In A Raisin in the Sun, the stage directions add characterization to the play. The stage directions provided by the author show what the characters do in everyday life. The stage directions also allow the reader to imagine the movement of the characters. For example, Mama is shown to be the head of the house by she cooks and cleans the house. The author writes, “ Mama (Folding bedding).” (page 40, Hansberry). The reader connects to the play by the characters do things that they do in their everyday life. The author is providing background so the reader can follow the storyline. At the beginning, the author provides the time, setting, and the characters’ actions. The author writes, “ Time: Sometime between World War II and the present.” (page 24, Hansberry).
As the reader, the stage directions provided insight into what is going on in the play and characters’ minds. Hansberry writes, “ Ruth (Affecting tea-party interest) Is he now? Poor thing.” (page 26, Hansberry). I agree with this stage direction as the author is showing how Ruth is annoyed and wants Walter to leave her alone. She is pregnant and overwhelmed by her own concerns. The stage directions provide the reader with what is going on in the play and draw the viewer in by providing humor. The author writes, “ (BENEATHA comes in, brushing her hair…).” (page 46, Hansberry). I agree with this stage direction as it shows how Beneatha is frustrated by the incessant cleaning Ruth does. The reader visualizes this scene in their mind to understand the deeper meaning behind the action.
The playwright could have staged it by having different characters do different actions. Ruth could have come in brushing her hair while Beneatha could be the one cleaning. The story could have taken place in Alabama as the civil rights movement originated there. The roles could have been switched such as Mama could be the one who wants to medical school while Beneatha could be the one in charge of the house. Travis could have gotten the 50 cents from Ruth while Walter could go back to school. The mood would be more uplifting as the family achieved their dreams. Beneatha would go to medical school to become a doctor and the family would earn enough to move into a proper house. The author could have written it differently by having the characters do different actions such as Ruth could have been cooking pancakes not eggs. The play would draw the viewer’s attention by the characters would do things they usually do not do due to their gender roles.
In the book I read, it seemed as though stage directions were key ion helping me understand the book. It helps one understand a scene much better. Do you believe that these stage directions were important in helping you understand this book?
ReplyDeleteI feel like the stage directions did help me in reading this book. It helped me understand how the characters were moving and it gave more context. The stage directions helped me analyze the text better.
ReplyDelete