A Raisin in the Sun (Essay Sample)

Name:
Instructor:
Course:
Date:
A Raisin in the Sun
The play A Raisin in the Sun came to the fore as the first play to be produced by an African American woman and featured on Broadway. Lorrain Hansberry’s highly acclaimed play deals with the crucial issues that confronted African Americans, the black male’s pursuit of manhood,, as well as integration problems. Walter, a key figure in the play was played by Danny Glover in the 1989 version of the play. Walter best represents the quest for manhood within the play. After the death of his father, he wants, more than ever, to replace him as the main caretaker of the family. His job as a chauffeur to a white man does little to aid him in his quest. Danny Glover captures the features of a good actor, to portray engagement, truthfulness, skill, and usefulness. The performance by Danny Glover as Walter is comparable to the description by Hansberry, who wrote that Walter Lee was a "a lean, intense young man in his middle thirties, inclined to quick nervous movements and erratic speech habits and always in his voice there is a quality of indictment" (Hansberry 25). Glover shows truthfulness because he manages to embody this description perfectly. He is true to his character (Benedetti 4). First, his physicality and mannerisms tell a lot about his position and role in the play as envisaged by Lorrain Hansberry. He is edgy, overly nervous and makes quick erratic movements. For example, in the first act scene 1, he displays his edginess when he sighs and looks at his watch with uneasiness. He asks, "Now what is that boy doing in that bathroom all this time" (Hansberry Act 1 Scene 1). His facial expression is one of worry and impatience as he glances at his wristwatch and fidgets with the newspaper. In Scene 3, he also displays engagement by interacting Beneatha to discuss what she terms as "old fashioned negroes." At the same time, he dances with Ruth. He is fully engaged and part of the action. Walter displays great skill in improvisation. He tries to imitate a tribal battle between him and his sister, using the furniture as props. His skills come to the fore in this scene because he manages to switch effortlessly from his fidgety and edgy mannerisms to a playful façade in this improvisation. Walter’s character is useful to the development of the play. As a chauffeur earning meager wages, Walter has a hard time letting go of the bottle. For a man of his age, Walter drinks too much alcohol. Walter’s love for the bottle emanated from the barriers and difficulties that prevented his family family’s progress of attaining wealth and fortunes consistently. He manages to bring out this role in a useful manner that underlines the theme of the play.
Mama, also known as Lena Younger, is just as dedicated to her family as Walter is to his. Played by Esther Rolle, Mama is a black woman who instills good values in her children. She struggles to connect with her children Walter and Beneatha and teach them the Christian faith. Rolle shows truthfulness in her character as Mama by embodying the numerous archetypical features that a mother figure should. For example, she commands respect every time she enters into a room. She walks with an air of dignity and pride. Mama, as a character has a strong, will shown by her compassion towards her family. Mama also has a selfless spirit that is realizable in her plans of using the $ 10, 000 from her husband’s insurance for the greater good of the family. Mama wanted to use the money to buy a house in a middle-class white dominated neighborhood. Her facial expressions, such as when rebuking Ruth or Walter shift between emotional concern to strictness. She is displays t...