As a child, when asked, "what's your favorite channel?" you probably answered with "Disney" or "Nickelodeon." Yet while these replies seem to be the majority opinion among children ages 5-10, I answered with, "HGTV."
Because of my satisfaction with such flawless, gleaming homes, my free time was consumed with browsing Zillow and creating my own intricate homes derived from Pinterest posts. Now you might think I was a lame kid, delighting in the hobbies of a middle-aged housewife named Karen, but in this case, I think we can relate my obsession more to that of Ruth and Mama. Though I didn't exactly insist "we got to MOVE" (Hansberry 140) I came pretty close in the fourth grade. You wouldn't believe how much I wanted to move to the sterile, homogenous, and perfectly-designed neighborhood across the street.
Now, it makes sense that Ruth and Mama were so desperate to upgrade their living situation, but why would someone like me--a young girl living in an already affluent neighborhood--want to move so badly?
It's because everyone wants better. Everyone wants improvement. Even the slightest bit is thought to flip your life around for the better. The greed that consumes our culture calls for more even when it doesn't truly satisfy. For Walter, "money is life" (Hansberry 74), but he ultimately realizes that the less concrete concepts matter more. In hindsight, I'm able to appreciate the unique charm of my house and my neighborhood, seeing that what I yearned for so badly wouldn't actually satisfy. In Lindner's case, he comes to represent the Clybourne Park Improvement Association's wishes, believing that the Younger family will reverse the desirable "rags-to-riches" story.
Ultimately by prioritizing their false sources of satisfaction, the residents of Clybourne Park hamper the opportunities and dreams of the less-privileged, which became a widespread toxic phenomenon.
*I deeply regret using this name, but because of the popularization of this reference, I am choosing to include it)
I guess it's another case of people wanting the things they can't get, because whatever one can't have often seems better than whatever one already has. Regardless of one's interests, too often people are chasing the wrong things at the wrong time (as we saw with Gatsby); on the other hand, people (like the Clybourne Park residents) are often too afraid of the unknown even if it's not actually much of a change. Both of these lead people to have skewed judgments, leading to the toxic environment you described.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you started your writing with your own personal relationship to this subject. I think you also did a good job on highlighting how people often have the wrong mindset of what their goals are in life- usually being materialistic.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you wrote that what you yearn for won't actually satisfy- it really shows that if your goals in life are strictly just materialistic, you won't prosper or be satisfied.
ReplyDeleteI love how you described that other neighborhood as sterile and homogeneous. It very clearly shows how it lacks character- even though I've never been there. Nice description and tone!
ReplyDelete