Comparison

A Raisin in the Sun vs Their Eyes Were Watching God

How A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurstoncompare on reading level, grade placement, curriculum overlap, and shared themes — derived from primary-source citations on each book’s ReadingList page.

A Raisin in the Sun

Lorraine Hansberry

Grades
912
Published
1959
Pages
151
Genre
Drama

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston

Lexile
1080L
Grades
1012
Published
1937
Pages
193
Genre
Literary Fiction

At a glance

Grade-range overlap
Grades 1012
Year-of-publication gap
22 years (1959 vs 1937)
Page-count gap
42 pages (151 vs 193)
Shared curricula
6 of 5
Shared themes
0 of 11

Curriculum overlap

Both books appear in 6 shared curriculum frameworks:

Themes

Only A Raisin in the Sun

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

Only Their Eyes Were Watching God

  • African American womanhood
  • marriage and autonomy
  • voice and silence
  • love
  • Black folk culture

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.