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

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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 …show more content…

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

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In some plays the experience of an important character changes him or her; this can be said about Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. A perfect example of a changed character from this play is Walter Lee Younger. Through the trials and tribulations that him and his family are made to face he becomes a better man.

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In Lorraine Hansberry’s “Raisin in the Sun” Act 3 Walter has seized the hero role and he displays a lot of pride. Walter is starting to understand that he has to stand up for what he believes in and not everything is about money. “And we have decided to move into our house because my father-my father-he earned it for us brick by brick”(1933). Walter turns down the Clybourne Park Association 's offer only after he remembers the roots his family has in America, and the rights that they deserve. He wants to set a strong example for his son, Travis, just like his father did for him.

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Another way Hansberry elucidates the impact of being greedy is when Ruth goes to get her baby aborted and Walter says nothing about it. Once the audience learns that Ruth is going to abort her baby, Lena says, “When the world gets ugly enough -- a woman will do anything for her family. The part that’s already living” (Hansberry 198). Ruth rationalizes her decision to kill her baby by stating that killing the child will leave more money for the family, and since Walter only wants to be rich, he is not willing to save his child. Hansberry uses Ruth’s attempt to abort her baby to show the reader that being too money focused can lead a person to sacrifice their own family members for the sake of earning more money.

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The house Mama bought was $3,500 leaving $6,500. Mama asks Walter to take the money to the bank and put $3,000 away in a savings account for Benetha's medical school. Mama made a smaller decision to give Walter $500 more than Benetha. She felt as though, with the new baby coming, Walter and Ruth may need the money more than Benetha. The remaining $3,500 was for Walter and his family.

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This shows the family such as Mama and Ruth that they can’t trust Walter with anything now because he lost all of the portion of the money. He is looked down upon for not becoming the “Man” of the house and taking full responsibility when he is supposed to. Another traditional gender role that I see Hansberry challenging is Beneatha in the middle of the book. Beneatha explains how she has started taking guitar lessons Mama and Ruth laugh out loud making fun of her and asking why she wants to play the guitar. All of sudden she gets upset when Mama and Ruth don’t take it seriously “How come you done taken it in your mind to learn to play the guitar?”

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Although Walter does not deserve the power, the manhood of Walter Lee enables him to “control” the family. Conversely, Beneatha’s talkativeness and her aggressive personality are against how a 1950s African American should act. Ruth asks “Can’t you be a little sweeter sometimes? (Act 1, Scene 1)” to indicate the modest characteristics women should have. Furthermore, Ruth’s decision of abortion at the beginning of the play was unconventional since it was against gender expectation because it is against her duty as a wife and a mother.

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When Walter states the family will be moving into the house despite Lindner’s offer supports the importance of fighting against racial discrimination, which ties into the idea of the rejection of assimilation seen with Beneatha’s

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Assimilation, is the act of submitting yourself and your culture to another that is seen as larger and more superior. Beneatha is a young college student who (out of the rest of the characters) provides an independent and ambitious perspective, as seen through her goal of becoming a doctor. During her life in this play she dates two very different men, George Murchison and Joseph Asagai. Hansberry through the book shows that George and Beneatha are almost opposites on their opinion on african-american culture, but her and Asagai both believe in self-determination whether it be believing in god or adapting to submissive to white culture.

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Walter states that the Youngers are a calm, good family who “don’t want to make no trouble for nobody,” and are not looking to stir up trouble. All they intend to be is hard working, peaceful “good neighbors” and that give them every right to live in Clybourne Park. Afterwards, Mama, talking to Ruth about Walter, states that, “he finally come into his manhood today,” (151). Walter made his family proud and after much struggle they feel that he has matured. For Mama proudly exclaims that Walter “come into his manhood” by doing the morally right thing “finally.”

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Walter is also not bound by the constraints of society as he dreams of owning a business and becoming wealthy, something that is characterized as outlandish by society due to his ethnicity. Hanberry again highlights the dastardliness of assimilation, as the rest of Walter’s family, constrained by the beliefs of society, discourage his pursuits. However, Walter does not submit himself to society either, Hanberry hints at this when she has Walter join Beneatha in her African, “anti-assimilation” dance. Although unlike Beneatha Walter’s dream and the persistence of his hope not only impact himself, but his son, Travis, as well.

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The triumph to freedom for african americans was a rigid war that lasted hundreds of years. Often times in this war, african americans were alone and were treated like foreigners in their home country. Walter’s battles with segregation and inequalities, such as receiving lower income than white families, are represented in Hansberry’s play and in Simone’s poem. It is difficult for Walter to see why other people behave in the way that they do, and he often does not respond well to disagreements between him and his family, making him feel even more alone. Walter said in an argument with his mother about her buying the house, "You run our lives like you want to.

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