Raisin In The Sun Symbolism

In the novel, flowers are directly used as symbolism; Ms. Dubose has Camellias, Mayella has Geraniums, and Miss. Maudie Atkinson has her Azaleas.

Walter believes that money will solve all of their problems and he speaks about money constantly "because it is life [. . .]"(1010). Walter's selfishness can be seen at the climax of the play when the family finds out that Willy has ran away with the money: "I never. . . went to the bank at all. . ."(1032). Consequently, Walter used the money to begin his own business.

The bench was passed on to Mama from many generations. The rump prints on the bench shows the history of their ancestors. Mama and Maggie still use this same bench at their table because they could not afford chairs. The butter dish that was Grandma Dees' is also being used at the table. Also the churn top that was whittled out of a tree by Uncle Buddy still plays a large role in Mama and Maggie's daily life. The main family item that Walker uses to symbolize heritage are the two quilts. These quilts are sewed from pasted ancestors and the meanings of these quilts are filled with history. The churn top, the bench with her ancestor's rump prints, the butter dish, and the quilts are all symbols of their heritage.

Symbols can be; images, signs, colors, sounds, shapes, anything. It is like how blue can stand for sadness, and how the sun can stand for happiness. Symbolism is an object or an idea that has a representation beyond the literal meaning of the object. The functions of symbols are to add meaning to the text and underline some subtle point the author is making, also to give the reader a clue about the mood of the story and what will happen. The symbols Lorraine Hansberry used in A Raisin in the Sun are the light, plant, and the window. All three symbols; the light, the plant, and the window, have to go together for the Youngers to reach their dream.

After Mama tells Walter she was out taking care of business Walter replies with ”What kind of business?” This short simple reply from Walter gives the effect that he’s worried about something and wants an answer quick. Walter being in such a state of worrisome shows that he is really worried about the money and if Mama spent it or not. The insurance money was key to Walter’s plans of owning his own liquor store. After Mama isn’t quick to answer Walter’s first few questions he grows even more restless and says, “Where were you, Mama? Mama, you didn’t do something with that insurance money, something crazy?” Finally, Mama answers saying she took care of business Walter gets even more upset because he could tell she used the insurance money and could almost see his dream crumbling before his very own eyes. Lorraine Hansberry asks numerous questions when she writes as Walter in order to create a sense of urgency and worry on the whereabouts of the money. This is an example that supports the theme because Walter dreamt of having his own liquor store while Mama and much of their family dreamt of living in a nicer house, which she decided to

Lorraine Hansberry’s first and most obvious symbol used in her play, is Mama’s plant. Mama’s plant is really old and it lacks very much of what it needs to maintain healthy and stay alive. The plant symbolizes several things. One of the things it represents is Mama’s care for her family. Just like Mama -cares for her plant even though it is old and lacks nourishment. She still takes car^&e of it, waters it, and gives it the sunlight it can get. This represents Mama’s care for her family because her family is falling apart but she still cares for them, gives them a roof to live under, and she has hope that things will get better. Another thing that Mama’s plant represents is Mama’s dream. Mama has a dream of someday having her own garden and a house of her own. Mama’s quote in Act I Scene I, “Well, i always wanted me a garden like i used to see sometimes at the back of houses down home.

Mama’s plant is the one symbol, in the story with the most impactful meaning, especially being the impact and correlation it perceives with mama herself. In the story mama always takes care of the plant and frequently refers to compare

Another example of symbolism is Arthur “Boo” Radley. The town ridicules and disregards him from society due to his incapability to socialise outside of his home. He is portrayed a scary and dangerous individual and the children of Maycomb have been raised to fear him. If only Maycomb would take the time to see through Boo Radley’s perspective then they might not refer to him as a “malevolent phantom”. Ultimately Boo saves Jem and scout from Bob Ewell and proves to be the ultimate symbol of good. The lesson being told here is that people should not be so easily judged.

In John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums”, he uses the chrysanthemums, fence, and garden to symbolize Elisa’s thoughts and feelings throughout his story. He uses these symbols to show love, neglect, loneliness, protection, and passion for his characters.

All through the play A Raisin in the Sun,  multiple sorts of symbolism are clearly demonstrated throughout the play. Hansberry makes a great showing with regards to of enabling these images to be seen, similar to a specific plant object (Mother's plant) or a general item (cash). She now and then even uses symbolism through individuals (Beneatha) to help the reader understand the points that Hansberry is trying to get across. She is smart in her utilization of symbolism because she can get a sentiment the day and age in which they are in, from specific objects that represent something different. Utilizing symbolism is vital because it enables the peruser to get a more detail feeling of the issue,or occasion that is occurring.

The last symbols are the gifts from Boo Radley. The gifts are a show of affection from Boo to Scout and Jem. This falls into the theme because the whole town has rumors about how horrible Boo is. Wild stories such as how Boo looks into people’s windows at night and how he stabbed his father in the legs with scissors. They judge Boo because he does not come out of his house at all, but Boo is really just another human being. He is capable of love and happiness just like everyone else.

Also, in the story one of the symbols that doesn't represent anything for Nia or Bobby is the teddy bear because it represents a symbol for Nias mom because it was one of the things she held while Nia was in the hospital. Nias mom held this because she felt as to it was the only thing she had left of her daughter. So the teddy bear could symbolize comfort or it could also symbolize Nia for instance in the book Nias mom kind of shows a little bit of

(P. 53). This quote shows how mama's plant represents her having a garden which is a major part of her dream. Her having a plant instead of a garden shows the family's constraints from the being in poverty. Mama’s plant symbolizes hope. This is shown when “Mama grabs her plant and exits the apartment for the last time.”

“So money is life... things have changed”- Mama Pg. 75. In the quote Mama is surprised that money has the power to make or break the world; and more importantly that it has such a strong grip on her son Walter. I can see Walters’s displeasure when he is denied the money needed to fund his liquor store by Mama. The economic status of most Blacks in the 1950’s was poor; most had jobs in the service

Throughout the play there are three main symbols; the bird, the bird cage and the jar of preserves. The bird symbolized Mrs. Wright and how she loved to sing because the bird was always singing. As the play progresses Mr. Wright grows annoyed with the bird and kills it. The canary’s death represented how Mrs. Wright is dead inside from her neglectful marriage. The bird’s cage symbolized the cage of a marriage Mrs. Wright was in. She felt trapped by her husband’s emotional abuse. When the bird cage broke, it represented the death of Mr. Wright and the freedom that Mrs. Wright felt after breaking free from her long, painful marriage. The last jar of cherry preserves symbolized how Mrs. Wright was still standing. After a failed marriage and losing her bird, which was the one thing she cared most about, Mrs. Wright managed