In Act II, Scene iii of A Raisin in the Sun, The Younger’s packing was interrupted by a knock at the door from a middle-aged white man representing the Clybourne Park Improvement Association. He explains to the family that the people of Clybourne Park have prepared an offer that would allow them to move elsewhere into a lower-class neighborhood. This offer was made because the people believed the Youngers’ new presence would destroy their neighborhood which has taken years to build, and all of the current residents are all white, working-class people who did not want anything to threaten the dream “the kind of community they wanted to raise their children in.” (117) As Mama said when she first told her family where she had purchased their new home, she picked the best possible place for her family for the least amount of money she could find.
When reading this scene, I was reminded several times of current issues with racism in our country, including the campaign for President Trump’s wall. In today’s society, we continue try to keep people who are different from us separate due to fear of unknown. When Linder was speaking to the Younger’s, he referred to them several times as “you people,” (117) treating them like they were a different species than him. In the media today, you see our President referring to people from other countries as nothing more than rapists, drug dealers, and criminals in hopes of trying to convince others to keep them from coming into our country. What is often times are overlooked is simply how amazing of an opportunity we bring in our country to those of less wealth and opportunity from other places. It is easy to put blame on one specific person or group of people for problems that have been made over-time and collectively throughout history.
Linder originally said upon arrival “most of the trouble in this world exists because people don’t sit down and talk to each other,” (116) which the Younger’s also agreed with. Although he completely contradicted his statement by doing the opposite of having a genuine conversation with the family, this still holds true even in today’s society. Instead of being willing to take any credit or blame for issues in our country, we blame many problems on those who have less voice. We struggle to come together and put aside factors as simple as skin color, which continues to divide us more as a country every day. It is important to continue to be aware that opportunities should not vary for each person depending on race or social status.
Are there any other situations you can think of in today’s society that relate attempting to keep people who are “different” separate from each other?
Do you believe the Younger’s made the best decision declining the offer for a different house? Explain why or why not.