Welcome to your Study Guide for 'A Raisin in the Sun'!
Hello there! We are about to dive into Lorraine Hansberry’s incredible play, A Raisin in the Sun. This play is a cornerstone of the Society and the Individual theme in your Edexcel AS Level course.
We will explore how the members of the Younger family struggle to keep their individual dreams alive while living in a society that often feels like it is working against them. Don't worry if some of the historical context feels new—we will break everything down step-by-step to make sure you feel confident for your exam!
1. The Big Picture: Context and The American Dream
To understand the characters, we first need to understand the world they live in. The play is set in the 1950s in Chicago. During this time, the "American Dream" suggested that if you worked hard, you could achieve anything. However, for the Younger family, society had built invisible walls to stop them.
Key Concept: Segregation and Redlining
Even though there weren't "whites only" signs everywhere in Chicago like there were in the South, society used housing discrimination to keep Black families in cramped, poor neighborhoods. When the Youngers try to move to Clybourne Park, they are challenging the "rules" of their society.
Analogies for Life:
Imagine you are playing a board game where every time you roll the dice, the other players change the rules so you can’t move forward. That is what society feels like for Walter Lee and his family.
Quick Review: The Context
• Setting: 1950s South Side, Chicago.
• The Catalyst: An insurance check for \( \$10,000 \).
• The Conflict: How to spend the money to improve their lives vs. the obstacles society puts in their way.
2. Individuals vs. Society: The Characters' Dreams
Each character represents a different way an individual responds to society. Lorraine Hansberry uses their "deferred dreams" (dreams that are put on hold) to show the human cost of inequality.
Walter Lee Younger: The Individual's Ambition
Walter wants to be a businessman. He feels trapped by his job as a chauffeur (a driver for a rich white man).
• Individual Need: To be "the man" and provide for his family.
• Societal Barrier: Lack of investment capital and systemic racism that keeps him in service roles.
Beneatha Younger: The Individual's Identity
Beneatha wants to be a doctor. This was very rare for a Black woman in the 1950s.
• Individual Need: Education and a connection to her African heritage.
• Societal Barrier: Both her family and society expect her to just "get married" and stop "experimenting" with her identity.
Mama (Lena): The Individual's Morality
Mama is the glue holding the family together. Her dream is simple but radical: a house with a garden.
• Individual Need: Dignity and a place for her family to grow.
• Societal Barrier: Violent opposition from white neighborhoods (represented by Mr. Lindner).
Memory Aid: The Three D's
Remember Dreams, Dignity, and Discrimination. Every character is trying to balance these three things!
3. Language and Literary Techniques
Because this is a Language and Literature course, you need to look at how Hansberry uses words to show the tension between the individual and society.
Lexis and Semantics (Word Choice):
Notice the difference between the way Mr. Lindner speaks and the way the Youngers speak.
• Mr. Lindner uses polite, "business-like" language to hide his racism. He uses words like "community interests" or "special community problems" instead of saying he doesn't want Black neighbors. This is called euphemism.
• The Youngers use African American Vernacular English (AAVE). This shows their authentic individual identities and their working-class roots.
Symbolism: Mama’s Plant
Mama has a small, struggling plant that she keeps in a window with very little light.
• The Plant = The Family. Just like the plant, the individuals in the family are trying to grow in an environment (society) that doesn't give them enough "light" (opportunity).
Did you know?
The title of the play comes from a poem by Langston Hughes called 'Harlem'. He asks, "What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun?" This tells us right away that the play is about the physical and mental effect of society crushing an individual's hopes.
4. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Thinking the play is only about money.
While the \( \$10,000 \) check is important, the play is actually about dignity. Walter doesn't just want money; he wants the respect society denies him.
Mistake 2: Seeing Beneatha as just "difficult."
It’s easy to think Beneatha is being rude to her family. However, look closer: she is fighting against Assimilation (the pressure to give up your own culture to fit into the majority society). Her struggle is a key part of the Individual vs. Society theme.
5. Step-by-Step: Analyzing a Scene
When you are writing about a scene in your exam, follow these steps:
1. Identify the Dream: Which character's individual dream is being discussed?
2. Identify the Barrier: What part of society is stopping that dream? (Is it poverty? Racism? Sexism?)
3. Look at the Language: Are they arguing? Is the tone desperate? Look for stage directions (like "bitterly" or "quietly") to see how the character feels inside.
4. Connect to the Theme: Explain how this specific moment shows the struggle between the Individual and Society.
6. Key Takeaways Summary
Key Point 1: Society in A Raisin in the Sun acts as a cage. The individuals (the Youngers) are trying to break out of that cage using the insurance money.
Key Point 2: Assimilationism is a major conflict. Joseph Asagai represents the individual's choice to embrace their heritage, while George Murchison represents the individual's choice to blend into white society.
Key Point 3: The ending is bittersweet. The family "wins" by moving into the house, but they know that the society they are moving into will be hostile. Their individual victory requires great courage.
Keep practicing your close reading of the dialogue! You're doing great, and understanding these themes is the first step to a fantastic exam response.