Oppression In Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

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In a society like today’s where everyone is presumed to assimilate to the masses, losing sight of individuality becomes a task of ease. Not long ago, America was considered to be a “melting pot”, so why do people belittle and harass others’ differences now? American society today has lost sight of embracing variances and has shifted to conform with society. People may feel America continues with its standards of individuality more than those of uniformity; however, conformity has engulfed the nation through oppressing attitudes and fearing the chance of becoming pariah. Oppression may seem like a thing of the past, but this idea is still prevalent throughout modern day society. Many people inhabiting America believe themselves to be superior to that of any other cohort. In the excerpt from A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry describes the dilemma perfectly by stating, “It means someone who is willing to give up his own culture and submerge himself into the dominant, and in this case oppressive culture!” To explain, Hansberry’s character Beneatha is fed up …show more content…

No one wants to be considered the pariah or social outcast of a group. In “Notes of a Native Speaker”, Live quotes, “I have at times gone to great lengths to downplay my differences.” With the fear of being different in mind, he hides his individuality to enable the conformation to society. Society should conform to the acceptance of individuality, one should not have to conform to society. With this in mind, Live also adds, “The bilingualists insist that a student should be reminded of his difference from others in mass society…” This statement adds to the argument of fitting in because a human being should not feel degraded or insulted by others in a community based on a difference that is unique to them. Others of the masses should learn to accept these differences and take in others

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