1 Mason John Mason November 9, 2007 HY 204 Andrew Huebner Fitting In and Standing Out During the 1950s, the Younger family described in "A Raisin in the Sun" was very similar to the typical, white, middle-class, American family in the role that men and women played in the family. The role of African-American women within the family seemed to follow the trend of middle-class white families that had started to shift from the idea of separate spheres into equal treatment for men and women but had not entirely reached that point yet. This meant that women were now more involved in making decisions that effected the entire family, women were getting jobs outside the house for supplemental income, and the family as a unit was a crucial part of the American lifestyle of the 1950s. The idea of each person having his or her own dream in the Younger family repeatedly plays out in "A Raisin in the Sun." After the father of the family has passed away, the family receives a life insurance check and each member has their own idea of how the money should be spent. Mama would prefer that the money would be used to put a down payment on a nice home in a white, suburban neighborhood. This had always been a dream for her and her husband and she hoped to achieve it even after his death. Walter, who became the man of the house after his father died, wanted to use the $10,000 insurance check to start a liquor store with two of his friends. Walter's wife, Ruth, sides more with her mother-in-law than her husband, because she dreams of moving into a
Mason 2 more respectable home as well so she will have a better place to raise her young son. And finally, Beneatha, Walter's sister, wanted to use the money to pay for her medical school tuition so she could become a doctor. These conflicting interests and the family's conclusion formed the basis for most of the story and showed one of the main similarities between gender roles in black and white households during the 1950s. After World War II, most women lost the manufacturing jobs they had gained to support the war effort, but this did not impede their move toward equality and independence. Men and women of the 1950s, of both races worked together, more as equals than ever before, for the success of the American family. "Both partners reconciled family obligations with personal fulfillment (Foner 815)." This is apparent when Mama Younger decided to spend part of the money from the insurance check on a down payment on a new home and give Walter $3,500 for his new business venture, even though his mother way morally opposed to the idea of a opening liquor store, and $3,000 for Beneatha's education. This is not to say that the Younger family did not face special problems because they were African American. After making a down payment on their new home in Clybourne Park, an all white neighborhood, they were approached by Mr. Karl Linder, from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association, who offers them more money than they paid for the house if they would not move into the all-white neighborhood. He explains, "Race prejudice just doesn't enter into it. It is a matter of the people of Clybourne Park believing, rightly or wrongly, as I say, that for the happiness of all concerned that our Negro families are happier when they live in their own communities (Hansberry 102)." The family then becomes insulted and refuses the offer.
Mason 3 Another similarity between the roles of white and black women from this time period is their expected place in the job market. "Women who worked outside the home remained concentrated in low-salary, nonunion jobs, such as clerical, sales, and service labor (Foner 815)." This is in line with Ruth, who works as a personal cook to supplement her husband's income. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, such as Beneatha's dream of becoming a doctor, which was very difficult at the time, partially because many colleges and universities limited the number of women they accepted. "The modern woman, said Look magazine, worked part time, to help support the family's middle-class lifestyle, not to help pull it out of poverty or to pursue personal fulfillment or an independent career (Foner 815)." At the end of the play, we find out that Walter has invested all $6,500 that Mama gave him into his liquor business and his partner has run off with his money. Nonetheless, the Younger family still has each other, which is the most important part of the 1950s American family. Mama sums up the lesson of the play in the third act, which goes for both black and white men and women of the day in regards to their respective families, by saying, "There is always something left to love. And if you ain't learned that, you ain't learned nothing (Hansberry 129). The Younger family is a typical American family of the 1950s despite the special challenges faced by African-Americans at the time because of the compromises the family makes as a unit, the woman's role in having a job and aiding in support of the family, and the family being the most important part of American life. These similarities were mostly due to the move toward equality for women and African-Americans at the same time.