It also shows how the family's financial struggles have caused Beneatha to doubt her religious beliefs. When the play begins, the family is about to receive an insurance check for $10,000 from their deceased fathers life insurance policy. Throughout what we see about her life, she thinks all men and women should be treated equal. The other man in Beneatha's life is Joseph Asagai, a Nigerian man she met in college. paper. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. She tried to find herself by getting in touch with her roots. She represents Lorraine Hansberry in her twenties. Website studydriver.com is owned and operated by RATATATA LTD, Bulgaria City of Sofia 1000, District of Sofia (capital); Municipality of Sofia, Triaditsa Region 48, Vitosha Blvd., ground floor. What is Beneathas Dream in a Raisin in the Sun. Disclaimer: Some of the articles on Mighty Actor include affiliate links to sites like Amazon, Skillshare, and others. Copyright [2023] Mighty Actor, A RAISIN IN THE SUN Monologue (Beneatha), DRAMATIC MONOLOGUES FOR TEENS/KIDS (BOYS), DRAMATIC MONOLOGUES FOR TEENS/KIDS (GIRLS). . "She dreams big, she never backs down a fight, and she feels she is not understood" (Domina 71). 'Asagai, while I was sleeping in that bed in there, people went out and took the future right out of my hands! As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 She brings to the fore the quintessential issues that And we used to fill them in with snow and make them smooth and slide down them all dayand it was very dangerous you knowfar too steepand sure enough one day a kid named Rufus came down too fast and hit the sidewalk and we saw his face just split open right there in front of us And I remember standing there looking at his bloody open face thinking that was the end of Rufus. With a cast in which all but one character is black, A Raisin in the Sun was considered a risky investment, and it took eighteen months for producer Philip Rose to raise enough money to launch it. She struggles to keep hope in her dreams of becoming a doctor when her brother loses the money for her to attend medical school, and she wanted to become a doctor because she cares about people and wants to heal them. A widow, Lena, her son Walter Younger, his wife Ruth and daughter Beneatha all lived under the same roof. Beneatha is an intellect who attends college and happens to be educated than the rest of her younger siblings. Beneatha is the only family member who has been college-educated, and she knows what she wants and how to get it. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. What about the crooks and thieves and just plain idiots who will come into power and steal and plunder the same as before only now they will be black and do it in the name of the new independence WHAT ABOUT THEM? You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Character Analysis Throughout the play, she searches for her identity. This scene shows the conflict between Beneatha's liberal opinions and Mama's traditional, more conservative views. The profession of a doctor is what Beneatha believes is mankinds strongest evidence to prove that they can change the world. You might assign each group one A Raisin in the Sun question from the first part . You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Because she has lost hope in her own dreams at this point, she struggles to see the value in anyone else's dreams. While Walter and Ruth work hard and make sacrifices to support the family, Beneatha attends college and experiments with various hobbies like playing guitar. [6] It was then produced on tour. insurance payment to Walter. Both Poitier and McNeil were nominated for Golden Globe Awards, and Petrie received a special "Gary Cooper Award" at the Cannes Film Festival. Beneatha is opinionated, especially in her dealings with her brother, Walter Lee; she clearly lives up to her name, an obvious pun, for, especially at the beginning of the play, everything and everyone seem to be "beneath her. Another issue is Asagai's interest in having a serious relationship as Beneatha believes they would be moving too quickly. It transferred to the Belasco Theatre on October 19, 1959, and closed on June 25, 1960, after 530 total performances. Asagai: Were you born with it like that? And nobody asked me, nobody consulted me - they just went out and changed my life!'. Complete your free account to request a guide. She cares a lot about politics and issues of civil rights, and is determined to get more in touch with her African culture through her relationship with Joseph Asagai, an African schoolmate. Beneatha is a twenty year-old college student with dreams of going to medical school and becoming a doctor. Underneath her tough shell, Beneatha really does care about helping people, which is why she ultimately wants to become a doctor. 16 students ordered this very topic and got original papers. She dates two very different men: Joseph Asagai and George Murchison. After World War II and the creation of the suburbs outside major metropolitan areas, the idea of the . Why do the Youngers decide to go through with the move? You can also use our tools to come up with interesting topics and points to argue in your Beneatha disagrees, saying that she has never asked anyone to support her, but as Walter points out, there is not much difference between asking for help and just accepting it. . Beneatha Younger is a smart, liberated woman in her twenties with aspirations of her own. The play won two 2004 Tony Awards: Best Actress in a Play (Phylicia Rashad) and Best Featured Actress in a Play (Audra McDonald), and was nominated for Best Revival of a Play and Best Featured Actress in a Play (Sanaa Lathan). . Instead of being grateful for her family's sacrifices, Beneatha often comes off as being selfish, and at times, downright obnoxious. Get your custom essay from professional writers. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Beneatha prides herself on being independent. She eventually accepts his point of view that things will get better with effort, along with agreeing to consider his proposal of marriage and invitation to move with him to Nigeria to practice medicine. Beneatha: My hair whats wrong with my hair? The plaintiff in the first action in 1934 was Olive Ida Burke, who brought the suit on behalf of a property owners' association to enforce racial restrictions. A Raisin in The Sun is a popular play by Lorraine Hansberry. Her husband, James Burke, later sold a house to Carl Hansberry (Lorraine's father), when he changed his mind about the validity of the covenant. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Vaguely threatening, he says he wishes to avoid tensions over the introduction of Black people into the neighborhood, which to the three women's horror Walter bitterly prepares to accept as a solution to their financial setback. Why does Mama buy a house in an all-white neighborhood? curtain rises, Ruths joyful singing cuts through the silence as she finishes the familys packing. She tells a story about sledding down the steps when she was young when a boy, Rufus, split his face open on the sidewalk and bled profusely. A Raisin in the Sun WWI: 1914 to 1918 WWII: 1939 to 1945 Pale Horse, Pale Rider: 1939 Modernism ~1900 - ~1960 (esp. After touring to positive reviews, the play premiered on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 11, 1959. Monologues are presented on MightyActor for educational purposes only . Langston Hughes' poem, "Harlem," illustrates what could happen if those dreams never came to fruition. Young Beneatha assumed "that was the end of Rufus," but the next time she saw him, Rufus just had a thin scar on his face. What is Beneathas Dream in a Raisin in the Sun. Of course there are variations and extensions of this idea. A Raisin in the Sun Study Guide Literary Elements: Be ready to identify examples that fit with the following terms. Earlier in the play, Walter asks if she has made up her mind about being a doctor and how much medical school will cost. . In. However, many Black families still faced racism and discrimination in the north. When she realizes this dependence, she gains a new perspective on her dream and a new energy to attain it in her own way. Beneatha attends college and dreams of becoming a doctor. Name 3 activities Beneatha has attempted and abandoned. Walter gives all of the money to Willy, who takes it and flees, depriving Walter and Beneatha of their dreams, though not the Youngers of their new home. A Raisin in the Sun A Streetcar Named Desire Biografien Englisch Born a Crime Brave New World Crooked Letter Crooked Letter Das Schicksal ist ein mieser Verrter Death of a Salesman Die Abenteuer des Huckleberry Finn Disgraced Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? You are still where I left off. Beneatha cuts her hair close to her head and leaves it unstraightened after Asagai teases Beneatha about the contradiction of her straightening her hair while rejecting assimilation, integration into the dominant culture. When George calls Beneatha eccentric, she declares, "I hate assimilationist Negroes!" Beneatha, unlike her mother, does not believe in God. With pride and excitement , Beneatha wears the robe from Asagai, plays African music, tries to imitate a tribal dance, and become conscious of her natural hair. Hansberry states Beneatha's conflict when she writes Why? When I was small we used to take our sleds out in the wintertime and the only hills we had were the ice-covered stone steps of some houses down the street. In 2010, Michael Buffong directed a widely acclaimed production at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester,[17] described by Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph as "A brilliant play, brilliantly served". the theme of interracial marriage between Beneatha and Joseph Asagai in A Raisin in the Sun can be viewed as a testimony of self-assertion, new freedom and a positive step towards black identity" (Berrain152-59). lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Impact of Resources on the Movement of Products, Capital & People in the U.S. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Summary, Characters & Analysis, How to Determine Minor Key Signatures in Music, Allie in Catcher in the Rye by J.D. [19][20] The play won three 2014 Tony Awards: Best Revival of a Play, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Sophie Okonedo) and Best Direction of a Play (Kenny Leon). All monologues are property and copyright of their owners. Lenas daughter Beneatha, hoping to become a doctor, is torn between two suitors, a rich fellow student who has assimilated into American white society and a native Nigerian who wants Beneatha to embrace her African heritage. [7] On opening night, after multiple curtain calls, the audience cried out for the author, whereupon Poitier jumped into the audience and pulled Hansberry onto the stage for her ovation. George Murchison in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Character & Analysis, Ruth in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Quotes & Analysis, Lena Younger in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Character Traits & Quotes, Walter in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Quotes & Character Analysis, The American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Theme & Analysis, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry: Act 2 | Summary & Analysis, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Characters, Analysis & Traits, Irony in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Types & Examples, Symbols in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Analysis & Examples, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry: Act 1 | Summary & Analysis, Setting of A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Summary & Analysis, Themes in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Devices & Analysis. It was released by Columbia Pictures and Ruby Dee won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress. The Hansberry family won their right to be heard as a matter of due process of law in relation to the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. [1] The title comes from the poem "Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred"[2]) by Langston Hughes. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. You can find a skilled professional who can write any paper for you. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Becoming a doctor would mean she would help people by healing them. The first is George Murchison, a boy who takes her on nice dates. She states that she wanted to cure people because fixing people and making them whole again is one of the most concrete acts a person can do to show that they care about someone else. A Raisin in the Sun, drama in three acts by Lorraine Hansberry, first published and produced in 1959. She tells him to put $3,000 in a savings account for. An error occurred trying to load this video. In 1989, the play was adapted into a TV film for PBS's American Playhouse series, starring Danny Glover (Walter Lee) and Esther Rolle (Mama), Kim Yancey (Beneatha), Starletta DuPois (Ruth), John Fiedler (Karl Lindner), and Helen Martin (Mrs. Johnson). In 2008, Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, and Sanaa Lathan reprised their roles from the 2004 Broadway revival in a television film directed by Kenny Leon. 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. [25], The two above plays, together with the original, were referred to by Kwei-Armah as "The Raisin Cycle" and were produced together by Baltimore's Center Stage in the 20122013 season.[26]. Bobo reports the bad news about the money. A Raisin in the Sun 2008 . Asagai: You wear it well . Asagais wish that Beneatha be quieter and less ambitious obviously outrages her, and his contention late in the play that she has been far from independentshe has had to rely on the insurance money from her fathers death and the investments made by her brother to realize her dream of becoming a doctorgreatly influences her. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. What about all the crooks and thieves and just plain idiots who will come into power and steal and plunder the same as before only now they will be black and do it in the name of the new Independence WHAT ABOUT THEM?! The ambulance came and took the boy to the hospital. Lena says that while money was something they try to work for, they should never take it if it was a person's way of telling them they were not fit to walk the same earth as them. In straightening her hair, Beneatha is essentially assimilating to white culture. Complete your free account to request a guide. She also provides a feminist and optimistic perspective and tone to the play. Its all our fault!, Brighton Beach Memoirs (Nora): When I was six or seven he always brought me home a little surprise. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. mutilated hair and all. Beneatha acts as a foil to Ruth and Lena, which . to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. 'A Raisin in the Sun' by Lorraine Hansberry. And in a family comprised of a mother, brother, and sister-in-law whose main focus is daily survival, Beneatha's dream seems all but impossible. She cannot understand how the family can consider moving to a white neighborhood and cattily jokes that she will probably read in the newspaper in a month that they have been killed in a bombing. I mean about people and how their bodies hurt. I hope these open-ended questions for A Raisin in the Sun will yield engaging discussions in your classroom. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Beneatha Younger in A Raisin in the Sun stands apart from the rest of the family. . All of the Youngers have important dreams that they wish to realize but due to their economic status and the abundant racism of the time, and they are forced to put aside these dreams. She favors her African suitor over her rich boyfriend, much to the puzzlement of her family. There was disagreement with how it should be played, with the focus on the mother or on the son. A Raisin in the Sun The Legend of Sleepy Hollow The Loved One The Magus The Making of Americans The Man in the High Castle The Mayor of Casterbridge The Member of the Wedding The Metamorphosis The Natural The Plague The Plot Against America The Portrait of a Lady The Power of Sympathy The Red Badge of Courage The Road The Road from Coorain The following quotes by Beneatha Younger in A Raisin in the Sun help to further characterize her. Travis is an innocent young boy who plays walters son. She dates two very different men: Joseph Asagai and George Murchison. 20% Aside from being an occasional snob, Beneatha has really strong opinions about being an independent woman. Free trial is available to new customers only. It used to matter. And we used to fill them in with snow and make them smooth and slide down them all day and it was very dangerous, you know far too steep, and sure enough one day a kid named Rufus came down too fast and hit the sidewalk and we saw his face just split open right there in front of us, And I remember standing there looking at his bloody open face thinking that was the end of Rufus. 714 Words | 3 Pages. Related Posts. Lena "Mama" Younger is the matriarch of the Younger family. With her natural hair, Beneatha proudly marks herself as an anti-assimilationist and visibly expresses her racial identity. August 7, 2022. Beneatha's character symbolizes new attitudes of the time period regarding race and gender. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. (page 19). Mama wants to give some of the money to Beneatha, who plans to attend medical school and use the rest to buy a house like she always dreamed of having. What has He got to do with anything? In Act III, Scene 1 of A Raisin in the Sun, Beneatha gives a monologue, or speech, that defines why she wants to be a doctor. Subscribe now. This was truly being God.". Everyone in the family is making a sacrifice so that Beneatha can become a doctor a fact pointed out by Walter Lee as they clash in the first scene of the play. 'I mean it! LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Raisin in the Sun, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Asagai criticizes her for being both too independent by not wanting to marry and too dependent by not wanting to leave America. Royal Exchange, Manchester production, 2010, Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, "A Raisin in the Sun | Ethel Barrymore Theatre (3/11/1959 10/17/1959)", "The 40 best plays to read before you die", "50 Best Plays of All Time: Comedies, Tragedies and Dramas Ranked", "Inventing a Fishbowl: White Supremacy and the Critical Reception of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun", "'A Raisin in the Sun', Present at the Creation", "How Sidney Poitier Rewrote the Script for Black Actors in Hollywood", "Theater: 'Raisin in Sun,' Anniversary in Chicago", "A Raisin in the Sun review still challenging its characters and audience", "Transcript: Langston Hughes and His Poetry presentation by David Kresh (Journeys and Crossings, Library of Congress)", "A Raisin in the Sun | Royale Theatre (4/26/2004 7/11/2004)", "Chenoweth, Dench, Linney, McDonald, Rashad Nominated for Emmy Awards", Ginia Bellafante, "Raisin in the Sun: A Tale of Race and Family and a $10,000 Question", "Tony-Winning Revival of 'A Raisin in the Sun' Plays Final Performance Tonight", "'Gent's Guide', 'All The Way', 'Hedwig And the Angry Inch', 'Raisin in the Sun 'Win Top Prizes at 68th Annual Tony Awards", "A Raisin in the Sun | Productions | Shows / Tickets | Arena Stage", "Baltimore's Center Stage looks very good in PBS documentary on 'Raisin' cycle", EDSITEment's lesson Raisin in the Sun the Quest for the American Dream, Text to Text: 'A Raisin in the Sun' and 'Discrimination in Housing Against Nonwhites Persists Quietly', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Raisin_in_the_Sun&oldid=1142168436, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Best Play written by Lorraine Hansberry; produced by Philip Rose, David J. Cogan, Best Direction of a Play Lloyd Richards, Starletta DuPois (who played Ruth in the 1989 film) Lena Younger, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 22:06. NoI told him he was a sweet boy and full of dreams and everything is strictly peachy keen, as the ofay kids say!" [21], On 31 January 2016 the BBC broadcast a new production of the play by director/producer Pauline Harris. She argues with her mother about God and doesn't want to talk about Him constantly because He doesn't pay her tuition. The reason behind Beneathas dream is where she remembers a childhood friend splitting his head open after a sledding accident. The character Mrs. Johnson and a few scenes were cut from the Broadway performance and in reproductions because of time constraints. Beneatha is an extroverted, independent young woman who cherishes her African heritage and plays a refreshing role in the Younger family's makeup. Later, when George Murchison arrives to take Beneatha on a date, she reveals that her hair is unstraightened and cut hair close to her head. Beneatha and her dialogue comes across as somewhat ungrateful and self-centered What do you want from me, Brother- that I quit school or just drop dead, which? Mama, Walter, and Beneatha in the 1959 production of the play. Our first couple of quotes come from Act I, Scene i of the show: 'And forgive me for ever wanting to be anything at all! PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Nonetheless, he will try because that is how progress has always been made. Throughout the play, Beneatha frequently conflicts with Walter and Mama. I always thought it was the one concrete thing in the world a human being could do. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs A professional writer will make a clear, mistake-free paper for you! I dont mean for yourself and for the family cause we lost the money. When the play hit New York, Poitier played it with emphasis on the son and found not only his calling but also an audience enthralled.[5]. What has He got to do with anything? Beneatha Younger struggles to find her real identity throughout the whole play, "A Raisin in the Sun." She strives to become a doctor despite being a women. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry directed by Carl Cofield Yale Repertory Theatre Read on issuu here. She is interested in embracing her heritage rather than adopting white culture, she has chosen to attend college and pursue a career (one dominated by white men), and she has no interest in marriage at this point in her life. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Independence and then what? Beneatha: Well you finally got it said . -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Beneatha Younger appears in. This movement is known as the Great Migration. LitCharts Teacher Editions. She embodies a girl struggling to . The way the content is organized. Does he pay tuition?" on 50-99 accounts. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Nicole McCarty, as Ruth Younger, argues about finances with her husband, Walter Lee Younger (played by Tyrell Morris) in this scene from "A Raisin in the Sun" at the . Beneatha also exemplifies the burgeoning feminism rhetoric of the period as she is more interested in her career goals and expressing her interests than finding a husband. SparkNotes PLUS There is a quote that says When you take things for granted, the things you are granted get taken and in the play A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, Beneatha takes things for granted but she also is successful. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. This seems like a pretty ordinary dream, right? Beneatha's Dream Analysis from "A Raisin in the Sun" Essay Exclusively available on IvyPanda Updated: Oct 21st, 2022 Beneatha lives in a society where women are expected to be mothers and wives rather than active agents of their own lives. When Beneatha thanks her family for their sacrifices following Walter's exchange, she seems sarcastic and disingenuous. $24.99 It used to be so important to me. The play belongs to Rika Williams as Beneatha Younger, Lenas 20-year-old daughter. Beneatha doesnt ask for Mama to pay for her tuition but rather pressures Mama to do so by expressing the importance of being a doctor and women in the workforce. The family consists of Lena "Mama" Younger, the proud head of the family and the original tenant of the apartment; Mama's adult children, Walter and Beneatha; Walter's wife, Ruth; and Walter and Ruth's young son, Travis. I'm just tired of hearing about God all the time. [7] Frank Rich, writing in The New York Times in 1983, stated that A Raisin in the Sun "changed American theater forever". Beneatha says she is not thinking about whom she will marry if she ever gets married. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. In this scene, Beneatha is being sarcastic by apologizing to her brother for having dreams of becoming a doctor because Walter Lee doesn't realistically think it can happen. It used to matter. Mama and, Walter admits that he never went to the bank and never placed the money for, fills the apartment with a sullen light of gloom. Asagai enters the apartment to visit. A monologue from the play by Lorraine Hansberry. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. The monologue comes shortly after Beneatha learns that her brother has lost the money that was set aside for her to go to medical school. Instant PDF downloads. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. ", Previous A Raisin in the Sun continues at the Shakespeare Theater through April 15. Another key quote can be found in Act I, Scene ii: In this scene, Beneatha's African boyfriend is pointing out the fact that Beneatha straightens her hair to make it look more European instead of embracing the natural, kinky texture of her hair as a Black woman. Home Monologues A Raisin in the Sun (Beneatha): That was the most marvelous thing in the world. Mama supports Beneatha's ideas, but she does not understand them. Throughout the whole play she tries out a handful of hobbies that she takes up during the play. Have you cried for that boy today? Ace your assignments with our guide to A Raisin in the Sun! Beneatha is angry with Walter for losing the money and ruining her dream, so she responds sarcastically to Ruth for insinuating that Walter does not deserve to receive the brunt of Beneatha's anger. Principal, as well as an English Language Arts teacher. I never thought to see you like this, Alaiyo. Mr. Burke's decision may have been motivated by the changing demographics of the neighborhood, but it was also influenced by the Depression. I always thought it was the one concrete thing in the world that a human being could do. Beneatha's relationship with her mother is largely one of conflict because of their many differences, but it is not a strained relationship, for even after her mother slaps her for her blasphemous talk, Beneatha later hugs and thanks her mother for understanding her dismissal of George. (including. . Each reading quiz contains ten multiple choice questions; they are quick to administer and score.A Raisin in the Sun Quizzes schedule:Reading 1: Act IReading 2: Act IIReading 3: Act IIIA list of questions by scene is also included. To her, Walter destroyed her dream because she thinks the achievement of her dream hinges on the money her mother received upon her father's death. 519 (1934), had been similar to his situation.
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