A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes.

Who is the most important character in raisin in the sun?

Walter and Mama are the most likely characters to be considered as the main figures of the play because the decisions that they make can be argued to be the most central to the main conflict of the the play. Walter and Mama are the ones who decide if the family will stay or move into a new house.

Is Walter the main character?

As Mama's only son, Ruth's defiant husband, Travis's caring father, and Beneatha's belligerent brother, Walter serves as both protagonist and antagonist of the play. The plot revolves around him and the actions that he takes, and his character evolves the most during the course of the play.

Why is Mama the main character in a raisin in the sun?

Mama is the most nurturing character in the play, and she constantly reminds Walter that all she has ever wanted is to make her children happy and provide for them. She cares deeply for Walter and shows this care by giving him the remaining insurance money.

Who is the hero of a raisin in the sun?

Social Issues In A Raisin In The Sun

Lena was waiting for his life insurance check for ten thousand dollars. Walter felt entitled to the money. Beneatha hoped for tuition funds and all Ruth wanted was for the family to be happy. However, Lena was the decision maker and the head of the household.

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Characters

24 related questions found

What do the characters in A Raisin in the Sun represent?

During the exposition, a great deal is discovered about the characters, their possessions, and how the play applies to the conflict of the era. Many of the characters hold a strong symbolic meaning, and Walter Lee Younger is no exception. He is the symbol of hope and ambition, dreams and desires, passion and fury.

Who is the protagonist of the play Walter or Mama?

Walter is the protagonist in the play simply because he causes the main conflicts in the play with other family members, especially his mother and his sister. He goes against the morals of the family tradition and tries to take the insurance money and use it in an unorthodox manner...

Who was Mama's husband in a raisin in the sun?

Mama strongly despises an abortion. Even though Mama's marriage with Big Walter was not always happy (Cheney 62), she cherishes the life she shared with her husband. He was not a model husband, but he loved his children and “wanted them to have something - be something” (Hansberry 45).

What is Mama's dream for Travis?

Mama wants Travis to be happy and play in the garden but she cannot do this since they live in a dirty ghetto. Ruth, whose dreams are the same as Mama's, get deferred when the family are forced into there small apartment and there lack of money.

What are mama's ambitions in a raisin in the sun?

Mama dreams of moving her family out of their cramped apartment and into a house with a yard where children can play and she can tend a garden. Her dream has been deferred since she and her husband moved into the apartment that the Youngers still inhabit.

Who is the main character in Raisin in the Sun and why?

Walter Lee Younger

The protagonist of the play. Walter is a dreamer. He wants to be rich and devises plans to acquire wealth with his friends, particularly Willy Harris. When the play opens, he wants to invest his father's insurance money in a new liquor store venture.

Who is the main character in the play Why?

Answer: A Main Character is the player through whom the audience experiences the story first hand. A Protagonist is the prime mover of the plot. A Hero is a combination of both Main Character and Protagonist.

Is Walter Lee a tragic hero?

In A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee is not a tragic hero. ... His refusal of Lindner's offer, which would have meant staying out of a White neighborhood, makes him a hero precisely because he will not allow the lack of money to become a tragedy by harming and humiliating his family.

Is Ruth pregnant in a raisin in the sun?

During the course of the play, Ruth realizes she is pregnant and considers seeking an abortion, which would have been illegal at the time. By the end of the play, the implication is that Ruth will have this baby and that the family will direct its energy away from self-destruction.

What is Lena's dream in a raisin in the sun?

Lena Younger, the matriarch of the Younger family, dreams of raising her family away from the dangerous south side of Chicago and in a safer place with more opportunities, like Clybourne Park. She also dreams of having a small garden.

Is Walter a sympathetic character?

A prime example of a sympathetic character is Walter Lee Younger from A Raisin in the Sun. ... Walter Younger is the protagonist of the story even though he isn't a traditional hero, evident by him stealing Beneatha's college fund.

How do you describe Mama Lena Younger )?

Mama, also known as Lena Younger, is the proud, religious, hard-working leader of the Younger family in Lorraine Hansberry's play A Raisin in the Sun. ... Her own dreams are centered on moving the family to a house in a better neighborhood, and she achieves this by the end of the play.

Does Beneatha achieve her dream?

Beneatha is devastated. ... Beneatha begins to feel better about her situation. Her dream is deferred, but the message of the play that infers difficulties ahead, does not lead the audience to believe that her dream is lost to her; if she works hard, she should be able to achieve her wish to become a doctor.

What does Mama do when Beneatha disrespects her beliefs?

Mamma slaps Beneatha because it will punish her and make it seems as if it does not seem as if it is the first time she has done this.

How does Mama describe Big Walter?

Mama says, with a little laugh, that Big Walter was a womanizer, implying that, perhaps, at some point as a young wife, she might have been deeply hurt over Big Walter's antics. We get the impression that he was a very old-fashioned man who dominated his household by his imposing presence.

What does Mama think killed her husband?

Mama's sudden sad realization that her husband's life boils down to a stack of paper bills compels her to turn on Walter as if he had killed his father himself. This anger is uncommon for Mama, and it is significant because it demonstrates that her compassion is not born of passivity.

How is Walter the protagonist in a raisin in the sun?

Although he makes some bad decisions, what redeems Walter is his rejection of Karl Lindner's offer. His stand for principle over money is celebrated in the play and makes him the protagonist.

What is the main idea of A Raisin in the Sun?

The main themes in A Raisin in the Sun are dreams, selfishness, and race. Dreams: Everyone in the play has a dream. However, achieving one's dreams proves a complicated endeavor, especially when factors like race, class, and gender interfere.

What is Ruth's role in A Raisin in the Sun?

Ruth Younger is a character from Lorraine Hansberry's stage play A Raisin in the Sun. Because of her family's poor financial situation, she has to double as a housewife and a working mother, working as a domestic worker, who is a person that cleans the homes of other people.

What are the major themes in A Raisin in the Sun?

Themes

• The Value and Purpose of Dreams. A Raisin in the Sun is essentially about dreams, as the main characters struggle to deal with the oppressive circumstances that rule their lives. ...
• The Need to Fight Racial Discrimination. The character of Mr. ...
• The Importance of Family.