Family In A Raisin In The Sun

The Importance of Family

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry reflects on the story of the Younger family and their fight to make dreams come to reality while trying to find a place in the integrated community. Hansberry focuses on the family hardships being faced day to day. Arising problems with characters like Walter and Beneatha expose those dynamics. Mama keeps the faith as well as encouraging everyone to do better. The idea of family gets the Youngers through the toughest times.

The relationship that Walter and Beneatha have is unpredictable. The strain on the family comes from the encounter when Walter needs his family to regard to him as the man of the house, yet his sister is always deriding him in front of everyone. Beneatha

She is angry at him, and she ridicules him in front of his wife, mother, and worst of all, his son. This reaction hurts Walter’s integrity as a man more than Beneatha realizes. Until now, she has believed that she could better herself by receiving an education and pursuing a career. But, through this incident Beneatha realizes that the situation is out of her control and her dream may be hindered by it. Beneatha has to decide what her next move should be in the pursuit of her goal, and she results to staying with her family for support and guidance. This is a major moment for Beneatha’s role in the family. Up to this point, she has separated herself from the rest of the family because she was solely concerned with her personal dream of self-advancement, but now she has no other choice but to become dependent upon her family while she is determining what she needs to do. Not only but also another issue that Beneatha has been subconsciously distraught about is the fact that Walter has never supported her dream of becoming a doctor. She does not outwardly seem to be seeking his approval, but his encouragement of her dream would mean so much to

Mama is filled with grace and beauty, however she lets nothing stand in the way of her family. She desires for her family to develop deep roots. However, the altercation between her children is acting as an herbicide to the roots of the Younger family. It is breaking Mama’s heart to see her children argue. She knows that she needs to do something that will help keep her family in one piece. Her decision to purchase the house seems to shake the foundation of family unity. In an attempt to redeem himself, Walter decides that he is going to take Mr. Lindner’s offer. In obvious disapproval of his choice, Beneatha harshly criticizes his decision by saying, “That is not a man. That is nothing but a toothless rat,” (Hansberry 3.26). Mama’s encouragement for Beneatha to quit antagonizing her brother confirms her disgusts with the astringent attitudes of her children. Not to mention Mama hopes that by not allowing Walter to dismiss Travis from the room, when he accepts the deal from Mr. Lindner, will promote Walter do the right thing. Travis is his son, his own flesh and blood, his posterity, and he is soaking in every example his father sets for him. Walter becomes the head of his family when he stands up to Mr. Lindner. Beneatha becomes a buttress for her brother to express her approval of his noble stand, and in return for her support, Walter boasts