Language as an Instrument Employed for SocioPsycho Oppression and Its Depiction in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorrain Hansberry

Abstract

A Raisin in the Sun is a social satire presenting the theme of socio-psycho oppression inflicted on Afro-American people by the colonizers. The present research is conducted on the language analysis of the play A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorrain Hansberry. The language of the play A Raisin in the Sun has promoted class distinction causing social and psychological oppression among Afro-American characters. In this research, the writer has critically analyzed the dialogues of the characters of the play A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorrain Hansberry. The power relations and segregation due to the capitalist control over ‘subaltern’ are analyzed by the research technique of Critical Discourse Analysis given by Norman Fairclough. By applying Critical Discourse Analysis, the study has explored ideological and social meanings hidden in the language of the play A Raisin in the Sun. The critical discourse analysis has provided an insight into the society of play by exploring the underlying meaning of text that the writer has conveyed to her readers. The theory of Marxism by Carl Marx has provided a theoretical framework for the research. The Marxist theory focuses on the power structure and social relations developed in a society. Critical Discourse Analysis views how discourse plays an important part in maintaining or destroying these power relations