A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry focuses much on family relationships during a time of struggle and uncertainty. The character Mama is portrayed as head of the family, although there seems to be a power struggle for this with her son, Walter. Hansberry writes, “You the head of this family. You run our lives like you want to. It was your money and you did what you wanted with it” (94-95). This quote demonstrates Walter’s frustration in not being the head of the family and how he is unable to control the new sum of money they are getting to try and do what he believes is best for his family. He and Mama doesn’t agree on what is best for the family and that has created this tension that explodes when the decision about the check needs to be made.
Mama’s character seems to have many qualities that make her a questionable head of the family. We see her, in act 1, trying to parent Travis in front of Ruth, she says “I ain’t meddling… Put a lot of nice butter on it… He likes lots of butter”(41). Ruth feels like Mama thinks she doesn’t know her child and can’t parent him. Throughout this scene we see Ruth continually telling Mama that she can handle her child. Then, later in act 2 we see Mrs. Johnson talking to Mama about her kids, she says to Mama “Oh– I ain’t criticizing her none. It’s just– you know how some of our young people gets when they get a little education”(102). Although Mama never says anything about this to Mrs. Johnson, we see how annoyed Mama gets when Mrs. Johnson is talking badly about her children based on the way Hansberry writes the character Mama and has her act. She is annoyed at one person for criticizing her children, which a parent will take very personally and think themselves to be criticized as well. But then she is doing the same thing to Ruth throughout the play. This hypocritical quality of Mama is not only seen here, though. We hear Mama criticize Ruth’s parenting once again, but it also shows another hypocritical aspect of Mama when she says, “Why don’t you never let the child explain hisself.” (90) I find this quite funny because the issue her children seem to have with the way Mama runs the household is that no one else gets a voice and they don’t feel like they are being heard. Mama is a very head strong character, and we see many times in which she doesn’t really listen to the other members of the family. Walter says, “You just don’t understand, Mama, you just don’t understand.” (74), indicating that his mother won’t take the time to listen and fully understand what he is saying and where he is coming from. But in the previous quote we see her defending Travis and trying to get Ruth to listen to his explanation and give him a chance to explain himself.
In this second act, we see Mama decide what to do with the check that she has received. She decides to buy a new home for herself and her family, but the way she announces it gains mixed reaction. Mama says to Travis, “She went out and she bought you a house!” (91). Both Ruth and Travis are clearly excited about this new house that they are going to be moving into. Walter, on the other hand, seems very upset. Hansberry depicts him as, “Bitterly” (93), obviously meaning to display him as upset and angry at Mama’s choice. I found it interesting that Mama says she bought the house for Travis. I think this is initially what upset Walter. He has always felt that his mother doesn’t support his dreams and ambitions. When he sees how she is treating Travis and what she is doing for him, I think he sees all he feels he should have gotten. Walter says, “So you butchered up a dream of mine–you– who always talking ‘bout your children’s dreams…” (95). After finding out about Mama buying the house, Walter sees his dream of opening a liquor store vanish, as he wanted to use the money for that. He ridicules Mama, saying she says she supports her children’s dreams. But then she does this, which takes her child’s hope of his dream away from him.
Discussion Questions:
- We see that the scene with Mrs. Johnson was taken out of some performances of the play. What importance do you think this scene brings to Hansberry’s message and what was lost when it was taken out?
- We know that this was meant to be performed as a play but reading it we get the stage directions and the exact ways that Hansberry meant for the characters to act. How might the ideas and interactions between the characters be seen differently when just watching the play?
Work Cited:
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. Random House, 1986.
Hey Ava! I really enjoyed reading your analysis about Act II of A Raisin in the Sun. I would like to point out that I, too, agree with your interpretation of Mama and how hypocritical she seems. I wanted to take a dive into one of your discussion questions, that being the first one about Mrs. Johnson and her scene being part of the script but pulled from the original play. I believe Mrs. Johnson’s scene allows us to make that connection about Mama being how she is. On page 102, Mia Johnson states, “Oh- I ain’t criticizing her none….’Course I can understand how she must be proud and everything- being the only one in the family to make something of herself.” I find this very interesting as Mrs. Johnson only seems to be added to stir the pot. She is not very positive, but without her scene, I believe we would never, in an easy way, be able to connect Mama to her true colors.
Nice job with this comment, Ashleigh! Moving forward, see if you can be more specific: instead of stating “Mama being how she is,” can you be more specific? What adjectives would you use to describe her character? Please also review the rules for MLA-style citations (the page number appears at the end of the quote in parentheses).
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Hi Ava, I think this is a great interpretation of the certain scenes and acts you specified. I agree strongly with how Mama can be hypocritical at times especially when she never lets anyone get a word in, and in some ways runs the lifestyle of the family as a whole. Also, when Mama put the money towards the house, I did not look at it in the way that when she said it was more so for Travis that it could offend Walter but now I definitely could see how he has felt that his dreams of opening the liquor store were constantly overlooked. Although I do feel as if Walter is being very rude in a way to Mama and Ruth as they are viewing it in a way as to help the family move onto a new chapter and new beginning of their lives. This can be supported in the reading when it says, “(Raising both arms classically) PRAISE GOD! (looks at Walter a moment, who says nothing. She crosses rapidly to her husband) please, honey – let me be glad… you be glad too. )She has laid her hands on his shoulders, but he shakes himself free of her roughly, without turning to face her.)” (91) This quote kind of illustrates how Walter can be selfish at times and refuse to look at opportunities as a whole and more of what would benefit what he wants. To answer one of your discussion questions I think there would be a lot of different interpretations of emotion and character as a whole when compared to reading the emotions and play instead of watching it. You can gather more of what the character feels within their emotion but may not physically or audibly express. I think this could lead to the interactions between characters being seen more sharp within their emotions within the play and possibly more could be overlooked or not repeatedly looked at if it were being watched.
You’ve identified a great quote here, Grace! One way to make your writing clearer would be to replace “it says” with the name of the character who speaks those lines. It’s easier for your reader to follow your ideas if you specify that it’s Ruth who speaks those words. Moving forward, keep in mind that your blog comment does not necessarily have to answer a discussion question. If you’ve identified a quote that can help the blogger strengthen their interpretation, as you’ve done in the first half of this comment, then that is sufficient.
Score: 5 out of 5
Hi Ava, I enjoyed hearing your thoughts in your blog post! I find your take on Mama as head of the family very interesting. Especially your mention of her qualities and actions being questionable. I do agree with you in the fact that Mama is like a parent to Travis as she is to Walter and Beneatha, and even Ruth at times. I think, as an elder woman wo has many years of experience and a heart full of love to give, it is understandable that she herself desires to take care of everyone. She has been caring for this family for so long that this ‘job’ of sorts has become a part of her. With her husband now gone, I believe she feels that it is now her responsibility as the eldest of the family to provide and care for the rest. I don’t think Mama has any distrust in Ruth and her parenting, but I think going through life Mama has gained other perspectives for discipline and nurture, which in turn will come to Ruth in time. To use your example of a quote on page 90 where Mama says to Ruth, “Why don’t you never let the child explain hisself,” I think it is important to understand that Mama’s reasoning for saying this could be in light of mistakes she had made when raising her own children. As well as the fact that she is Travis’ grandmother, and grandparents do tend to take the sweeter side of things as a loving sentiment and relief. As I see it, Mama’s actions are not necessarily questionable. Many of her decisions come from a place solely of love. She is the type of woman to put her family’s best interests first. Everything she does seems to be for them. I think this can be justified within Act II of the play on page 94 where Hansberry writes for Mama in conversation towards Walter: “Son-you-you understand what I done, don’t you? I-I just seen my family falling apart today… just falling to pieces in front of my eyes… We couldn’t have gone on like we was today, We was going backwards ‘stead of forwards…” Here mama is looking for her son’s approval in her actions (even though she really does not need it) since his dream became collateral to her purchasing of their new home. All Mama seems to want is to provide a better life for her entire family, including Walter. I think this is a decision that the family will come to realize is for the best and was purely out of love, whether they see that now or not.
Great job with this comment, Alexandra! Moving forward, I want to challenge you to deepen your close reading. Those lines about the family moving “backwards ‘stead of forwards” are so rich and evocative. How do you interpret them? Make sure also to review the rules of MLA-style citations (the page number appears after the quote in parentheses).
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Hey Ava,
This was a great character analysis of Mama in Act 2 of the play; I agree with many of your statements about Mama and her questionable character. I particularly like the second question you proposed. Throughout the reading, I constantly try to imagine people acting out the scenes. Only reading the script of a play prevents the audience from fully understanding the themes and setting; the writers had the intention of having the description of the scene visualized as the main priority for the audience. The emotional stress the family is under from the financial strain would connect much more with the audience if we could see this scene play out. For example, when Mama announces to the family that she’s using the check to buy a house, it is described in the script that Walter is “bitterly” (93). This term is very broad and not descriptive enough for me, as the reader, to fully picture the scene in its intended form. This is common throughout the play, making sense because the script was designed to be paired with actors playing the scenes. If a person only reads the act’s writing, it leaves the moment’s emotion up for debate, as people can make different observations about the same scene in a script.
Interesting points here, Thomas! I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts after we watch the film version next week. It seems to me that reading a play and watching it being performed each has its own distinct pleasures, possibilities, and limitations. Think of those personified descriptions of the family’s furniture, Hansberry’s depiction of how Beneatha speaks, or her description of the ways Mama carries herself, “as if she imagines that as she walks she still bears a basket or vessel upon her head” (39). A skeptical reader might also bring up the definition of bitter as “having a sharp, pungent taste or smell” as well as being “angry, hurt, or resentful because of one’s bad experiences or a sense of unjust treatment.” They might point out that it’s both a feeling as well as something we can taste viscerally inside our mouths.
I mention all of this so that you can continue strengthening your already strong interpretations by imagining how a skeptical reader might react! How would you persuade them?
Score: 5 out of 5
Hi Ava! You did an excellent job characterizing Mama in Act 2 of the play, and I agree with a lot of your points regarding Mama’s dubious nature. I really enjoy the second query you suggested. I find myself trying to picture people playing out the scenes all throughout the reading. The writers intended for the audience to prioritize visualizing the scene description over any other information, so simply reading the script of a play precludes them from completely comprehending the ideas and location. If we could see this scene unfold, the viewer would be far more able to relate to the emotional tension the family is experiencing as a result of the financial burden. For example, on page 93, when Mama announces to the family that she’s using the check to buy a house, it is described in the script that Walter is “bitterly”. For me as the reader, this term is too general and does not provide enough detail to adequately visualize the scene as intended. This is a recurring theme in the play, which makes sense given that the performers portraying the scenes were matched with the script. People can have diverse interpretations of the same scene in a screenplay, thus if someone just reads the act’s text, it leaves the emotion of the moment open to discussion.
Hello Ava, I really enjoyed your blog post, and I especially enjoyed how you analyzed the story in a bit of a different way, talking about how Mama may be a questionable head of the family. I felt that throughout the play Ruth is often looked over and isn’t payed much attention to. I think Mama is in a very challenging position being the head of the house because she is dealing with so many different people in her house telling her different things. Although she would like to hear everyone out and attend to every person, this may not be possible. What I liked about your blog post is how you questioned her position of power within the house. If mama can’t deal with hearing Ruth, Walter, and Beneatha out, then should she really be dictating so many decisions and dialogues in the play? A quote that stood out to me was, “We was going backwards instead of forwards-talking about killing babies and wishing each other was dead…when it gets like that in life-you just got to do something different, push on out and do something bigger.” (94). This quote stood out to me because part of me agrees with mama and her decision for her fammily. But the other part of me, is thinking about how she said to do something “bigger”, wouldn’t what Walter wanted to do be considered, “bigger”? I also found it to be a little demeaning that Mama threw in ‘talking about dead babies’ because that seems kind of disrespectful towards Ruth and her internal struggles.
Hi Kerry, that’s a really interesting point you bring up about what would constitute “bigger” for the Younger family! Moving forward, make sure you run a spelling and grammar check on your comments; there is a typo here with “fammily” that Microsoft Word or Google Docs would be able to catch.
Score: 5 out of 5