The Dissonance Among Family, Pride, and Money Amogh Garudadwajan 10th Grade

Money and acquisitiveness have always had the ability to turn people into someone they are not. Greed can tear apart families and friendships when a person neglects others for their own benefit. This is depicted perfectly in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun which follows the lives of the Youngers, an African-American family living in 1950’s South Side Chicago. The focus is on a man named Walter Younger, who has the difficult decision of choosing between his personal dream and the progression of his family, which would require him to give up his dream. Walter’s personal dream is to open up a liquor store with his buddies, but in order for his family to make real progress in the world and escape the hole that is poverty, they need to use the same money, Walter Sr’s insurance check money, to buy a new home. Walter’s choice between money and family pride leads him to learn that the dignity and legacy passed down through generations is more important than short-term and monetary rewards, and as a result, they all progress.

During the beginning of the play, the idea of Walter having pride in money is coming to life, to the effect of Walter seemingly wasting money from the family’s already small budget. One of the first...