Thursday, July 30, 2020
Lorraine Hansberry depicts an image of America in the 1950’s by introducing a story
line much like the one many African American women called reality. Hansberry narrows
the view of America homes, specifically, the role of a woman by introducing multiple
generations, each having an unique outlook on their responsibility as a woman.
Throughout the text, Hansberry is showing the power of education one the progressive
mindset. We see how an educated generation seems to be granted the ability to break
away from their dependence societal expectations and become independent. !
In the play, “Raisin in the Sun”, Lorraine Hansberry introduces three distinct
generations of women to show the progression of the genders and further the role of
education. Lena, commonly called Mama, is the eldest of the three women and holds
very conventional ideas of women. Ruth shares her ideas of a conventional wife and
mother. Ruth visits a doctor, through their discussion, “Mama Doctor say everything
going to be all right? Ruth yes — she says everything is going to be fine… mama
(immediately suspicious) “She” — what Doctor you went to?” (). Despite Beneatha’s
want to become a doctor, we see this subtle message that Lena does not believe a
woman should be a doctor by her immediate suspicion in Ruth’s female doctor. Ruth
cleans for work, her dreams lie in having a home for her family. Her beliefs are typical of
