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Conflicts in an American Family in play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Decent Essays
Conflicts in an American Family in play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry The play “A Raisin in the Sun” illustrates three main conflicts in the younger family life; they are internal, social, and interpersonal. The conflicts in the story give insight as to who the characters are and what they really want out of life. Conflict is one of the underlying themes in the play, which was written by Lorraine Hansberry, it helps to tell the story and explain the situation that the Younger family is in. The characters in this story were African American, but they could have been from any ethnic group because the problems that they have to face apply to us all. Ossie Davis said it best when he said the “ it didn’t really have to be about…show more content…
Beneatha feels that by becoming a doctor she will have a new life (Cheney, 58). However like everything else in this play there are obstacles to overcome. The biggest obstacle is the fact that she is a black woman. In the sixties woman in general were treated unequally much less a black woman. The second obstacle is her brothers Walter “… go be a nurse like other woman” (Hansberry 1.1 1019). Walter is very much opposed to his sister’s education because of the fact that he wants to use the money to fund his dream. Characters in the play, aside from fighting with each other also have to deal with their own internal struggles. The best example of this sort of internal conflict is Ruth. Ruth is pregnant and does not know what to do. She wants to get an abortion to prevent putting any more strain on the family (Cheney, 61). She also feels that by having a baby it could put more pressure on Walter and instead of him wanting to sell liquor he will start to consume it and destroy his life. Lena is another one of the characters that faces an internal conflict. Her conflict is with the money. She has full control of the check and has already used part of it for a down payment on the house she bought. The other part of the check is where her dilemma lies. She wants to see Beneatha go to medical school, but at the same time she sees how desperate Walter is. Reluctantly she hands over control of the money to her son. She
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