A Raisin in the Sun

Description

In his review of A Raisin in the Sun on its opening in 1959, critic Brooks Atkinson wrote that the play is “about human beings who want, on one hand, to preserve their family pride and on the other hand, to break out of the poverty that seems to be their fate.”  Think back over the play as a whole, then select a point or argument that the play makes about one of these thematic ideas: family pride, escape from poverty, or the influence of an environment on a character.

You should develop a thesis statement and a rough draft.  As you read the play, you can collect evidence to use in your paper.  After you have written the rough draft, you should then edit and revise the paper before you submit the final version to your teacher.

The final draft of the essay must be at least five paragraphs in length, typed, and double-spaced in a normal 12-point font.  Your essay should also have a strong thesis statement supported by textual evidence and any outside research you choose to include.  It must adhere to the standards of English, meaning that grammatical and punctuation errors should be avoided for coherence and clarity.  The paper should not veer off topic or offer ideas without support.  Supports can include examples, facts, quotes, statistics, and analogies.  Additionally, the paper should reflect the writer’s ideas.