Does It Matter How You Get It?

On p. 143, Walter states, "There ain't no causes - there ain't nothing but taking in this world, and he who takes the most is smartest - and it don't make a damn bit of difference how." Do you think that this is true? Why or why not?

I think that this is true. I think it's true because everything in life is taken. 

For example, wealthy people. Take into account three different kinds of wealthy people: one who worked hard for it, one who was given it, and one who stole it. It doesn't matter how you got it, you still have a lot of money. Sure, you could have consequences from stealing it, like going to jail, but you still had the money at one point. You might even take the riches for granted if you were given it, but you still have the money. It's real life, and you don't get a redo. 

So, yes, everything in life is for the taking and it doesn't matter how you get it.

Why Mama Gave Away Her Money

In Act II, Scene 2, Mama puts Walter in charge of all of the money. Why do you think that she does that?

I think the reason that Mama put Walter in charge of the money is because she finally realized how much he's hurting. She finds out he hasn't been to work in three days, that he's been going to (what I'm assuming is a bar) the Green Hat and doing useless random things. She realizes his future and dreams are broken. 

Mama says to Walter, "What you ain't never understood is that I ain't got nothing, don't own nothing, ain't never really wanted nothing that wasn't for you. There ain't nothing as precious to me…There ain't nothing worth holding on to, money, dreams, nothing else—if it means—it's going to destroy my boy," (A Raisin in the Sun, 106).

She's realized that she's been treating him like the rest of the world has, and she regrets it. Parents want the world for their children, so that's my answer as to why she gave him $6,500. 

The American Dilemma

In American Denial, you learned about Swedish economist, Gunner Myrdal, and his research in the American Deep South in the 1930's. He concluded that Americans believe in equality and freedom, but then continue to discriminate against others (in this case due to race), and that the tension between these two beliefs created an American dilemma (in fact, he called his study The American Dilemma). Do you believe that this is still true today? Why or why not?

I do believe that it is still true, at least, in a sense. It's probably not as bad as it used to be, with segregation, but there is still a sense of segregation in places like Chicago, but they just aren't separated by law. I think The American Dilemma is still around because we Americans have a lot of values, but we do not act in accordance with those values. 

Some think that we don't have racism in our country, but we most certainly do. We think everyone is equal, but we aren't. In the drug war, Caucasian Americans are stopped and searched for drugs much less than African Americans are, and Caucasians are just as likely to have and sell drugs. If that's not racism, I don't know what is.   

There is also The Impressionist Test, which clearly shows that even if we are not consciously racist, we may be subconsciously. Even African Americans can prefer Caucasian Americans, considering The Doll Test. It tested young African American children asking which one was the pretty, smart, talented, etc. child and they always chose the Caucasian versus the African American. Then when asked who they were, it was sad to see them choosing either the Caucasian doll or struggling to pick the one they had just said was stupid and ugly.  

Research has also shown that when taking standardized tests, if you are asked what race or ethnicity you are before the test, African Americans will score significantly lower than Caucasian Americans. Even if they are just told it's a test to discover your interests rather than your intelligence they will score better.

So, yes, I think racism and The American Dilemma are still prominent in this society.