Social Conflict and Rebellion in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun

Ruth is willing to work day and night to move into the new house, Lena I’ll work twenty hours a day…” says Ruth. The Younger family was stuck in a tight situation when Walter lost all the money for the house including Beneatha's tuition. Ruth feels depressed when Lena makes a decision to not to move into the house, she tries to convince Lena to move in but ends up being unsuccessful. Ruth is amenable to work all to make her family move into the house with her pregnancy. Ruth talks to Lena about the liquor store even though she does not wants to, “Aint nobody a businessman till they go into business” says Ruth. Walter wants his dad's insurance money so that he can invest it in the liquor store. He convinces Ruth to talk to Lena about it as he knows that Lena would not listen to him. Ruth talks to Lena about it but Lenas answer remains the same. This shows that Ruth does not think of her self-respect but of Walter’s unreal

Asagai, I am looking for my identity!” (Hansberry 49). Thus, by revealing Beneatha’s interest in Africa to be genuine, coupled with her excitement, Hansberry then expresses a sense of pride in returning to one’s roots as well as encourages African Americans to embrace theirs. After all, by portraying an interest and yearning for knowledge involving African heritage in one of her characters, Hansberry transfers this idea to her audience as well.

No matter how hard they try, there are some people who cannot get ahead in life. Walter Lee Younger is a man who is frustrated with his current position in life, and every disappointment he has encountered thus far. Although he tries to be a loving man, sometimes he does not know how to show the idea of love, 'Sometimes...sometimes...I don't even know how to try' (Hansberry 89). His position in life can be regarded as symbolic of every black male struggling to provide for his family by any means necessary. Although Walter has a job, it seems inadequate for his survival. As a result, he has become frustrated and lacks good judgement. Throughout this play Walter searches

Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a play about segregation, triumph, and coping with personal tragedy. Set in Southside Chicago, A Raisin in the Sun focuses on the individual dreams of the Younger family and their personal achievement. The Younger's are an African American family besieged by poverty, personal desires, and the ultimate struggle against the hateful ugliness of racism. Lena Younger, Mama, is the protagonist of the story and the eldest Younger. She dreams of many freedoms, freedom to garden, freedom to raise a societal-viewed equal family, and freedom to live liberated of segregation. Next in succession is Beneatha Younger, Mama's daughter, assimilationist, and one who dreams of aiding people by breaking down

I have an internal conflict right now, and will probably last for the next 3 years. I do not know what I want to be when I grow up. People say you have time left, but three year is going to go by really fast. I feel like I am not going to know what I want to by the time I graduate. Your sophomore year in high school is picking out a career, so I am worried.

Her two grown children, Walter and Beneatha (Bennie), have high aspirations; Travis wants to open a liquor store and become a businessman man while Bennie is in college studying to be a doctor. Both hope that some of the insurance money will go in helping them achieve their respective dreams. Mama and her late husband always dreamed of owning a home. When Mama and Mr. Younger initially rented their apartment on the Southside, it was supposed to be a temporary residence before they bought their own house. But more than thirty years later, the family still resides in the same apartment. The Younger family composed of Mama, Bennie, Walter, his wife Ruth, and their child Travis, all live under the same cramped roof. The play is about the unmet dreams of each member of the family.

Walter begins to drink, stay away from home, and to constantly argue with his wife, Ruth. Walter's life is contrasted by the role of his recently widowed mother, who holds to more traditional values of acceptance of life's lot and of making the best of any situation. Walter Lee's "Mama" holds Walter's father up as an example of a man with pride and a man that, despite racial injustice in a dualistic society, worked hard to provide for his family. This adds to Walter's frustration. Walter now feels incapable and small in his mama's eyes.

In the book “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, there were characters whose dreams were stated, some of which were shattered by greed and misfortune and others which would eventually come to be true. The first dream that came about was Walter’s dream of one day owning and maintaining a liquor store. He would do anything to attempt to get his dream to come true, but his mama wanted anything but that to happen. His mama had a dream of her own though, she dreamed of one day owning her own house, where her whole family could stay comfortably. She dreamed this because in the apartment that she resided in was too small, and dumpy, as Ruth called it. Her grandson Travis had to sleep on the couch, and all

In the play, A Raisin In The Sun, Mother tries to keep everything under control because she believes in her children and their dreams, yet understands that they still need to learn and strengthen their value's as they begin to realize their own aspirations. She is the head of the family around whom the conflicts arise and are resolved.

   “Why do some people persist despite insurmountable obstacles, while others give up quickly or never bother to try” (Gunton 118)? A Raisin in the Sun, a play by Lorraine Hansberry, is a commentary on life and our struggle to comprehend and control it. The last scene in the play between Asagai and Beneatha contrasts two contemporary views on why we keep on trying to change the future, and reaches the conclusion that, far from being a means to an end, the real meaning of life is the struggle. Whether we succeed or not, our lives are purposeful only if we have tried to make the world a better place for ourselves and others- only, in other words, if we follow our dreams.

“Our Negro families are happier when they live in their own communities” – Mr. Linder Pg.100. In the quote Mr. Linder is expressing his organizations dislike of Blacks; like most of people in the 50’s, Mr. Linder was degrading a group of people on exterior appearances. In the play you can see hints of racism and gender discrimination from Walter when he asked Beneatha why she isn’t a nurse or maid instead of striving to become a doctor. Racism has been a long hard for Black community and other minority groups in the world. A Raisin in the Sun never gives the slightest hope of racist views ever being lifted. Over time the stain of

Some people also believe that the play is racial because of when it took place during the pre-civil rights era, when the white race still did not consider the blacks of equal value. When Mama suggests to Ruth to stay home and

Showing his frustration to his mother, Walter does not feel like he will ever acquire his dream because he feels like he never got the chance or opportunity to. The inability of not able to provide a better life for his household is causing him to stress, act out of character and clouding his decision making. With nowhere else to turn he thought he could use his father’s life insurance money to invest into a liquor store which turned into a scam. Walter feeling trapped from making advancements in life, he makes a huge mistake and learns from this error. In the play Walter is talking to mother describing his anger,

Additionally, Walter’s sister Beneatha, is another woman in the house who also affects Walter’s decision because of their negative relationship. She is aiming to be a doctor. Walter thinks that is not a good idea when he tells her "Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy 'bout messing 'round with sick people--then go be a nurse like other women--or just get married and be quiet..." (Hansberry 38). Likewise, she does not respect Walter at all, that

In return, Mrs. Young is a wonderful mother; she has suffered and sacrificed for her children. She always explains and lesson to her children instead of making them feel guilty. The Young family starts running into problems when Mrs. Young (Mama) receives about ten thousand dollars from life insurance of her husband. With a poor family likes Young, ten thousand dollars is really a dream, it is a huge amount of money that they could never get for all of their life. The children start fighting over the money; every one has his/her own reason to use that money. Mama must figures out how to keep the family in peace and together. Mama deeply believes in God and lives her life in "cultural and ethnic pride". She usually talks about how her generation has won its freedom and proud to be able no longer be slaves. At the end of the play, even she failed to convince Walter not to put the money in the liquor store but she made her commitment, she has what she has fought for all of her life, her family now all together in love, happiness and forgiveness.