Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

Similar to present day, the Younger family in the play “Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry centers the struggles and expectations of the patriarch. Lorraine Hansberry depicts the life of the Youngers living on the south side of Chicago who when the play opens is frantically waiting for an insurance check. Walter Younger is the patriarch of the Younger Family, and his ambitions with the check is eventually prioritized above the women of the family. Walter Younger is centered in the family with his expectation of manhood on Travis, unhealthy expressions of love to Ruth, and failure as a son to Lena Younger (Mama). The centering of a black men’s experiences and desires is toxic and is paired with the subordination of black women and children in the family. The expectations of manhood Walter places on his son, Travis,

Travis expresses that he wants to carry groceries after school at the supermarket and asks for traveling money to do so. Walter enters the conversation saying, “ What you tell the boy things like that for, (reaching down into his pants with a rather important gesture) Here son--” (page 15). Travis thanks his father, and Walter responds with, “(without even looking at his son, still staring hard at his wife) In fact, here’s another fifty cents…Buy yourself some fruit today--or taxicab to school or something,” (page 15). While Walter rejects Ruth’s command to Travis to not carry groceries and refusal to give him money, he shows Travis how to disrespect a woman in his physical actions. Walter stares at Ruth while reaching for money and as Hansberry specifies with “defiance”. In Act II, Scene II of the play, Walter is intoxicated and initiates a conversation with Travis about manhood and his future plans. Travis asks his father what he wants to talk about and Walter responds saying, “Oh, about a lot of things. About you and what kind of man you going to be when you grow