An Analysis Of The Younger Family In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

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A person may be driven towards obtaining money and materialistic things. This may affect their amount of focus on more important things such as family and dreams. Similarly, in A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family members become fanatic over money and this causes a great effect on them. Their value for each other and the things they cared about earlier in the play are diminished. Through the use of characterization of the Younger family, Lorraine Hansberry portrays the theme that sometimes, one may behave in ways that are unusual to their behavior because of the presence of money or their desire to acquire money. The characterization of Walter through his dialogue demonstrates how his obsession with money causes him to treat the family…show more content…
When Walter exclaims such a rude and disrespectful comment towards his sister, one can infer that his motive to get more money is now of more value to him than his relationship with his beloved sister. His comment characterizes him as acting selfishly because he cannot think of Beneatha’s dreams but rather, only what he wants. Normally a brother would not dishearten his sister’s dreams for the future, but instead he would motivate her to keep going and pursue what her heart yearns for. However, it is clear that this difference in Walter’s personality is caused by his greed for all of the money. Not only does he treat his sister with rudeness, but he is also willing to put his relationship with his wife at stake if it means that he can get more money. Ruth is trying her best to support her husband and the rest of her family in all the ways she possibly can. She is even willing to have an abortion because “”when the world gets ugly enough—a woman will do anything for her family. The part that’s already living’” (75). This act…show more content…
In the beginning of the play it is evident that she is not affiliated with money and she is perseverant towards her dreams even though “’George, for one, still thinks that’s pretty funny. [She} couldn’t be bothered with that.!’” (50). In addition, she desires to be self sufficient and “’ never ask[s] anyone… to do anything for [her]’” (37). Despite of her independent nature that is characterized in the beginning of the play, when the money is brought to the Younger Family, her personality strays from her real identity. After Walter makes the mistake of losing all the money, Bennie says to Asagai in a conversation, “An end to misery! To stupidity! Don’t you see there isn’t any real progress, Asagai, there is only one large circle that we march in, around and around, each of us with our own little picture in front of us—our own little mirage that we think is the future’” (134). All of a sudden, Beneatha begins to give up on her dreams and believe that there is no “real progress” simply because her family loses the money (134). Therefore, Beneatha’s passion for her dreams diminishes because of the lack of materialistic things. It is noticeable that Asagai is also able to identify this character change in her because he comments,“'Then isn't there something wrong in a house--in a world--where all dreams, good or bad, must depend on the death of a man? I never thought to see you like this, Alaiyo. You!
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