Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

A Grape in the Moon Sometimes, characters who appear briefly or who are only mentioned have some of the greatest impacts in literature. In the play A Raisin in the Sun, playwright Lorraine Hansberry creates Karl Lindner, a white racist who manages the Clybourne Park Welcoming Committee and greatly affects the plot, motives of characters, and conflict despite his miniscule appearance. The characters of Walter, Lena, Ruth, and Beneatha are all changed for both better and worse by the words and actions of Lindner, ultimately bringing out the central theme of the story. “We feel that most of the trouble in this world, when you come down to it… exists because people just don’t sit down and talk to each other.” (Hansberry 116) These are some of the first words Mr. Lindner utters during the play. He talks as …show more content…
When called by Walter to buy the house back, Lindner confidently travels to the family’s apartment. Before he can get them to sign the contracts, Walter is brought out of turmoil by the need to not submit to racism in fron of his son. “And we have decided to move into out house because my father… earned it for us brick by brick” (148) he defiantly states as he accepts his position as head of the family and brings the family out of the poverty that they had lived in for so long. This makes Beneatha hopeful for her future, makes Ruth ecstatic, and ensures Travis’s safe upbringing. Lena becomes proud of her son, a new emotion that has not been seen for the entirety of the play: “My son said we was going to move and there ain’t nothing left for me to say.” (148-149) Lindner’s final appearance gives the family a second chance to change their lives for the better. Such a minute character was able to send the family into despair. Consequently, he was also able to bring them out of said despair and up to cloud