Mama's American Dream

Dreams in A Raisin in the Sun          Lena, Walter, Ruth, and Beneatha Younger all lived under the same roof, but their dreams were all different. Being the head of the household, Lena dreamed the dreams of her children and would do whatever it

Walter does not have control over his own responsibilities. Therefore, if he was given all the resources needed to provide his family his poor judgement and lack of business sense would create further stress on the family. Ruth, Mama, and his sister Beanetha attack him from every angle about his doubtful ideals. Ironically, those ideals are what Walter needs to shape and justify his manhood. Without ideals and proper resources to obtain them, a man's existence can be regarded as insignificant. There are many obstacles in the way of Walter?s dream of opening a liquor store, as he tries to explain to his wife, Ruth, about what he has to do, ?Baby, don?t nothing happen for you in this world ?less you pay somebody off!?(Hansberry 33) Walter's determination to open the liquor store can be viewed as means to an end to his family?s hardships.

Walter wants to open a liquor store to help his family make more money, however the rest of his family doesn’t want him to open it. Walter’s actions can sometimes come off as arrogant and/or malevolent. While He, Mama and Ruth were having an argument he had to leave the house. When he was asked where he was going he said, “just out of this house somewhere.”. He is also known for some awful conflicts between his family members. One time he started an argument that had to deal with money and relationships. He said, “it was always money, Mama. We just didn’t know about it.” This shows that Walter only cares about himself not his significant others. There is also sometimes that his dialogue makes look greedy and selfish. For example: he said, “I want so many things that they are driving me kind of crazy… Mama look at me.” This shows that Walter is someone that wants everything to himself and doesn’t want anything for anybody else. Finally, his stage directions show that his marriage with Ruth is slowly crumbling day by day. In his stage direction one time said “(Walter picks up his keys and his coat and walks out. She continues, bitterly)”. This stage direction reflects off his relationship with Ruth as it shows that he doesn’t care for Ruth and he does not put enough effort into his marriage.

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

mama, something is happening between walter and me. I don’t know what it is-but he needs something I can’t give him anymore. He needs this chance, Lena (42).” Once again Mama’s response is that to her it’s a sin and she does not believe they can have any better lives than what they do, “we ain’t no business people, Ruth. We just plain working folks (40).” After Mama responds that to her she does not give up and continues to controvert with letting her husband have a chance to prove he can run his own business “well-like Walter say-I spec people going to always be drinking themselves some liquor (42).” Even after Mama and Ruth argue she seems to not change her mind although she justifies her opinion “well-whether they drinks it or not ain’t none of my business. But whether I go into business selling it to ‘em is, and I don’t want that on my ledger this late in life(42).” Mama feels like it’s reprovated

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

There are many events in the play that show how family will be there for you through thick and thin. One of these events is when Walter just argued with Ruth, and Mama stayed to continue to talk to Walter to confirm that he is O.K. This happens on page 72, "Mama: (Quietly) Walter, what's the matter with you?" that statement shows that Mama wanted to check up on Walter to ensure that he is O.K. Towards the end of their talk, Mama breaks it to him that Ruth is pregnant, and she is planning to get rid of the baby. Walter's and Mama's talk show that even when everyone else gave up on Walter; Mama doesn't give up on him. Another event is when Walter lost all of the money Mama gave him, and he didn't put any of it into the bank for Beneatha. Mama still stuck by his side when everyone else didn't trust him

A raisin in the sun Beneatha has lost hope in succeeding her dream of becoming a doctor. She believes that life is one large circle that everyone marches in. I am not the kind of person who would be able to redeem myself and find hope again

Walter Lee Younger, the main character, deeply adores his son and wants to give the best future for him. He risks all his money into a liquor store business, and would even use his sister’s school money, knowing that action would break his mother’s trust. The only reason for him to take such a significant risk is that

When Walter was talking with Ruth during breakfast, Walter asked Ruth to talk to Mama about the deal he wanted to make since “[Mama] listens to [her]” (456). Mama rejected Walter’s idea of investing the money in a liquor store because “it just wasn’t the thing for [them] to do” (477). Walter said to Mama that the money that they have received means so much to him because “[he] want so many things…” (477) in life. For example, Walter said to Travis that once he makes a business transaction, their lives would change for better (496). Walter would come home after having “a day of conferences...” and he would “come up the steps to the house and the gardener will be clipping away at the hedges” (496). And then, Him and Ruth would see Travis “with the catalogues of all the great schools in America.” This demonstrates Walter’s dreams and hopes that he would like to conquer once he is able to invest money into a business. He dreams about being the main provider of the family where no one would ever need something that he cannot provide for them. Furthermore, Mama said to Walter that he has a job, a wife, and “a fine boy” (477), and Walter interrupt Mama saying that he “open and close car doors all day long… Mama, that ain’t no kind of job… that ain’t nothing at all” (477). This shows that Walter has bigger ambitious in his life rather than just being another low-income employee. Walter says that he sees “quite-looking

I believe that the American Dream is alive and dead. I also believe that humanity will never reach a point where everyone has an equal opportunity in everything as we crave power and not good will. Those who are rich will continue as so and those who are poor will most likely not improve. However, I also believe that one can achieve happiness through any situation they are put in. That being said, it requires gargantuan amounts of strife to put oneself in a certain mindset to see the positive in life. While still being naive and young I have traces of optimism for the future; as a result, I refuse to accept that the American Dream is dead. But as life sets in and I develop a more realistic perspective, it is becoming an ever more

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. Mama is an exquisite character, she

Yet his plans on getting a liquor store blinds he view on the family and doesn’t ask how they are doing or if something has stirred up. “Mama: Son-do you know your wife is expecting another baby...I think Ruth is thinking ’bout getting rid of that child ”(Hansberry,pg.74). Walter bad moral of his responsibility as a father checks in for not going over with his wife to talk about the unborn child. In addition,Walter leaves to clear his head which makes it more complicated for the family thinking what to do about Walter and the

On the other hand, Walter’s wife Ruth is humble and unpretentious. On the play she shows no remarks to anyone. She constantly struggles with her marriage due to poverty. Even thru all her ups and downs she has in her marriage she continues to be strong. Despite the mistreatments with Walter she continues to show true love for her family. Ruth is pregnant and she goes to gynecologist to abort her unborn child. She does not want to cause any affliction to the family. She does share a dream with Mama is getting out of the

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.