Literary Analysis Of A Raisin In The Sun

The A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry takes place in the Southern-side of Chicago between the time of World War II and present. The main conflict surrounding the Younger family’s head of the house, Mr. Younger, life insurance and trying to figure out what to do with the money. The family consists of Mama Younger, her son, Walter Younger, her daughter, Beneatha Younger, Walter’s wife, Ruth Younger, and Walter’s and Ruth’s son, Travis Younger. The focus of this essay will be on two of the main characters, Ruth Younger and Beneatha Younger. Ruth Younger and Beneatha Younger are different in several social aspects by means of the patriarchal society that surrounds them as well as the social constructivism and their misogynistic family

In “The Raisin in the Sun”, Ruth and Beneatha fight the patriarchal society standards. In “The Raisin in the Sun”, Ruth is introduced on page 1472 as “a pretty girl, but is apparent life has that been little that she expected, and disappointment has already begun to hang in her face. In a few years, before thirty-five even, she will be known among her people as a "settled woman." Ruth is introduced as a girl and not as a woman. It gives the sense that Ruth is still growing up even though she is in her thirties. Ruth is noted as a stereotypical 1950’s housewife. She cooks, cleans, supports her husband, but at the same time she doesn’t voice her dreams or ideas to her

Beneatha has a dream of going to school and becoming a doctor, but all while she is in college, Beneatha explores vast ideas and hobbies. Throughout the play, Beneatha is searching for herself even though her family does not quite understand it. Beneatha is a constantly changing and slowly becoming socially constructive. In Act One, Beneatha is noted for going in between hobbies by her mom on page 1484, “Lord, child, don 't you know what to get tired of this now – like you got tired of that little do with yourself? How long it going to be before you play-acting group you joined at year? And what was it the year before that?” She, much like Walter, has many dreams and ideas that she wants to do with her life. She claims to be independent, but really her family is what is allowing her to continue with what she wants to achieve and when the money is gone, Beneatha learns that she is not as independent as she