Prejudice In Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

The novel, “Raisin in the Sun” by Loraine Hansberry, displays Hansberry’s purpose of family and how they all have to stick together to get through oppressive times and to make each other’s dreams come true. Racial prejudice was a major issue during this period of time and Hansberry incorporated this matter by displaying white people as the superiors in Chicago especially when at one point Mr. Linder, an all-white people representative attempts to buy out entirely Water’s family’s insurance money his father left behind. The quote, “ Big Walter used to say, he’d get right wet in the eyes sometimes, lean his head back with the water standing in his eyes and say, "Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams – but He did give us children to make them dreams seem worthwhile," (Hansbury, 29) displays that Big Walter was a reminder that all the sacrifices parents are making is for

Walter’s goal is to become very wealthy and live luxuriously like the white people but Ruth is completely happy with their living conditions. Walter wants to open up a liquor store by using his father’s insurance money to buy a better house but his mama doesn’t approve and uses the money for a decent enough household. This family’s struggle shows what typical African American families had to endure during the 1950s and Hansbury’s theme of fighting against racial discrimination. “Mama – sometimes when I’m downtown and I pass them cool-quiet-looking restaurants where them white boys are sitting back and talking ‘bout things…sitting there turning deals worth millions of dollars…sometimes I see guys don’t look much older than me,” (Hansbury, 74). Walter feels very jealous of white people’s lifestyle and feels agonized by the fact that he can’t live or have what they can just because of his race. This also conveys Hansbury’s view on racial discrimination and familial