Letter to Parents -Unit 2: Character and Conflict
October 2, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Our next unit in 7th grade ELA will focus on the analysis of character and conflict in fictional narrative. The key element of this unit of study will be the dramatic play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Hansberry’s play is an excellent way for students to concentrate on character development and the conflict that arises when people are faced with a difficult situation or circumstance. The work has been approved by the school district and is included in the Amplify ELA curriculum that the county has recently adopted.
Some of the themes of the play are mature. We have included a short summary of the play below and hope that you will review it with your child and encourage him/her to adopt a mature attitude toward discussing these themes in class. We will begin reading the play after fall break.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher by email.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Federici 7A [email protected]
Ms. Fedele 7B [email protected]
Mr. Pope 7B [email protected]
Mrs. Lightfoot 7C [email protected]
Mrs. Kelly Lee 7C [email protected]
Ms. Jessica Jackson, 7th Gr ELA/ Assistant Principal [email protected]
Summary
Parents need to know that A Raisin in the Sun eloquently portrays the life struggles of an African-American family living on Chicago's South Side in the 1950s. Characters work at subservient jobs (Walter is a chauffeur, and his mother and sister clean houses), grapple with the impact this has on their self-esteem, and face racial prejudice. Though these family members all love each other, their outbursts are often hostile. Particularly disturbing are the arguments between Walter and his wife, Ruth; Walter often comes home drunk and verbally takes out his disappointments on his wife, and she considers aborting their second child because she feels they don't have the emotional or financial resources to add a baby to the family. Family discussion about the early days of the civil rights movement in the United States and exposure to Langston Hughes' poem, "Harlem," the source of the play's title, will add to young readers' appreciation of this play. (from Common Sense Media)
(Additional summaries and discussion of themes is available from SparkNotes –read more at https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/raisin/summary )