The Raygor Readability Estimate
For A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
Random House Edition (New York: 1959)
Passage 1: pages 32-33
Mama would listen to you. You know she listen to you more than she do me and Bennie. She
think more of you. All you have to do is just sit down with her when drinking your coffee one
morning and talking ‘bout things like you do and—you just sip your coffee, see, and say easy like that
you been thinking ‘bout that deal Walter Lee is so interested in, ‘bout the store and all, and sip some
more coffee, like what you saying ain’t really important to you—And the next thing you know, she be
listening good and (/) asking you questions and when I come home—I can tell her the details. This
ain’t no fly-by-night propositions, baby. I mean we figured it out, me and Willy and Bobo.
Passage 2: page 74
No…something has changed. You something new, boy. In my time we was worried about not
being lynched and getting to the North if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch of
dignity too…Now here come you and Beneatha—talking ‘bout things we ain’t never even thought
about hardly, me and your daddy. You ain’t satisfied or proud of nothing we done. I mean that you
had a home; that we kept you out of trouble till you was grown; that you don’t have to ride to work
on the back of nobody’s streetcar (/) —You my children—but how different we done become.
Passage 3: page 117
Yes—that’s the way we feel out in Clybourne Park. And that’s why I was elected to come here
this afternoon and talk to you people. Friendly like, you know, the way people should talk to each
other and see if we couldn’t find some way to work this thing out. As I say, the whole business is a
matter of caring about the other fellow. Anybody can see that you are a nice family of folks, hard
working and honest I’m sure. Today everybody knows what it means to be one the outside of
something. And of course, there (/) is always somebody who is out to take advantage of people who
don’t always understand.
Passage A
Passage B
Passage C
4.8 sentences
6.8 sentences
6.2 sentences
17 words
17 words
20 words
Average
5.9 sentences
18 words
This gives us a readability of about 7th grade for A Raisin in the Sun. This is not necessarily an accurate
reading level for this text because of conceptual density and writing clarity. A Raisin in the Sun deals
with mature issues such as race and personal and social struggles in the dynamics of 1950’s Chicago
culture. The writing style includes a particular colloquial language and dialect according to the African
American family, which makes it more difficult. The grammar Hansberry uses is also very difficult,
using a lot of dashes, semi-colons, ellipses, and lengthy sentences, following her own rules than the
strict grammar rules taught as a basis to younger students. While, a 7th grader would most likely be
able to read the text, as far as comprehension and interest level, I would suggest A Raisin in the Sun to
be closer to a 9th or 10th grade level.
Emily Hales, BYU, 2009