A Raisin in the Sun: Can or Cannot Adjust

A key aspect of the characters in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is their ability to adjust to negative aspects of their environment. For example, Walter who was always raised by his father with pride and the desire to succeed in life and as the head of his family, has a difficult time adjusting to the adversities in his life. Walter hates his job, working as a mere ate up from a servant as a limo driver. He hates the inferiority he feels and longs for the financial success of a man who has succeeded in his life endeavors. I really feel bad for Walter because he is trapped in a lifestyle that he's ashamed of. The fact that his family who loves him plays a part in his being trapped makes the situation even more desperately tragic. He does not respond well to all this negativity, lashing out at his wife, "Who's fighting you? Who even cares about you?", and seeking a distraction through drunkenness. Ruth, on the other hand, responds muc better to the negativity with which she is surrounded. Ruth wakes up everyday as a leader of her family, waking everyone and ensuring that they all prepare for the day at hand. She cares for both her husband and son and continually works hard to try to improve the stark living conditions the family seems unable to escape. Ruth is a lot like my own mother in a lot of ways. She puts the family on her back in the way that she works herself raw but expects no gratification. Though she is a little angry and moody at parts die to exhaustion, it is celad that Ruth doesn't do anything without her family in mind, a very good response to the negativity she lives with.