Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun"   Themes:                                                                      Symbols: Generational conflict                         Lena's plant Manhood and dignity                                                Money Assimilation                                                               George Murchison's white shoes Black servitude                                                          Asagai's Nigerian robes Black struggle to achieve American Dream Racism & Discrimination Discussion Questions: Family One of the major themes presented in Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" portrays each character's search for their vision of the American Dream

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Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun"

 

Themes:                                                                      Symbols:

Generational conflict                         Lena's plant

Manhood and dignity                                                Money

Assimilation                                                               George Murchison's white shoes

Black servitude                                                          Asagai's Nigerian robes

Black struggle to achieve American Dream

Racism & Discrimination

Discussion Questions:

Family

One of the major themes presented in Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" portrays each character's search for their vision of the American Dream. What are the "dreams deferred" by Walter, Ruth, Mama, and/or Beneatha?

 Image of Women

Hansberry skillfully illustrates through the female protagonists how women's ideas about their identity have changed over time. Explain how each of these women represents the changes in women's roles and ideas over the three generations that they span.

Image of Manhood

At the end of the play, speaking to Ruth about Walter Lee, Mama says, "He finally come into his manhood today, didn't he?" how does Mama appear to be defining manhood? What other possible definitions of manhood come up directly or indirectly in the play? Would you say that the issue of gender is at least as important as race is? Why or why not?

Freedom/Liberation

With its intended purpose to provide every American a decent home within a generation, the Housing Act of 1949 had only been in place for ten years when the play hit the stage. At the time, the majority of African Americans were still living in poverty. Discuss the current living conditions of the Younger family and the ways in which integration are presented throughout the play. Was integration the end all answer to America's race problem? Why or why not?

Assimilationism/Afrocentricism

Afrocentricism is a motif throughout the play. As defined by scholar, Molefi K. Asante, it is "placing African ideals at the center of any analysis that involves African culture and behavior." Analyze Asagai's conversations with Beneatha and the rest of her family. What does Hansberry suggest about the relations of Africans and African Americans in the late 1950s? What does she also suggest about class tensions within the African American community?