Reference no: EM133670588

Assignment

Overview:

Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun has stood the test of time since it was first produced in 1959, and it's no wonder why: it's a family drama that explores cultural and racial identity, aspirations, intergenerational conflicts and compromised and renewed morals -- all themes that very much relate to our own lives today. Among the things that are so pertinent about Hansberry's play is that it inherently poses questions not just about the civil rights era from which it was born, but also about our own times and the failed promises of the civil rights movement. And similar to both Death of a Salesman and The Iceman Cometh, A Raisin in the Sun critiques and hesitantly embraces the very concept of "the American Dream," something we've been exploring over the past few weeks. In this discussion, we'll spend some time reflecting on Acts I and II of the play.

Instructions:

I. Watch the 3-minute American Masters PBS documentary on Lorraine Hansberry i.e., Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart. AMERICAN MASTERS | Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart - Preview | PBS (YouTube)

II. If you're so inclined to learn even more about Lorraine Hansberry, consider watching this slightly longer (35-minute) production i.e., The Black Experience in Drama that goes into more depth about who Hansberry was and what motivated her.

III. After reading Acts I and II of A Raisin in the Sun respond to one question from each act (see below). Aim for one well-supported paragraph per question.

ACT A:

1) What is the importance of the stage directions describing the Younger's apartment?
2) Why is Beneatha the only Younger interested in African heritage?
3) How do the members of the family view their future differently?
4) How does Hansberry introduce the concept of 'dreams'?
5) What are the conflicts introduced in Act I? Which are the most important and why?
6) What is Walter so angry about? How does this anger manifest?

ACT B:

1) What are the different views on assimilation that Hansberry portrays? (Be sure to analyze the different characters' views.)
2) What is the significance of Walter's fantasy of Africa?
3) How does Hansberry develop her motif of dreams in Act II?
4) Is Walter a victim or a perpetrator when it comes to destroyed dreams? Explain.
5) What are some of the characters symbols? What do they represent? (Consider Hansberry's purpose in including the minor characters.)
6) How does Hansberry illustrate what the main characters value?

IV. In a third paragraph, describe what you notice about the ways in which Hansberry depicts the "American Dream" in this play and compare/contrast some of these qualities/aspects with how we saw the "American Dream" represented/depicted in Death of a Salesman and The Iceman Cometh.

V. Your initial post should consist of three well-developed, well-supported proofread and edited paragraphs.

VI. Make use of no fewer than two secondary sources.

VII. As usual, after you've shared your post, come back to the discussion 2-3 times over the remainder of the week to respond to peers, and follow-up to peers' responses to your post. Ask questions of each other. The goal is to keep a dynamic conversation going!