Conflict in A Raisin in the Sun
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Conflict in A Raisin in the Sun
In A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine
Hansberry, a lower-class family (the Younger family) is struggling financially.
This soon seems to change for them when aid miraculously arrives in the form of
an insurance check for ten thousand dollars. They feel saved and able by the
granted money, but it soon creates many conflicts within the family members,
and many conflicts as well with society. These conflicts throughout the text help
in the development of the plot by serving as a roadmap for the story. The money
allows each member of the Younger family to dream big of what to do with it,
but does not seem to work for them in the long run.
Conflict in A Raisin in the Sun, is the essential
element to the book’s plot; it keeps the story continuing, and provides the
grounds for how the family interacts. From the beginning of the story, the
conflicts mold each character’s relationship with society and one another; as
the story continues, the plot unravels around the conflicts that each family
member is facing and conflicts also sprout to alter the Youngers’ decisions. The
conflicts also wind up changing some of the characters. Overall, the indecisiveness
of the family (which is formed from person vs. person conflicts) and differing
views deter the family from peacefully arriving to a conclusion on how to spend
the money best. ...
All of the Younger family’s attention is turned towards
the ten thousand dollars they have acquired, but this great load of money seems
to do more harm than good. Each family member has their own genuine idea of how
to proceed with the money, which in effect creates a tight bundle of disputes
or conflicts because of the opposing ideas each one has. From the start, a Mama
vs. Walter conflict is apparent over Walter’s idea of owning a liquor store –
this sends Walter in a downwards spiral because of the lack of support, which
later shifts the family’s outcome. ... Walter
does not see this as a logical plan because they would not profit at all from
buying a house, therefore he tries to reinforce his idea. The conflicts between
Mama and Ruth, and Walter surround most of the story and shift the decisions
made by Mama, Ruth and Walter. Because Mama has disappointed Walter and made
him lose complete confidence in his idea, she feels obligated to let him manage
the money that remained after she placed a down payment on a house. Noticeably,
the conflict between Mama and Walter led her to withdraw the money to him,
which he uses recklessly. After acquiring the money, Walter places it in the
hands of his friend who was helping him with his liquor store dream. Consequently,
this alters the entire family’s fate, because Walter’s friend runs off with the
money.
Several other conflicts surround the story, which also
develop the plot as it goes. In the first act, Ruth discovers she is pregnant
with her second child but does not want to burden the entire family with a
larger financial crisis. This creates a person vs. self conflict because Ruth
does not know if she should get an abortion or not. It takes a part in the
development of the plot because it directs their attention for a while on
whether they should pass or keep the baby. Beneatha then sparks up a conflict
with the rest of the family, claiming that they should converse their African
heritage and lifestyle. Mama opposes this idea because she feels that Africa is
backwards and not as advanced; Walter disagrees completely with his sister
Beneatha, because he strongly feels that to progress in life and move up the
social ladder, they must assimilate and take up the American lifestyle. This
conflict sends Beneatha into frenzy when she cannot find moral support within
her family on her chosen lifestyle. This shifts Beneatha apart from her family,
which changes the storyline or plot. Indirectly, Beneatha’s expression of conserving
their African culture comes up later when the family has to make a crucial
decision. This crucial decision takes its form as a conflict – Negroes vs.
society...
All in all, the plot of A Raisin in the Sun
revolves around its conflicts which help it in its development. Both the minor
and major conflicts serve as roadmaps, as to how the plot is going to unfold. From
the beginning, conflicts are already apparent between the characters, which in
essence help mold the characters as well. As the plot continues, the conflicts
seem to create a structure for it; with the inclusion of each conflict, the
plot is able to progress by showcasing it to the reader, and through that the story
advances.
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