R.A.F.T.

A RAISIN IN THE SUN—Creative Writing Assignment

Directions:  Write a document in the voice of one of the main characters of the play following the instructions below. The length depends on the document you write, but 250-words (2 pages handwritten; 1 ½ pages typed) is a good guideline.

ROLE: Choose one of the main characters to be:

Mama, Walter Lee, Beneatha, Ruth.

AUDIENCE:  Choose who you want them to be writing to (or about). 

This could be George, Asagai, Travis, the Clybourn Park community, the abortionist, Beneatha’s college, etc.

FORM:  Choose what kind of document you wish to write. 

Is it a letter, a speech, a phone call, diary entry, song or poem, or something else?

TOPIC: Finally, decide what the document will be about. 

Walter Lee writing a letter to Mr. Lindner telling him that they will take his offer; Beneatha telling George that she’s not interested in him anymore; Ruth, writing to the abortionist relating why she is no longer considering an abortion; Mama writing in her diary about how she feels about Walter Lee’s actions during the play, etc.

REMEMBER: 

1.     You are writing in first person, in the voice of the character!

2.     Stick to the facts of the play without adding anything that contradicts what we know.

3.     Make sure that your document relates to at least one of the themes of the play.