Stereotypes and Identity in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin...

In Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"Harlem,† he discusses the idea of unfulfilled dreams and their plausible outcomes using symbolism and imagery. He initially describes a â€Å"deferred† dream as a sun-dried raisin, depicting the dream originally as a fresh grape that now has dried up and â€Å"turned black† (Jemie 63). This idea provides Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun with its basic foundation, for it is a play about a house full of unfulfilled dreams. As the poem goes on, Hughes depicts the idea of a deferred dream as something rotten or gone bad. According to Onwuchekwa Jemie, this may be an allusion to the American Dream and its empty promises (Jemie 64). The idea of failed ambitions was quite a popular†¦show more content†¦Though the inequality between genders was not fully resolved until later, the Women’s Rights movement was also beginning to take place at this time (Literature and Its Times†¦). An apparent pro blem of American society, then and now, is its tendency toward stereotypes, which will be further discussed later. Hansberry uses her characters and their dreams to draw upon the impact stereotypes have on a person’s ambitions and self-identity. Stereotypes are socially constructed, over-generalized views regarding a particular group of persons with certain characteristics that are widely accepted, and usually expected, in a society. The dominant group of a certain society, which in this case is probably Caucasians and men, usually creates these social constructions. Claude M. Steele, a researcher from Stanford University, performed multiple research studies on the idea and psychological effects of stereotypes on its victims. In his studies, he coins the term â€Å"stereotype threat† as the â€Å"social-psychological predicament that can arise from widely-known negative stereotypes about ones group,† which implies that â€Å"the existence of such a stereotype m eans that anything one does or any of ones features that conform to it make the stereotype more plausible as a self-characterization in the eyes of others, and perhaps even in ones own eyes† (Steele 797). RACISM RacismShow MoreRelatedRacial Identity in A Raisin in the Sun: Who Am I?1102 Words   |  5 Pagesreferred to me as â€Å"Casper.† Yes, I am white ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ¢â‚¬â€œchalk white, milk white, even ghostly white. If others had not continuously pointed this out to me, I doubt I would have noticed at such a young age. Nevertheless, when you are young and searching for your identity, labels have a way of adhering to you and images engrave themselves in your mind long after they fall into disuse. While this self-image endured for decades, it was far less demeaning than the labels applied to an entire race of African AmericansRead MoreThe Great Playwright s Life Story2415 Words   |  10 PagesBefore the relatively short life of Lorraine Hansberry tragically ended, the African-American playwright distinguished herself in American theatre and literature as she creatively and unknowingly challenged the views of African-American life, among other inescapable issues of the nation and the world, on the theatrical stage. The great playwright’s life story began on May 19, 1930. Although born during a time of hardship introduced by the Great Depression, Hansberry grew up rather comfortably inRead MoreEssay on Who Am I?: Racial Identity in A Raisin in the Sun1596 Words   |  7 Pagesreferred to me as â€Å"Casper.† Yes, I am white ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ¢â‚¬â€œchalk white, milk white, even ghostly white. If others had not continuously pointed this out to me, I doubt I would have noticed at such an early age. Nevertheless, when you are young and searching for your identity, labels have a way of adhering to you and images become engraved upon your mind for years to come. While this self-image endured for decades, the numerous derogatory labels applied to an entire race of African Americans are far more demeaning.Read MoreFamily Is An Important Aspect Of Society Essay1727 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough hardship. Society as a whole has tried to undermine the black family by implementing in them a false identity of inferiority. If there are strong nuclear black families today, that means that powerful people in history have been forced to step up in order to make a difference within their community. From the beginning of the play to the very end, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun displays the vital theme of family. In the play there are multiple generations within the Younger Family’sRead MorePride in A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry Essay1840 Words   |  8 PagesLorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, centers on an African American family in the late 1950s. Hansberry directs her work towards specifically the struggles faced by African Americans during the late 1950s. Through the dialogue and actions of her characters, she encourages not only a sense of pride in heritage, but a national and self-pride in African Americans as well. Hansberry promotes a sense of African heritage through her character, Beneatha. She characterizes Beneatha as a collegeRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Racism1626 Words   |  7 PagesA Raisin in the Sun In the play A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry, a story about an African American family living in Chicago. The book illustrates what the daily problems of an average black family had to deal with while living in America in the 1950s and their struggle of overcoming obstacles to reach their â€Å"dream†. Hansberry use this novel to address topics such as racism, racial inequality, and racial discrimination. In 1954, many people during that time supported segregationRead MoreThe Roles Of Sexism And Dreams1377 Words   |  6 Pagessupporting roles just like their mother, Mama Lena. Debuted on Broadway in 1959, the dramatic work, A Raisin in the Sun, is composed by Lorraine Hansberry, who depicts the issues of sexism and dreams. Considering these themes, how can we explore the presence of dreams as well as the ideology of sexism that is registered in Black America? Through Walter’s quote, Hansberry’s screenplay challenges gender stereotypes through W alter and Beneatha while exploring Mama s domestic narrative; these three charactersRead MoreAmerican Dream in a Raisin in the Sun4319 Words   |  18 PagesCHAPTER III: The Impact of Identity on Dreams – 1. Identity in the Sight of Other People In actual fact, people have a certain view or conception about what somebody is. This view is quite different from what the individual himself has. But then the harm in all this is that this state of affairs has a great impact on what an individual is supposed to become in life especially when he doesn’t have a great sense of objectivity or when he is not determined to achieve his life goal regardlessRead More Beneatha as a paradigm for African American Women in A Raisin in The Sun2117 Words   |  9 PagesIn Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun a number of social issues are both explicitly and subtly exemplified through out the characters experiences and relationships. Living in a cramped Chicago apartment, the Youngers’ display both influential goals and conflicting restraints. Beneatha Youngers is a controversial character; she complicates society’s typical gender roles, introduces the wrestle between assimilation and ancestry of African- Americans, but specifically serves as a paradigmRead MoreStruggles, Dreams And Hopes : Lorraine Hansberry s Play1874 Words   |  8 PagesStruggles, Dreams and Hopes Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, is a great example of the struggles faced by an impoverished black family; who strive to deal with the realities of life on the ghetto side of South Chicago. Written in the 1958, this play illustrates the destructive consequences of impecuniousness and repression on African American families. Throughout the play, Hansberry (who is he, describe) shows the day-to-day struggles of a black family and explains the different perspectives