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A Raisin In The Sun Gender Roles Essay

848 Words4 Pages

Gender roles play an important role in A Raisin in the Sun. During the time A Raisin in the Sun was written the idea of set in stone positions in a household and society were common. Women were supposed to do house jobs, keep their mouths shut, and support their husbands’ decisions and men were seen as the headman or boss. A Raisin in the Sun shows readers a window into the world where those gender roles have a twist on them. Women in the time of A Raisin in the Sun were supposed to be subservient to men. They were expected to do the house jobs, keep their mouths shut, and support their husband’s decisions. The women in A Raisin in the Sun did not always do what society expects of them. Ruth, the wife, does do some of the expected roles, but she also shows some independence. Beneatha, the sister, test the restraints that society puts on women. Lena, Mama, plays the role of matriarch in the Younger family. Ruth Younger does the wifely job of making breakfast for her husband and son. “What kind of eggs you want?” (Hansberry 1913). “I feed my son Lena!” (Hansberry 1921). In this time and even now it is just assumed …show more content…

The role as matriarch was not common in this time at history. The head of the house is and was normally filled by the man of the house. The man is supposed to bring home the big money and look over everyone. In the play A Raisin in the Sun, Lena acquires a large sum of money. When she gets a large amount of money she is acting as the breadwinner of the family. “Generally, men are socialized into believing that their essential role in life is to work outside the home and provide for the family while women are taught that their main role is to be homemakers” (Akotia and Anum 5024). The breadwinner is normally thought of as a man, but Lena puts a twist on that gender role. “You the head of this family. You run our lives like you want to” (Hansberry 1948). Lena breaks the gender role

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