Family is important to everyone in some way because family sticks together no matter what. The play A Raisin in the Sun is about a black family named the Youngers and the hardships they face together as a family. In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Ruth Younger is motivated by her family. This is shown by Ruth wanting to make her family happy, her working even though she is tired, and later when Ruth finds out there is going to be another mouth to feed. Ruth Younger is constantly worrying about her family’s well being and happiness for them. Ruth states to Mama, “You know what you should do, Miss Lena? You should take yourself a trip somewhere. To Europe or South America or someplace—(…). I’m serious. Just pack up and leave! …show more content…
Ruth exclaims, “Lena, no! We gotta go. Bennie—tell her…. Tell her we can still move… he notes ain’t but a hundred and twenty-five a month. We got four grown people in this house—we can work…” (609). Mama is thinking that the family just shouldn’t move since all the money is gone. Ruth is trying to convince Mama to still move because the apartment is too small for another baby and having Mama not give up her hope of having a house with a garden. This shows Ruth just wants her family to have a nice home and is willing to work for it even more. Another example of Ruth working hard for her family is when, Ruth begs, “Lena—I’ll work…. I’ll work twenty hours a day in all the kitchens in Chicago…. I’ll strap my baby on my back if I have to and scrub all the floors in America and wash all the sheets in America if I have to—but we got to move…. We got to get out of here….” (609). Ruth is begging for Mama not to change her mind on moving saying she will do anything. Her family needs this chance to live a better life. Ruth is willing to work harder and harder if it means she works for what her family wants and needs. Ruth Younger is motivated by working for her family’s and her goals to get what they dream
During the 1950s in Chicago blacks were in poverty. The city was filled with discrimination, racism and segregation. The Younger family was a black family living in a one bedroom apartment in Chicago at the time. They had big dreams but lack of money. In the play, A raisin in the sun, Lorraine Hansberry created the central idea of “feeling trapped” in the character Mama through the setting, symbolism, and figurative language.
(Act 1, Scene 1). Through the quote, it suggests that women should be ignorant about the world, and calling “baby” instead of her name shows the inferiority of the women to men. In addition, Walter is expected to be the head of the family; Mama says, “It ain’t much, but it’s all I got in the world and I’m putting it in your hands. I’m telling you to be the head of this family from now on like you supposed to be” (Act 2, Scene 2).
Her mother was crippled, spoke no English, and was not loved by her husband. Ruth was sexually abused by her father and began to look for a better life filled with friends, a home, and love. The day after high school graduation she fled Virginia to New York to live with her grandmother and aunts. She got a
Yet, at home, she devotes love and curiosity to her family. This contrasts to multiple other characters, as the relationship between Ruth and her single mother is inspiring. Accordingly, she respects her mother, who provides encouragements like, “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” With pure gratitude, Ruth seeks to apply her mother’s words. When bullies trouble Philip, Ruth can empathise with him.
They were expected to do the house jobs, keep their mouths shut, and support their husband’s decisions. The women in A Raisin in the Sun did not always do what society expects of them. Ruth, the wife, does do some of the expected roles, but she also shows some independence. Beneatha, the sister, test the restraints that society puts on women. Lena, Mama, plays the role of matriarch in the Younger family.
Mama watches over her family every day. In the play, when Ruth finds out that she is pregnant, Mama helps her. Mama doesn’t make Ruth panic, Mama just cares for her. In Act I, Travis needs 50 cents for school. Ruth tells him no, but Walter gives it to him along with another 50 cents for school.
This is seen by the actions she takes to get to her goal, statements she makes towards her family members, and how she responds to her family when they are troubled. Mama has lived in her apartment for a long time with her family and is about to get enough money to change that. An example of Mama’s motivation to achieve her goal is shown when Ruth, her daughter-in-law and Mama are talking about what Mama would do with the insurance money. Mama states, “Been thinking that we maybe could meet the notes on a little old two-story somewhere, with a yard where Travis could play in the summertime, if we use part of the insurance for a down payment and everybody kind of pitch in” (563). Mama is suggesting to Ruth of what could be a better future for her son and their family.
Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun presents the rise of feminism in America in the 1960s. A Raisin in the Sun is feminist because, with the feminist notions displayed in the play, women establish their rights to fulfil their individual dreams which diverge from traditional conventions of that time. Beneatha Younger, Lena Younger (Mama) and Ruth Younger are the three primary characters displaying evidences of feminism in the play. Moreover, Hansberry creates male characters who demonstrate oppressive attitudes towards women yet enhance the feminist ideology in the play. A Raisin in the Sun is feminist because, the play encourages women to develop an identity for themselves, particularly through education and career.
Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun presents the rise of feminism in America in the 1960s. Beneatha Younger, Lena Younger (Mama) and Ruth Younger are the three primary characters displaying evidences of feminism in the play. Moreover, Hansberry creates male characters who demonstrate oppressive attitudes towards women yet enhance the feministic ideology in the play. A Raisin in the Sun is feminist because, with the feminist notions displayed in the play, women can fulfil their individual dreams that are not in sync with traditional conventions of that time.
I listen to you every day, every night and every morning, and you never say nothing new.” Walter keeps trying to talk to Ruth about things with the liquor business, but she does not care which causes problems between them. Married couples are supposed to talk about their problems with each other, but Ruth and Walter do not which is one of the reasons why they are always fighting. When Ruth and Walter are arguing about things, Ruth gives up and usually just lets Walter win the argument. In the play, it says, “(She raises her head and stares at him vigorously-than says more quietly)”
Raisin in the Sun Book Report Being in close relations with family member definitely has its ups and downs. There is nothing easy about being in a close relationship with family, but to many family is the most important relationship in their lives. In the story “A Raisin in the Sun” there are many great examples of importance in family relationship just from the way they treat each other and the conversations they have. In the story, Lena Younger, Ruth Younger and Walter Younger all make it very obvious how important family relationships are. Lena Younger (Mama) is the head of the family.
A Raisin in the Sun addresses major social issues such as racism and feminism which were common in the twentieth century. The author, Lorraine Hansberry, was the first playwright to produce a play that portrayed problematic social issues. Racism and gender equality are heavily addressed throughout the play. Even though we still have these issues today, in the 1950’s and 60’s the issues had a greater part in society. Racism and gender have always been an issue in society, A Raisin in the Sun is an important piece of American history during that time period.
Travis sleeps in the couch because there are not enough rooms in the apartment for him to have his own room. Because of the living situation Ruth is scared to have another baby and even considers to have an abortion. Like mama, Ruth wants to move to a bigger place and believes everyone will feel happier because of the extra space and Travis will have his own room. Ruth is married to Walter and in the play, we can see they are becoming distant with each other because they are stress out about money and their living situation. Eventually, Walter loses the insurance money and because of that the family is now depressed and does not want to move to the house because of the fear of them not being able to afford it.
Lena Younger, (Mama), is a robust, religious lady
When he tries to persuade Ruth to persuade Lena, also known as Mama, to give him money so he could invest in a liquor store, he narrates how unsuccessful his life is. “I’m thirty-five years old; I been married eleven years and I got a boy sleeping in the living room” (Hansberry 495). Since he mentions Charlie Atkins who made a hundred thousand for a