1. AT A GLANCE

2. LORRAINE HANSBERRY: LIFE & WORKS

2.1 Biography

2.2 Contemporary Background

The USA after World War II

The Harlem Renaissance

Society and politics

Pan-Africanism: African-Americans and Africa Culture

Broadway

Music

2.3 Notes on Other Important Works

1961 The screenplay of A Raisin in the Sun

1964 The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window

1969 To Be Young, Gifted and Black

Pan-Africanism: African-Americans and Africa Culture

Les Blancs

3. ANALYSES AND INTERPRETATIONS

3.1 Origins and Sources

Politically active parents

Hansberry v. Lee

Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance

Cultural references

3.2 Summaries

Act I

Scene 1 (p. 23)

Scene 2 (p. 54)

Act II

Scene 1 (p. 76)

Scene 2 (p. 96)

Scene 3 (p. 110)

Act III (p. 131)

3.3 Structure

Scenes

Acts

Transitions within scenes

A breakdown of transitions within a scene

3.4 Characters

The Younger family

“Mama” Lena (p. 39)

Ruth (p. 24)

Walter Lee (p. 25)

Beneatha “Bennie” (p. 35)

Travis Willard (p. 25)

The other characters

Joseph Asagai (p. 60)

George Murchison (p. 79)

Karl Lindner (p. 113)

Mrs. Johnson (p. 98)

Bobo (p. 125)

“Big” Walter Younger (deceased)

Willie (Willy) Harris

Constellation of the characters

3.5 Notes on themes

Poverty and money

Family relationships and gender issues

Dreams, hopes, ambitions – the future

Race and identity

The philosophy of A Raisin in the Sun

3.6 Style and language

The language of plays, scripts and screenplays

Stage directions

The actors’ lines

Creative use of language in A Raisin in the Sun

Yoruba

3.7 Interpretations

Background

Adaptations

The ”Raisin Cycle”

Macklemore’s mistake

4. RECEPTION

Success

Ambiguous responses

5. MATERIALS

Lorraine Hansberry and Bobby Kennedy (1963)

Hansberry and the Town Hall forum (1964)

6. SAMPLE EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

SOURCES & REFERENCES

INDEX