Comparison

1984 vs A Raisin in the Sun

How 1984 by George Orwell and A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberrycompare on reading level, grade placement, curriculum overlap, and shared themes — derived from primary-source citations on each book’s ReadingList page.

1984

George Orwell

Lexile
1090L
Grades
912
Published
1949
Pages
328
Genre
Dystopian Fiction

A Raisin in the Sun

Lorraine Hansberry

Grades
912
Published
1959
Pages
151
Genre
Drama

At a glance

Grade-range overlap
Grades 912
Year-of-publication gap
10 years (1949 vs 1959)
Page-count gap
177 pages (328 vs 151)
Shared curricula
5 of 5
Shared themes
0 of 12

Curriculum overlap

Both books appear in 5 shared curriculum frameworks:

Themes

Only 1984

  • totalitarianism
  • surveillance
  • language and thought
  • propaganda
  • rebellion
  • individual vs state

Only A Raisin in the Sun

  • American Dream
  • Black family life
  • housing segregation
  • gender and work
  • assimilation vs heritage
  • generational conflict

Related on ReadingList

Comparison data computed from each book’s curriculum citations, Lexile measures (MetaMetrics), grade-range references (state ELA frameworks + AP/IB syllabi), and ban records (PEN America 2022-2024 index + ALA). Last reviewed: 2026-05-16.