Posted by Francis Ogbah (69.230.105.83) on June 24, 2005 at 9:59:59 a.m.:
Francis Ogbah
English 301
Jeanne Guerin
Essay 2
06/23/2005
Rough Draft
A Raisin in the Sun
Some of the elements that contribute to the theme of the drama “A Raisin in the Sun” are exposition, foil, conflict, stage directions, plot, climax, subplot, rising and falling action, protagonist, antagonist, and the resolution among others. However, getting more specific or changing the focus onto the conflict and the protagonist to see how these help develop the theme of “A Raisin in Sun” it becomes clear how essential they are. (p1)
The protagonist from a broad perspective would be the whole Younger family because they had to overcome conflict together as a team. Looking at the protagonist in a concrete sense, Walter would be the protagonist because he was in front of it all in the form of a team leader or captain. This was illustrated when Walter was speaking to Mr. Lindner about the house Lindner wanted to pay them out of. Walter said, “And we have decided to move into our house because my father - my father – he earned it for us brick by brick”. This was the protagonist as he was overcoming the obstacle. Prior to that, the Younger family looked like it was going to fall apart because everyone was trying to chase dreams separated from one another. Walter wanted to get a liquor store; Mama (Lena) opposed him because she had the money that he needed to start with and she did not want to use here money for that kind of a purpose. (p2)
The conflict of the story came when the house was introduced into the drama. It was a neighborhood of Whites and they would be the only blacks that lived there. The Younger family was not welcome to the area with open arms. Mr. Lindner who was the spokesman for the community and stated when he went to persuade the Younger family not to move in the house. From the beginning the writer had it this in mind to be the conflict but covered it up by giving the characters dreams to be preoccupied with. The family is very close to each other even thought every so often they step on each other’s feet. They talked about the conflict situation and came to an agreement with one another as Walter stated to Lindner, “ What I mean is that we come from people who had a lot of pride – we are very proud people” (p3)
However, with every protagonist should come some kind of conflict for him or her to go through to give the character some opportunity to change a view or stance on a particular situation? In the drama “ A Raisin in the Sun”, Walter has an opinion about the situation that was going on with the house. He told his family that he would accept the money even though it was against the way he was raised. Walter said he would feel fine after taking the money and went on to describe how he would it was disturbing to the family and even to Walter as he voice kept on cracking when he was forcing himself to demonstrate. After reading it I was clear that it was pure frustration about the whole situation that he expressed when he demonstrated. Then when the time came, he did what he believed in by rejecting the money that Lindner and his community were willing to give the Younger family to not move in the house they were about to move into. (p4)
Thus, the expression Walter made was his way of dealing with the wrong that he saw being done to him and his family. He did not want to keep on going in the cycle of pain he elders went through in their time so he tried to make it end with him. He also stated his intentions to the neighborhood “we don’t want to make no trouble for nobody or fight no causes, and we will try to be good neighbors.” That way it would be clear to those who had ears and liked to listen that all the Younger family wanted to do was coexist. Not to fight people but to live in self established happiness. (p5)