts in an American Family in play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry The play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† illustrates three main conflicts in the younger family life; they are internal, social, and interpersonal. The conflicts in the story give insight as to who the characters are and what they really want out of life. Conflict is one of the underlying themes in the play, which was written by Lorraine Hansberry, it helps to tell the story and explain the situation that the Younger family is in. The characters in this story were African American, but they could have been from any ethnic group because the problems that they have to face apply to us all. Ossie Davis said it best when he said the â€Å" it didn’t really have to be about†¦show more content†¦Beneatha feels that by becoming a doctor she will have a new life (Cheney, 58). However like everything else in this play there are obstacles to overcome. The biggest obstacle is the fact that she is a black woman. In the sixties woman in general were treated unequally much less a black woman. The second obstacle is her brothers Walter â€Å"†¦ go be a nurse like other woman† (Hansberry 1.1 1019). Walter is very much opposed to his sister’s education because of the fact that he wants to use the money to fund his dream. Characters in the play, aside from fighting with each other also have to deal with their own internal struggles. The best example of this sort of internal conflict is Ruth. Ruth is pregnant and does not know what to do. She wants to get an abortion to prevent putting any more strain on the family (Cheney, 61). She also feels that by having a baby it could put more pressure on Walter and instead of him wanting to sell liquor he will start to consume it and destroy his life. Lena is another one of the characters that faces an internal conflict. Her conflict is with the money. She has full control of the check and has already used part of it for a down payment on the house she bought. The other part of the check is where her d ilemma lies. She wants to see Beneatha go to medical school, but at the same time she sees how desperate Walter is. Reluctantly she hands over control of the money to her son. SheShow MoreRelatedEssay on Compare Contrast a Raisin in the Sun1026 Words   |  5 PagesCompare and Contrast A Raisin In The Sun Essay In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, and 1961 movie written by Lorraine Hansberry and presented by Columbia pictures, one of the most important themes is the American Dream. Many of the characters have hopes and dreams. They all strive towards their goals throughout. However, many of the characters have different dreams that clash with each other. Problems seem to arise when different people’s dreams conflict with one anotherRead MoreSummary Of Lorraine Hansberry 1486 Words   |  6 PagesLorraine Hansberry, born May 19, 1930, made a very prominent contribution to society in her short lived life. She was born to a middle class family as the youngest of four children. Her father was a successful real estate broker who also founded one of the first Negro banks in Chicago (Adams 247). Lorraine’s mother was a schoolteacher named Nannie Perry who later became a ward committeewoman. In 1938, Lorraine’s father took a stand against the real estate covenants in Chicago due to the fact thatRead MoreTimeless Themes A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry1306 Words   |  6 Pagesnotable plays on the topic of racial minorities and family issues, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, has continued to be popular since it was written in 1959. The play is about an African American family, consisting of five members, who live in Southside Chicago during the post-World-War-Two era. The Younger family is crowded in a tiny, worn, and shabby apartment and they are fairly poor. They never have much surplus money until Walter’s father, and Mama’s husband, died and the family receivedRead MoreThe Great Playwright s Life Story2415 Words   |  10 PagesBefore the relatively short life of Lorraine Hansberry tragically ended, the African-American playwright distinguished herself in American theatre and literature as she creatively and unknowingly chall enged the views of African-American life, among other inescapable issues of the nation and the world, on the theatrical stage. The great playwright’s life story began on May 19, 1930. Although born during a time of hardship introduced by the Great Depression, Hansberry grew up rather comfortably in a middle-classRead Moreâ€Å"A Proud-Acting Bunch†: The Issues of Suburbanization and Class Stratification in â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† 1462 Words   |  6 Pagesmiddle-class African Americans, who sought a suburban life that both â€Å"express[ed] and reinforce[d] their newly won social position.† (Wiese 101) However, this middle-class migration from urban areas left behind working class African Americans such as the Younger family of Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun.† While the Younger family of â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† finally realize the suburban dream of a home with â€Å"three bedrooms†¦ and a nice b ig basement† (Hansberry 92), the decision toRead More Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun Essay575 Words   |  3 Pages Conflict in A Raisin in the Sun amp;#9;In the play A Raisin in the Sun, the playwright Lorraine Hansberry depicts the life of an impoverished African American family living on the south side of Chicago. The Youngers, living in a small apartment and having dreams larger than the world in which the live, often use verbal abuse as a way to vent their problems. Many times, this verbal abuse leads to unnecessary conflict within the family. The most frequently depicted conflict is that between WalterRead MoreLorraine Hansberry1192 Words   |  5 PagesLorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun The characters in Lorraine Hansberrys 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 WalterRead MoreCharacters in Raisin in the Sun Essay876 Words   |  4 PagesCharacters 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 WalterRead More Racism and the American Dream in Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun1340 Words   |  6 PagesA Raisin in the Sun is written by a famous African- American play write, Lorraine Hansberry, in 1959. It was a first play written by a black woman and directed by a black man, Lloyd Richards, on Broadway in New York. The story of A Raisin in the Sun is based on Lorraine Hansberry’s own early life experiences, from which she and her whole family had to suffer, in Chicago. Hansberry’s father, Carol Hansberry, also fought a legal battle against a racial restrictive covenant that attempted to stop African-Read MoreRacial Identity in A Raisin in the Sun: Who Am I?1102 Words   |  5 Pages Growing up as a child during the 1970s in a predominantly African American neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles, the differences between me and my playmates never occurred to me. Although my mother and I eventually moved to the suburbs, my father remained there well into my adulthood. However, it was not until late childhood, while visiting my father on weekends, that I started to differentiate between my friends and myself, and my father’s home and my home. The realization I was different