The Role Of Wealth In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry and whose title was derived from the poem Harlem by Langston Hughes, is a tragic play taking place in South Side, Chicago, where it portrays the life of an African American family known as the Youngers in the 1950s. The play, A Raisin in the Sun, reflects modern thought by reconstructing the ideals of a modern family in American society through the idea of assimilation and its cause of cultural clashes, how wealth plays a role in social status, and how racial discrimination is still pervasive today even after movements that brought such changes of better equality to light.

The assimilation movement that appears as the primary contender for cultural clashes within the play presents the social struggle

The role of wealth in both its literal and materialistic meanings plays a vital role in determining the distribution of power and ranking in social status as achievements or incentives of succeeding in the modern world within a highly competitive showdown among several contestants. Walter Younger, son of Lena Younger (Mama), is prominently known in the play for his dream of starting a business and wanting to quickly create a profitable life for himself and his family. He represents the American Dream, whose notion of going from rags-to-riches presents his motivation and his downfall in the play. When Mama gives Walter the rest of the insurance money, he imagines a better future and describes what he sees to Travis. "...we 'll go up to your room to see you sitting on the floor with the catalogues of all the great schools in America around you... Just tell me where you want to go to school and you 'll go. Just tell me, what it is you want to be -- and you 'll be it... You just name it son... and I hand you the world!" (109). In this scene, Walter 's speech to Travis implies that financial requirements have to be met in order to receive a proper education. Hence, money usually serves as the drive to someone 's life in order to succeed in reality. Furthermore, this scene serves as a concrete example of today 's realization that "money is power." Although some may argue that money cannot purchase everything, it still possesses much control over anything that is valuable, either in trade or through social status. Walter demonstrates this notion at the beginning of the play: "See there, that just goes to show you what women understand about the world. Baby, don 't nothing happen for you in this world 'less you pay somebody off!" (33). Aside from the sexist remark against women, it just goes to show that one must pay a price in order to go anywhere in life. This notion is reflected upon today 's society as well, such as college tuition, investments into businesses, as