Lorraine Hansberry prefaces her play with a poem by Langston Hughes(Harlem). How does the play illustrate the theme of the poem?
A Raisin in the Sun Questions
1) Lorraine Hansberry prefaces her play with a poem by Langston Hughes
(Harlem). How does the play illustrate the theme of the poem? In what
way is the concept of the "dream" central to the play? Bring in specifics
2) How does Lindner use language to make his proposal to the Youngers
sound almost like a reasonable one? Is it true that "a man, right or wrong,
has the right to want to have the neighborhood he lives in a certain kind of
way" (117)? Is a "right" actually a right when it infringes on the rights or
ignores the humanity of others?
3) What does Walter mean when he says money is "life" (74)? Considering
what his life has been, is he justified in saying this? Is it simply lack of
money that has deprived Walter of so many important things—his sense
of manhood, of pride, his love of family? Why, in your opinion, is the
Youngers’ poverty so much harder on Walter than on the rest of the
family?
4) Look at Walter’s speech about the “takers” as well as about “pearls for his
wife” (pgs 141-143)- What is he talking about? What do the pearls
represent for him? Do the final events of the play prove him wrong about
the takers and the tooken? If so, how?
5) Talk about Walter’s epiphany at the end. When does it happen? What is
the significance of his response to Lindner 147-end? In answer to
someone who thought the play’s ending was a happy one, Lorraine
Hansberry retorted: "I invite him to come live in one of the communities
where the Youngers are going!" (11) But cannot the ending, in some
measure, be seen as happy? Or at least as promising hope, or greater
strength for the Youngers as a family?
6) The continuing popularity of A Raisin in the Sun would seem to imply that
the play is as relevant to contemporary audiences as it was when it first
appeared. Is this your opinion? Which issues addressed in the play are
still immediate, and which are inscribed within a historical moment that is
over? Has life for African Americans gotten better or worse since the play
was written? In what ways?
Now consider the article “The Case for Reparations” and the Podcast that you
listened to in order to answer these questions
7) What was the justification for excluding African Americans from buying
homes in white suburbs? Was there any basis for this claim?
8) What was redlining? Were you aware of this before reading the article /
listening to the podcast?
9) How did redlining affect African American families for generations to
come? How / why was it so devastating (so much so that Coates makes a
case for reparations)?
10) How do the article, “A Case for Reparations” by Coates and the Redlining
podcast help us to better understand the play, A Raisin in the Sun?
Answer preview Lorraine Hansberry prefaces her play with a poem by Langston Hughes(Harlem). How does the play illustrate the theme of the poem?
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