ipl-logo

Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun: Lack Of Self Actualization

843 Words4 Pages

Every day, I think to myself, how could I make myself a better person? Well, it can differ based on where one stands in life. For example, it is uncommon to meet someone who has reached their maximum potential during their younger years. This is also known as a lack of self-actualization. Though children don't usually make it to this level, it can happen in adults as well. In this case, I chose Walter to demonstrate a lack of self-actualization because throughout Lorraine Hansberry's book that takes place on the south side of Chicago, people who have not achieved the lower levels of Maslow's theory of Hierarchy of needs (Walter Younger) cannot fulfill his/her own needs or their family's needs. Therefore, In Lorraine Hansberry's play “A Raisin in the Sun,” Walter demonstrates a lack of self-actualization illustrating that a self-centered person cannot fulfill their dreams without acknowledging and taking consideration of their children's dreams.
By learning and reading about Walter's life and how he interprets it, I have come to realize that his egotistical way of thinking is shown in a way that he like things to go his way and doesn't acknowledge other and their ideas. For example, he mumbles to himself: “We one group of men tied to a race of women with small minds” (Hansberry 35)! As a response to Ruth while he …show more content…

Walter regains almost all of the levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs but still seeks self-actualizations as he continues to be more open minded in the future. This creates the effect of how the family will be more successful. If it weren't for Mama and her talk with Walter, there may not have possibly been a future where the family as a whole could achieve maximum potential and full

Show More
Related
335 Words | 2 Pages

“Being rich doesn't always mean having money. It means being happy with the amount that you have.” In the play, A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry, Walter Lee Younger Jr, a man who may not be happy until he has this check he's been waiting for in his hands. A man whose family has never been financially stable and wants the best for everyone. Younger has goals, he wants to open a bar and be a businessman.

Read More
1035 Words | 5 Pages

The conflict between Walter and Ruth is shown earliest in the play, perfectly demonstrating what happens when two people do not respect one another. Hansberry shows the married couple’s disconnect through an interaction with their son Travis. Being the morning that Travis is “supposed to bring … fifty cents to school,” he asks his mother for the money, only to be told that she “ain’t got no fifty cents this morning” (Hansberry 4).

Read More
1016 Words | 5 Pages

“Part of growing up is just taking what you learn from that and moving on and not taking it to heart.” ~ Beverley Mitchell. Walter Lee Younger changes drastically throughout the play “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. Walter starts out as a person who whines and throws a fit when he does not get his way and turns into a responsible man who can care for himself and make important decisions. Three examples of this in the play is when Walter goes into a depression because Mama will not give him the money to open his shop.

Read More
932 Words | 4 Pages

But Walter is forgetting the situation that the family is in, we see how Mama’s constant empathy and compassion eventually get walter to be compassionate as well. Everyone has their own way of thinking, whether good or bad. For someone to recognize that is very special. Walter is constantly pestering Mama for the money when everyone else says it's a bad idea, but Walter persists. And eventually Mama realizes what she is doing.

Read More
1312 Words | 6 Pages

Importance of a Probable Goal Life is an intricate maze of problems and unique pathways to overcome hardship. Some face simple issues while others face convoluted issues. Prior to applying the new historical lens to A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, it is vital that the reader understands that the play was written in 1959, the same time period as several African American Rights movements. With this in mind, Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, emphasizes the importance of establishing an unique American Dream with probable goals for African Americans by providing examples of Mama’s success in moving into a larger house to fulfill family unity, and Walter’s failure in opening a liquor store to achieve prosperity, despite

Read More
1130 Words | 5 Pages

This shows that he thinks of himself and his white neighbors as separate from the Younger’s and shows racism, which will affect the family if they move. At this moment, everything about them moving to Clybourne Park is given a negative point of view from both Mr. Lindner and Mrs. Johnson; leaving the family in a ponder. Following this, their final aspiration to what they were lastly holding onto is blown when Bobo tells the family that their entire savings is gone and Willy Harris has stolen it. The family is left in a state of weakness and deficiency; the family is devastated and starts to fall apart. When the family start to fall apart, Mama will still be the one to pull everyone back together because she is the backbone of the family.

Read More
1393 Words | 6 Pages

When people are poor, they often have a lot of problems in their life. They struggle through every day, but they learn to appreciate everything that they have. However, when people are going through tough times, they often think that money will solve all of their problems. In “A Raisin In The Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, she guides the audience through a black family -- impacted by the need for money -- living on the south side of Chicago. The Younger family gets Lena Younger’s dead husband’s insurance check and buys a house in a white neighborhood, and they save the remainder of the money for Beneatha’s medical degree and for starting a liquor store.

Read More
811 Words | 4 Pages

In the text “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, the author uses the writing strategy of conflict to develop the central idea of how oneself can become selfish when trying to achieve the American dream. The text shows that the central idea is selfishness because circumstances are presented where various characters fail to take into consideration others while seeking their dreams. For example, Walters says, “ Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ’bout messing round with sick people, then go be a nurse like other women-or just get married and be quiet…. ’’. This example of greed shows that the ambition to obtain a dream brings out the selfishness is true in the instance of Walter.

Read More
533 Words | 3 Pages

During the play, A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family struggled to become better. Each family member views the world differently and had their own dreams. The son of the Youngers, Walter Lee, was unwilling to sacrifice his dreams for his family at first. Most of his actions hurt the family. Walter did not care and treated his family poorly.

Read More
1500 Words | 6 Pages

In the play Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry takes place on the southside of Chicago where Walter and his family are racially profiled and show us how the survive throughout their struggles. The central struggles for the younger family in their search for the American dream is mostly poverty and being racially profiled against for their actions. Hansberry challenges the traditional gender roles and issues of dominance throughout the play when Mama gives Walter lee the rest of the money at the end of the play. He becomes all excited and was supposed to save some for himself and put the rest of the money to Beneatha 's education. Instead, he gave all that money to Willy another character in the play which later on that he stole from him.

Read More
1127 Words | 5 Pages

Gender Expectations in Different Cultures “Women are supposed to cook and do house chores… Women should be responsible for raising children… Men should tell women what they should do… Men are superior than women.” Gender expectations are evident in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and the society in Korea. Due to their different culture and lifestyle, The Youngers, the African American family, in A Raisin in the Sun have gender expectations that are different from the those in Korea.

Read More
1106 Words | 5 Pages

“ What happens to a dream deferred?” from Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem“ is what inspired Lorraine Hansberry to create the play, “ A Raisin in the Sun “. Hansberry introduces The Younger Family living in the Southside of Chicago, trying to live day by day, struggling for their dreams. The central theme is that even though there may be obstacles in the way of your dreams, it is crucial not to lose your dignity and pride in the journey towards your aspirations in life. Throughout this play, the reader will see how this family will go through many challenges to achieve their dreams while keeping hold of what is most important. Mama is the voice and age of wisdom.

Read More
1127 Words | 5 Pages

Walter dealt with a hardship in his live as well. Walter was faced with racial discrimination. He wanted to have money to be able to to what he wants, follow his dreams. The only problem is that he didn 't have a high paying job. Your probably thinking to yourself why doesn 't he just get another job.

Read More
732 Words | 3 Pages

In Susan Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, the themes identified are dreams and faith that each character signifies throughout their struggles in their daily lives. The theme dreams refer to how each of the main five characters: Ruth Younger, Walter Lee Younger, Travis Younger, Beneatha Younger, and Lena Younger dealt with different oppression situations that took part in their lives that put the dreams on hold. Furthermore, the theme also connects towards the faith that each main character had to pursue to keep their family together after the death of a love one. The characters’ in A Raisin in the Sun tries to chase after a separate dream, unfortunately their dreams are utterly pushed away to realize the importance of their family

Read More
779 Words | 4 Pages

In the play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, there are many examples of sexism throughout its entirety. The character, Walter, demonstrates the acts of a sexist human being. Walter is sexist to not only women in general, but to the women in his family. Not taking into consideration of other people’s sayings and their feelings, Walter generally only thinks about himself, says what he believes, and truly only cares about money. Walter constantly is fighting with all of the women in the family as well.

Read More

More about Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun: Lack Of Self Actualization

Related Topics

Open Document