A raisin in the sun summary from litcharts the creators of. Through a discussion of the plot, characters, and themes you will learn about a familys struggle to. Her dream has been deferred since she and her husband moved. The play centers on the youngers, a workingclass family that lives in chicagos south side during the midtwentieth century. A comparison of the play and movie versions of a raisin in. A raisin in the sun plot diagram storyboard by kristy. A raisin in the sun was released by columbia pictures on may 29, 1961.
From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the sparknotes a raisin in the sun study guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays. Sharing a tiny apartment with his wife, son, sister and mother, he seems like an imprisoned. Marquee lure combs was considered the weak link on stage. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing a raisin in the sun near you. During the first scene the youngers are waiting for the check from the now dead mr. Play summary this play tells the story of a lowerclass black familys struggle to gain middleclass acceptance.
Giving entitled people some insight into what must be an infuriating wall of denial and obstructions to the good life in the united states, raisin in the sun also shows us the dreams and ways to realize the same thing. The family has lived in the same cramped chicago apartment for years. The a raisin in the sun 1961 film community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. A raisin in the sun by lorraine hansbury, takes its title from the famous langston hughes poem a dream deferred, whose theme is echoed throughout the play. A short summary of lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun. Poor chicago family sidney poitier, claudia mcneil. Two symbols found in the play a raisin in the sun are a dried up raisin and an ugly old sun asked in a raisin in the sun. A list of all the characters in a raisin in the sun. Some choose money because they believe that money can buy everything, including happiness. In the movie, unfulfilled walter lee younger poitier, a chauffeur for a white businessman, lives in nearpoverty with his mother, pregnant wife, son and sister. A raisin in the sun is a perfectly serviceable television adaptation of the recent broadway revival of lorraine hansburys classic 1959 play, but why it got a press screening at the sundance film. Walter lee younger is a young man struggling with his. Lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun explained with scene summaries in just a few minutes. A raisin in the sun was first produced in 1959 and anticipates many of the issues which were to divide american culture during the decade of the 1960s.
Conflict over beneathas love life and possible spouse, george. A raisin in the sun amanda brumby costume designer and. Bobo is, as his name suggests, somewhat dimwitted, but he is basically honest and appears to be a loyal friend. This lauded drama follows the youngers, an africanamerican family living together in an apartment in chicago. Not only were successful women playwrights rare at the. A raisin in the sun summary set in the aftermath of world war ii, the younger family is facing its own war against racism in the chicago slums. A raisin in the sun tv movie 2008 plot summary imdb.
A raisin in the sun is a 1961 drama film directed by daniel petrie and starring sidney poitier, ruby dee, claudia mcneil, diana sands, roy glenn, and louis gossett jr. A raisin in the sun what happens to a dream deferred. A raisin in the sun chapters a raisin in the sun by lorraine hansberry summary and analysis. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. When he comes to walters apartment to deliver the bad news about the insurance money, he is so mannerly and polite to the women in the younger household that he appears almost ridiculous. Tv movie synopsis plot based on the play that inspired a generation, a raisin in the sun tells the story of a family living and struggling on. A raisin in the sun, american film drama, released in 1961, that was based on lorraine hansberrys acclaimed play about the urban african american experience.
The 2010 bruce norris play clybourne park depicts the white family that sold the house to the youngers. Raisin in the sun compare and contrast a raisin in the sun is a play about the youngers family who lived in the south side of chicago during the 1950s. Walter is a chauffeur and ruth works as a parttime maid. A raisin in the sun, a play by lorraine hansberry, is the story of a lowerclass african american family living on the southside of chicago during the 1950s. Conflict over how lenas insurance money is going to be spent by walter. Find a summary of this and each chapter of a raisin in the sun. Read the full synopsis of a raisin in the sun, 1961, directed by daniel petrie, with sidney poitier, claudia mcneil, ruby dee, at turner classic movies. Walter lee younger is a young man struggling with his station in life. A raisin in the sun study guide contains a biography of lorraine hansberry, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a. Americas complicated history of racial tension between black americans and white americans is ingrained into the youngers everyday lives. The younger family consists of mama and her collegeage daughter beneatha, her son walter and his wife ruth, and her 10 year old grandson travis. I was deeply engaged throughout the film due to the fine presence of the characters and meaningful dialogue.
Mama buys a house for the family in a white neighborhood and gives the rest of the money to walter jr. Walter lee younger, beneatha younger bennie, lena younger mama, ruth younger, travis younger, joseph asagai, george murchison. A raisin in the sun by lorraine hansberry plot summary. Maybe it just sags like a heavy load or does it explode poem by. A raisin in the sun presents powerful acting performances from sidney poitier, ruby dee, and claudia macneil. The a raisin in the sun characters covered include. May 10, 2019 lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun explained with scene summaries in just a few minutes. A raisin in the sun summary a raisin in the sun by lorraine hansberry summary and analysis. Adapted for the screen from lorraine hansberrys play, this is a moving portrait of. A raisin in the sun 1989 a message to our movie fans read more. A raisin in the sun began its life as play by lorraine hansberry, written right as the civil rights movement was beginning, about an africanamerican family living in poverty in chicago and dreaming of more. An africanamerican family struggles with poverty, racism, and inner conflict as they strive for a better way of life. A raisin in the sun feels like a play slapped onto film one night, theres no special effort for film invested in either the direction, sets or general production. The youngers lives are turned upsidedown when mama younger, fulfilling a lifelong dream of owning a home, buys a house.
The work received the 1959 new york drama critics circle award for best play and has seen numerous international revivals and film adaptations. The first act takes place just before the events of a raisin in the sun, involving the selling of the house to the black family. A raisin in the sun addresses the fortitude and trauma of fighting for ones dreams as an african american in mid20 thcentury america. Going beyond a raisin in the sun an historical note. A raisin in the sun, whose title is inspired by the booklength poem montage of a dream deferred by langston hughes, follows the experiences of the youngers, a black family seeking selfworth in the fabric of the american dream in chicago during the 1950s. Raisin in the sun is a 1989 tv adaptation of lorraine hansberrys 1959 broadway play previously filmed in 1962.
A raisin in the sun portrays a few weeks in the life of the youngers, an africanamerican family living on the south side of chicago in the 1950s. There doesnt seem to be one in this film, other than the tackedon side plot. In a small apartment in chicago in the 1950s, the members of the younger family, an african american family, each have big dreams of what to do with the life insurance money they are. The youngers are a poor african american family living on the south side of chicago in the 1950s. While this original movie version of lorraine hansberrys awardwinning play may. After moving to chicagos south side in the 1950s, a black family struggles to deal with poverty, racism and inner conflict as they strive for a better life. A raisin in the sun summary and study guide supersummary.
There doesnt seem to be one in this film, other than the tackedon side plot involving racism. A raisin in the sun when it comes to the need of choosing between money and family, different people have different perspective on which one to choose is best for them. A raisin in the sun plot diagram storyboard by kristylittlehale. A raisin in the sun 2008 a message to our movie fans read more gift cards offers. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. Need help with act 1, scene 2 in lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun. A raisin in the sun flourishes with its spectacular performances and raw complex storytelling, but it cant help feeling like a film version of something thatd work better on stage. Dreams of buying a house, making some money in business, and going to medical school are dreams shared by millions of working. This plot strand was reportedly based on the experiences of hansberrys own family. Raisin in the sun plot diagram by thomas thomas on prezi. A raisin in the sun 1961 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. A raisin in the sun 1961 film literary elements gradesaver. Professor kristen over of northeastern illinois university provides an indepth analysis of the plot. In 1961, a film version of a raisin in the sun was released featuring its original broadway cast of sidney poitier, ruby dee, claudia mcneil, diana sands, ivan dixon, louis gossett, jr.
At the end of the play, twm suggests that teachers focus on one of the reallife incidents that led lorraine hansberry to write a raisin in the sun by providing the class with the following information. A raisin in the sun summary notes by stacie abrams on prezi. Raisin in the sun plot diagram the resolution the conflict the life insurance check finally comes. Raisin in the sun compare and contrast freebooksummary. Jan 29, 2019 a raisin in the sun music from the original television movie licensed to youtube by the orchard music on behalf of madison gate records. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of a raisin in the sun. Lorraine hansberry, the playwright, was an unknown dramatist who achieved unprecedented success when her play became a broadway sensation. A raisin in the sun study guide contains a biography of lorraine hansberry, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. A raisin in the sun summary from litcharts the creators. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the united states of america national film registry by the library of congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. However, the family disagrees on how to spend the money. Chapter summary for lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun, act 3 summary. What are the dreams of the main charactersmama, ruth, beneatha, and walterand how are they deferred.
Hansberry wrote the screenplay, and the film was directed by daniel petrie. A raisin in the sun music from the original television movie licensed to youtube by the orchard music on behalf of madison gate records. Mama dreams of moving her family out of the ghetto and into a house with a yard where children can play and she can tend a garden. A raisin in the sun film by petrie 1961 britannica. Sparknotes is here for you weve got everything you need to ace or teach. Set in 1959, the story focuses on the youngers, an african american family living on chicagos south side. A raisin in the sun visit movie tt0055353 synopsis. The storyplay film of a raisin in the sun may have inspired a whole host of 1970s television good. Professor kristen over of northeastern illinois university explains the plot summary of lorraine.
Walter insists that ruth help him convince lena to spend it on investing the liquor store, and ruth and beneatha understand that is ultimately lenas money. This play tells the story of a lowerclass black familys struggle to gain middleclass acceptance. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of a raisin in the sun and what it means. Following the death of their patriarch, they try to determine what to do with the substantial insurance payment theyll soon receive. A raisin in the sun examines the effects of racial prejudice on the fulfillment of an africanamerican familys dreams. What is the plot summary of a raisin in the sun answers. A raisin in the sun full movie 1961 hd a raisin in the sun full movie a raisin in the sun full movie hd1961. While daniel petries direction never takes a raisin in the sun very far from its. A raisin in the sun is a 2008 american madefortelevision film directed by kenny leon and starring sean combs, audra mcdonald, phylicia rashad, and sanaa lathan reprising their roles from the 2004 revival which was also directed by leon. The genre of realism captures ordinary life, and a raisin in the sun definitely fits this description. Professor kristen over of northeastern illinois university explains the plot. A raisin in the sun portrays a few weeks in the life of the youngers. A summary of act i, scene i in lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun.