Lorraine Hansberry Kenley White

 Lorraine Hansberry was born may 19 th, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois.  Most famous for her work as a playwright and author  Was the first black playwright  Heavily involved in civil rights  Attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison but did not graduate because she dropped out to move to New York City  Died of pancreatic cancer

 Youngest of 4 children  Granddaughter of a freed slave  Daughter to a sucessful real estate broker and a chool teacher  Just like in “A Raisin in the Sun,” Hansberry’s family was viciously attacked with racial slurs for moving in to a primarily white neighborhood.  Her family was ordered by the court to move, but the case made it to the Supreme Court as Hansberry vs. Lee

 While in New York, she attended the New School for Social Research and worked for a progressive black newspaper called Freedom  A Raisin in the Sun was originally titled The Crystal Stair, and was named after Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem: A Dream Deferred”

 Chicago’s South Side during the 1950s

 The Younger family is awaiting the arrival of a $10,000 check from the late Mr. Younger’s life insurance policy.  The whole family has ideas about how the money should be spent.  Mama, head of the family, wants to use the money as a down payment on a new house, so they can leave their overcrowded apartment.

 Walter, Mama’s son and the man of the family, wants to invest the money into opening a liquor store, with the hopes that it can solve the family’s financial issues forever.  Ruth, Walter’s wife, just hopes for an opportunity to create a better life for their son, Travis, who is currently sleeping on the couch in their small apartment.  Beneatha, Walter’s sister, hopes that the money can pay her medical school tuition, so that she can escape the stereotypes and really make something of herself.

 As the play progresses, each family member’s true motives are revealed  Walter has a problem with alcohol because he drinks to forget about the issues his struggling family is facing  Ruth is pregnant with their second child, and is considering having an abortion in order to avoid putting even more financial stress on the family  Beneatha is searching for her identity in her African roots, and has received a marriage proposal from her Nigerian boyfriend.

 Mama makes an executive decision and places a down payment on house for the family in Clybourne Park, which is a white neighborhood.  Neighbors are angered by the idea of having black neighbors, so they send Mr. Lindner to offer money to the family so that they will not move in.  The Youngers turn down this deal and choose to move in anyway  Mama places her trust in Walter by giving him the rest of the money for safekeeping, Walter ruins that trust by investing in the liquor store, which turns out to be a scam by Willy Harris

 Mama – Strong maternal instincts, only wants what is best for the family, shows unconditional love, only wants to own a house  Walter Younger – Protagonist, money hungry, dreamer  Ruth Younger – Caregiver for the family, always thinking of her son, feels distant from Walter  Beneatha Younger – Young college student, major dreams to accomplish, searches for identity in African culture

 Travis Younger – Walter and Ruth’s son, sleeps on the couch, tries his best to support his family by carrying groceries  Mr. Lindner – Resident of Clybourne Park, sent to offer money to the Youngers  Bobo – friend of Walter  Willy Harris – Man who steals Walter’s money for the “liquor store”  Joseph Asagi – Nigerian man who proposes to Beneatha and influences her interest in Africa

 Beneatha (discussing Walter): “Love him? There’s nothing left to love.”  Mama: “There is always something left to love. And if you ain't learned that, you ain't learned nothing. (Looking at her) Have you cried for that boy today? I don't mean for yourself and for the family 'cause we lost the money. I mean for him: what he been through and what it done to him. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most? When they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain't through learning - because that ain't the time at all. It's when he's at his lowest and can't believe in hisself 'cause the world done whipped him so! when you starts measuring somebody, measure him right, child, measure him right. Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys he come through before he got to wherever he is.”

 Walter : “Money is life.”  Mama: “Something has changed. You something new, boy. In my time we was worried about not being lynched and getting to the North if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch of dignity too...Now here come you and Beneatha - talking 'bout things we ain't never even thought about hardly, me and your daddy. You ain't satisfied or proud of nothing we done. I mean that you had a home; that we kept you out of trouble till you was grown; that you don't have to ride to work on the back of nobody's streetcar - You my children - but how different we done become.’

 Mama: “He came into his manhood today, didn’t he? Kinda like the rainbow after the rain.”  Walter: “You tired, ain’t you? Tired of everything. Me, the boy, the way we live – this beat-up hole – everything. Ain’t you?”

 Chasing dreams  Racism  Gender roles  Coming of age  Pride  Sacrifice

 Sunlight symbolizes hope and opportunity. Throughout the play, the characters reference the tiny apartment’s lack of sunlight. Ruth asks if the new house will have more sunlight.  The sunlight also gives life to the other major symbol, Mama’s plant. Mama’s plant sits in the apartment’s only window, but can never get enough light to let it flourish. The plant symbolizes Mama’s the family as a whole. Everyone is trying their hardest to hold on, but can’t quite make it work.

 Harlem (A Dream Deferred) by Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?

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