a raisin in the sun essay questions pdf

A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film) Essay Questions

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What does the potted plant that Lena takes with her at the end of the film represent?

Walter Lee has just told Mr. Lindner that they will be moving into their new home. A home paid for with the life insurance money from Walter Lee's father, Lena's husband. The movers begin to take furniture and boxes as the family leaves for their new home. Lena stays behind to say goodbye to her husband and before leaving grabs a potted plant which represents the seed of the dream that she and her husband have given their entire lives to nourish and ensure it has an opportunity to grow. That seed is freedom. Freedom from having to live the same life for another generation. Freedom from the belief that their isn't more than this. Her plant represents this freedom coming to fruition for her and her children.

What is the significance of the opening shot being Walter Lee in a close up as he sleeps?

Walter Lee is a dreamer. He wants to be a success, and to him that means making money hand over fist. By doing so this means that he will be the kind of man that is respected by his family and his community. Thus showing him sleeping is revealing that he lives most in a state of dreaming and being in a close up shows that his concern is focused on what he desires with no one else included. When he awakens to the reality of his life, which his wife Ruth must shout at him in order to get him out of bed. This shot creates the significance of Walter Lee's journey to being able to stand with his entire family and tell Mr. Lindner that they are moving in to their new home. He goes from a selfish dreamer to a man who stands for his family.

Why does Lena demand that Travis stay in the room while Walter Lee speaks to Mr. Lindner?

Ruth has just told Travis to go play outside, and Lena will not allow it. She wants Travis to stay and listen to Walter Lee explain to him as to why he is going to take the money from the association and trample the family's dreams. If Walter Lee is the head of the family, Lena is demanding that no matter the choices he makes he must live with them and his son must know the truth of his decision that he may see and understand. Thus when Walter Lee rejects the money it has the antithesis effect for Travis who sees his father stand for what is right. A lesson he will carry with him all the days of his life.

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A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film) Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film) is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why does A Raisin in the Sun remain relevant today?

Besides the racial elements which sadly still exist today, you might consider Greed. Walter is greedy. He is greedy for what he feels he is entitled to, greedy for success, greedy for something better than what he currently has. This greed blinds...

do benathea and ausgi get married and move to africa

I don't think they do in the text but I'm not sure about the movie version.

A Raisin in the Sun

Beneatha's purpose in using this allusion is to let Lindner know that unlike Judas, they will not betray one another for money.

Study Guide for A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film)

A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film) study guide contains a biography of director Daniel Petrie, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film)
• A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film) Summary
• Character List
• Director's Influence

Essays for A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film)

A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film) essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film), directed by Daniel Petrie.

• Petrie's Film Adaptation: Placing A Raisin in the Sun in a New Light

Wikipedia Entries for A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film)

• Introduction
• Awards and reception

104 A Raisin in the Sun Essay Topics & Examples

Below, see A Raisin in the Sun essay topics collected by our team . Use these original titles to examine the themes of poverty and the American dream.

🏆 Best A Raisin in the Sun Essay Topics & Examples

📌 simple & easy essay topics for a raisin in the sun, 🔖 most interesting a raisin in the sun essay prompt, ❓ a raisin in the sun essay questions.

• Walter Lee Younger: Character Analysis Essay This promise is immature; Walter knows very well that getting the money to invest in his business remains a point of contention, yet he promises Willy that he would take the money.
• Deferred Dreams in Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” In the play A Raisin in the Sun, the playwriter uses art to fictionalize encounters of a delayed dream by a family; it is a supposition of the poem by Hughes.
• Play Review: “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry The family is living in a shabby South Chicago apartment and each of the family’s members is on the pursuit of his/her dream.
• Comparing A Raisin in the Sun by L. Hansberry and Fences by A. Wilson As the story opens, each person in the family is thinking of what to do with the money they are about to get from an insurance firm as compensation of Mr.
• Literature Comparison: A Raisin in the Sun and A Dream Deferred Despite the seeming difference in genre, stylistic choices, characters and settings, the novel Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and Langston Hughes’ poem A Dream Deferred have a lot in common; in fact, one […]
• “Raisin in the Sun” and “Harlem” Hansberry and Hughes introduce the same idea of a dream compared to a raisin dried up in the sun, but explain it in different ways in order to show how the interpretation of a thought […]
• Beneatha’s Dream Analysis From “A Raisin in the Sun” However, as levelheaded as she is, she still has a dream of her own. Beneatha’s dream of becoming a doctor defines the character’s main decisions, making her more vulnerable and relatable.
• Compare and Contrast Lena Younger and Walter Lee Younger She seems more concerned about the status of living conditions and the ability to enjoy the freedom as opposed to being in possession of money.
• Racial Discrimination in “A Raisin in the Sun” Racial discrimination is the main theme of the book, strongly reflecting the situation that prevailed during the 1950s in the United States, a time when the story’s Younger family lived in Chicago’s South Side ghetto.
• The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Drama In the play A Raising in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, each member of the Younger family has his/her own idea on how to spend $10,000 that the family received from the insurance cover of […]
• Generations in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry For instance, in Lorraine Hansberry’s play Raisin in the Sun, the concept is shown via the manifestation of generational parity and its influence on the Youngers family’s characters.
• A Raisin in the Sun: The Play by Lorraine Hansberry Climax in the play is realized when Walter is made to understand by Bobo that Willy, the man entrusted with the money to start a liquor business has run away with the money, this thus […]
• Hero or Zero: Analysis of Walter in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry When his mother gets insurance for ten thousand dollars after his father’s death, he decides to take a risk and invest a part of the money in a liquor store.
• Appearance in “Othello” and “A Raisin in the Sun” The paper under analysis is based on the comparison of Othello by Shakespeare and A Raising in the Sun by Hansberry through the manifesting of the theme of the racial segregation and the nature of […]
• Realism in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry “A Raisin in the Sun” is a play in three acts whose action unfolds sometime between the end of World War II and the 1950s.
• “The Day It Happened” by Rosario Morales and “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry The two characters’ attitude towards their background is also different as Ramon is proud of being Hispanic and he speaks Spanish with his wife when he pleads her to stay, “Si te vas me mato.
• Feminism and Roles in “A Raisin in the Sun” Play These are such questions as: “What does Beneatha’s conduct reveal about her intentions?”, “How does the character treat female’s role in society?”, “How does Beneatha regard poor people?”, “How does the heroine explain her choice […]
• Race Barriers to Dreams. “A Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry Focusing on the life of a Black American family, the author discusses the problems of race-based prejudice, segregation, historical memory, and the role of generational gaps in racial minorities’ attitudes to injustice.
• “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorrain Hansberry Review That little plant is the symbol of hope for a family determined to escape the squalor and violence of the ghetto.
• “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry Literature Analysis The book, A Raisin in the Sun, clearly Lorraine Hansberry’s masterpiece, presents a 1950s life of a family- the Youngers; the family is caught up with individualism as they make decisions regarding money acquired from […]
• The Play “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry As a result, the educated and intelligent Beneatha chooses the sincere Asagai, with whom she is not shy about leaving her hair curled and dancing to African music. Thus, Beneatha is a strong heroine who […]
• Walter Lee Younger in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry The story that best exemplifies the traits of the character at the beginning of the play is the opportunity to sell the house.
• “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” and “A Raisin in the Sun” In this regard, the decisions of Hamlet, Claudius, Walter, and Lena illustrate the character’s commitment to family despite differences of opinion and disagreements.
• Hanisberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” and Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” The characters in A Raising in the Sun are real in the sense that the reader can have a feel of a mother’s love for her family and for her children to succeed in life.
• My Life and “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry Racial segregation is a core factor which intended many famous American writers, playwrights, social figures in the first half of the twentieth century to show the real state of things in the “democratic and free” […]
• Racial Segregation in Two Books “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansbury and “The Child by Tiger” by Thomas Wolfe In this paper, we will discuss the elements of ‘racism’ portrayed in the two books, “A Raisin in the Sun”, written by Lorraine Hansbury, and “The Child by Tiger”, by Thomas Wolfe.
• A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry: Play Analysis It does well to portray the social features of strong segregation and racial discrimination that prevailed during the 1950s in the United States, a time when the story’s younger family lived in Chicago’s South Side […]
• “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry: Major Full-Length Play Lena expresses misgivings about Walter’s plan to invest in the liquor business, and he, in turn, accuses his mother of destroying his dream of becoming a successful businessman and providing for his family. Hansberry wants […]
• A Raisin in the Sun by Jane G. A. Racial discrimination is the main theme of the book, strongly reflecting the situation that prevailed during the 1950s in the United States, a time when the story’s Younger family lived in Chicago’s South Side ghetto.
• “A Raisin in the Sun” Play by Lorraine Hansberry This paper is discussing the character of the relationship between mama and her son Walter together with the problems which are brought up in the interaction of these two characters in the play.
• The Novel “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry Taking a closer look at the way the Youngers family lives, one can see the writer’s concern for the Black American society and the relationships within the Afro-Americans as well as the relations between the […]
• ‘The Glass Menagerie’ and ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ Drama Analysis The two plays ‘The Glass Menagerie’ and ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ brings out the features of American society. On the other hand, the play ‘The Glass Menagerie’ portrays the American men who ran away […]
• A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry The check is on life insurance and is to be given to Lena due to the death of her husband. Wilter asks for the insurance money in order for him to work with it and […]
• Thematic Analysis of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” Mama, the head of the family plans to buy a house and fulfill her lifetime dream which she shared with her late husband. Walter’s understanding of this American dream marks the center of the conflict […]
• The Constant Struggle of the African American Family in a White Man’s World in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• Parent-Child Conflict in Lorraine Hansberry’s Play “A Raisin in the Sun”
• An Analysis of Hidden Tensions in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
• Materialism and Manhood in Lorraine Hansberry’s Play “A Raisin in the Sun”
• The Effects of Racial Segregation in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
• Resolving Conflicts in Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”
• “A Raisin in the Sun” and African-American Stereotypes
• An Analysis of Family Values and Morals in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
• “A Raisin in the Sun”: African-American Personal and Collective Identity
• The Idea of Black Feminism in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
• The Circumscribed and Tragic Hero: Lena’s Role in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• Male and Female Relationships in Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”
• The Important Life Lessons in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
• The Pursuit of Happiness in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• The Suffering of African-Americans in “The Colored Museum” and “A Raisin in the Sun”
• The Ordinary View of the Mid-Twentieth Century African-American Male in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• Concepts of Love and Wealth in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
• An Analysis of Shattered Dreams in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
• A Young Family’s Predicaments in Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”
• Money and Its Effects on People’s Lives in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
• Fighting Charges of Assimilation in Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”
• The Struggles of the Racial Minority Groups in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
• Negative Effects of the American Dream in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• The Ways in Which the Setting of “A Raisin in the Sun” Has a Profound Effect Upon Two of the Characters
• Characters Representing Major Ideas and Themes in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• The Changing Roles of Women in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• An Analysis of the Themes in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
• Walter’s Women and His Successes in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• Use of Imagery in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
• The Depiction of Manhood in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• Motherhood in “The Glass Menagerie” and “A Raisin in the Sun”
• The Problems That the Older Generation Has in Dealing With the Younger Generation in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• The Effects of Dreams and Desires in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• How Family Affects Oneself in “The Bean Trees” and “A Raisin in the Sun”
• “Of Mice and Men” and “A Raisin in the Sun”: The American Dream
• Prejudice and Racism: Home Ownership in “A Raisin in the Sun” and in America
• Literary Values in Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”
• Story of a Black Family Struggling to Survive in Chicago in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• Difficulities in “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
• A Point of No Return After Which the Life of a Person Can Never Be the Same in “A Raisin in the Sun”
• In What Ways Is Hansberry Challenging Stereotypes of African Americans in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Is the Conflict in the Story “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• How Is the Theme of Assimilation Treated in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Why Is Walter Unhappy in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does Eat Your Eggs Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Why Is the Play Called “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• How Is Beneatha Different From Other Younger Family Members in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Is the Main Theme of “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does Africa Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does the New House Signify to Each of the Youngers in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• How Is Money a Symbol in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• How Does Walter Change From the Beginning of “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does Big Walter Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Who Steals the Money in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does the Liquor Store Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does “A Raisin in the Sun” Say About Identity?
• What Does the Green Hat Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Why Do You Think Mama Changes Her Mind and Gives Walter the Insurance Money in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Is the Significance of Mama’s Plant in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Are Main Symbols in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Why Did Walter Open a Liquor Store in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does the Insurance Money Represent to Mama in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does the Music Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does the Apartment Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Why Is Mama’s Little Plant So Important to Her in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Does Ruth Symbolize in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• Why Did Mama Give Walter the Money in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Is the Importance of Having Mama Return to the Empty Apartment to Grab Her Plant in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• What Are the Greatest Strains on Walter and Ruth’s Marriage in “A Raisin in the Sun”?
• The Handmaid’s Tale Research Ideas
• The Glass Menagerie Paper Topics
• The House on Mango Street Research Topics
• The Yellow Wallpaper Ideas
• Fences Ideas
• The Crucible Research Topics
• A Streetcar Named Desire Titles
• Scarlet Letter Research Ideas
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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IvyPanda . 2024. "104 A Raisin in the Sun Essay Topics & Examples." February 22, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/a-raisin-in-the-sun-essay-examples/.

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "104 A Raisin in the Sun Essay Topics & Examples." February 22, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/a-raisin-in-the-sun-essay-examples/.

A Raisin in the Sun

76 pages • 2 hours read

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Discussion Questions

Since A Raisin in the Sun opened on Broadway in 1959, it has been revived numerous times all over the world. The play has been adapted into multiple films, translations, and even a Tony Award–winning 1973 Broadway musical. The play concerns a very specific demographic during a particular moment in American history. Why do you think the text speaks to so many different types of audiences? What about the play can be universalized?

Consider the Langston Hughes poem “Harlem,” from which Lorraine Hansberry takes the name of the play. How does the play illustrate the ideas in the poem? What is the message of the poem? How does this translate in the play? Who or what is the “raisin in the sun”?

The end of the play leaves the future of the characters open. For instance, the audience never learns whether Beneatha goes to Africa. Two playwrights, Bruce Norris—with his 2010 play Clybourne Park —and Kwame Kwei-Armah—with the 2013 play Beneatha’s Place —wrote works that speculated upon what may have happened next for the characters. How would you continue their stories? What do you think happens next?

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