Makari Whittaker Birchmeier/Foshee English 10B 2 June 2015 Does money buy happiness? It seems only natural that happiness should flow from having more money. Money doesn't buy happiness. Money doesn't make people happy, money makes people content. People with more money and status are just more satisfied with their lives not happier. For example , in the play ​
A Raisin in the Sun​
, Walter decides not to take the extra money he is offered. Countee Cullen was an African­American poet who was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance. The book ​
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part­Time Indian​
was about an Indian boy named Junior who lives on the Indian reservation. Junior goes to a school called Reardan High School. But Junior walks to school sometimes because his parents don't have enough money for gas to transport him to school everyday. Hansberry, Cullen, and Alexie’s theme is that money can't buy happiness, instead what buys happiness is lots of love and peace of mind. The author, Lorraine Hansberry uses the character of Walter to convey the theme that money doesn't buy happiness. For example, Walter says,"Baby, don't nothing happen for you in this world 'less you pay somebody off"(Hansberry 19). In other words, Walter believes without money a person can't do anything in this world. As the play went on Walter continued to go crazy because he didn't have money. Another example, Mama says,"Oh­­ so now it's life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life­­ now it's money. I guess the world really do change..."(Hansberry 58). Walter says," No­­ it was always money, Mama. We just didn't know about it"(Hansberry 58). Walter thinks that the world revolves around money. He believes that if his family were rich their lives would be perfect. But Mama knows no matter how much money Walter has, he will never be happy unless he has a family that loves him. The author, Countee Cullen uses the character​
Saturday's Child ​
to convey the then that money doesn't buy happiness. For example, Cullen says,"Bad time for planting a seed, was all my father had to say, And, one more mouth to feed"(Cullen 14­16). In other words, Cullen's dad had no prides in his children. Cullen's dad wanted money. Cullen resents his dad because his dad resents him. The author, Sherman Alexie also uses a character of Junior to convey the theme that money doesn't buy happiness. For example, Junior says," But I can't blame my parents for our poverty because my mother and father are the twin suns around which I orbit and my world would EXPLODE without them"(Alexie 11). In other words Junior believes that if he didn't have his parents he wouldn't be happy. He would rather have his parents in his life than have money. Hansberry, Cullen, and Alexie’s theme is that money can't buy happiness, instead what buys happiness is lots of love and peace of mind. A person can have all the money in the world and still not live a happy life. What buys happiness is being able to wake up every morning and being able to see family. The book Raisin in the Sun explains that money doesn't buy happiness because in the play Walter almost lost his family over money. In ​
Saturday’s Child ​
it explained that money doesn't buy happiness because the father didn't even want his children because of money. Finally, In the book Absolutely True Diary of a Part­Time Indian ​
Junior explains that even though his parents are in poverty they are more important than money. Work Cited Hansberry, Lorraine. ​
A Raisin in the Sun​
. Marco Book Company, 2003. Print. Cullen, Countee. ​
Saturday’s Child​
. n.d. Print. Alexie, Sherman. ​
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part­Time Indian​
. New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2007. Print