Respect Yields Harmony In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

Respect Yields Harmony Written and set in the 1950s, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun encompasses the struggles of a lower-class African-American family, living in Chicago’s Southside. Even though such struggles may seem exclusive to the time period and the family’s race, Hansberry includes multiple life lessons throughout her play that skillfully transcend any potential limitations, and stand true for the majority of people. Through the use of her characters’ actions and words, Hansberry importantly illustrates that in order to maintain harmonious relationships, people must respect others’ opinions, decisions, and dreams. 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). As Travis excessively asks and talks about the money, Ruth continues to say no, knowing that the family is tight

Lindner and the family, are all nearly resolved by the end of the play. The conflicts are only settled after the family members are in agreement with one another, respecting each other and their individual decisions. This new sense of harmony is displayed as Walter acknowledges Beneatha’s dream of being a doctor, and Beneatha realizes that Walter has come into his manhood, respecting his decision to stand up to Lindner and move into their house. These acknowledgments starkly contrast the dysfunctions seen before; whereas the family members were only being attentive to their own wants and needs, towards the end of Hansberry’s play, the family is able to see what its individual members need and give one another just that: each other’s