Lorraine Hansberry

Lorraine Hansberry was a groundbreaking African-American playwright and civil rights activist.

Key facts:

• Born May 19, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois
• First Black playwright and youngest American to win New York Critics Circle Award
• Actively involved in civil rights movement
• Died January 12, 1965 in New York

Highlight: Hansberry's work in A Raisin in the Sun was pioneering, as she was the first Black woman to have a play produced on Broadway.

Historical Context

The play is set against the backdrop of significant social and cultural changes in post-World War II America.

Key aspects of the era:

• 1950s America as global economic and political power
• Deep social divisions and racial injustice despite national prosperity
• Dominant cultural forces: capitalism, mass production, consumerism, materialism
• Growing civil rights movement for African-American equality

Example: The play critiques American materialism through Beneatha's rejection of George's shallowness and emphasis on material wealth.

Highlight: A Raisin in the Sun reflects the growing questioning of American society that would lead to the civil rights movement.

Harlem Renaissance

The play is influenced by the cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance.

Key points:

• Also called 'New Negro Movement' or 'Black Renaissance'
• Social, cultural, and artistic movement of African-American writers and artists $1920-1930$
• Emphasized African heritage of Black Americans
• Fostered collective approach to creative endeavors

Definition: The Harlem Renaissance was a period of cultural revival and artistic expression among African-Americans centered in Harlem, New York.

Society and Politics

The play reflects the social and political realities of mid-20th century America.

Key issues:

• Racial segregation in housing, education, and public spaces
• Segregated ethnic neighborhoods
• Great Migration of African-Americans from South to North

Vocabulary: Great Migration - The movement of millions of African-Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West during the 20th century.

Pan-Africanism: African-Americans and Africa

The play explores the complex relationship between African-Americans and their African heritage.

Key points:

• Pan-Africanism as a movement to unite people of African descent
• Varied and complex relationships towards Africa among characters
• Represented through contrasting views of George, Asagai, Beneatha, Mama, and Walter Lee

Definition: Pan-Africanism is an ideology and movement promoting unity among people of African descent worldwide.

About the Title

The title "A Raisin in the Sun" is derived from Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem."

Key points:

• Poem explores the fate of deferred dreams
• Title metaphor: a dream deferred may dry up "like a raisin in the sun"
• Reflects the play's themes of frustrated hopes and aspirations

Quote: "What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up / Like a raisin in the sun?" - Langston Hughes, "Harlem"

Structure

The play follows a classic dramatic structure:

1. Setup: Act I, Scene I
2. Plot Point 1: Act I, Scene II & Act II, Scene I
3. Midpoint: Act II, Scene II
4. Plot Point 2: Act II, Scene III
5. Climax: Act III
6. Resolution: Act III

Highlight: This structure allows for a gradual build-up of tension and conflict throughout the play.

Act I, Scene 1 Summary

The play opens on a Friday morning as the Younger family awaits an insurance check following the death of Lena's husband.

Key events:

• Ruth and Walter argue about his plan to invest in a liquor store
• Walter and Beneatha clash over her medical school ambitions and money
• Family debates Beneatha's self-expression and rejection of traditional values

Highlight: This scene establishes the central conflicts and dreams of each character that will drive the plot forward.

Act I, Scene 2 Summary

Set on Saturday morning, this scene deepens the family's conflicts and introduces new complications.

Key events:

• Ruth discovers she is pregnant and considers abortion
• Asagai visits, bringing Nigerian culture into the household
• The insurance check arrives, sparking conflict over how to use the money
• Lena refuses to invest in Walter's liquor store plan
• Ruth confirms her intention to have an abortion

Quote: "Money is life." - Walter Lee Younger

Highlight: This scene intensifies the conflict between Walter's materialistic dreams and Lena's more traditional values.

Act II, Scene 1 Summary

This scene introduces new characters and reveals Lena's decision about the insurance money.

Key events:

• George Murchison visits the family
• Walter and George argue, highlighting their different values
• Mama reveals she has bought a house in a white neighborhood

Highlight: Lena's decision to buy a house in a white neighborhood sets the stage for future conflicts and explores themes of racial integration.