A Raisin In The Sun

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A Raisin In The Sun Lorraine Hansberry

• Another Perspective
• Of
• The American Dream

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Inscribed on Hansberrys Tombstone

• I care. I care about it all. It takes too much
  energy not to careThe why of why are here is an
  intrigue for adolescents the how is what must
  command the living. Which is lately why I have
  become an insurgent again.

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From an August 1959 article in The Village Voice

• In an almost paradoxical fashion, it disturbs
  the soul of man to truly understand what he
  invariably senses that nobody really finds
  oppression and/or poverty tolerable. If we ever
  destroy the image of the black people who
  supposedly do find those things tolerable in
  America, then the much touted guilt which
  allegedly haunts most middle-class white
  Americans with regard to the Negro question would
  really become unendurable.

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• 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?
• Langston Hughes

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Characters

• Walter Lee Younger
• Lena Younger (Mama)
• Ruth Younger
• Beneatha Younger
• Travis Younger
• Joseph Asagai George Murchison
• Bobo Willy
• Karl Lindner Mrs. Johnson

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Themes and Such

• The American Dream what is the better life?
• Gender Identity Male and female
• Generationally defining a woman
• What is masculinity?
• Afrocentrism Does it play into Civil Rights?
• Class tensions racial and otherwise
• Assimilation

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Symbols

• The Home (Apartment)
• Beneathas Struggle
• Mamas Plant
• The Liquor Store
• Dreams

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And so we begin

• Weariness has, in fact,
• won in this room.
• How does this single sentence serve to set up the
  metaphorical significance of the play?

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Mr. Fs Fave Three Quotes

• DAMN MY EGGS DAMN ALL THE EGGS THAT EVER WAS
• Walter, Act 1, sc. I
• What do EGGS have to do with the American Dream?

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Mr. Fs Fave Three Quotes

• The only people in the world who are more
  snobbish than rich white people are rich colored
  people
• Beneatha, Act 1, sc. I
• How does George Murchison figure into the
  American dream? What do you think Beneatha means
  by this?

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Fave quote 3

• Lets face it baby, your heritage is nothing but
  a bunch of raggedy-assed spirituals and grass
  huts!
• George Murchison, Act II, sc. I
• Huh? Whats George trying to say?

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OKjust one more

• By the way, what are your views on Civil Rights?
• Walter (to Beneatha), Act II, sc. Iii
• What are the differences between Walter and
  Beneathas views?

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Reality CheckQuotes you may NOT use!

• Mama OhSo now its life. Money is life. Once
  upon a time freedom used to be lifenow its
  money. I guess the world really do change . . .
• Walter You wouldnt understand yet, son, but
  your daddys gonna make a transaction . . . a
  business transaction thats going to change our
  lives. . . .

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StillNOT!

• Asagai Then isnt there something wrong in a
  housein a worldwhere all dreams, good or bad,
  must depend on the death of a man?
• Mama There is always something left to love.
  And if you aint learned that, you aint
  learned nothing.
• Walter We have decided to move into our house
  because my fathermy fatherhe earned it for us
  brick by brick.

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AndJust in case(dripping with sarcasm)

• A Raisin in the Sun Quotes. Find the perfect
  quote to float your boat. Shmoop breaks down key
  quotations from A Raisin in the Sun.
• Danger. Beware. Land mines ahead.

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Raisin In The SunSocratic

• Opening Question
• Through the lens of what weve read up to this
  point,
• What is it about dried fruit and the collision
  of dreams?

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Raisin In The SunSocratic

• Opening Question
• How does a raisin figure into the Amstud Literary
  Message about A Dream Deferred?