Expectations

Lorraine Hansberry explores racism and its impacts in many ways in her play, A Raisin in the Sun. I honestly didn't expect to learn more about racism in a play then I did in history class, but her book accurately demonstrates what it must have been like to live as an African American during those times.  She effectively shows the readers what the words we learn in history really mean: societal racism, institutional rasism, and color blindness.  Her character Lindner is the perfect embodiment of color blindness - "Whites' assertion that they are living in a world where racial privilege no longer exists, but their behavior 'supports' racialized structures and practices".  Lindner part where he claims his intention have nothing to do with racial prejudice probably made many readers exclaim "Jesus!" by just how stupid what he says sounds. It's kind of like, yeah right, you're definitely not racist just like how pink elephants exist. Another topic that Lorraine Hansberry subtly explores is generation gap. I'm sure most people have experienced times where they have talked to someone older and have thought, well yeah, that was true once upon a time but not anymore. Hansberry creates that same dynamic between lena and her kids. Beneatha and Walter both have very different morals in then Lena, and the differing opinions is one of the things that plays into creating the climax for this play. Like this, Lorraine Hansberry creates a story that her readers can relate to for many generations to come.