1. A Play by Lorraine Hansberry

2. The Title Originally Crystal Stair Came from a line from Langston Hughes’s poem (1951) “ A Dream Deferred” Post WWII – 1950’s whites fled the cities for suburbs Blacks left in deteriorating suburbs unwelcome in suburbs Poem represents struggle characters in play face to realize dreams

3. “A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-- And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?

4. A Raisin in the Sun Almost didn’t make it to Broadway Opened March 1959 First and longest-running play written by an African-American woman Struggle of contemporary African-American family (Younger family)

5. The Great Migration Families migrated north as “immigrants” Went to large industrial cities Looking for better economic and social opportunities Started during WWI By 1930 about a million African-American families had moved north Discovered racism and segregation existed in North, too

6. The Great Migration (cont.) Cities like New York and Chicago had few opportunities Many African-American were untrained and uneducated Found jobs similar to the South Ku Klux Klan, a racist organization, moved North, too Cities developed large ghettos that were filthy and crowded Harlem in New York South Side of Chicago

7. The Lure to Africa Many African Americans had/have strong connection to homeland Hansberry felt strong ties to Africa In the play we see this with Beneatha and her African boyfriend Joseph Asagai

8. Hansberry’s Life 1930-1965 Born in Chicago, Illinois Father owned real-estate business Challenged segregated housing in Chicago Moved family into all-white neighborhood Uncle professor at Howard University in DC Went to U of Wisconsin, dropped out, and moved to New York City to write Diagnosed with cancer and died at 35 Ex-husband (secretly divorced) edit unfinished works after death

9. Theme of a literary work is... An insight about life or human nature that the reader gains from the work. Socratic Dialogue statements represent themes from this play.

10. Characterization Refers to the techniques that a writer uses to develop characters. In plays, the writer provides some of this information in stage direction, dramatic exposition, and dialogue.

11. Characters Lena Younger (Mama) Walter Lee Younger Ruth Younger Beneatha Younger Travis Younger Mr. Lindner Joseph Asagai Bobo Willy Furniture Mover

12. Symbols Mama’s plant Kitchen window Fifty cents, one dollar New House and garden “Eat your eggs” Beneatha’s Hair

13. “I say all of this to say that one cannot live with sighted eyes and feeling heart and not know and react to the miseries which afflict this world. I have given you this account so that you know that what I write is not based on the assumption of idyllic possibilities or innocent assessments of the true nature of life – but, rather, my own personal view...” -- Lorraine Hansberry

14. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry