English 102: Writing & Literature
Professor Coppus
December 15, 2014
Topic: Research Paper
This semester’s read was the fantastic play “A Raisin In The Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. Personally, I am very intrigued and captured by this play because I feel as if it is very relatable to the reader. This play allows the reader to look at life in a different perspective because it encompasses themes such as: the values and purposes of dreams, why it is okay to follow and pursue your dreams no matter the circumstance. It also covers the theme of the need to fight racial discrimination, a chance to show the reader that black lives do matter, and that we are a very strong race. The last theme in this play that was very visible to me was the importance of family. In this play, “A Raisin In The Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, this family was very tight knit; of course they had their arguments like every family does, but they always came back together after realizing that they were all they had. This play is the perfect embodiment of themes, motifs, and symbols. This play took place in the 1950s on the South Side of Chicago, following the lives of an African-American family that were known in their neighborhood as the Youngers. As the play opens, you can clearly see the motif of greed, as the Youngers are about to receive a check for $10,000, courtesy of the late Mr. Younger. In a situation like such, of course the money has to be split among the adults of the family. Every adult in the family has an idea of what they would like to do with the money. Later on, this check would cause some family conflict. It has been said that “Money is the root of all evil,” and this play has been the perfect embodiment of that. This check threatened to almost tear this family apart because of everyone’s different motives with the money. As the play goes on, each of their respective egos get in the way, as they clash over their competing