In Lorraine Hansberry's inspirational play A Raisin in the Sun, a working class African American family's life is turned upside down when death comes for their father. In this play, the main characters: Walter, Benetha, Ruth, and Mama(Lena), all dream of having a better life. Despite the living conditions that rule their lives, they each try to pursue the "American Dream." Although the "American Dream," is different for each character, by the end of the play and through many trials and tribulations; the Younger's come to realize who's dream is the most important. Walter's dreams are to be the head of his family, have a respectable job, and to one day own a liquor store. Throughout the play, he struggles to gain support of his dreams. "Man says to his woman says: I got me a dream. His woman says: Eat your eggs. Man says: Ive got to take hold of this here world, woman will say: Eat your eggs and go to work." (Act.1 Sc.1). Walter tries to talk to Ruth about his dreams, but she doesn't pay him any mind. She doesn't, because she thinks that he would not be able to make much of his dreams a reality, so long as they are Black and poor. Walter depends on the remainder of the 10,000 dollars that mama received, to fulfill his dreams of owning the liquor store. Mama is very wise and old fashioned, and she doesn't see fit to invest he husband's money in something as harmful as liquor. Walter, who only thinks on money, the grass the reason for his mother not initially giving him the money. Not only did Beneatha show no interest in his dreams, so did his mom. To Walter, Mama " butchered up a dream of his."(act. 2 sc.2). Walter, whose dreams are oppressed from lack of both physical and financial support, ultimately causes him to lose contr... ... middle of paper ... ... probably the most excited to move. This is the climax of the play, and it is at this moment that Walter, through his revived manhood, realizes which dream is the most important, and his mothers. Walter refuses Mr. Linder's proposal to buy the house back, and Mama's dream is once again carried through. Walter, Beneatha, Ruth, and Mama all struggle to attain their version of the American Dream. Like Mama, their dreams, at one point in the play, are deferred, and through many trials and tribulations; the Younger's ultimately realize that buying and keeping the house is the most important dream. The house, a symbol for unity,helped the Youngers ignore their own personal dreams, and focus on one important dream; they notice that sometimes allowing your dreams to defer, isn't entirely bad, and could direct you to bigger and better dreams you weren't even aware you had.
When people come to America they dream of the American Dream. The American Dream is having a better live in America than they did in their other country, Many people think that the American Dream can happen for their children, However; it may take generations for that dream to finally feel real. The Younger finally feel like that American Dream is coming alive when Mama receives a check from her husband death. Younger feel that with these money they can provide a better life for their family. However; each of the family members have different ideas for the money.
With highly oppressive external pressures, combined with conflicting ideas of happiness, the story centers on the ideological conflicts between characters. & nbsp; The largest conflict resulted between Mama Younger and her son, Walter. Walter represents, apparently, all the things America instills in men: the desire to work hard and make a better life for his family than he had, the inability to be compassionate towards his family, an almost ignorant refusal to vary from his dream for the dreams of others.... ... middle of paper ... ...
A simple phrase has characterized a whole country for years; a phrase that has different meanings to different people: the American Dream. This dream is different from any other that a person may have. It is a dream “of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” (Adams qtd White and Hanson 3). That is to say, the American dream is associated with power, success, money, social status and all the superficial commodities that a person can desire. Moreover, it is “the dream of freedom, equality and the democratic system” (Zheng 26). In other words, this dream goes beyond material comforts. However, achieving the promise of the American dream is not an
During different points in the play, the dream of each character begin to emerge. Walter, who is a headstrong man, shows us his vulnerability when it comes to his desire to own a liquor store. During one of the later scenes in the play, his friend comes over to tell Walter that all of the money he put down to invest in his own liquor store was stolen. Walter breaks down in tears (126) right as he begins to understand what has happened. Moments later, he tells his family
His dream is to start a liquor store. This goal is significant to Walter for multiple reasons. First, he believes that going into the liquor business would help financially support the family. Second, he thinks that this would give his son a better life. In the story he tells Travis, “You wouldn’t understand yet, son, but your daddy’s gonna make a transaction...a business transaction that’s going to change our lives…” It would give Walter a sense of control and pride. In the play, Mama trusts him with the rest of the money that she inherited from the insurance. Walter is supposed to save half of the money for the house and the other half for Beneatha’s schooling. Nonetheless, he decides that he wants to fulfill his dream and takes the money to invest in the liquor business. As a result of this, his friend, Willie, steals all of the money for himself. Losing the money leaves all of the families’ dreams in jeopardy. This shows that sometimes pursuing a dream can affect more than your life. In the worst case scenario, it can even ruin other people’s
Although Mama, Ruth, Beneatha and Walter all live in the same house, there dreams are all different. All the characters want to for fill there dream but, what happens if these dream are deferred?
Primarily, in A Raisin in the Sun Walter is an example of one struggling to achieve their dream or desire. Walter serves as the hero and villain of the play due to the actions he takes revolving his dream. “Walter, who firmly believes in the American Dream of economic independence, wants to own his own business, and a liquor store, because he despairs over what he perceives to be his inability to support the family and to provide for his son’s future” ( __ __ ). Walter’s dream is to be sole the provider for his household and give his family a better life. He plans by doing this through a liquor store investment with the insurance money given to Mama from Big Walters death. “In the play Walter loses much of the insurance money that he planned to invest on a liquor store to a con artist” ( ___ ___ ). Walter’s decision on investing in a liquor store turns out to be a horrific choice. In the play although Walter is regretfully deceived and looked down upon as a result of the liquor store ambition, he makes up for it by at the end finally reaching his manhood. During the time of the play the husband of the family is mainly the sole provider for the family. In the case of the play, Walters mother is the sole provider for the family. Walter strives to be the “man” of the house.“A job. (Looks at her) Mama, a job? I open and close car doors all day long. I drive a man around in his limousine and I say, “Yes, sir; no, sir; very good, sir; shall I take the Drive, sir?” Mama, that ain’t no kind of job. That ain’t nothing at all. (Very quietly) Mama, I don’t know if I can make you understand” ( Hansberry , Pg.73). “Walter minimizes the position of a car driver because to him it diminishes his manhood and his sense of individual worth.
The Younger family such as, Mama, Ruth, Walter, and Beneatha, have their own particular dreams, which create dramatic events within the home. Walter a man who made many mistakes through this play, was the only character that undergo a great transformation. The play displays the audience of how Walter being a chauffeur and not being able
The issue is whether Walter can distinguish between a fantasy of reality and a dream deferred. Essentially this play can be regarded as the mid-life crisis of Walter Lee Younger, passionate about his family, ambitious, and bursting with energy and dreams. Walter cares about his family, and he hopes that buying the liquor store will be a brighter future for Travis. ? And-and I?ll say, all right son-it?s your seventeenth birthday, what is it you?ve decided?.Just tell me where you want to go to school and you?ll go. Just tell me, what it is you want to be?
The playwright ‘A Raisin in the sun’ was written by Lorraine Hansberry. This plays describe the condition of lower class black African American family lived in Southside of Chicago named “The Youngers”. After the death of Mr., Younger his insurance provides the opportunity to his family to escape the poverty by giving them S10, 000 check by which they can change their life. As they have many dreams and expectations to change. In Younger’s family, there is Mama (Lena) Mr. Younger wife, Walther Lee her son and Benetha her daughter. Ruth and his sons Jr. Younger is the family of Walter Lee. Everybody has their dreams and faith in God. Walter Lee, Mama, and Benetha are the main characters by which the story moving around. Walter Lee wants to invest this check money to open the liquor store but her mother totally against him because she want to spend this money to buy the new house for her family and to save some for her daughter’s education because Breathe wants to be a doctor and she is so confident about that to make her dreams come true. The dreams of Walter Lee, Mama (Lena), and Beantha shows that, despite great obstacles, the American Dream is still possible.
Mama ends up buying the whole family one big house, Walter isn’t too pleased with that. He is so angry and really wanted to pursue his ambition of owning a liquor store, but, Mama had gotten the whole family a house. She knows that he is angry that she “crushed” his dream, she feels as if she has let him down. So he asks his wife, Ruth, to try and convince Mama to give Walter the money for the liquor store.
Walter, Beneatha, and Mama all want a better way of life, they all express this in different ways. Walter Lee dreams of owning his own liquor store, he’s hoping to gain success and to actually feel like he can accomplish something without being looked down upon by the whole family, he is in search of feeling like a “real” man. Becoming a doctor is a dream of Beneatha’s, she is so immune to being criticized about this that she is determined to do everything in her power to make this dream come true.
Mama outlook on her family is that family everything to her. Mama tries her very best to maintain her family’s dignity, pride and happiness. Mama says “...I just seen my family falling apart today…just falling to pieces in front of my eyes…We couldn’t of gone on like we was today..” When Mama says this she is talking to Walter saying that she sees her family falling apart because of money. This quote shows how Mama is passionate about her family and their well-being. Mama’s dream is to own and house with a garden and keeping her family together. Mama says “ Well, I always wanted me a garden like I used to see sometimes at the back of the houses down town.” Mama says this because she has always wanted a little house in the suburbs with garden out back. Mama understands the significance of her dreams and eventually gets her home in the
They strived socially and economically throughout the play but bonded in the end to understand their biggest dream of getting a house. The mother strongly believes in the value of family, and she tries to educate this importance to her family as she fights to keep them together and going steady. Walter and Beneatha learned a valuable lesson about relations at the end of the play, when Walter must cope with the loss of the thieved insurance money and Beneatha blocks Walter as a brother. Even tackling such disturbance, they team up to decline Mr. Lindner’s racist offers. They are both strong individuals, but they are now individuals who behave as part of a family. When they begin to put the household and the family’s needs before their own, they combine their separate dreams with the family’s main dream.
He invests and loses a large sum of money in a liquor store investment, much to the despair of his family. Walter imagined his investment rocketing him to the top and resulting in endless wealth. He was wrong of course, and his plans did not result in wealth or happiness. Following the loss of the money and amidst their financial woes Walter considers giving up his families recently purchased house. The issue that had arisen was that the new house was in a white neighborhood whose residents wanted nothing to do with them. They offered Walter a way out, financial compensation, quick and easy money in exchange for the house. Walter then had to make a decision, he wanted so desperately to have the money and to redeem himself as well. Walter ultimately makes a wise decision. Walter’s family was very objective to the idea of giving up their new house and their hopes of moving into a better place. So Walter decides not to take the offer and moves into the house against the wishes of their white neighbors. Walter realizes that his original dream and instinct was not the one to be following. Walter finds that by making his family happy, he too is happy and content which is what he thought that wealth could bring him. Walter’s decision shows that he made this realization and instead of taking the quick money and trying to rocket to the top yet again he chooses his