Gender Roles In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
In the the play A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry there is a strong presence of gender roles in the Younger family. The play takes place in the southside of Chicago, in mid-late 1950’s. At the time social injustices, like racism and sexism, were big controversies. Most of the country was focused on these issues. These issues were worse in the South but luckily this book takes place in Chicago, so the conditions the Younger family are in are not as rough as they could be. The family is about to receive a large life insurance check because their father passed. The grown children are fighting over what their now widowed mother should do with the money. Walter thinks he should get the money because he is the man of the house now.
His sister Beneatha wants some of the money to pay for her medical school, but Walter feels like she shouldn't even pursue that career because being a doctor is a man’s job. He says to Beneatha, “Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ‘bout messing ‘round with sick people – then go be a nurse like other women – or just get married and be quiet…” (38). This shows that how Walter looks down upon his sister. He thinks she is not fit to be a doctor because she is a women; that she should just fall into her place and do what other women do. This trend of gender roles carries on through the play.
His sister Beneatha wants some of the money to pay for her medical school, but Walter feels like she shouldn't even pursue that career because being a doctor is a man’s job. He says to Beneatha, “Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ‘bout messing ‘round with sick people – then go be a nurse like other women – or just get married and be quiet…” (38). This shows that how Walter looks down upon his sister. He thinks she is not fit to be a doctor because she is a women; that she should just fall into her place and do what other women do. This trend of gender roles carries on through the play.