Opportunities In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

The 1950’s were a time filled with discrimination and hate. Through all of this, it was also saturated with opportunities. Even though opportunities were present, not all should be taken advantage of. In Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin In The Sun, she explains why certain opportunities should be left alone. She shows this through the Younger family. The younger family is an African American family comprised of Mama--Lena Younger, mother of Walter and Bennie--Walter who is married to Ruth--both in their thirties--Beneath, who is Walter's sister, and Travis--Walter and Ruth’s son. Overall, she shows that greed should not determine if someone should take advantage of opportunities. First of all, buying the new house is a sapient opportunity to

Mama helps explain the why this opportunity should not be taken advantage of by saying, “MAMA Well—whether they drinks it or not ain’t none of my business. But whether I go into business selling it to ’em is, and I don’t want that on my ledger this late in life” (Hansberry 176-177). The reader agrees that it is no one’s choice other than the person who is drinking to drink. It is also commonly agreed upon that to sell liquor is to get more involved in the choice of drinking. If someone is selling the alcohol, they could be closely tied to the possible negative effects caused by being under the influence of alcohol. Getting into selling liquor would be a poor opportunity to get involved in because you are interfering and providing alcohol to people who could adulterate your reputation. Near the end, Walter’s friend Bobo says, “BOBO That’s what I’m trying to tell you ... I don’t know ... I waited six hours ... I called his house ... and I waited ... six hours ... I waited in that train station six hours ... (Breaking into tears) That was all the extra money I had in the world ... (Looking up at WALTER with the tears running down his face) Man, Willy is gone” (Hansberry 234). Selling alcohol can be a risky business. Sometimes it turns out beneficial and other times it is a loss. If someone is already in a bad situation and can not afford to lose any more than the risk is too high. Unfortunately, this happened to Walter. Someone who he thought he could trust ended up taking all of the money they had for himself leaving the Younger family in a quagmire. Near the end, Mama and Walter say, “MAMA (To WALTER) Son—(She goes to him, bends down to him, talks to his bent head) Son ... Is it gone? Son, I gave you sixty-five hundred dollars. Is it gone? All of it? Beneatha’s money too? WALTER (Lifting his head slowly) Mama ... I never ... went to