A Raisin in the Sun

I had to read this book for my college class--history of the women's movement. It is a play and very easy to read. Very interesting and I probably read it in 2 days (but it could easily be read in 1 day). It has a powerful ending.

`A Raisin in the Sun' by Lorraine Hansberry is a play that has become a true American classic. In 1959 it hit Broadway like no other. James Baldwin proclaimed, "never before in the entire history of the American theater had so much of the truth of black people's lives been seen on stage." Since its opening, this play has garnered worldwide acclaim and spawned movies, music scores and literature.

The play depicts the plight of an African-American family, the Youngers, struggling in the 1950s. The title, inspired by a Langston Hughes' poem, refers to Walter Younger's dream to make it out of the South Side of Chicago. "What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up / Like a raisin in the sun?....Or does it explode?"

Hansberry's realism is evidenced by the vividness and believability of the characters. They are so rich and powerful that over the years they have been portrayed only by some of the biggest names in the African-American theatrical community: Sidney Poiter, Ruby Dee, Esther Rolle, Ossie Davis, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald. In 1994, I was fortunate to see the play at Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA starring the late Esther Rolle as Lena Younger and Kenny Leon, now director, as Walter Younger. I was not disappointed.

It is not by luck that this play has stood the test of time and made its indelible mark on the pages of African American literature. Take a few moments to observe the cast of characters through the playwright's pen and see the reason why it is a classic.

I purchased this audio tape for my daughter for a summer reading assignment for school. It was easy to listen to and follow. We listened to it in the car each time we had to go somewhere. It kept our interest and was a great way to complete the assignment. I wish more book were available on audio.

This play was also required of me on my 10th-grade English class. Boring, right? Not really. I found the story to be inspiring and emotional and the characters realistic, multi-faceted and down-to-earth. Beneatha's loftiness, spontaneity and charming flightiness reminded me very much of my younger sister, which enhanced the realism of the book. The character of Mama was someone I would have liked to meet in real life; simple and ignorant but conventionally wise and hardworking. The story dealt with both the characters' internal and external conflicts, conflicts with money, lovers and family, which in my mind made it very interesting reading. This book outlines a colorful premise on the life of an African American family and describes their fight for their dreams.

Schools have been using this play to get students reading and give them different perspectives. I think this book is for all. Some language...but it's not like no one has heard any badmouthing anyway. I think that it is just a really good play too and that Lorraine Hansberry did a good job just weaving everything together. You can really relate to this story with the dilemmas and questions it rises. And it's not like anything of a complicated story either, you can really decipher it. And last I believe the author wrote from her heart, expressing herself through her work majestically and with realistic emotion regarding the problems of the Younger family could easily have struck a lower middle class black family in the 1950's.

"A Raisin in the Sun" shows the importance of family values during times of racial discrimination. The book teaches us a lesson that nothing should come between family ties. It's definitely one of my favorite classic reads plus the film version featuring Sidney Poitier is great as well.

A Raisin in The Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry is a powerful and captivating book. The book sheds light on many issues not only dealt with in African American families but for any American family. There are problems with racism, unemployment, living conditions, and disputes over the way money should be spent are all present in this book and plenty of people can relate to them. The characters in the book are realistic and the reader should be able to find a piece of them in one of the characters. One of the characters that stood out to me in this book was the father Walter Younger. He was a strong man but he also had many weaknesses. He would do anything for his family but that also led him to making wrong decisions that put his family in bad positions. I feel like I can relate to Walter because I know I would go to any length to support my family even if I had to do things that weren't viewed upon as morally right. I feel that this book was a great read and being able to watch the play is an opportunity that should not be missed. I would recommend this book to anyone from the 8th grade and up.