Raisin In The Sun Family

The American Dream is idolized by many. Family is often the backbone of any successful person. Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin In The Sun is about the Younger family. The Younger’s are hard working African Americans living on very low income. The family can only afford a small apartment for the five of them. The importance of family can clearly be seen through the characters of Mama, Walter, and Ruth. Mama shows the importance of pride. She is prideful of her husband who worked his entire life, and her son, who works his hardest to provide for the family.
“My husband always said being any kind of a servant wasn’t a fit thing for a man to have to be. He always said a man’s hands was made to make things, or to turn the earth with – not to drive nobody’s car for ‘em – or
Ruth does what she can in the house to provide for the family through cooking and cleaning. “Well, I ain’t got no fifty cents this morning…I don’t care what teacher say. I ain’t got it. Eat your breakfast, Travis.”(I.i) Although she does not have any money to give away, she does not get mad at her son, she just wants him to have a nice meal before he leaves for school. Ruth also cares about her husband, she gets used to Walter being angry about his dreams but she sticks through it and hopes for better times. “Lord, that man – don’t changed so ‘round here. You know – you know what we did last night? Me and Walter Lee?…We went to the movies.”(II.iii) Ruth is the most caring in the apartment, although she is only Walter’s wife, she cares for everyone in the household. The characters of Mama, Walter, and Ruth show us pride, dreams, and caring. The Younger family is able to push through the tough times to make it to the better times. The play, Raisin In The Sun teaches people to continue to believe in family regardless of their position. While the lone wolf struggles to make it, families manage to pull through the tough times