A-Raisin-in-the-Sun

ARaisinintheSunbyLorraineHansberryLorraineHansberry(May19,1930-January12,1965)UnitedStates(American)NationalityShewasaplaywrightandanauthor.Shealsocampaignedandfoughtforracialjusticeandequality.OccupationLorraineHansberrydiedonJanuary12th1965DiedHansberrywasborninChicago,IllinoisonMay19th1930BornLorrainewasborninChicago,IllinoisShewastheyoungestoffourchildrenofCarlAugustusHansberryandNannieLouisePerryShegrewupintheWoodlawnareainChicagoWhenLorrainewasalittleolderthefamilymovedintoanall-whiteneighbourhoodwheretheyfacedracialdiscriminationLorrainethereattendedan“all-white”publicschoolandherparentsfoughtagainstsegregationthereLorrainenoticedhowsegregatedandraciallydiscriminativetheneighbourhoodshewaslivinginwasandthisisreflectedinhermostfamouswork,‘ARaisininTheSun’HansberryattendedTheUniversityofWisconsin-Madison.In1950shelefttheuniversitybecauseshefeltitwasuninspiringandwantedtomakethebestshecouldofherfuture.Whensheleft,shestartedtopursuehercareerasawriter,andbeganworkingonthestaffofFreedom,ablacknewspaperinNewYork.Shewroteherworldfamousplay‘ARaisinintheSun’whilstworkingforFreedom.ARaisinintheSunwasthefirstAfrican-AmericanplaytobeshownonBroadway.ItreceivedtheNewYorkDramaCriticsAward.ReceivingthisawardmadehertheyoungestandfirstAfrican-Americantoreceiveit.ARaisinintheSun(1959).ARaisinintheSun(film),screenplay(1961).ARaisinintheSun(film),produced(2008).OnSummer(Essay).TheMovement:DocumentaryofaStruggleforequality(1964).TheSigninSydneyBrustein’sWindow(1965).TobeYoung,GiftedandBlack:LorraineHansberryinHerownWords(1969).LesBlancs:TheCollectedLastPlays/byLoraineHansberry,editedbyRobertNemiroff.PhotofromARaisinintheSun(play)Hergrand-nieceisactressTayeHansberry.Lincoln’sUniversity’sfreshmanfemaledormitoryisnamedLorraineHansberryHall.InSanFrancisco,TheLorraineHansberryTheatrewasopenedwhichspecialisesinstagingAfrican-Americanplaysandisnamedinherhonour.WhenHansberrydied,sheleftbehindanunfinishednovelandthreeunfinishedplays.NinaSimonewasaclosefriendofLoraineHansberryandasshewasasingerandpianist,shewroteasongcalled“TobeYoung,GiftedandBlack”togetherwithWeldonIrvine.ThesinglereachedtheTop10oftheR&Bchart.LorraineHansberrydiedonJanuary12th1965,ofpancreaticcancer,agedonly34ARaisinintheSunisaplaybyLorraineHansberrythatdebutedonBroadwayin1959.ThetitlecomesfromthepoemHarlem(alsoknownasADreamDeferred)byLangstonHughes.《太阳下的一颗葡萄干》。剧名取自美国黑人桂冠诗人兰斯顿·休士的一首诗，诗中写道：“一个未能实现的梦想会有什么下场？/它会不会干瘪枯萎，/象太阳下的一颗葡萄干？Thestoryisbaseduponablackfamily'sexperiencesintheWashingtonParkSubdivisionofChicago'sWoodlawnneighborhood.ARaisinintheSunportraysafewweeksinthelifeoftheYoungers,anAfrican-AmericanfamilylivinginChicago'sSouthsidesometimebetweenWorldWarIIandthe1950s.Whentheplayopens,theYoungersareabouttoreceiveaninsurancecheckfor$10,000fromthedeceasedMr.Younger’slifeinsurancepolicy.Eachoftheadultmembersofthefamilyhasanideaastowhatheorshewouldliketodowiththismoney.Thematriarchofthefamily,Mama,wantstobuyahousetofulfilladreamshesharedwithherhusband.Mama’sson,WalterLee,wouldratherusethemoneytoinvestinaliquorstorewithhisfriends.Hebelievesthattheinvestmentwillsolvethefamily’sfinancialproblemsforever.Walter’swife,Ruth,agreeswithMama,however,andhopesthatsheandWaltercanprovidemorespaceandopportunityfortheirson,Travis.Beneatha,Walter’ssisterandMama’sdaughter,wantshermothertousethemoneyforwhateverbeherwill.Mamadoesmentionshe'dalsoliketousethemoneyforBeneatha'smedicalschooltuition.Shealsowishesthatherfamilymemberswerenotsointerestedinjoiningthewhiteworld.BeneathainsteadtriestofindheridentitybylookingbacktothepastandtoAfrica.Astheplayproceeds,theYoungersclashovertheircompetingdreams.Ruthdiscoversthatsheispregnantbutfearsthatifshehasthechild,shewillputmorefinancialpressureonherfamilymembers.WhenWaltersaysnothingtoRuth’sadmissionthatsheisconsideringabortion,Mamaputsadownpaymentonahouseforthewholefamily.Shebelievesthatabigger,brighterdwellingwillhelpthemall.ThishouseisinClybournePark,anentirelywhiteneighborhood.WhentheYoungers’futureneighborsfindoutthattheYoungersaremovingin,theysendMr.Lindner,fromtheClybourneParkImprovementAssociation,tooffertheYoungersmoneyinreturnforstayingaway.TheYoungersrefusethedeal,evenafterWalterlosestherestofthemoney($6,500)tohisfriendWillyHarris,whopersuadesWaltertoinvestintheliquorstoreandthenrunsoffwithhiscash.Inthemeantime,Beneathawantstogetrejectedbyhersuitor,GeorgeMurchison,whomshebelievestobeshallowandblindtotheproblemsofrace.Subsequently,shereceivesamarriageproposalfromherNigerianboyfriend,JosephAsagai,whowantsBeneathatogetamedicaldegreeandmovetoAfricawithhim(Beneathadoesnotmakeherchoicebeforetheendoftheplay,butweseeahopefulending).TheYoungerseventuallymoveoutoftheapartment,fulfillingthefamily’slong-helddream.Theirfutureseemsuncertainandslightlydangerous,buttheyareoptimisticanddeterminedtoliveabetterlife.Theybelievethattheycansucceediftheysticktogetherasafamilyandresolvetonolongerdefertheirdreams.HARLEMLangstonHughesWhathappenstoadreamdeferred?DoesitdryuplikearaisininthesunOrfesterlikeasore—Andthenrun?Doesitstinklikerottenmeat?Orcrustan