Three Mamas
Generally speaking, people are ruthless, cold, and unforgiving when they are crossed or their funds are negatively affected by someone. Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, focuses on a struggling black family.Over the course of the play, we learn that a black family living in poverty receives insurance money due the death of the father, but Walter, the son, foolishly loses the money when he invests it into a liquor store. His mother reacts in different ways to her son’s actions in the play and the film version. In the family, Walter and Beneatha are the children of Mama, and the character, Ruth, is Walter’s wife. Introduced in A Raisin in the Sun is the character, Mama. The portrayal of Mama in the 2008 film version of A Raisin in the Sun is the most compelling because it characterizes her as forgiving and loving nature in the best way possible, which contributes to the family being able to bounce back in times of financial struggles compared to the play and the 1961 film version.
In the original play, Mama is characterized as a woman who is strong and straightforward (498). A scene in the play that showcases Mama’s personality is when she beat Walter for being a fool for losing the insurance (562). This is important because it’s predictable as in when someone loses your possessions you hurt them physically and
…show more content…
Mama is characterized as strong, mean, and brash. The actor that play her paints her as hard with the expressions and body language that she does. When Walter attempts to give Mama a hug, she pushes him away jokingly.When she scolds Beneatha she has a strong tone in her voice and her eyebrows are drawn and lips drawn tight. She also tends to speak loudly toward the other members of the family. Overhearing Walter’s conversation with his friend Bobo, Mama learns that the money she gave to him is gone, she becomes livid, stand as still as a statue and her expressions exudes her cynical
Mama implies that the money was more than just currency, but what is left of her husband’s dream to bring success to his family. She is terribly disappointed with Walter for losing all of the money so easily, and not putting it toward to what he promised. Because of this great loss, Walter is still left with no money. His dream to become wealthy is now at the bottom of the gutter, all over again, and he has to work even harder as well as gain his confidence back in order to fish it out.
The drama A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, shows the life of the Youngers, an African-American family living on the Southside of Chicago in the 1950s. In the beginning, the Youngers are about to receive an insurance check for $10,000. This money comes from the deceased Mr. Younger’s life insurance policy. Each of the adult members of the family has an idea as to what he or she would like to do with this money. Mama, wants to buy a house to fulfill a dream she shared with her husband. Mama’s son, Walter Lee, would rather use the money to invest in a liquor store with his friends. He believes that the investment will solve the family’s financial problems forever. Beneatha, Walter’s sister and Mama’s daughter, wants to use the money for her medical school tuition. Ruth, Walter’s wife, discovers that she is pregnant, but
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
Walter seems to be overcome with a search for power and a drive to become wealthy and leave the life of being a worker behind him. It also shows that he cares for his family seeing how he is striving to give them the best, but that aspect is overshadowed by his greed. I feel the scene also shows the Younger family at its lowest point in the movie. Walter is on the complete edge and is thinking of stealing a community's money and the rest of the family, besides Momma, seemed to lose their faith and trust in him. When things seemed hopeless with the loss of the money, they only became worse as a loss in more than money occurred. A loss in their character, faith, history, and respect for each other overcame the family, particularly Walter and Beneatha. Nevertheless, Momma soon sets Beneatha straight with an emotional and positive speech about how there is "always something left to love" and sets the standard that the family should adhere to. It marks the turning point at the end of the movie
In the 1950’s through the 1960’s women were not respected in there everyday lives, in the job field or in general. They did not have the rights they deserved, so during this time the “women’s movement” began. Women fought for their rights and fought for the self-respect that they thought they deserved. In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the character Mama, expresses her feelings of pushing or extracting a new side for a woman. Her role explains that woman can be independent and can live for themselves. Through her behavior in this play she demonstrates that women can support and guide a family. Mama is in charge of the family, which is unusual, since men are traditionally the “head of a family”. Through Mama’s wisdom
Through humorous comments, the mother paints a picture of what she is thinking, and allows the audience to see her as she is, and not as the world and those around her perceive her to be. Specifically the mother describes the characters appearance, and actions, as well as offers analogies, such as mothers on T.V. To support her view of reality, or how things really were, in her opinion. As the story progressed, she reveals cultural differences between Mama, Maggie and Dee. Walker also points out the importance of respecting your immediate heritage such as parents, and other family, and truly knowing and internalizing the real meaning of racial
The play by Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun, presents an African-American family living in poverty in the 1950’s. The family receives ten thousand dollars from deceased Mr. Younger’s insurance; the money is supposed to be distributed in buying a house, Beneatha’s education, and Walter’s liquor store investment. However, Walter invests wrongly and loses more than half of the money, forcing Beneatha to consider moving to Africa to pursue an education. Beneatha Younger’s struggle with segregation while pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor demonstrates that education can be obtained with determination and discipline.
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a play about segregation, triumph, and coping with personal tragedy. Set in Southside Chicago, A Raisin in the Sun focuses on the individual dreams of the Younger family and their personal achievement. The Younger's are an African American family besieged by poverty, personal desires, and the ultimate struggle against the hateful ugliness of racism. Lena Younger, Mama, is the protagonist of the story and the eldest Younger. She dreams of many freedoms, freedom to garden, freedom to raise a societal-viewed equal family, and freedom to live liberated of segregation. Next in succession is Beneatha Younger, Mama's daughter, assimilationist, and one who dreams of aiding people by breaking down
Although she is happy with mama’s decision to buy a house, Ruth is more concerned with receiving the affection of her husband and keeping him happy than the consequences or the moral implications his decisions will have. Ruth maintains the apartment they live in and most of the time, goes along with whatever Walter says. This is where Ruth and Mama differ; Mama wants Walter to be happy but not at the cost of doing something morally wrong, Ruth will do whatever it takes to make Walter happy. We see this when Ruth is contemplating having an abortion in order not to complicate living arrangements in the apartment and to allow Walter the financial means to pursue his goals. She also intends to keep it from Walter so spare him the burden of having to make a decision like that. When Mama find out about the abortion, she is appalled and says, “…we a people who give children life, not who destroys them.” Mama also succeeds in expressing her rich values and nurturing nature in Act III, Scene Three, when it is discovered that Walter has lost the remainder of the insurance money when his liquor store investment partner disappears with the money. Beneatha goes into a rage and openly expresses her hatred and contempt for her brother, and says, “He’s no brother of mine.”(Hansbury 3.3)
In the playwright A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is about a poor African-American family named the Younger. This family live in a poor one bedroom apartment in the Southside of Chicago. In the play this family suffer and struggle a lot and they were always praying and wish to live in a very big house of their own. In the beginning of the play this family knows that they going to get Walter Lee Sr insurance worth 10,000 dollars that he left behind after his death for Lena ( mama). In the play this family was waiting on the check so that they share it to themselves. In the playwright Walter Lee wants to open his own type of business which is liquor store, in the other hand Lena ( mama) has always wanted to buy a big nice house with a backyard where her grandson Travis can been playing everyday. The three characters that are in the playwright are Walter Lee Younger Junior, Lena Younger (mama), and Ruth Younger this are three characters.
Mama talked about her husband and said she had seen hi, grow thin and old before he was forty working and working and working like somebody's old horse, killing himself, and you give it all away in a day (Act 2 Scene iii, Walter lost the money). This is the strongest performance by Mama. She gets very emotional in this scene while talking about her husband. McNeil would get into character by thinking of a sad moment in her life, like a loved one dying. In the scene, Mama has her arms raised, about to strike her son (Act 2 Scene iii, Walter lost the money). In the scene, Mama's lip quivers and her face is in rages. She says these last few lines slowly to emphasize the emotion. Her hands stay in a clenched position to hold herself from hurting Walter.
Family values are the context of Mama’s second nurturing lesson to Beneatha. After a conflictive encounter with her brother, Beneatha expresses a lack of respect and love for Walter. Lena Younger first quickly ensures that she correctly heard her daughter. Although Mama does not come across as gentle as she has in the past, her
My first impression of mama is that she is disappointed in her family. An example of this is when she is telling ruth that she doesn't feed travis well enough. Another example is when Beneatha is saying stuff about
Moreover, mama also a kind, patient, care and loving person. She teach her family how the right values of life although they are African-American that live in poor condition and hard to get rights and justice in Southside Chicago society. Mama gives anything to fulfill her children’s dreams. Mama gives much money to Walter for reach his dream of opening a liquor store and also wants to use the money for Beneatha’s medical school but mama disappointed, forceful and keep patient when Walter loses all the family’s money. It can be seen as follows :
She knows that the family, education and society rule are so important. She is not very well educated, but she insists to maintain the personality that people are supposed to be. “Now don’t you start child. It’s to early in the morning to be talking about money. It ain’t Christian.” (41) In the morning, Ruth and Mama has a conversation in kitchen. Ruth tells Mama that Walter wants to use father’s insurance money to invest a liquor company. Mama cannot completely agree with her son. Mama complains that once upon a time freedom used to be life, but now it’s money. On the other hand, she loves her husband because he is worth to be loved. Mama wishes her sun modeled himself after his father. She never felt shame of being laundryman. She is respectably dressed as much as possible. She is a high head when in front of those white people who despise black people. “I come from five generations of people who was slaves and sharecroppers—but ain’t nobody in my family never ley nobody pay ‘em no money that was a way of telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the warth. We ain’t never been that poor. We ain’t never been that—dead inside.” (143) After she buys the house, the white people in community try to ding out the Youngers’ family. They pay more money to ask them move out. As a black woman, Mama is proud of her skin and keeps her unique personality. She refer to live harder, rather than letting people trampling on her with money.