Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

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Book Notes: “A Raisin in the Sun”

“A Raisin in the Sun” was written by Lorraine Hansberry. Lorraine was born on May 19, 1930 into a family with four children, her being the youngest. The Hansberry’s had always struggled with discrimination. In 1938, the family moved to a white neighborhood, where they were violently attacked by their neighbors. The Hansberry’s refused to move out of their house until a court ordered them to do so. Their case made it to the Supreme Court as Hansberry vs. Lee. The supreme court ruled that the restrictive agreement could be contested in court again. The Hansberry’s remained in their home. Later on, Lorraine Hansberry broke the family tradition of enrolling in southern black colleges and decided to attend the …show more content…
This story is told in chronological order to present the full effect of their troubles. The family lives in a small apartment in the South side of Chicago during the 1950’s. At this time, racial segregation was a big issue. There are five developing characters in this story, which include, Lena Younger, Walter Lee Younger, Beneatha Younger, Ruth Younger, and Travis Younger. Lena Younger, also referred to as “Mama” throughout the story, is the matriarch of the family. She is very religious, and very strong in her beliefs. She does everything possible to provide for her family. She is the mother of Walter Lee and Beneatha. Walter Lee, the son of Lena, is the protagonist of the story. Walter is very easily convinced and does not completely think things through before he does them. He is always searching for the easy way out. Walter also has a dream of opening up a liquor store. Beneatha Younger, the daughter of Lena, is very determined and hard-headed. She is always exploring and wanting to try something new. She plans on going to medical school and fulfilling her dream as a doctor. Ruth Younger is Walter Lee’s wife. Ruth sees things from the outside, she is level headed and does her part in taking care of their home. Travis Younger, Ruth and Walter's son, is just a little boy, trying to fit in. The family expects to receive a ten thousand dollar check due to
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