A Raisin In The Sun Essay Racism Example For Students

A Raisin In The Sun Essay Racism In A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry portrays obstacles that the Younger family and other African Americans had to face and over come during the post World War 2 era. Obstacles that had to be over come by the Youngers were economical, moral, social, and racist obstacles. Lorraine Hansberry, the author of the play had to face one of these as well growing up. Born in Chicago on the south side in an all black neighborhood, Lorraine Hansberry and her family had to deal with segregation. Moving to a white neighborhood in Chicago, her family had to deal with threats of violence and legal action. Her father defended the case successfully all the way to the Supreme Court.(sparknotes1) Her parents were well known in national black culture and political circles, which probably sparked her to latter become a reporter and editor for the Freedom, a black newspaper in Hansberry relates her life situations through her play by having the Younger family deal with a similar circumstance. In the play Lena Younger or better known as mama, receives a 10,000-dollar check because her husband had past away. She decides to buy a house in Clybourne Park, which is an all white neighborhood. After finding out a black family is moving to Clybourne the so-called Organization Committee sends out a Mr. Lindner to welcome the Youngers. He doesnt do much welcoming but rather trys to discourage them and make them back out of their plans on The four main characters in the play all deal with other obstacles as well. The other main obstacles are economical, social, and moral. Lena Younger or mama, is the head of the household. She works in other peoples kitchens as a cook. She probably works for very little but she puts her daughter through college. Im sure she would rather not be working for someone basically as a slave or for very little money but she accepts her job because of the time period that she was raised in. In my time we was worried about not being lynched and getting to the north if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch of Walter Younger is the son of Lena. He is a chauffeur for a rich white guy. He dislikes his job, and wants to buy a liquor store, with the 10,000 dollars his mother is collecting. He thinks if all black people tried there own thing like opening a liquor store then they Ruth Younger is Walters wife; t hey have 1 child named Travis. Ruth does the same work as Lena does. I think Ruth probably dislikes it more then Lena because of the ages, but Ruth accepts it because she knows their poor and Beneatha Younger is the daughter of Lena. She is a straight edge type. Shes the only one in the Younger family to go to college, and she shows it to with her educated speech. She talks a lot about her heritage and how every one should know about where they came from. Economically in the play Beneatha has to deal with the lose of her school money that her brother loses. He puts it in the trust of one of his friends hoping to start the liquor store, but his friend runs and her medical school money is Loraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun dealt with real life conflicts that were truly happening at the time she lived in. She didnt write the play to grab any one, especially white peoples attention, but to educate everyone on what was happening in the segregated areas. Bibliography: