A Raisin In The Sun Literary Analysis

As the american novelist Gertrude Stein once said, “Each generation has something different at which they are all looking”. Oftentimes the differences in one's point of view causes conflicts with another individual, due to the age in which the person was brought up in. In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Mama, Walter, and Beneatha have many conflicts between one another due to their different views on each others dreams. Beneatha strives to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor, while Walter wants to earn money and be able to provide for his family. On the other hand, Mama was raised during a time of prevalent racism and virtually no opportunity; therefore, she is unable to understand her children's dreams. Furthermore, Walter and Beneatha, and her daughter in law,

Asagai encourages Beneatha to embrace her African culture; consequently, Beneatha cuts her hair to look more natural and to bring out her heritage. When George and Beneatha are talking, Beneatha becomes enraged when she hears that George thinks that she should “forget the atmosphere” because he wants a “simple sophisticated girl… not a poet” (96). Beneatha wants someone who allows her to be herself, not a woman who was chosen being married by her looks. On the other hand, Mama wants her to marry George because he is rich and can assure that Beneatha will be well taken care of. When Beneatha expresses with her concerns with George, Mama disagrees with her and establishes that she shouldn't “dislike people [be]cause they [are] well off” (50). Since Mama is from an older generation than Beneatha, she wants her daughter to be taken well care of in a family that can provide. Beneatha's views differ because she has newer thoughts due to her upbringing in a more recent generation. These opposing views between Beneatha and Mama create conflicts in the