A Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis

Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun explores the universal ideas of family, dignity, and hope. Hansberry set her play in an old, once well-furnished and loved apartment in Southside Chicago after World War II. It is the story of an African American family’s struggle to prioritize futures and dreams and decide whose dream is most prevalent; once the family makes the choice to purchase a home with part of the money, they face an entirely new plight. One of the major themes of A Raisin in the Sun is the need to band together as a family and fight discrimination as a unified group, as opposed to a group that cannot stop fighting within itself.
Even from the initial scenes of the play, one can sense the dignity Mama upholds herself with, and the fact that Walter is facing an internal struggle. Throughout the play, he is the character who changes the most. First, he and Mama seem to fight quite regularly; they both have bold personalities and think they know what will be best for the family. When Mama uses some of the money to buy a house and gives the remaining
The family has gone through hard times, but the biggest fight happens when Walter is planning on accepting money from The Man. Mama is disappointed, but she loves him still. Beneatha is so angry she says “There is nothing left to love.” Mama rebukes her for her comment, and this scene displays the fierce love Mama has for her family. Even though they do not agree with Walter’s plan to give in, the whole family suspects and hopes he will come to his senses and make the right decision. They have faith in him, even though to this point he has not made the best choices. Internally, the choice was difficult, but especially because his son is present, Walter makes the right choice and preserves the dignity of his family. Throughout the play, the family loved and supported Walter, even when he made very bad