An African-American Experience
August Wilson's The Piano Lesson and Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun seek to dramatize the various issues that two African-American families face. Although the dramas take place in two distinct time periods, there exists a comparative and contrastive view of the various issues that arise in these two dramas. The struggle to rise from economic adversity is present in the two protagonists in these dramas, who both have dreams of achieving economic success, a central issue in these two dramas. In The Piano Lesson, the character Boy Willie seeks to obtain the family's treasured heirloom, a piano, for which he wants to sell for money. In return he wants to use the money to buy land from the Sutter family, former slave-owners of his family, the Charles's. Boy Willie intends to grow cotton and/or tobacco on this land and even hire some workers so that he can achieve his dream of economic success. On the other hand, there lies the character Walter Younger in A Raisin in the Sun. His dream is to open a liquor store and reap from the profits. However, this can't be accomplished unless his Mama gives him the money from a $10,000 insurance check she receives from her husband's death. The struggle for these characters to achi
Adler, Thomas P. "The Political Basis of Lorraine Hansberry's Art." American Drama, 1940-1960: A Critical History 1994. Meyer 1793-4. [self] -biological, racial, socio-cultural-and face oppression because of it" (Adler 1793). All families can somehow, someway relate to one or more issues that are present in one or in both of these dramas because all families encounter all sorts of issues. white neighborhood. It is a house that she has always dreamed of having for her family with its "three bedrooms, a yard with a little patch of dirt and a nice big basement"(Hansberry 1764). She achieves this dream of self-fulfillment, of moving her family from the ghetto life to the urban life from a tenant to a homeowner. Mama has achieved personal freedom for not only herself, but for her family as well. A Raisin in the Sun. Dir. Daniel Petrie. Perf. Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee. 1959. Videocassette. Columbia Pictures, 1961. Meyer, Michael, ed. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999. The issue of family heritage plays an essential part in both of these dramas. In The Piano Lesson Berniece doesn't want to sell the piano because "Mama Ola polished this piano with her tears for seventeen years, she rubbed on it till her hands bled" (Wilson 1988). Berniece has a legitimate argument for not wanting to sell the piano, which is that it reminds her of her mother. In A Raisin in the Sun Walter cries uncontrollably due to the bad investment he made with Willy and proclaims "that money is made out of my father's flesh" (Hansberry 1782). The money invested in the liquor store holds the same family and/or sentimental value that the piano does for Berniece, both which greatly affect family heritage.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Boy Willie, Piano Lesson, Sun Walter, Raisin Sun, Southside Chicago, Walter's Mama, Willie Walter, Lorraine Hansberry, Mama Raisin, Walter Berneice, boy willie, raisin sun, piano lesson, liquor store, economic success, achieve dream, various issues, dramas piano, dramas piano lesson, sell piano, raisin sun walter, insurance check, dream boy willie, family ghetto life, issue dramas piano,
Approximate Word count = 1488
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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