Do Dreams Last? In 1959, Lorraine Hansberry wrote a play, A Raisin in the Sun, illustrating a negro family and their ambitions. A Raisin in the Sun identified and discussed dreams held by the four main characters in various ways; the play showed many changes throughout the story through the lives of, Walter Lee, Ruth, Mama (Lena), and Beneatha, who is known as Bennie, the Younger family. Insurance money allowed the Younger family to experience changes; however, you really could see how dreams were actually worth each character’s time. Walter Lee was a stubborn man, but he seemed to experience the most amount of change within himself for the greater good. As the play starts, you realize the Younger family has received $10,0000 in insurance money due to a death in the family. Walter Lee had high hopes of getting money and living a better lifestyle. Walter complained a lot stating that, “[s]ometimes it’s like I can see the future stretched out in front of me- just as plain as day. The future, Mama. Hanging over there at the edge of my …show more content…
Ruth was a hard-working mom who tried to do the best for her family. The reader learns that Ruth is pregnant with a second child, and typically a person is usually happy that they are pregnant; however, Ruth was not. She thought about killing her second baby because her dream was a better life for her family that was living. Ruth felt protective over her living family because that was all she has done. Lena helped defend Ruth’s thoughts by saying, “[s]he be all right. Women gets right depressed sometimes when they get her way.” (68) It appeared she wanted an easier lifestyle. Ruth continued and stated, “[h]oney...life don’t have to be like this. I mean sometimes people can do things so that things are better.” (75) By the end of the play Ruth is still pregnant, living in a better life like she wanted, and watching over her
“What happens to a dream deferred?” Langston Hughes asks in his 1959 poem “Dream Deferred.” He suggests that it might “dry up like a raisin in the sun” or “stink like rotten meat” but, at the end of the poem, Hughes offers another alternative by asking, “Or does it explode?” This is the poem that the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is based on. The play is about an African-American’s family struggling to break out of poverty. The poverty stands in the way of them accomplishing their dreams and goals. Poverty has a strong effect on Walter Lee Younger a character in the play. Walter Lee believes that success is measured in wealth. In the play he constantly struggles to move up the social ladder and earn more money.
Throughout Ruth’s journey, after the death of her husband, she finds different ways to make a living for herself and her daughter. She does whatever she has to do for her daughters, even it means to leave the role of the “traditional” woman. Once she steps down as the role of the “traditional” woman, she looks for different jobs in order to support her children she cares about. Despite all of this, her own family still believes that she is incapable to take care of herself and her children. They put her down constantly by stating that she is much better
In conclusion, the fact that Ruth lived through so much trauma from her father most likely brought out the strength in her heart, and caused her to realize that she wants a good life for her children instead of the trauamtic life that she lived through in her own childhood. Ruth’s overall identity could be explicity explained as a mother who is strong, has a lot of faith in God, and a woman with a lot of value and love for all of her twelve children. Ruth Mcbride’s strength and confidence helps herself through the hardships of her childhood, her relationships with Dennis and Hunter, as well as James Mcbride and the rest of her children. She developed the identity of a strong-willed mother, lover, and a woman of God.
Growing up, Ruth had a rough childhood growing up in a very strict jewish household. Her family was poor, her mother was physically handicapped, her father was verbally and physically abusive, and she faced prejudice and discrimination from her neighbors and classmates because she
Ruth led a life broken in two. Her later life consists of the large family she creates with the two men she marries, and her awkwardness of living between two racial cultures. She kept her earlier life a secret from her children, for she did not wish to revisit her past by explaining her precedent years. Once he uncovered Ruth's earlier life, James could define his identity by the truth of Ruth's pain, through the relations she left behind and then by the experiences James endured within the family she created. As her son, James could not truly understand himself until he uncovered the truth within the halves of his mother's life, thus completing the mold of his own identity.
In Ruth’s narrative she tells of how her family emigrated from Poland when she was a young girl, her abusive father disguised as righteous a Rabbi, her interracial relationships, teen pregnancy, and her eventual marriage to Andrew Dennis McBride, a black man from North Carolina, until he passed away and she remarried Hunter Jordan. What made Ruth so extraordinary was her resilience, strength of character and her freethinking mind. Despite having been raised in an ultraorthodox Jewish family, with a father who molested her, committed adultery, abused her mother, and later disowned her, Ruth was able to develop her own value system. Her ethics not only condemned this behavior, but also went against the societal norm of the 1960’s: racism. After becoming pregnant with her black boyfriend, as a teenager, Ruth confided in her aunt who helped her get an abortion. Following this incident, Ruth realized that she no longer desired to live at home with her family. Spending time away from home enabled Ruth to see how radically different her values and priorities were from those of her
In A Raisin in the Sun, a play by Lorraine Hansberry, Ruth and Beneatha both have great dreams but encounter at least one barrier to their success. Ruth’s dream is to have a happy and loving family, and Walter is her barrier. Beneatha’s dream is to become a doctor, but she is dependent on others to fulfill her dream.
Both LuLing and Ruth are unable to connect with their mothers, who have hidden their past. The secrecy has deprived mother and daughter from the shared fate and emotions that are necessary for understanding each other. Art tells her, “In all these years we've been together... I don’t think I know an important part of you. You keep secrets inside you. You hide. It’s as though I’ve never seen you naked” (360). Though she has nothing to hide, Ruth has unknowingly adopted this attitude of secrecy and remains distant from those she loves.
Early on in the play, when Beneatha hears that Ruth is pregnant, her initial reaction is one of indignation. She tries to convince Ruth that they can’t provide for another child. At the climax of the conversation, Ruth says, “Mind your own business.” to which Beneatha replies, “It is my business-where is he going to live, on the roof?”. At that point, Beneatha realizes the harm of her words and tries to apologize to Ruth. Regardless, Beneatha states what Ruth was already thinking and puts pressure on her to make a decision. At this point and others in the play, Ruth becomes worn down by the constant demands her family has of her. Later in that conversation with Beneatha, Ruth starts to cry heavily. This displays Ruth’s weak emotional state and adds greatly to the simile of her sagging like a heavy load. Mama, unlike Beneatha, is the only character in the play who actually listens to Ruth and supports her most of the time. However, Ruth still has mental and physical languor when she talks with
Cecilia was diagnosed with cancer while Ruth was in high school and the day before her daughter’s graduation, she passed away (Salokar & Volcansek, 1996). One of the greatest influences on Ruth’s life was her mother and the values she instilled in her from a young age. Two of the greatest lessons that Ruth learned from her mother was to be independent and to be a lady, and by that she meant not to respond in anger but to remain calm in situations (Reynolds, 2009).... ... middle of paper ... ...
Ruth has an intriguing personality. She is very loving towards her family. She will do all in her power to improve the lifestyle of her family. When it appears that the deal for the house in Clybourne Park will fall through, she promises to dedicate all of her time to make the investment work. “Lena-I’ll work… I’ll work 20 hours a day in all the kitchens in Chicago…I’ll strap my baby on my back if I have to and scrub all the floors and wash all the sheets in America if I have to-but we have to MOVE!” she pleads to her mother-in-law (Hansberry140). Her plan is unrealistic and idealistic, but the well being of her family is more important to her than anything. Ruth is also witty and sarcastic at times. She cracks jokes to lighten the mood of her family when they’re worried. “Well that’s the way the cracker crumbles. Joke. (121)” When Beneatha and Mama are stressing over the neighborhood they are moving into, Ruth makes a witty joke to improve the mood. Ruth supervises the daily routine and well being of her family. She makes sure that everyone does what they are supposed to and stays on track. ...
"A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry follows a black family's struggle to see their dreams through to fruition. These dreams, and the struggles necessary to attain them, are the focus of the play.
The first problem Ruth faces is how to support her family. Accused of not paying enough attention to her son, Ruth snaps at Mama shouting, “I feed my son, Lena!” (1880). This encounter with Mama displays an uptight, stressed side of Ruth, who balances a job, a son, her husband, and keeping the expected baby a secret. With so much preoccupying her mind, Ruth still tries to make money while feeling ill telling Mama, “I have to go. We need the money,” (1881). Money becomes a topic of great interest in the Younger family causing everyone to worry entirely too much about it. Ruth puts her family before herself caring about their conditions and the money they make over her own health. The next struggle Ruth encounters is deciding what option is best for her family and possible new baby. After finding out about the pregnancy, Ruth assures her family “she”, the doctor, confirmed everything is fine (1888). The slip up reveals that Ruth is considering getting an abortion. Furthermore, pushing her own conflict aside, Ruth still supports her family’s dreams, encouraging Mama to “open it”, meaning the check, for Mama’s own benefit and use toward a better lifestyle (1893). Ruth solves her own conflict by deciding to keep the baby and motivate her family in whatever way possible in the new challenges to
Ruth, whose dreams are the same as Mama’s, get deferred when the family are forced into there small apartment and there lack of money. Since she has no money she can not help her family as much as she would like to.
Ruth reveals that her dream is to have a happy family and is realizing that you need money to do that. Within the play Ruth realizes that you need to keep money and save it for the hard