Pride is portrayed in an extremely positive light in A Raisin in the Sun. Since the play is depicting people who have little else to their name, pride is a means for them to hold on to their dignity and affirm their worth as human beings. When a neighborhood representative shows up and offers to buy out their house, the family doesn’t hesitate to kick him out. The novel frames this decision as pride versus money, and although money does win out for a little bit, the Younger family maintains its pride in the end.
Questions About Pride
- What role does pride play in the Younger family? In which ways are the Youngers proud? Who wins the "Proudest Family Member" award? Is this a good thing?
- In A Raisin in the Sun, is pride something that is passed down from generation to generation? Or is pride an individual quality? Or both?
- Why is pride so important to the Younger family?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Throughout Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, Walter yearns to find self-worth through a business endeavor but ultimately finds his self-worth in feeling proud of his family.