“Mama seeing the make-down bed as Travid has left it: Lord have mercy, look at that poor bed. Bless his heart-he tries, don’t he? She moves to the bed Travis has sloppily made up.” (148) In Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, a family struggles to achieve the American Dream. In this quote, Mama represents the importance of family because she notices that Travis, her grandson, tries to make his bed, however Mama, showing tender care, remakes Travis’ bed for him. One of the key themes in A Raisin in the Sun is importance of family. Mama (Lena), is the main role model for this theme. “No- there’s something come down between me and them that don’t let us understand each other and I don’t know what it is. One down almost lost his mind thinking ‘bout money all the time and the other done commence to talk about things I can’t seem to understand in no form or fashion. What is it that’s changing, Ruth?”(292) In this quote Mama is expressing her feelings about her children. She feels as if they are drifting away from her. This quote can represent the connection with other mothers around the world, and the problems they encounter when dealing with their children. When Walter comes home in a bad mood, he begins to take it …show more content…
Throughout the play Mama has a small potted plant that she cares deeply about. Not only does this small plant represent her family’s delayed dreams for a better future, but it also represents Mama’s constant care for her family. “Growing doggedly in a small pot by the apartment’s kitchen window, Mama’s plant has “spirit” despite the fact that this little old plant...ain’t never had enough sunshine or nothin.” This plant connects to the family by sharing the need of desires. For example, the plant needs sunshine to thrive and grow big and strong. Mama’s family needs money, education, and the mind-set of determination to become successful
No matter the situation, you can always count on someone from your family to be there for whatever happens. Sometimes you don't even know how or know if there's anything possible to repay what they have done for you. This is exactly how this play was, A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry. Every part and situation in this play is about family. No
• The first picture regards to the long-time deferral of the Younger family’s dreams. Prejudice defers Mama’s dream to raise her family in a house of her own. The quote is a quote from the poem “Harlem” that describes Mama’s withered dream. I thought a picture of a raisin and a grape would best illustrate this, but I ate all of the grapes, which deferred my dream.
Judge, hate and be angry at someone that you don’t even know just because they have a different skin color! Racism, the topic that even though in this time period, almost everyone agreed that it’s bad, that one should not judge a person based on his or her skin color, race and how he or she dresses, still exist. But, why? How come even though one is taught that racism is unjust, how come one still does it? Is it because one race is better than the other?
In the text “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, the author uses the writing strategy of conflict to develop the central idea of how oneself can become selfish when trying to achieve the American dream. The text shows that the central idea is selfishness because circumstances are presented where various characters fail to take into consideration others while seeking their dreams. For example, Walters says, “ Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ’bout messing round with sick people, then go be a nurse like other women-or just get married and be quiet…. ’’. This example of greed shows that the ambition to obtain a dream brings out the selfishness is true in the instance of Walter.
In A Raisin in the Sun, a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, the audience was able to obtain a sense of the struggle for the American dream. We are introduced to the Youngerś a black family living in the Southside of Chicago around the 1950’s. Each member of this family has their own meaning to what is the American dream. A Raisin in the Sun teaches us that even though life might be full of conflicts, it is important to not give up on our dreams.
There are many symbols in A Raisin in the Sun worth describing, but one that particularly stands out is Mama’s plant. It is old and barely a substantial piece of nature, yet it makes many vital appearances in the play. The small plant seems to personify Mama’s stubborn nature in its intent on survival despite its close to death appearance. It also represents Mama’s dream that seems close to being crushed, yet never dies. As a whole, the plant is an extension of Mama’s character and an important symbol in the play.
Mama’s plant in A Raison in the Sun, represents hope; hope for their future of having a house and a garden in the back. Mama is able to tend this dream plant and keep it alive even with the harsh atmosphere. When mama feels Walter and Beneatha are losing touch with her, she portrays her feelings through the dream plant, "Lord, if this little old plant don't get more sun than it's been getting, it ain't never going to see spring again" (40). This shows Mama truly believes that if Walter and Beneatha keep acting the way they do, they will not only ruin mama’s dream but also fail to initiate Big Walter’s legacy. Another piece of evidence that proves this, is when Ruth and Mama were talking about the now run-down house her and Big Walter used to
She will soon have an opportunity to make this thought into a reality if she wished. Another example of Mama’s motivation for her goal is her dreams
Especially towards his family. “Oh, Walter…(Softly) Honey, why can’t you stop fighting me? WALTER (Without thinking) - Who’s fighting you? Who even cares about you?” Walter was also very stressed and angry about his current situation.
Mama cares for the plant by feeding, watering and checking all through the day on it to make sure it was still doing well. She also does this for the family. Mama always wants the best for them and would do anything to keep them happy and well. Mama uses the plant as her fuel to always put the family first and to remember her dreams, as well as remind her family of theirs (Shmoop Editorial Team). Throughout the play, Mama’s plant symbolizes many things to the Younger family.
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.
Hardships of the Youngers In Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, the characters of Mama, Walter ,and Beneatha are faced with hardships associated with their dreams being destroyed by discriminatory housing,racial inequality and lack of support from her family towards her education. In the play all the characters have some kind of dream. Mama wants to get a house for the family, Walter wants to have money to provide for his family and plans to do that with a liquor store, and Beneatha wants to become a doctor. Beneatha is going to school and at the same time she’s trying to discover herself,but her family is not supportive of this.
In the drama, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry the plant symbolizes the Younger’s dream as it evolves throughout the play. Meanwhile in southside Chicago dreams are either being crushed or pursued. The Youngers family are always facing society as they live in poverty. A family with such big dreams believes the only way for these dreams to come true is money. Mama received her husband's life insurance which was 10,000 dollars.
Reader Response: 3 “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, is a play about a black families experience in 1950s South Side Chicago. The story revolves around what happens to the family when Lena Younger, the matriarch of the family, receives a ten thousand dollar life insurance check upon the death of her husband. Everyone from the family has different plans for what they want to do with the money. Lena Younger serves as the head of the family. She is Walter and Beneatha’s caring mother so they and Ruth call her Mama.
The character purchased a house for her family to enrich and grow in life, regardless of the challenges they face just like the plant with little sunlight to survive. The family soon held together once they moved into their new house which also meant a new beginning. Susan Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, themes identified are dreams and faith that each character signifies throughout the entire play. The family was slowly falling apart from the challenges that they faced that pushed their dreams away and faith was slowly leaving as well. Through these trials, Lena Younger did what she felt was the right and new beginning for her