Blog Post #7

In A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry uses stage directions to contribute in the portrayal of the characters and environment of the play to the reader. The use of detailed stage directions help readers decipher the characteristics and specific behaviors of the Younger family. Hansberry introduces the Younger family to the reader as living in poverty through clear stage directions of the home, “Its furnishings are typical and undistinguished and their primary feature now is that they have clearly had to accommodate the living of too many people for too many years and they are tired.” Readers can picture through this stage direction that the Younger family live in an underclass home. Hansberry also uses stage directions before addressing the characters to give a comprehensive description of each characters persona. For example, as a reader, we can pick up that Walter is a very driven and ambitious character. Walter defies the Younger families pessimistic nature through his business idea when speaking about a potential liquor store investment, “You see, this little liquor store we got in mind cost seventy-five thousand and we figured the initial investment on the place be ’bout thirty thousand, see.” Readers can expect that Walter is a rather optimistic and aspiring character despite living in an underclass family. Hansberry delivers thorough descriptions in her stage directions which help guide readers into each characters persona so we can perceive the characters in the way she intended.

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