Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is considered to be one of the most important plays in American literature. Upon its debut in 1959, there was an enormous amount of controversy and influence surrounding the plot and subject matter. A Raisin in the Sun follows the Youngers, an African-American family composed of three generations in one home. The themes of the play include dreams, family, and the realities of life in America. Within the three generations of Youngers, there is significant differences in opinions about how these themes relate the their everyday lives. The generational conflict seen in A Raisin in the Sunnis the result of the changing landscape of America that exacerbated the issues of the Younger family. Many of the challenges
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Lorraine Hansberry is an African American women and she understood the struggle that her three female characters would face. Ruth and Mama are written as the more traditional characters but they do not always agree, the most notable example being over Ruth’s pregnancy. Although Ruth does not follow through with the procedure, she seriously considers it and even puts down a payment. Mama is appalled, for both political and religious reasons. In this event, Ruth becomes much closer with Beneatha than she does with Mama. Mama has solid, valid reasons for opposing the abortion but Ruth is part of a new generation of women who are benefitting from first wave feminism and would be the activists of second wave feminism. This conflict can also be seen in Mama and Beneatha’s discussion of religion. Beneatha, a modern, educated women, believes that there is no God and does not hesitate to tell Mama. Mama responds “There are some ideas we ain’t going to have in this house. Not long as I am at the head of this family.” (Hansberry 292) Mama’s comment may seem tyrannical, but it establishes her as the matriarch of the family and reminds the other family members that her opinion must be supported, even it if they
Lorraine Hansberry is an African American women and she understood the struggle that her three female characters would face. Ruth and Mama are written as the more traditional characters but they do not always agree, the most notable example being over Ruth’s pregnancy. Although Ruth does not follow through with the procedure, she seriously considers it and even puts down a payment. Mama is appalled, for both political and religious reasons. In this event, Ruth becomes much closer with Beneatha than she does with Mama. Mama has solid, valid reasons for opposing the abortion but Ruth is part of a new generation of women who are benefitting from first wave feminism and would be the activists of second wave feminism. This conflict can also be seen in Mama and Beneatha’s discussion of religion. Beneatha, a modern, educated women, believes that there is no God and does not hesitate to tell Mama. Mama responds “There are some ideas we ain’t going to have in this house. Not long as I am at the head of this family.” (Hansberry 292) Mama’s comment may seem tyrannical, but it establishes her as the matriarch of the family and reminds the other family members that her opinion must be supported, even it if they