Jonathan Ulanday Dr. Gorrell 4/26/24 Literary Heritage 2201 Comparative Essay (Discrimination Makes Determination) There are many ways race is used in literature to commentate on relationships between people. The concept of race in a character’s mind can show a reader multiple perspectives and the dynamics race plays in a character's decisions. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and Richard Wright’s “Big Boy Leaves Home” portray a correlation between racism and power. They compare this correlation in the ways they treat black Americans and white people through their antagonists’ motivations and the protagonists’ reactions to the dynamics of racial power. In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the perpetrator of racial…show more content… The Association views the Youngers as a hindrance to their way of life and seeks control by keeping them out. Lindner attempts to appear as if he’s on the family’s side and presents this decision to them as though it is for the Youngers’ benefit. This attempted bribery is a display of power and control. Since Lindner was the first person to meet Mama, the Association had no way to judge her on her character and only by her race. Because the Association can gatekeep a community from African Americans, they show how being white during this time allows social power and control over black Americans. This is also shown when Lindner describes the Association’s opinion on them moving in, claiming “.that for the happiness of all concerned that our Negro families are happier when they live in their own communities” (Hansberry 1602). By generalizing the opinion of the Association as beneficial to the Younger’s situation, Lindner further shows the manipulative, controlling power they use to keep their community free of black…show more content… In “Big Boy Leaves Home,” they kill the black teenagers and lynch one of them, which shows the brutality of racist power white people have over black Americans. Contrastingly, A Raisin in the Sun shows how white people used their financial lead and persuasion to overpower the black protagonists. Richard Wright explains the primal ways white people used racist power, whereas Lorraine Hansberry explains how racism struggled with the laws at the time due to white people not being able to rely on primitive hate strategies but rather logic, albeit faulty. The antagonists of both works use racism to ignorantly protect something. An example of this is Mr. Harvey’s shooting of the teenagers to “protect” his wife. Similarly, Lindner’s bribing is to “protect” the neighborhood and the happiness of everyone. The antagonists used this power on protagonists who adapted to such adversaries throughout their stories. The protagonists of A Raisin in the Sun are the Youngers. Throughout the play, they deal with struggles, and one of these struggles is the indirect pressure placed on them by Lindner’s offer to buy their new house from
