Introduction:
A Raisin in the sun, which was written by Lorraine Hansberry, is a playbook that focuses on Broadway in 1959. The author, being one who was interested in poetry, derived the title of the play from the poem “Harlem”, which was compost by Langston Hughes (Hansberry, 2). The story in the play focuses on a family from a black origin, and is based on the Washington Park Subdivision of the Chicago. It should also be noted that, “The Importance of Being Earnest” is also a playbook. The play, which was first introduced on stage on 14th February, 1895 in London, is a play written by Oscar Wilde. It is a comedy based on fictions, which tries to treat institutes just like marriage. In the two playbooks, there are various characters. Some being main characters, while others are minor characters depending on the part they play in the story. Based on these characters, this paper will therefore, compare and contrast the attitudes of the main character in both playbooks (Zurn, 2). Apart from the attitude as portrayed by the characters, the paper will also compare and contrast their characterization, and their function in the books. Some of the characters to be looked at in both writings are, Algernon and Jack, and George and Asagai.
Similarities and Differences of the Characters based on characterization and attitude in the two playbooks:
Based on Characterization:
According to both playbooks, various characters share some similar characterization. Apart from the similarities that exist between them, they also have some differences to distinct their characters as portrayed in the playbooks. For instance, in the play “The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde” we get two characters by the names Jack and Algernon. These two characters according to the writers have some similarities. In the play, we find that Jack has developed a fictional character in order to achieve her desire (Wilde, 120). He pretended of having a brother by the name Ernest, whom he claimed by having some bad character, decided to settle in London but in real sense, the character claimed was his own represented his own behaviors. His main reason for doing this was to gain the trust of others in order to meet his needs. This is realized at the time he wanted to marry Gwendolen, who discovered that he was using Ernest Character to escape his own life.
On the same playbook, there is another character by the name Algernon, who as the same characteristic like Jack. Algernon, just like Jack also had a fiction character known as Bunbury. According to the writer, the invention of the fiction character by Algernon would help him to give an opportunity to portray a better character than his real character (Hansberry, 7). The character fiction character portrayed by Algernon represents the same characters like that of the Jack’s fiction characters as he suggested various sense of commitment in some of his duties. On the same obligation, just like Jack, is mostly put his blames on the fictional character. This is realized when the writer said, “Algernon constantly is being summoned to Bunbury’s deathbed”. This would help him to avoid some of the social obligations.
Apart from the similarity identified above, there is also a difference that is realized from the playbook based on same characters, Jack and Algernon. Although both characters had developed fictional characters, they portrayed some of different ways of using these characters. In the playbook, we find that the character Jack does not admit of using the fictional character even after other people have realize his tricks and his desire to use such characters (Zurn, 6). This makes him a character who does not admit his mistakes even if they are realized. The writer showed this when he said, “Jack does not admit to being a “Bunburyist,” even after he’s been called on it”. In the contrary, Algernon, who is another character who resembles Jack, is able to admit and acknowledge his mistakes, and even went ahead to reveals in by telling the truth on his tricks of creating a fictional character in him. This is seen when Algernon, express himself as a cleaver man, by using some of his dirty tricks to gain trust of other people. To him, this was a form of achievement in his life.
According to the playbook “A Raisin in the Sun”, there are also some of the similarities and differences that are portrayed in the play. These similarities and differences are based on main characters such as George and Asagai. Some of the similarity that exists between the two characters is that, in the play we find that they both fall for love to the same woman. In the play, we find that despite of George dislike by Beneatha, he is also one of the suitors for her and even proposed marriage to her (Wilde, 180). This did not work because the woman did not like because of his pride, especially of being a half cast of a white and an African origins. On the other hand, we find that Asagai, one of the main characters in the same play, also being one of the suitors’ to Beneatha, the same woman George is in search for in order to marry. According to the writing, we find that the woman seems to like Asagai more than George does. This is because Asagai likes to maintain his culture as an African. This put him in the better position of winning her heart in favor of George as narrated by the writers.
Apart from the similarity identified between the two characters above, there also a difference that exists between the two of the characters. In the playbook, we find that George is a product of white and African parents. This makes him to have desire in adopting the American culture than the African culture as seen in the story (Hansberry, 9). Due to his move to adopt the American cultural way of life, make Beneaths, the woman he is in love with dislikes him and instead likes Asagai, the African man from Nigeria. In the contrary, in the same play, we come across Asagai, a pure African man who likes the African cultural way of life more than the western or the American way of life. He even promised to maintain his own culture, the African culture in his entire life. This makes him to be liked by the woman he feels for as compared to other suitors like George.
In the playbook of “The Importance of being Earnest”, we also find some similarities that exist between the two main characters, Jack and Algernon. For instance, we find that in the two playbooks, the two characters leaves in an environment where convictional Victorian of values especially of duty and status on one of the greatest achievement (Wilde, 220). By gaining some of the notions such as respectability and honor, one could become of famous in the society. In the contrary, although these two characters, which were using some of the convictional characters to hide their own characters, they took different perspectives as far as the gaining of the Victorian values are concerned. In the playbook, we find that the character Jack, is interested in the conventional Victorian value in order for him to gain the trust of the people. This is seen at the time she wanted to elope with his human. According to the play, we see that Jack use tried to use his dirty tricks to gain some of the Victorian values such as duty, honor, and respectability but could not be able to succeed in his quest. Nevertheless, when compared to the same character in the same playbook, does not use dirty tricks as he likes being transparent in his undertakings, which makes him more moral than the other characters such Jack.
Another similarity identified in the playbook “A Raisin in the Sun” as per the two characters are concerned is that the two characters are trying to bring and show some king of change towards Beneaths for them to be able to convince her in the quest for marrying her. This makes each party to try performing their duties according to the desire of the woman. Although both the characters had the same feeling to the woman, only one person was able to win her heart (Zurn, 8). In the story, we find that because of George’s pride, he lost his love for the woman to Asagai. This makes the difference in them towards marrying Beneaths. Apart from love, there was need for the two characters to change the life of Beneaths, especially in the sector of education. According to the story, we find that only Asagai was able to convince the woman, and was able to win her heart while George failed to do so despite his origins.
Similarities and differences of the functions of the characters in the two playbooks:
The Play “A Raisin in the Sun”:
In this playbook, these main characters portray various functions towards the creation of the story by the writer. According to the play, we find that the character Asagai portrays the character of a good and patriotic fellow who loves his country of origin. In the play, we realize this during his conversation with Beneaths when he expressed his desire to uphold his cultural practices instead of adapting to the American culture like George (Hansberry, 12). This brings the big difference that exists between him and George. George in the contrary is interested in changing his way of life in favor of the western culture. Apart from the difference in the functionality, there also exists a similarity in the functionality. In the same play, we find that these characters play the role of being a gentle man in the society. This is through falling in love for the same woman and tries to find through despite of the obstacles in order to win the heart of the woman being discussed. At the end, the man of the game becomes Asagai due to his well-behaved characters.
The Play “The Importance of Being Earnest:
In this play, there are some similarities, and differences based in the functions that the characters portrayed in the play. Some of the similarities is that both of the characters have characters that they are not proud of, forcing them to develop some of the fictional characters to cover their wrong doings (Wilde, 230). This scenario is similar in both the two characters, Jack and Algernon, in the play. This did not work when it was revealed to the people. On the other hand, there are differences in the function that existed between the two characters. According the play, we find that Algernon is a character that is transparent in his way of life while Jack is a person who is not willing to admit his wrongdoing even after it has been revealed that he did so. This makes him to lose trust of the people he associated with especially at the time he was craving to marry the girl he loved in his life (Hansberry, 14). His bad characters made him not to marry her and created some conflicts with the people in his surroundings. This was a different case when it comes to Algernon, who was ready to apologies for any wrongdoing.
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