Success of a Family Aspirations Motives of the...

Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun revolves around a short but difficult period in the lives of the Younger family. Each family member has dreams of a higher quality of life; free from the pressures of poverty and the literal confines of an outgrown and decrepit apartment. Ultimately, the ambitions of each Younger are inspired by dreams of a better life for the family as a whole. Though each Younger approaches this goal differently, they each desire to rise above their current position in the â€Å"rat trap† of society into a better, more respectable, life (964). Each Younger is chasing an ambiguous notion of success and believes that they will bring an end to the family’s hardships; consequentially leading to prosperity and, of chief†¦show more content†¦This realization culminates in Walter’s refusal of Mr. Lindner’s final offer to pay for the Younger’s home in Clybourne Park, Walter acts on his newly discovered belief, that his pride, and that of his family, are more valuable an asset than any amount of money offered to them. This decision accomplishes something for the Younger family that money could not — it brings the Younger’s to the same social standing as all other Americans. Rather than accepting the downtrodden role thrust upon them, Walter’s decision proves that the Younger’s are equal. Unlike Walter, Ruth Younger does not place emphasis on wealth. With the arrival of the insurance money and the prospect of prosperity Ruth suggests that Lena take â€Å"a trip somewhere. To Europe or South America or someplace —† only after Lena suggests that they use the money to place a down payment on a house does Ruth realize the intrinsic relationship shared by the money and the family’s future. The notion of owning a house endues in Ruth a version of the â€Å"American [Dream] †¦ that privileges hard work and determination as the means of social mobil ity.† concludes Kristin Matthews (560). Through determination and hard work Ruth views the new home as a method to refresh and revitalize their family. To Ruth, putting the insurance money towards buying a house is an opportunity to escape the current hardships. The coming