Literary Analysis Prompt for 11 th grade:
Choose one of the themes from the American Experience: the immigrant experience, money and morality, race and social justice, and cultural identity in America. Write an analytical essay examining how that theme is developed through the experiences of one of the primary characters in A Raisin in the
Sun. Refer to the social or historical context of A Raisin in the Sun , and use specific and relevant evidence from the text to support your interpretation.
A family drama exploring cultural and racial identity, aspirations, inter-generational conflicts, and compromised and renewed morals, A Raisin in the Sun has stood the test of time since it was first produced in 1959.
In fact, the play was recently revived on Broadway (2004) and won a number of Tony awards. The play also inherently poses questions not just about the civil rights era from which it was born, but also about our own times and the failed promises of the civil rights movements. As such, the play is in and of itself interesting as a reflection of its social, cultural, and historical context, but it can also be a jumping off point for readers to explore our own social, cultural, and historical context. The play critiques and hesitantly embraces the very concept of “the
American Dream.”
The play raises a number of essential questions for readers, including some of the following:
 How do one’s race, class, and/or gender influence an individual’s goals or aspirations?
 How do stereotypes of one’s race, class, and/or gender influence an individual’s goals or aspirations?

How do individuals determine or understand their place in society?

What is the role of money in attaining the American Dream?

When does pragmatism outweigh pride?
The literary analysis prompt provides students with an opportunity for students to explore these essential questions and to possibly come to some conclusions about what it means to live in our society. They will have the opportunity to grapple with some of the most perplexing and important questions in contemporary American society.
In reading/viewing both the play and related documents, articles, videos, and poetry, students will be asked to consider essential questions. In writing the literary analysis, students will be asked to analyze and articulate how a work of literature conveys meaning and reflects the society in which it is placed. Additionally, we hope that students will come away from this unit with some enduring understandings, including understanding that:

Achieving individual goals often requires overcoming barriers

Stereotypes can be limiting and should be confronted and questioned

The American Dream represents an often unfulfilled promise that nonetheless should and can be struggled for
Related text to use as support in essay:

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (Play)
 “Harlem” by Langston Hughes (Poem)

A Raisin in the Sun: an Introduction (documentary) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_uk7iNJx_w and is uploaded on my webpage.