Engage in close reading as you normally would: Be aware of setting, track character development, consider important symbols, and note style, tone, and irony. Keep careful notes that reflect you thinking.
Read about the elements of drama outlined in your anthology on pp.1015-1018. To what degree does your play conform to these traditions? Explore the places where the play seems to take a different structure and to what effect?
In the elements of drama outlined in the anthology, most drama plots are described to begin with rising action, then reaching a climax, and eventually finding resolution after falling action. The beginning parts of the play, in which the scene is established, have a rising action feel to it as the viewer/reader begins to understand the societal implications of the time and the issues arising from it. Most significantly, the family gets the check which spurs the plot. The play's climax is the point at which Walter loses the money. For the most part, the play follows this format. However, at the same time, the issue of racism and the family struggles surrounding society are prevalent throughout the whole novel. The resolution the reader/viewer must satisfy with is the fact that the family keeps the house they have wanted for so long. In addition, as the elements of drama reading suggests, this play has a plot and a protagonist, in this case, Walter Younger.
The play mirrors almost every element of drama outlined in the anthology, highly conforming to the traditions. One element of drama the play conforms to is setting. Events take place in a single location, the apartment of Ruth and Walter Younger. The apartment sets concretely sets the setting and mood of the play from the beginning, when it is highlighted that there is hardly any sunlight in the apartment, it is compact and crammed, and the walls are cracked. From these descriptions the reader can draw that the Youngers live a rough life, in which money is tight and conditions are unstable. The play is consistent with having a foil, Walter. The anthology writes that a foil contrasts the behavior and values of a protagonists up to a point, although while the protagonist's aspect does not hold true, Walter's actions are consistent with that of a foil's. He contrasts Mama's views of other aspects of life being more important than money, having money be his number one concern throughout the play- how he will save, make, and spend money. Yet at the end of the play, he understands Mama's beliefs of not letting the white man determine how a black can live his/her life, and Walter chooses moving into a comfortable house in a white neighborhood over accepting a large sum of money to not live in that house.
The play takes on a different structure with characters. There was no protagonist, or central character. There was an antagonist, Walter, yet if the reader chose to identify with Walter from the beginning and support him, Mama and Ruth would be considered the antagonists. The reader could identify with any of the characters, while all of the main characters together in most scenes, and each character said relatively the same amount of lines. There was not one sole character that the story was centered around and was described as a "perfect" character that all readers should model after. Moreover each character had positives and negative qualities about him/her. Walter was cruel to his wife, mother, and sister, being entirely focused on money (more than his family), yet he was able to recognize the importance of family and the fight against discrimination. Ruth was loving and caring for her son and provided support to Beneatha and Mama, yet she did not always listen to Walter when he spoke, a request that drove him mad. Mama wanted the best for her family, but initially that meant denying her son the resources for achieving his dream. Since there was no set antagonist and protagonist, the play was more open-ended in terms of making meaning. There was not one character to follow, but rather a family to follow, and understand how conflicts and resolutions affected the family as a whole rather than a single individual.
The elements of drama in this play seem to follow the traditional path that many one act plays had. It is pyramidal in scheme and is easily followed as such. With suspense created in the very beginning with the “Check” supposedly coming on Saturday it left all the issues to unfold within the Younger’s house. While Walter and Mama seem to be protagonists they both have foils. The opposite in character is Beneatha; she is educated and wishes to follow a more respectable path as a woman in her society where as Mama seemed to fill a social stereotype of the era. Walter was always concerned about money and the next step in life where as his wife, Ruth, seemed to be the opposite. “I got to take hold of this here world, baby! And a woman will say: eat your eggs and go to work.” Pg 33. This quote exemplifies the foil and also enlightens the theme of this play which is social inequality in this time period. Walter wants to be well off and give his family a life that he can be proud of, but he is stuck. This is shown in how he wants to open a liquor store and get money for his family. This issue consists of the rising action. When Mama spends the money on a new home for them is when the climax appears finalizing with her giving the rest of the $6,500 to Walter. The conclusion is when they finally leave to the new home. There are various subplots; for example Beneatha and her love with Asagai, Ruth with her baby and Lindener with his offer to buy their house. This is representative of the common aspects of a classic one act play. The way this play takes it’s own path is how there is not one sole antagonist, in this play the characters are their own antagonists; Walter with his alcohol problem, Ruth with abortion, Beneatha with her insubordination. Each character wavers between the antagonist and the protagonist creating an internal struggle that creates the mood of the play.
I believe that A Raisin in the Sun follows the elements of drama discussed in the anthology pretty well. There is suspense created by the family awaiting the check in the mail/knowing about the money. There is exposition when Hansberry explains what happened to Mama's husband and why they are getting the money. There is a obviously dialogue, as the entire play is verbal exchanges between characters. The play also develops with a plot, conflict, and subplot. The story develops smoothly with a "pyramidal pattern" of rising actions (the family awaiting the money, arguing over what to spend it on, discussing their dreams), climax (when the man tries to pay for the family to leave, and Walter agrees, shocking everyone especially Mama), falling actions (Walter tells Karl that they are a proud family and denies him) and then the resolution (they move out). It definitely runs parallel with how the article says a play is structured.
I do see a difference from the article and the play where they discuss characters. It is hard for me to pin-point one protagonist in this play, whereas the article says there is a specific protagonist and antagonist.
In the elements of drama outlined in the anthology, most drama plots are described to begin with rising action, then reaching a climax, and eventually finding resolution after falling action. The beginning parts of the play, in which the scene is established, have a rising action feel to it as the viewer/reader begins to understand the societal implications of the time and the issues arising from it. Most significantly, the family gets the check which spurs the plot. The play's climax is the point at which Walter loses the money. For the most part, the play follows this format. However, at the same time, the issue of racism and the family struggles surrounding society are prevalent throughout the whole novel. The resolution the reader/viewer must satisfy with is the fact that the family keeps the house they have wanted for so long. In addition, as the elements of drama reading suggests, this play has a plot and a protagonist, in this case, Walter Younger.
ReplyDeleteThe play mirrors almost every element of drama outlined in the anthology, highly conforming to the traditions. One element of drama the play conforms to is setting. Events take place in a single location, the apartment of Ruth and Walter Younger. The apartment sets concretely sets the setting and mood of the play from the beginning, when it is highlighted that there is hardly any sunlight in the apartment, it is compact and crammed, and the walls are cracked. From these descriptions the reader can draw that the Youngers live a rough life, in which money is tight and conditions are unstable. The play is consistent with having a foil, Walter. The anthology writes that a foil contrasts the behavior and values of a protagonists up to a point, although while the protagonist's aspect does not hold true, Walter's actions are consistent with that of a foil's. He contrasts Mama's views of other aspects of life being more important than money, having money be his number one concern throughout the play- how he will save, make, and spend money. Yet at the end of the play, he understands Mama's beliefs of not letting the white man determine how a black can live his/her life, and Walter chooses moving into a comfortable house in a white neighborhood over accepting a large sum of money to not live in that house.
ReplyDeleteThe play takes on a different structure with characters. There was no protagonist, or central character. There was an antagonist, Walter, yet if the reader chose to identify with Walter from the beginning and support him, Mama and Ruth would be considered the antagonists. The reader could identify with any of the characters, while all of the main characters together in most scenes, and each character said relatively the same amount of lines. There was not one sole character that the story was centered around and was described as a "perfect" character that all readers should model after. Moreover each character had positives and negative qualities about him/her. Walter was cruel to his wife, mother, and sister, being entirely focused on money (more than his family), yet he was able to recognize the importance of family and the fight against discrimination. Ruth was loving and caring for her son and provided support to Beneatha and Mama, yet she did not always listen to Walter when he spoke, a request that drove him mad. Mama wanted the best for her family, but initially that meant denying her son the resources for achieving his dream. Since there was no set antagonist and protagonist, the play was more open-ended in terms of making meaning. There was not one character to follow, but rather a family to follow, and understand how conflicts and resolutions affected the family as a whole rather than a single individual.
The elements of drama in this play seem to follow the traditional path that many one act plays had. It is pyramidal in scheme and is easily followed as such. With suspense created in the very beginning with the “Check” supposedly coming on Saturday it left all the issues to unfold within the Younger’s house. While Walter and Mama seem to be protagonists they both have foils. The opposite in character is Beneatha; she is educated and wishes to follow a more respectable path as a woman in her society where as Mama seemed to fill a social stereotype of the era. Walter was always concerned about money and the next step in life where as his wife, Ruth, seemed to be the opposite. “I got to take hold of this here world, baby! And a woman will say: eat your eggs and go to work.” Pg 33.
ReplyDeleteThis quote exemplifies the foil and also enlightens the theme of this play which is social inequality in this time period. Walter wants to be well off and give his family a life that he can be proud of, but he is stuck. This is shown in how he wants to open a liquor store and get money for his family. This issue consists of the rising action. When Mama spends the money on a new home for them is when the climax appears finalizing with her giving the rest of the $6,500 to Walter. The conclusion is when they finally leave to the new home.
There are various subplots; for example Beneatha and her love with Asagai, Ruth with her baby and Lindener with his offer to buy their house. This is representative of the common aspects of a classic one act play. The way this play takes it’s own path is how there is not one sole antagonist, in this play the characters are their own antagonists; Walter with his alcohol problem, Ruth with abortion, Beneatha with her insubordination. Each character wavers between the antagonist and the protagonist creating an internal struggle that creates the mood of the play.
I believe that A Raisin in the Sun follows the elements of drama discussed in the anthology pretty well. There is suspense created by the family awaiting the check in the mail/knowing about the money. There is exposition when Hansberry explains what happened to Mama's husband and why they are getting the money. There is a obviously dialogue, as the entire play is verbal exchanges between characters. The play also develops with a plot, conflict, and subplot. The story develops smoothly with a "pyramidal pattern" of rising actions (the family awaiting the money, arguing over what to spend it on, discussing their dreams), climax (when the man tries to pay for the family to leave, and Walter agrees, shocking everyone especially Mama), falling actions (Walter tells Karl that they are a proud family and denies him) and then the resolution (they move out). It definitely runs parallel with how the article says a play is structured.
ReplyDeleteI do see a difference from the article and the play where they discuss characters. It is hard for me to pin-point one protagonist in this play, whereas the article says there is a specific protagonist and antagonist.