A Raisin in the sun by Lorraine Hansberry is a story that connects to a multitude of issues facing society. It touches on the struggle to achieve the American dream, the difficulty of navigating an extremely racially charged society and so much more, but one of the things that are prevalent throughout the entirety of the work is the topic of toxic masculinity and misogyny. The reader is privy to several encounters and circumstances in which it is shown how toxic masculinity plays a damaging role in not just those that are receiving its backlash, but also those who engage in its rhetoric.
Toxic masculinity is portrayed most heavily within the work through the character of Walter. We see that Walter routinely will put down the women that are in his life and make it seem like they are always responsible for the problems that he is dealing with, or he will simply outright demean women in general. Statements like “goes to show you how much women know about the world”( Hansberry 18) or calling the women of the house “ the world’s most backward nation of women ”(Hansberry 22). He tells them to put forth the notion that the women in his life are all hysterical and don’t know what they are talking about, and yet implies that he, the man, does know and is aware. When there is an argument between Ruth and Walter about what to use the money for and past investments that could have been made Walter claims that even though there are men that can get things done it’s “No thanks to colored women”( Hansberry 19). He then goes on to say that “ We are one group of men tied to a race of women with small minds”( Hansberry 19) essentially stating that it’s the women that are to blame for any issue that has to do with their household and community. Now while one can say that it is perhaps the heat of the moment and that he simply says such things due to him arguing with his wife, this would not be the case as he exemplifies this behavior at times when there is no such argument happening. When at the bar, a scene that takes place only in the movie and not the play, where Walter is talking about convincing Ruth to open the liquor store that “ if there’s anybody you can pursue to take a larger view on life, it’s a woman.” He believes that because he is the only man in the house that he is simply the only one capable of seeing the bigger picture regarding what to do with the money. That the women that are in his life are simply small-minded and incapable of allowing him to do what he must for the family to succeed. That it’s his masculinity that allows him to be this enlightened thinker that he believes to be, one that can see the truth amidst the darkness of women. This air of superiority that he cares due to being a man and wanting to be the man of the house is what will eventually lead him to make the biggest mistake that he could in which he gave not only his money away but also all of the money that was supposed to be put aside for Beneatha to pay for her medical school. He wanted to take control and prove that he knew what was best for his family despite the constant arguments against such from Ruth and Benethea. Even though Walter would constantly put down the women in the family and say of these demeaning things about them or just women in general we see that after it is found out what has happened with the money and how BoBo ran away with it all Walter would collapse to the floor, but then reach towards Mama almost looking for comfort. Despite wanting to be the man of the house and saying all of these hurtful things that he had said before he still turns to her in his hour of most dire need. He turned to the women of the house when he made a mistake that could ruin the rest of their lives. If Walter had not had his mind clouded by notions of toxic masculinity and misogyny then he could have seen how Mama wanted what was best for the family and would have acted accordingly, even if he did not like that it was the best outcome possible, rather than take a chance and lose the money.
In the end, it was Walter’s distrust of women that caused him to make the mistake that he did at the end of the work. If he had recognized the ability and intelligence of the very capable woman that surrounded him then the Younger family would have been in a better place come the end of the story.
Do you believe that Walter is simply a product of his time or are his views extreme and harsh even for them?
Do you believe that Walter s misogynistic views are intended to be a foil to the character of Benethea who is a staunch feminist?
Work Cited
Susskind, David, et al. A Raisin in the Sun. Columbia Tristar Home Video, 1999. Morrin, Maxine Alice. Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. Research & Education Association, 1994.
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Hi Joe, nice post and interesting how you mentioned how he turned to Mama for comfort when he lost the money despite his past comments on women. To answer your first discussion question, I think that although at least some of his misogyny comes from the time, he feels threatened by the women in his house. After all, they are the only people stopping him from doing what he feels he needs to do to be the man of the house. Especially after his father died and being the only man in the house, I think he feels like he needs to fill a certain role which causes him to look down upon the women. After Mama bought the new house with the money, Walter says “You the head of this family. You run our lives like you want to” (Hansberry 95). When he says this, he is trying to make Mama feel guilty about her decisions and highlighted that he was not the head of the family, but it seems like in order to get the respect he thinks he deserves he opts for putting the women down to lift himself up.
I loved the idea of bringing toxic masculinity into the story of “A Raisin in the Sun.” Walter’s character, with all of its flaws, is one of the most unintentionally misogynistic characters in the play. His unwillingness to listen to the opinions of the women in his family and his tendency to make decisions without asking them are examples of his toxic masculinity. On top of his belief that money and success are the key to manhood, as well as his tendency to jump to violence when his ego is threatened. Walter’s relationship with his wife Ruth is also affected by his toxic masculinity. He dismisses her opinions, and seems to “one-up” her in front of their family. His attempt to be manly by insisting on making all the decisions is detrimental to their relationship, leading to a lack in communication and mutual respect. Overall, Walter’s actions and attitudes reflect the negative impacts of toxic masculinity in a family setting. Overall, I loved the blog post and I also love your title!!
Very enjoyable post, and I’m a fan of getting on Walter. Bringing up how Walter acts towards the woman of his family is something very readable due to how blatant it is in the book. I’m pretty sure all of us could think back to how we felt when reading the same scenes, you detailed in your post. We probably even asked ourselves the same questions as to if was this really how Walter is a person or is just due to stress but as time went on, we saw that it was truly him. He would constantly express how the woman just don’t understand how man feels and you can see this when he talks to his son Travis. He is one of the few people who he ever shows any full interest in having a conversation with. He was the first person he talked to after receiving the rights to the check from Mama. It could be a result of Travis being the first person he saw but it also couldn’t be. In fact, Travis and Walter had the past conversation before the act ended. So, it seemed like when the “man” took control over the family, he literally had the final say. It was great to see all the evidence you pulled and to answer your questions I believe Walter a product of his time with extreme views. As you saw throughout the book Walter always talks about the rich people he works for and how he wants to live/act like them. Maybe this is these are the type of things he hears while with them. Secondly, I never saw Walter as a counterforce or foil to Benetha but after reading your work I certainly do; they’re strong ideals go head-to-head with each other throughout the book. It also goes along with them being siblings and maintaining that sibling rivalry through their ideals and values.
Hi Joe, I really enjoyed this post. I like that you discussed the idea of misogyny and toxic masculinity because it is a reoccurring theme in the story that I think gets overlooked a little bit. Walter is definitely a very distinct character and him being a misogynist is significant because he shows his true colors to his wife Ruth. Even how he doubts Benetha and her dreams of succeeding in medical school. The only person he seems to have hope for is himself even though a lot of his plans have not succeeded. To answer your first question, I believe the time period definitely plays a role in why Walter is so misogynistic. The historical context of this time period was a time where women were seen as inferior in so many ways. They were looked at as objects and left to only do the housework because society felt that was all women could handle. Women were not allowed to do so little as to own a bank account in their name. The historical context being this way does not justify that Walter treats his wife in these ways. Walter does not like to hear Ruth out about any input she gives on how they could possibly become more financially stable and then be able to leave the house they are in currently. He always shoots down her opinions.
I definitely agree with the topic of your blog post as it is abundantly clear throughout the book that Walter is misogynistic. I do think that this is partly to do with the time in which the place takes place, but I think that it doesn’t take all the blame off of Walter. I think that a lot of Walters’ issues regarding toxic masculinity have to do with filling the shoes of Big Walter, who is portrayed to be a selfless man who worked himself to death just to take care of his family. In the beginning of the play Walter knows that he has not yet lived up to his fathers place, and I think a lot of the play is him trying to do so by whatever means necessary. When Mama tells Walter that Ruth is pregnant and thinking of giving up the baby, she immediately puts this pressure on him, “I’m waiting to hear how you be your fathers son. Be the man he was” (pg. 75). This quote shows not only that Mama doesn’t think that he has lived up to his fathers memory yet, but that she potentially doesnt think that he can, due to the fear that comes out through her word choice. I believe that Walter has become the man he is due to many different circumstances, but mostly all of them coming together and restricting his mentality from seeing differently.
Great stuff here Joe.
I would have to partially disagree with one of your points. I believe that Walter should have listened to Mama and Ruth about his business decisions, but I disagree that that is the only reason why he lost the money. I believe it also has to do with his naivety. Walter has no idea what he is doing in the business world because he has no degree in business, no background in business, nothing. It was his lack of knowledge and business skills that led him to lose the money. I believe even if the women around him pushed him to make other decisions, he still would have went out and done the same thing because he just doesn’t get it. We see Ruth and Mama making suggestions to him abt what to do the whole play, yet he just doesn’t listen. I think even if he really analyzed and interpreted Ruth and Mamas suggestions, he would go out the next day and lose the money like he did before. He doesn’t value the women around him and their opinions and we can see that very early in the play in Act One when he is talking with Ruth. “We one group of men tied to a race of women with small minds!” Even if the women around him tried to help, he would have thought they weren’t business minded and went with his own plan. In the end it is Walters naivety and toxic masculinity that is his downfall.
Quote is (Hansberry, 35)
Hi Joe, i really enjoyed reading your log post and thought your questions challenged me to think back into the reading and explore another way of thinking. I believe Walter does have extreme views in the world and doesn’t believe in working hard for his money. When he found out Ruth was pregnant, he didn’t try working longer hours to save up money, he couldn’t even say a word to her instead he thought drinking at a bar and getting his father’s money was the way out. Even after he lost all his father’s money his plan was not to get a second job or see what money they could use for the first few months of rent, he would rather take the offer from Mr. Lindon without talking to anyone about their wants and needs. Another example was at the end of play when him and Beneatha were moving boxes down to the moving truck, he says to her “Girl, if you don’t get all them silly ideas (being a doctor) out of your head! You better marry yourself a man with some loot… (Beneatha) What have you got to do with who I marry! (Walter) Plenty. Now I think George Munchison…” (p. 150). Even after Walter lost Beneatha and his father’s money, he was still nagging at her for being a doctor and wanting to go to Africa with Asagai. Instead, he suggested that she marry George Munchison because he knows he has money that the family can use. Walter has lost everything and still fights with his sister to find a man who can support her finically instead of someone who supports her dreams in life.
Hi Joe! I really enjoyed reading your blog post. I think you did a really great job at describing Walter’s mindset of toxic masculinity in “A Raisin in the Sun”(I also really love the title of your post). You provided good quotes to show examples of this mindset, and I have another that I think aids really well with your argument. When Walter and Beneatha are arguing in Act 1 Scene 1, he says, “Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ‘bout messing ‘round with sick people – then go be a nurse like other women – or just get married and be quiet…” (Hansberry 38). I think that this quote does a good job at expressing Walter’s preconceived notions of what women “can” and “can’t” do by him stating his belief in the stereotype that only men can be doctors and only women can be nurses. He also tells her to “get married and be quiet,” as if a woman’s only purpose is to serve a man.
Very enjoyable post, and I’m a fan of getting on Walter. Bringing up how Walter acts towards the woman of his family is something very readable due to how blatant it is in the book. I’m pretty sure all of us could think back to how we felt when reading the same scenes, you detailed in your post. We probably even asked ourselves the same questions as to if was this really how Walter is a person or is just due to stress but as time went on, we saw that it was truly him. He would constantly express how the woman just don’t understand how man feels and you can see this when he talks to his son Travis. He is one of the few people who he ever shows any full interest in having a conversation with. He was the first person he talked to after receiving the rights to the check from Mama. It could be a result of Travis being the first person he saw but it also couldn’t be. In fact, Travis and Walter had the past conversation before the act ended. So, it seemed like when the “man” took control over the family, he literally had the final say. It was great to see all the evidence you pulled and to answer your questions I believe Walter a product of his time with extreme views. As you saw throughout the book Walter always talks about the rich people he works for and how he wants to live/act like them. This constant reminder by them and society itself burdens Walter meet or exceed societal expectations and provide for his family. This can be seen with the quote, “Big Walter used to say, he’d get right wet in the eyes sometimes, lean his head back with the water standing in his eyes and say, Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams, but He did give us children to make them dreams seem worthwhile(Act I, scene i)”. This right here shows and plays into the aspect of how money and achievement is molded in Walter’s conviction that financial prosperity may bring an end to all the pain and suffering his family had to endure. Secondly, I never saw Walter as a counterforce or foil to Benetha but after reading your work I certainly do; they’re strong ideals go head-to-head with each other throughout the book. It also goes along with them being siblings and maintaining that sibling rivalry through their ideals and values.