Manhood in "A Raisin in the Sun"

             Manhood As Displayed in A Raisin in the Sun.

             Literary works often depict the author"s views on some aspect of life. Lorraine Hansberry uses A Raisin in the Sun in order to showcase her views on family relationships in black society. Through the characters in her play, Hansberry shows that men in black society must take a difficult path in order to achieve their manhood in the eyes of society. This goal defines nearly every action in the lives of a black man and is altered each day by the interactions he has with his family and other black men.

             The character of Walter Lee Younger that Hansberry created encounters countless difficulties in the road to gaining his manhood. Most of these problems center around his family situation. Walter is a married father who is still living with his mother. The audience sees this in the first scene as the day starts and the family jumps into action. Almost immediately, the reader is presented with one of the conflicts in Walter achieving his manhood - his relationship with his wife, Ruth. Walter blames Ruth for holding him back and preventing him from achieving his goals, saying she "couldn"t be on {his} side that long" (124). In essence saying that her lack of support of his dreams causes him to fail in whatever he attempts. In Walter"s eyes "a man needs a woman to back him up" (124), and according to him the only thing a black woman ever does for a man is hold him back and discourage his dreams. .

             In truth, Walter is constantly faced with his failures. He has a son, Travis, who he can only entertain and gain respect from by telling him stories of "how rich white people live" (125). Walter feels he has to cover up the truth of their situation from his son, because it makes him feel like less of a man to admit that he is not supporting his only family, a role that society has placed on the husband and father. This is exhibited when Walter gives Travis not only the fifty cents he requested but an extra fifty cents to " buy somefruit.

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