A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry takes place in the mid-1900s in Chicago's south side. Each character has their own goals and aspirations, yet they all have one main goal of supporting and giving to their family. Throughout the play we see each character's points of view and their ideas of how to get money and support the family. The Youngers are living in a small apartment with Travis sleeping in the living room and the walls cracking. Walter Lee Younger, Sr. has passed away and now they have his life insurance money. They all have different desires for the use of the $10,000 they just received, but as the play progresses and draws to an end, they realize they need to work together in order to benefit the whole family.
Ruth, her husband Walter Lee, Mama, and Beneatha are all of the adults in the household. They are all working towards creating a better life for the family, but each of their methods are very different. Walter Lee wants to be an entrepreneur and have his own liquor store to make money for his family but Ruth and Mama don't think it will work and that it is a costly decision. Mama wants to use the money to buy a house and for Beneatha's schooling and for Walter Lee to use freely. Ruth sees the insurance money as belonging to Mama and that Mama has the final say as to what the money should be used for.
For Mama, the life insurance check represents her husband's hard work throughout his life. Mama was dependent on her husband to provide for their family. He worked day and night for his family and deserved every last dollar he made. Mama saw her family crumbling in their tiny apartment and decided to put a down payment on a house for them to live in. The family was nervous about a new home at first, but became ecstatic at the idea of having a place large enough for all of them to live decent lives. Mama used part of the insurance money on a house to represent her husband's hard work, so that they would all know the roof they were living under came from Walter Lee Sr. The new house was just the beginning to a new hope for a better future for them and their children.
How like how you summarized the play in the first paragraph. It was short and sweet, which made it easy to know what the play was about.
ReplyDeleteThese are very accurate explanations of where each character is coming from! I think you have a good point that they really do come to work together at the end. Throughout the play Walter especially feels that the world is against him, and he even feels this way about his own wife. Beneatha is disrespectful as well. In his own way, Walter steps into his manhood by standing up for his family and that really unites them. I totally agree 100% of your analysis of what the check represents for Mama. Good thoughts!
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