A Raisin In the Sun #2

During A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, the setting effects the characters in so many various ways. Two in particular seem to be effected so drastically. Walter is so influenced by the location of the play. It all occurs in Chicago which is and has been a huge business capital in America. This would influence the majority of the ways that he viewed his life in light of success and materialism. It seemed that his motivation was greatly effected in the sense that he was now consumed with the thoughts of materialism. Comparing himself with those that majorly built their lives on business associated dreams, Walter consistently felt as though his job as a chauffeur was not good enough for his family. He dreamed of doing something greater. Becoming an icon in the business world that everyone around him kept up with so intently. Walter thought less about the people in his family and more about the conditions that his family were in. He fell to materialism and constantly wanted more for those in his life. I wish that he would have more closely paid attention to his mother and wife. They both seemed to care so deeply for Walter and noticed that something within him had changed. During a conversation that Mama and Ruth are having discussing Walter, Ruth says, "I don't know what it is-but he needs something-something I can't give him anymore"(Act I, Scene I). The people closest to Walter saw that his mind had slowly been changed by the city surrounding them.

The setting also seemed to have a profound effect on a side character that did not seem to have as much importance in the immediate acts of the play, but conceptually he helped bring forth a lot of issues at hand. Asagai was from Nigeria and him coming to Chicago for a break from his educational studies in Canada brought him back to his friend. Beneatha is a good friend of Asagai and often has conversations that go into deeper more meaningful discussion. Asagai is effected so intensely by the city because he has lived in a place that everything is so different. He is able to compare the city life to that of a place where villages are common. He is profoundly effected in the sense that he knows how to prioritize in his life. He has come to understand more than just wanting worldly possessions.