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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is a masterpiece of American theater, a play that resonates with unflinching honesty and emotional depth even after more than six decades (debut 1959). Reading a play as a book is never my favorite formate, but Hansberry's story transcends the medium.
Ahead of its time, the play explores the complexities of the African American experience through the lens of the Younger family, weaving together themes of systemic inequality, personal ambition, and the eternal tug-of-war between honor and financial survival. In it, Hansberry lays bare the harsh realities of real estate discrimination, the societal pressures shaping masculinity (toxic in some cases), and the moral dilemmas that arise when money becomes both a lifeline and a temptation.
Set in Chicago’s South Side, the play centers on the Younger family’s dream of moving from a cramped, roach-infested apartment to a house in the suburbs, funded by a $10,000 life insurance check from the late patriarch, Big Walter. The chosen neighborhood, Clybourne Park, is predominantly white, and the family’s aspirations are met with covert racism in the form of Karl Lindner, a representative of the neighborhood’s “Improvement Association,” who offers to buy them out to keep the area segregated. His 'polite racism' cuts at the very core.
Along with external challenges, there are internal ones such as Walter Younger's desire to be a man by providing for his family. He is currently a chauffeur in his thirties and feels emasculated because there is little hope of moving up or changing his circumstances except for a long shot investment in a liquor store. His obsession blinds him to the needs of others, particularly his sister Beneatha’s dream of becoming a doctor and Mama’s vision of a stable home.
The tension between honor and money is a central conflict in A Raisin in the Sun, embodied in the family’s debates over the insurance check. Each character views the money differently: for Mama, it’s a chance to honor her late husband’s legacy by securing a home; for Walter, it’s a ticket to economic power; for Beneatha, it’s a means to fund her education and independence. Hansberry uses these competing visions to explore how financial desperation can strain familial bonds and test moral convictions.
Hansberry’s writing is both lyrical and accessible, balancing raw dialogue with poetic monologues that give voice to universal human struggles. The characters are richly drawn, each flawed yet relatable, their conflicts reflecting the complexities of family and society. And while some people don't feel the play has aged well or is relevant, it demonstrates an understanding of the times as it was happening, a snapshot of her experience. The story is timeless, both as a book (despite a screenplay format) and as a performance from Sidney Poitier in the 1961 adaptation, which I watched shortly after finishing the screenplay.
Ahead of its time, the play explores the complexities of the African American experience through the lens of the Younger family, weaving together themes of systemic inequality, personal ambition, and the eternal tug-of-war between honor and financial survival. In it, Hansberry lays bare the harsh realities of real estate discrimination, the societal pressures shaping masculinity (toxic in some cases), and the moral dilemmas that arise when money becomes both a lifeline and a temptation.
Set in Chicago’s South Side, the play centers on the Younger family’s dream of moving from a cramped, roach-infested apartment to a house in the suburbs, funded by a $10,000 life insurance check from the late patriarch, Big Walter. The chosen neighborhood, Clybourne Park, is predominantly white, and the family’s aspirations are met with covert racism in the form of Karl Lindner, a representative of the neighborhood’s “Improvement Association,” who offers to buy them out to keep the area segregated. His 'polite racism' cuts at the very core.
Along with external challenges, there are internal ones such as Walter Younger's desire to be a man by providing for his family. He is currently a chauffeur in his thirties and feels emasculated because there is little hope of moving up or changing his circumstances except for a long shot investment in a liquor store. His obsession blinds him to the needs of others, particularly his sister Beneatha’s dream of becoming a doctor and Mama’s vision of a stable home.
The tension between honor and money is a central conflict in A Raisin in the Sun, embodied in the family’s debates over the insurance check. Each character views the money differently: for Mama, it’s a chance to honor her late husband’s legacy by securing a home; for Walter, it’s a ticket to economic power; for Beneatha, it’s a means to fund her education and independence. Hansberry uses these competing visions to explore how financial desperation can strain familial bonds and test moral convictions.
Hansberry’s writing is both lyrical and accessible, balancing raw dialogue with poetic monologues that give voice to universal human struggles. The characters are richly drawn, each flawed yet relatable, their conflicts reflecting the complexities of family and society. And while some people don't feel the play has aged well or is relevant, it demonstrates an understanding of the times as it was happening, a snapshot of her experience. The story is timeless, both as a book (despite a screenplay format) and as a performance from Sidney Poitier in the 1961 adaptation, which I watched shortly after finishing the screenplay.
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Highly relevant despite being written decades ago.
This is for Walter 🖕
This is for Walter 🖕
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This play was one of the best things I've read in a while. I've been in a bit of a rut recently book wise, so I picked this up thinking a nice "simple" play would get me back into it. However, this play really rocked my world and made me absolutely love reading it. I finished it in less than a day, while attending all of my college classes.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Amazing how many subplots are seamlessly packed into our main plot. “What happens to a dream deferred?” indeed.
“‘Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams—but He did give us children to make them dreams seem worth while.’”
“Why you always trying to give me something to eat?” “What else can I give you, Walter Lee Younger?”
“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.”
“Why you always trying to give me something to eat?” “What else can I give you, Walter Lee Younger?”
“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.”
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes