A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that tells the story of a black family trying to

improve their nancial situation in south Chicago while facing family con icts and racial
discrimination. The play has three acts in total, all set in the Youngers’ house, and this extract
comes from Act III, after Asagai invites Beneatha to go to Africa and Walter announces that he
told Mr. Lindner to come over. In this extract, Walter tells Ruth, Beneatha, and Mama about his
new thoughts about life while they react to his speeches. After this extract, Mr. Lindner actually
visits but Walter decides not to sell him the new house, contrary to what he says in this extract.
Since this extract is located near the end of the play, the author uses a variety of ways to bring
closure to the family dilemma. Hansberry deliberately designs this extract to lead up to the end of
the family’s problem by bringing closure to the theme of money, writing about the last con icts
between family members, and demonstrating profound changes in Walter’s character.

First, the author discusses the theme of money in more detail, thus bringing closure to one of the
key ideas that reverberate throughout the family con ict. Hansberry shows that money
demoralizes by contrasting morals and taking money. This is manifested in Walter’s speech when
he remarks, “We get to looking ’round for the right and the wrong…them takers is out there
operating, just taking and taking.” In this quote, “the right and the wrong” are the moral values of
the family, while the “takers” as well as the repetition of “taking” implies the act of gaining money.
The contrast between these two concepts—morality and monetary gain—elucidates the theme
that money can degrade one’s morality. Not only does money con ict with morals, it also opposes
dignity. Hansberry chooses to have Mama use the phrase “money that was a way of telling us we
wasn’t t to walk the earth,” referring to the money that Mr. Lindner would pay them if they decide
not to move into the white neighborhood. By using the diction “ t,” the author implies that Mama
thinks moving is t, or appropriate, for her proud family. Because accepting the money would
mean losing this sense of pride, Mam’s speech shows that money may con ict with dignity.
Finally, as money becomes immoral and undigni ed, it also manifests itself as unclear. Walter
says, “There ain’t no causes—there ain’t nothing but taking in this world.” Clearly, Hansberry uses
the word “causes” to speci cally refer to fairness and justice, while “taking,” as mentioned
previously, is monetary gain. Integrating these ideas, it is clear to see that the author is suggesting
the injustice of monetary gain by writing that there are, in fact, “no causes” for the act of “taking.”
In summary, the author foreshadows the end of the family con ict by revisiting one of the themes
occurring in this con ict, showing that money can demoralize people, con ict with dignity, and be
unjust.

In addition to theme, Hansberry also brings closure to the family’s problems with plot structure,
narrating some of the last con icts between family members. First, the author shows Ruth’s
questioning reaction to Walter with two questions, namely, “What did you call that man for, Walter
Lee?” and, “You talking ’bout taking them people’s money to keep us from moving in that house?”
In the rst quote, Ruth calls Walter by his rst and middle name, “Walter Lee.” This is signi cant
because it shows Ruth’s anger and escalates the tension, which is further accomplished in the
stage directions, “Coming towards him slowly” before the second question. Thus, the author
shows the con ict between Ruth and Walter through Ruth’s emotions and the tension of her
words and actions. But Ruth is not the only character to react negatively towards Walter;
Beneatha also shows her repulsion towards him. She says, “Oh God! Where is the bottom! Where
is the honest-to-God bottom so he can’t go any further!” Through the use of three exclamation
marks, Hansberry emphasizes Beneatha’s detest of Walter’s words, as shown by “so he can’t go
any further.” Her strong reaction is further exaggerated by the use of the diction “God.” As a
result, the author clearly manifests the con ict between Beneatha and Walter. Furthermore, Mama
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 also feels sorrowful because of Walter’s words. The author uses the diction “cry” and “awful pain”
in Mama’s speech, showing her painfully sad reaction to Walter. All in all, by narrating the con icts
of Walter with Ruth, Beneatha, and Mama, the author signals the last few con icts in the play’s
falling action, foreshadowing the resolution.

Finally, the author elucidates changes in the characterization of Walter in this extract, bringing
closure to this main character’s development. Instead of simply blaming others like before, such
as when he blamed Beneatha for taking away the money he needed for the liquor store, Walter
now re ects on the past. He says that Willy Harris has “taught me [him] something” and that he
tries to “see life like it is.” Through the diction “taught,” the author implies that Walter is learning
and that his character is growing, especially in relation to re ecting on his life’s values, as
indicated by the diction “life.” This is a great transformation of character from how he only
dreamed of the future before, since now he is trying to interpret his past. In addition, Walter also
changed in that he now not only thinks of “I,” but also thinks for the family as a whole. The author
chooses to have Walter say, “That white man is going to…write checks for more money than we
ever had.” By using the collective rst-person pronoun “we,” the author shows that Walter wants
to get the money not for himself, but for the family. This altruism highly contrasts with his
egocentricity in the past, such as his previous opposition to Mama’s purchase of the house
because he thought that the money should instead be used for his liquor store investment. Thus,
the author shows his development into a more unsel sh person. Additionally, Walter has gained a
deeper understanding of racial segregation. For instance, he understands that moving into the
white neighborhood would make white people like Lindner “so upset they willing to pay us not to
move!” By intentionally italicizing “not,” the author suggests that Walter realizes that white people
have a very negative attitude towards non-white people. This emphasizes Walter’s change into a
more perceptive character who understands the motives behind racial discrimination, In these
ways, the author shows the character of Walter as developing into a more re ective, considerate,
and analytic person.

In conclusion, Hansberry heralds the end of the family’s dilemma through analyzing the nal ideas
of the theme of money, showing the last con icts in the falling action, and manifesting Walter’s
chapter development. This sets the stage for the resolution to come—Walter’s nal act of rejecting
monetary bene ts and resolving the family con ict, which is also the last stage of his character
development.
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