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A Raisin In The Sun Conflict Essay

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A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a play set in the 1950s in Southside Chicago that uncovers the struggles of a black family. The play reflects the challenges and obstacles faced by the family as they try to fulfill their dreams and overcome the racial discrimination of the time. One of the central conflicts in the play is between Mama and Walter, the matriarch, and the head of the household in which their differing perspectives on how to use the insurance money they receive from the death of Walter’s father. The conflict comes from a generational gap of perspective and the different understandings of success in a tough American society in the 1950s The main source of conflict between Mama and Walter is their differing perspectives …show more content…

Mama is upset by this decision and feels that Walter has disregarded her insight and put the family at risk, however, feels bad and chooses to give him some of the money after putting a payment down on a house. The conflict at this point is at a climax and their disagreement highlights the differing values and priorities of Mama and Walter and underscores the complex challenges facing black families in America during the 1950s. The conflict between Mama and Walter is also symbolic of the larger social and political issues facing the black community in America. The play reflects the challenges and obstacles faced by black families as they try to fulfill their dreams and aspirations in a society that denies them equal opportunities. These challenges are a force that drives Mama's desire to maintain stability since she wants the generations that follow them to have an opportunity, they didn’t have whereas Walter represents an ambitious individual who wants to risk the success that can be given to the posterity by trying to bring immediate wealth to his family. Although Walter fails and loses the insurance money he invested, the family’s new house in Clybourne Park that Mama bought ensured their financial stability. According to an article about the assimilation and integration of the family in society discusses, “throughout the play the tension derives from Walter being impulsive and wanting to take action and Mama is there to provide him a realistic perspective.” Walter’s character development is heavily influenced by the conflict with his mother, and it helps him mature and be there for his family in different ways not just

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The last reason why Walter is rude and disrespectful to his family is when mama came looking for him and found his at the local bar. She sat down with his and starting talking to him about everything like his life, how he has a good life and what kind of changes that need to be made. Once mama starting talking about money doesn't matter Walter totally disagrees with her. Mama: Son--how come you talk so much `about

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The play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry debuted on Broadway in 1959, and the movie was made in 2008. “A Raisin in the Sun” is about the Younger family, the fifth generation of lower-class African-Americans living in Chicago’s Southside. They are faced with problems such as racial discrimination, poverty, and conflicting dreams. As the family decides on how to spend the insurance check of $10,000 from Walter’s father’s death, these problems cause many conflicts to rise. Reading the 1959 play and the 2008 movie, I have realized certain similarities and differences in how the story plays out.

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The racial boundaries and system at the time greatly impact his ability to provide for his family, which affects everyone involved. His psychological focus is set to believe that money is the missing piece that he needs. He does not listen to his peers who wish for him to follow the needs of his family. He then later decides the right decision is to move into an all-white neighborhood in which Mama bought a house in. Even when Mr. Lindner offers the family money to not move in, Walter sticks up for him and his family, showing how much he had changed as the financial problem grew.

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On the other hand, his sister's dream to go to medical school is supported by Mama. Walter is pleading with his mother, explaining how he wants “so many things…” (73). He thinks his goal of investing in a liquor store is not understood by Mama and insists that it will be the jackpot for them. Mama beseeches Walter to not engulf himself in money and that his negligence of his family is a disgrace to Big Walter’s legacy.

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Walter embodies the image of his father and his morals when he scolds Lindner, "My father almost beat a man to death once because this man called him a bad name or something, you know what I mean?”(147). Walter’s euphoric pride in his family was evident as his affiliation with his father’s principles was prominent. When Willy escaped with his money, Walter originally resorted to tomfoolery and begging to cope with his newfound pain. But when Mama reaffirms her faith in his judgment, he loses his vanity and ego, becoming a man his family respects. Walter continues to stand by his new beliefs when he lectures Lindner about self-worth, "And we have decided to move into our house because my father --my father--he earned it for us brick by brick”(148).

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Walter feels his job is more than unsatisfying, and can not make Mama understand, since her simplistic views are just like Ruths. In spite of his personal inadequacies with his job fulfillment, Walter shines in the end of the story with understanding and growth of his own fathers not so wonderful job. Walter seems to be reflecting on his own status as a

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Money is what makes the world go round; it's so important that day-to-day things like eating healthy and sleeping comfortably wouldn’t happen without it. To some, money is so important they would put it before their family. This issue can come from many things, but issues that plague society like the wealth gap and racial inequity can push these issues further. The play A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry analyzes ideas of race, money, and gender through the Younger family, a black family living in Chicago during the 1950s. In A Raisin in the sun, Lorraine Hansberry discusses how being selfish with money can cause turmoil in relationships through Walter Younger and his turmoil in his relationships with his wife, sister, and mother.

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It won’t let him get a good job or house, be able to have a car, or allow him to live the way he wants to live. Because of all these stressors, it forces Walter to make a risky business decision that costs him most of his father’s life insurance money. Racism caused Walter to risk every dollar he owned and he lost it all. Later, he almost lost his own dignity by pleading with Mr. Lindner for his money back, but Mama saved him from doing it. Walter and the Youngers decided to move to Clybourne Park to live Walter’s dream of trying to live with the same privileges of white people.

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Walter is upset and is trying to cope and make mama understand that him receiving the money from the white man to not to move in will of regain. “Men are expected to be breadwinners, yet providing for one’s family with little or no help has negative repercussions,” said lead author Christin Munsch. Mama was upset that he didn’t listen and that he lived up to the vision of how the whites seen them, Careless and destructive. This is why mama thought it to be all in her hands because Walter as man was distraught and she felt it was a women's jobs because they do everything else. This showed feminism by mama wanting to stay in control and Walter being a man wanting/feeling like he had to be the “breadwinner” because its a mans

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Walter further shows his false pride when he flaunts his newfound sense of power when Mr.Lindner, one of the Younger’s soon-to-be neighbors, offers him an unjust deal. Now that Walter has control over the family 's money, he considers himself the head of the family and decision maker; this plays an important role towards how Walter treats others now that he holds himself to a higher standard. This theme applies to Walter when the chairman of the “welcoming committee” (115) named Mr.Lindner pays a visit to the family a couple weeks before they 're supposed to move into their new home in Clybourne Park. During this visit, Mr.Lindner makes the offer of the Clybourne Park community “buy[ing] the house from [them] at a financial gain to [the] family” (118). Mr.Lindner’s offer represents the racial oppression and how the white community looks down upon and doesn’t want African american people dirtying their communities.

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Reader Response: 3 “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, is a play about a black families experience in 1950s South Side Chicago. The story revolves around what happens to the family when Lena Younger, the matriarch of the family, receives a ten thousand dollar life insurance check upon the death of her husband. Everyone from the family has different plans for what they want to do with the money. Lena Younger serves as the head of the family. She is Walter and Beneatha’s caring mother so they and Ruth call her Mama.

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The Younger family, is a family who are honest and who also work hard for what they want, just because they are black, does not mean that they don 't deserve to live in a better neighbourhood. However, racism also impacted the Younger family beneficially in the way Walter rejected Linders’s offer at the end of the play. The example of racism gives Walter the opportunity to become the man he always wanter to

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The main problem Walter deals with in the play is mamas inheritance money from Big Walter ( Their father and Mamas late husband ). Walter wants all the money for himself to open up a liquor store with his friends Bobo and Willy Harris. While mama a devoted christian does not want anything to do with thinking it won’t get her in the pearly gates of Heaven. This causes a lot of arguing in the house Walter saying to mama “ You just don’t understand, Mama, you just don’t understand “ (Page 74) In one of their heated arguments.

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A Raisin in the Sun addresses major social issues such as racism and feminism which were common in the twentieth century. The author, Lorraine Hansberry, was the first playwright to produce a play that portrayed problematic social issues. Racism and gender equality are heavily addressed throughout the play. Even though we still have these issues today, in the 1950’s and 60’s the issues had a greater part in society. Racism and gender have always been an issue in society, A Raisin in the Sun is an important piece of American history during that time period.

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Walter was introduced as a man who cared about nothing other than his business. He had sacrificed his sister’s dream of becoming a doctor, and held the power to wipe out Mama’s dream for a better home. Walter sees the gender roles as boundaries keeping him from loosening up to his family. He is given the insight that men must be powerful, wealthy, and demanding for them to truly be the head of the household. However, Walter sees past these gender roles, and not only challenges these rigid roles, but he also regains his family’s trust along the

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