"A Raisin in the Sun" is a masterpiece by Lorraine Hansberry. It shows how the lives of blacks and whites. The masterpiece also communicates how both blacks and whites identify themselves in pursuit of attaining the American dream (Hansberry 8). A raisin depicts ghetto life in Chicago. My personal life experiences and the theme of race relations explain how native Americans face challenges and drawbacks in their quest to achieve the American Dream while maintaining their pride; cultural values, morals, and practices.
The majority of black people living in the ghetto have hopes of moving to better neighborhoods and suburban areas because they experience high crime rates in the overcrowded districts. Most black families that I have associated with a show that they are driven by the motive for the hopes for better lives in suburban neighborhoods and the hopes of achieving the American dream. Besides, the role of gender is also outlined in the perspective of a mother's love and how a woman desires to arise and save their family from poverty (Hansberry 22). However, the white's sycophants like Walter show their impulsive appeals that deters the women's efforts. Beneatha is also a woman who is curious but lowly regarded by the people due to her status and race.
Pride is the idea that intertwines between the relationship between African Americans and whites. Today, I have seen many people champion for the slogan "Black Lives Matter." The pride depicted by Walter and Lindner makes The Youngers focus on the values, beliefs, and practices of their culture (Hansberry 23). Beneatha's stance shows the counterattack that native Americans take to survive racial challenges (Hansberry 27). The Youngers have now vowed to disregard whites' pride and uphold their values, beliefs, and heritage. It is a sense of solidarity among other African Americans. They also try to defend self-expression and courage as an aspect to beat pride is acted by the white people. It is an aspect that is depicted by Walter when he finally informs Lindner aspects regarding how the family is going to move into the house as they had planned (Hansberry 35). He also mentioned that "they come from people [who previously] had much pride" (35).
Many people have a fear of the unknown concerning assimilation and what might happen when people get assimilated to White people's values, beliefs, and practices. Whites are majorly trying to oppress the blacks, as shown by the relationships that are depicted to the Youngers (Hansberry 28). Besides, today's police brutality is mostly linked to blacks. They are working as servants in a white family residence, which is living in wealthy neighborhoods as compared to their homes. The aspect makes the Youngers plan on moving to a middle-class neighborhood that is mostly inhabited by white people. Unhealthy relationships make them proud of their culture as a counterintuitive measure for survival. In that manner, prejudice and discrimination is a matter that corrupts white-black relationships. However, the quest to get better jobs and to boost living standards shows that integration is inevitable despite the friction resulted from white people.
Conclusion
Indeed, it is evident that race relations show how native Americans face challenges and drawbacks in their quest to achieve the American Dream while maintaining their pride; cultural values, morals, and practices. The aspect of choosing to uphold their values and culture is affected by the absolute white supremacy and their economic benefits in society. Whites show impulsiveness in accommodating blacks in their neighborhoods by showing pride in the racial status. However, the Youngers have vowed to use the tactic to stay relevant and not adapting to whites' values through assimilation.
