Family is the most important thing in the world. They are the people that no matter what happens they will always love, but they also are people that can cause quarrels and tension. Lorraine Hansberry, playwright of "A Raisin in the Sun", uses the character of Momma, or Lena, to express the theme of family, by supporting Ruth when she finds out the pregnancy, by giving up her dream of having a house with a garden, and by believing in Walter no matter what he does.
The first example of how Mama displays the theme of family, is when she comforts and supports Ruth when she finds out about the pregnancy. Living in a house that only has one bedroom and bathroom for six family members to share can be very difficult and discouraging when faced with the news that you are having another child. Ruth, feeling overwhelmed with trying to keep peace between the family members, decides the best decision to maintain peace in the family is to get an abortion. However, Mama wants Ruth to have this baby, but when Walter finds out about the baby all he cares about is himself and his dream of success. Mamma even tells Walter that Ruth is, "thinking ‘bout getting rid of that child," ( Hansberry 35). However
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However, once Mama realizes how this new abundance of money is tearing her family apart, she decides that it is time to make her dream a reality. Although when she told the family about the house, Walter saw it as the death of his dream to own a liquor store and provide enough money so his family could move. Once Mama figures out that she "been doing to him what the rest of the world been doing to him,"(Hansberry 60) she decides to give Walter the rest of the money. She instructs Walter to put some of the money in Beneatha's medical school fund and the rest of the money in an account with his name on it to do with as he wants. Thus putting her dream aside, so her son can feel like a man
Mama tells him, “I ain’t never stop trusting you. Like I never stop loving you.” This shows that she really cares for her son and still wants him to try to accomplish his dreams. Being Mama wants her family to be happy again too, she spills her heart out and expresses how she really is sorry for getting in the way of Walter’s goals. She claims, “What you ain’t never understood is that I ain’t 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-if it means it’s going to destroy my boy.” Mama shows here that she wanted her son to know that she would like the family to be united like it had used to be. This is how Mama impacted the
Because of this new depression, Walter starts to get himself wasted every day. He hasn’t been showing up to work, and faces the prospect of losing his job. Mama, realizing the potentially catastrophic effect this can have on her family, must intervene. She gives her son the one thing he has always wanted, power. She gives him the remaining $6,500 to use as he wishes (except for the $3,000 to Beneatha’s continued
Ruth will go beyond her way get make her family happy. She started working more hours to make everything happen for them. One day Mamma give Walter half of the money, but she said to put three thousand in the saving for Beneatha’s school but Water didn’t listen but he put the whole 6,500. Ruth and Mamma were very upset but what happen happen already. In the book Ruth say “ I don’t know what it is- but he needs something I can’t give him anymore”(Hansberry, pg.85). Ruth relationship this quote shows the tension and misunderstanding of Ruth and Walter in their relationship. Ruth shows that she honestly doesn't know what to do to help their relationship. When Walter did that mistake by butting all the money to store it became a big problem to the family. Ruth family poor financial situation has to double as a housewife and working mother. Both Ruth and her husband Walter are frustrated with their lives, and their marriage is in trouble. Now Ruth has to find some type of job to cover the house bills and everything else. Ruth and Walter finally found a day to go out and she was telling everyone about it. She said “Lord, that man – don’t changed so ‘round here. You know – you know what we did last night? Me and Walter Lee?…(Smiling to herself) We went to the movies. (Looking at BENEATHA to see if she understands). We went to the movies. You know the last time me and Walter went to the movies together?BENEATHA No. RUTH Me
Lorraine Hansberry was a distinguished playwright and civil rights activist, with multiple Tony awards and 2 Emmy nominations. Her most famous play, A Raisin in the Sun, is based around the Younger family, an African American family living in poverty on the Chicago South Side that overcomes many hardships and struggles, eventually being able to buy their own house and move out of their cramped apartment. Walter Lee Younger is in his mid-thirties and lives with his mother, sister, wife and son in the apartment. He works as a chauffeur for a rich man and has dreams of one day owning his own liquor store with his buddies. The women in Walter’s life influence him through their thoughts, actions, and values that they give to him.
Out of all the characters in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, there are two main ones that influence the plot. Mama and Walter impact the plot the most because both characters have different perspectives and their actions significantly shape the plot.
She illustrates the lifestyle she wants for them—Travis having a yard to play in, Beneatha attending medical school, and owning a home. An important aspect of her vision is that she wants control of the family’s destiny. Mama’s dream influences her perspective when handling the money. She is incredibly dedicated to her vision, even referencing the money she will leave to Beneatha with “Ain’t nothing going to touch that part of it. Nothing.” Mama is willing to exercise total control over the money and wants to fulfill her vision. This perspective eventually clashes with Walter’s when he desires to have control over his destiny too. Though they possess drastically different perspectives, they both want power over their
In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Walter Lee Younger and Lena Younger (Mama) shoe that family is the most important relationship in our lives. There are many events where Mama supports Walter in his decisions, and believed in him when everyone else failed to. These events show that family will be there for you through thick and thin better than anyone else, and they believe in you when other don't.
In the drama, A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry sheds light on the hardships a struggling black family faces. As the long awaited insurance check arrives, the family debates on how to spend the money. Walter Lee exhibits frustration over his job and desires more success in his life. While Mama continuously worries that her son's dream of owning a liquor store is not the right path for the family, she believes her dream will be most beneficial for everyone. In addition, Ruth is pregnant and yet it is not her only dream to become a mother, she dreams for roots and to live comfortably. Pride in ownership, as well as financial success and family stability not only conflict with each other yet all depend on one check.
Mama says this after Beneatha tells Mama that there is nothing left in her brother, Walter to love. Mama’s dream of a better quality of life is deferred because she has carry the responsibility of tending to a family with so much indifference and of holding together the few pieces of her family left together.
Even though she was enraged with anger and disappointed, she still says to Beneatha “I thought I taught you to love him”(III,i,145). Talking about Walter, Mama still thinks when people are so low in life that it is one of the best times to love them. That shows you even in times so low, Mama can hold the family together. After that ordeal, we see that Mama is not fully sure she wants to go through with buying the house. However, Walter persuaded Lindner (a part of the homeowner association) to come back to their house.
Mama concerns herself only with the fact that she and her family will own the house, and not have to dwell in the tired, old apartment on Chicago's Southside. In a sense, Mama's dream has "crust[ed] and sugar[ed] over like a sugary sweet" (Hughes Lines 7-8). Her dream has changed to fit the circumstances she must cope with. The character of Mama represents those who do not shrivel up and die just because their dream does.
There is conflict through the remainder of the play between Mama and Walter because he blames her for the loss of his dream. Walter had a dream of investing in a liquor store. He thought it would make him millions of dollars, and allow him to provide for his family. Eventually, she decides to allow Walter to have control of the remainder of the money. She gives specific instructions to set-aside a portion of the remaining money for Beneatha’s education and the rest was for him to decide (107). She does not exert this control over her children for the sake of maintaining power, rather to continue to provide for them. She willingly relinquishes her power as matriarch and tells Walter “to be the head of this family from now on like you supposed to be” (107). Putting the happiness of her children before her own is what almost any mother would do.
Just when Mama was beginning to trust Walter and gives him money to take to the bank, he reveals that he “never went to the bank at all” (129). This shocked Mama and asks, “You mean…you sister’s school money…you used that two…Walter?…” (129); Walter realises what he has done and answers “Yessss! All of it…It’s all gone…” (129), in an ashamed and stressed out tone. Consequently, this makes mama extremely upset she says, “I seen him grow thin and old before he was forty...working and working and working like somebody's old horse...killing himself...and you -you give it all away in a day-” (129). This reveals that Walter betrays Mama, because of his want for money, which Mama would not help him with because of their different
He envies Mama’s role as leader of the house and wants it for himself. Despite receiving much ridicule from his family Walter still seeks their approval and praise. A prime example of the ridicule Walter receives is when Mama says he is a “Disgrace to his father’s memory” (p.75). Here Mama has questioned Walter’s manhood and pointed out that he does not lead the family like his father would. Walter is unable to convince Ruth to not get an abortion prior to finding out about their new home in Clybourne Park. Likewise Walter wants to use the money to buy a liquor store, but Mama shows her dominance by rejecting his idea. Due to Walter’s inability to achieve his dreams, he confides in alcohol as his solution. He also belittles Ruth and Beneatha to make himself appear stronger and more powerful. This behavior is quite similar to that of
Walter was upset when he heard his mother had spent the insurance money on the house and thought it wasn't fair that Beneatha got some of it for her medical school while he got nothing for his liquor store business. Lena, who always wanted her son to be happy, trustingly gave the rest of the insurance money to Walter. Holding the money in his hands, Walter thanked his mother and appreciated the trust she had in him. Walter then gave the money to his buddies to help him getting his liquor license without realizing that they betrayed him. As his dream crumbled to pieces, Walter was regret that he didn't listen to his mother, wife and sister.