Posted by Emily Frost-Morgan (24.10.89.143) on June 24, 2005 at 6:55:49 p.m.:
In Reply to: DastoumEssay2 posted by Sara Dastoum on June 23, 2005 at 9:47:02 p.m.:
>Sara Dastoum
>English 301
>Jeanne Guerin
>Reading Journal #2
>6/26/2005
>
>P1 A play must include certain elements in order for it to flow smoothly and to keep its readers engaged and entertained. Moreover, the elements of drama helps a play substantially in contributing to its theme. Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun contains many of the elements that are found in a drama. The theme for A Raisin in the Sun is about a family full of dreams. The members of the family must deal with the circumstances of longing for dreams that can appear to be quite elusive. This theme speaks volumes to many readers, and is actually quite universal. However, it is the elements of drama that help make the theme as profound as it is. Perhaps the most influential elements to Hansberry’s play are both the elements of a conflict and a protagonist. The inclusion of both a conflict and a protagonist in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun help in supporting its theme.
>P2 A Raisin in the Sun’s universal theme allows readers to truly feel the characters’ emotions. There are so many people out there who have dreams to strive for. Most people, however, have to live their life in fear that they may not actually get to achieve those dreams. It is this very struggle that finds its way into one of the elements of drama; conflict. A drama must have action in order for its readers to want to continue reading. Simply having big dreams isn’t considered action. Hansberry’s addition of a conflict to her play makes her readers more absorbed with her play. Now that the characters in A Raisin in the Sun have to struggle with their dreams, things aren’t as crystal clear. The reader finds him or herself questioning whether or not the characters will actually be able to achieve their dreams. The result is an automatic page-turner in wondering whether or not there will be a happy ending.
>P3 Another important aspect to the element of conflict is the fact that a reader will imagine how he or she would react to a struggle. Allowing a reader to figuratively place him or herself in a drama makes the reader truly comprehend the theme of the play. The result is a greater understanding of the author’s intent of the play. Hansberry wanted her readers to understand that dreams can sometimes slip away. Most people go through their life not realizing how truly fearful it can be to actually chase after a dream knowing that deep down, that dream may not be attainable. Or worse yet, most people don’t even think about how it would feel to have a dream stolen away. As hard as one may dream, dreams don’t always become a reality. Though hard to accept, it is Hansberry’s addition of a struggle that makes A Raisin in the Sun a meaningful and thought-provoking work of literature.
>P4 Another key element that allows readers to understand Hansberry’s theme, is the element of a protagonist. The protagonist is a character with whom most readers would identify with. Without a protagonist, readers would not be able to comprehend the importance of the play’s theme. A reader needs to be able to identify with at least one character in the play in order for the reader to be able to place him or herself in the story. This placement once again, allows the reader to grasp the concept of the play’s theme. In A Raisin in the Sun, one such protagonist that Hansberry includes is a character named Walter. Walter is a young adult who is married with a young son. More importantly, Walter has big dreams. Walter has always had big ideas in trying to make money and becoming successful, so that he and his family can live comfortably. But apparently, Walter’s ideas keep getting pushed aside. Many readers can identify with Walter’s dismal situation. With that said, readers are able to empathize with Walter and the circumstances that Hansberry places him in.
>P5 The reader wants Walter to be able to achieve his dream, just like the reader would want to be able to achieve his or her dream. Readers become sympathetic when Walter finds that his dream is literally stolen away from him by a man whom he had once considered a friend. Walter had staked the last of his family’s money on the line for one last shot at his dream. This money was actually given to his family from insurance due to his father’s death. Unfortunately, Walter’s friend ran off with all of the money, leaving Walter completely helpless. Readers find themselves wondering how they would react if a friend of theirs had stolen a dream from them. Walter himself had stated “Man, I put my life in your hands…that money is made out of my father’s flesh…” (1422). This is the kind of statement that can blow a reader away. Hansberry’s character Walter truly contributes to the theme of chasing after dreams –and finding that it might not be attainable. The fact that the reader, for the time he or she is reading the play, has placed him or herself in Walter’s shoes allows the reader to take the meaning of the play’s theme for what it is.
>P6 The addition of a conflict and a protagonist to Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun contributes to the essence of the theme. Without a conflict or a protagonist present, the theme would simply be depthless and shallow. Readers have read so many stories about chasing after dreams, that it’s become a cliché in the world of literature. Nobody wants to waste their time reading about clichés, knowing what the ending will be like. A character with struggles that a reader can identify with is much more profound and simply put, entertaining. It is the inclusion of these two elements of drama, a conflict and a protagonist, that allows a reader to truly devour a play’s theme in its entirety. Furthermore, it is through the use of the choice elements that Hansberry has managed to make a meaningful and absolutely provocative drama. Hansberry has carefully chosen how to lay out these certain elements in her play. It is not only the arrangements of the elements that are well thought out, but also what went into the elements. Due to these elements and its contribution to Hansberry’s theme, A Raisin in the Sun is an inspiring and influential drama to many readers.
>Word Count: 1,078
Reader's Name: Emily Frost-Morgan
Writers Name: Sara Dastoum
1) Review the assignment requirements. Read the essay. In your opinion, does the writer answer the essay assignment in this piece? Explain. The writer talks about the protagonist and conflict, I beleive she is doing element of plot but she might want to make it clearer.
2) Write the thesis statement here: I beleive it is...
The inclusion of both a conflict and a protagonist in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun help in supporting its theme.
3) Does the thesis attempt to prove a specific idea, or is it too general?
I think it is too general.
4) What specific evidence does the writer provide to support the thesis?
She clearly writes about conflict and the protagonist
5) Does the writer explicitly show how this evidence supports his/her view? Are connections made for the reader?
I didn't really see her view on the elements.
6) Does each paragraph connect with the thesis? Yes, they address conflict and a protagonist
7) Is there additional evidence which the writer has missed?
MOre about what kind of character the protagonist is.
8) Does the conclusion sum up the writer's point?
I think you should add more of your thought into the conclusion and more into the essay as a whole.
9) Give the writer at least one suggestion for improving this paper. Some paragraphs and sentences are confusing, i.e. paragraph 3. Put more of your own thought on the protagonist and the conflicts into your essay.