Buchenwald Quote by Lorraine Hansberry
“It is difficult for the American mind to adjust to the realization that the Rhetts and the Scarletts were as much monsters as the keepers of Buchenwald-they just dressed more attractively.”
About This Quote
Source Play: A Raisin in the Sun, 1959
American consciousness struggles to accept that revered families can be monstrous.
In simple terms: Even respected line have dark sides.
Key Takeaway
Question idealized narratives.
Themes
history
morality
illusion
Mood
critical
provocative
Type
cautionary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education
- media analysis
- personal reflection
- activism
Key Concepts
family legacy
social critique
Questions to Reflect On
- What biases hide darker aspects of revered groups?
- How do we reconcile admiration with criticism?
A Different Perspective
Confronting uncomfortable truths can cause denial.
![“[Beneatha Younger:]... He said everybody ought to learn how to sit down and hate each other with good Chrisitan fellowship. [excerpt from Act II, Scene 3]” quote by Lorraine Hansberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b88/lorraine-hansberry-7953_prejudice_beneatha-younger-he-said-everybody-ought_110748.jpg)
![“[T]here is only one large circle that we march in, around and around, each of us with our own little picture -- in front of us -- our own little mirage that we think is the future.” quote by Lorraine Hansberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/157/lorraine-hansberry-7953_circles_t-here-is-only-one-large-circle-that-we_177181.jpg)
![“The sights I have just seen [at Buchenwald] are so unbelievable that I don't think I'll believe them myself until I've seen the photographs.” quote by Margaret Bourke-White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f8e/margaret-bourke-white-15756_believe_the-sights-i-have-just-seen-at-buchenwal_1453044.jpg)
