For at the deepest level it is not a specific situation but the human condition, human aspiration and human relationship-the persistence of
dreams, of the bonds, and conflicts between men and women, parents and children, old ways and new, and the endless struggle against
human oppression, whatever the forms it may take, and for individual fulfillment, recognition, and liberation-that are at the heart of such
plays.
Some criticisms above show that A Raisin in the Sun covers social issues and racial issues during the 1950s. Most of them tell about how the Youngers can still
survive under the white oppression as the dominant culture. However, this play also covers the feminist issues at that time. As Emilie Browne said in her article,
Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun challenges the stereotype of 1950s America as a country full of doting, content housewives. The
women in this play, Mama, Ruth and Beneatha, represent three generations of black women who, despite their double fronted
subordination, continue to dream of a better tomorrow. Although the aspirations of these women differ in subject, they all involve the
furthering their roles as women, whether it be owning a house, paying for a childs education or attending Medical School.
http:www.gradesaver.comclassicnotestitlesraisinessay1.html
That statement shows that Hansberry describes Mama Mrs. Younger as the representative of an ideal mother who does everything for the family. Hansberry
describes how Mama’s role not only as a mother but also as a father in the family. It can be seen in how she places and functions her self as the head of the family whom
always tries to improve the family standard of living. Hansberry also describes Beneatha’s struggle in reaching her dream to become a doctor. She is considered as
one of the examples of modern feminist. 12
Hansberry put her thought about how women can also have high education just like men, how women can have dreams that the men have. Hansberry challenges
the stereotype of American women in 1950s through the character of Beneatha. The stereotype about the women should not take high education because they should place
their selves in the kitchen and do house jobs after they are married. Those opinions, criticisms, and comments give deeper information for the
reader in analyzing the play. Most of them share the same view about the issues appearing in the time when the play was written and generally focus on cultural
diversity. In this thesis, the opinions from Oscar G. Brockett, David D. Cooper, and Robert Nemiroff open a way for the writer to discuss American Dream in relation
with motive in human life through the struggle of the characters in the play. Another opinion from Emilie Browne shows another side of the play that focuses on the
feminist issues. That opinion drives the writer to function the struggles of the women characters in the play not only as the feminist issues but also as the struggle to pursue
the idea of American Dream. In this undergraduate thesis, the writer will emphasize more on how the ideas of Americans as the main character’s motive of life as seen in
Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. The writer hopes that this study will give something new in understanding the story of the play.
B. Review of Related Theories
Some theories will be used in the study as the guidance in answering the problem formulation that becomes the focus of the analysis.
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1. Theory of Character
Since this study tries to deal with the characters’ motive and their contribution in revealing the ideas of American Dream, the writer thinks that the understanding of
the theories of character is needed to do the analysis because character is one of the elements of play or novel that has significant role to show the qualities of the novel or
play. In An Introduction to Fiction, Stanton 1965: 17-18 says “The term character
is commonly used in two ways. It designates the individuals who appear in the story, and it refers to the mixture of interests, desires, emotions and moral principles that
makes up each on these individuals”. Furthermore, he also states that “most stories contain a central characters and minor characters. A central character is a character
that is relevant to every event in a story, and minor characters are characters whose attitude is very important toward central characters”.
The same theory can be found in Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams 1981: 20-21 defines characters as “the present in dramatic or narrative work, who are
presented by the author as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that can be evaluated from the dialogue and the action among person”. Abrams also stated
that characters are divided into “major” and “minor” character based on their importance in the novel. He mentioned that major characters are substantially
involved in the main action as well as becoming the central and the most important in a story, while minor characters are characters that appear in certain setting and they
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are necessary to become the background for the major character. Both theories above show that the major or central character has the important role and becomes the focus
of the story. Those combinations of theories of character help the writer in analyzing the main characters in this play. The character can be identified from the dialogue and
the action done by the main character.
2. Theory of Characterization
The process by which an author creates a character is called characterization. Murphy in Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English Poetry and the
English Novel for Overseas Students 1972: 161-173 describes characterization as
the way in which an author attempts to make his characters understandable and come alive for his readers. He also proposes some methods of characterization to discern
how an author conveys the characters and the personalities of the people he writes about.
The first method is personal description. By using this method the author can describe a person’s appearance in terms of build, face, hands, skin-color, hair, and
clothes in order to help the reader both to visualize the character and to understand his characteristics.
The second method is character as seen by another. Instead of describing a character directly the author can describe him through the eyes and opinions of
another. The reader gets, as it were, a reflected image. This method can give the impressions of shape, cleanliness, firmness, smoothness, color, etc. Another character
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will give explanation about what the character is like. The third method is speech. The author can give the readers an insight into the
character of one of the persons in the book through what the person says. The characters of a person can be seen from whenever heshe speaks, having conversation
with others, and stated hisher opinion. The fourth method is past life. By letting the reader learn something about a
person’s past life the author can give the readers a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character. This can be done by direct comment by the author, though
the person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another person.
The fifth method is conversation of others. By using this technique, the author can also give the readers clues to a person’s character through the conversations of
other people and the things they say about him. People talk about other people and the things they say often give as a clue to the character of the person spoken about.
The sixth method is reactions. By using this method, the author can also give the readers a clue to a person’s character by letting us know how that person reacts to
various situations and events. The actions are related to hisher motives and thought. The seventh method is direct comment. In this way, the author can describe or
comment on a person’s character directly. Usually the author gives comments based on his point of view.
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