A Raisin in the Sun and the Dreams of Its Main Characters

FILM -- "A RAISIN IN THE SUN" AND THE AMERICAN DREAM

Lena (Mama)

What is the dream?

Lena is the strong, traditional matriarch of the Younger family. Her dream is for her family: that they will be safe, emotionally and physically well, principled and happy.

Why does it matter to the character?

The dream matters to Lena because she lived through the difficult time in which many blacks left the South and moved North to make life better for themselves. At that point, they were concerned with more basic human needs like food, shelter, safety, employment and dignity. Consequently, she wants basic well-being for her family, even as they pursue dreams beyond hers.

What obstacles does it face?

Lena's dream faces internal family obstacles and external obstacles. The internal family obstacles include Walter Lee's consuming dream to be successful, his loss of 2/3 of her husband's life insurance proceeds through a foolish deal, Beneatha's sampling of many interests and disbelief in God, the tension between the two children and Ruth's regretful plan to have her expected child aborted. Lena's dream externally faces the problem of racial prejudice portrayed by Mr. Lindner, the white neighborhood representative who tries to stop the Younger family's planned move to a white neighborhood.

d. What is the status of the dream at the plays end?

Despite the many threats to Lena's dream, it is still intact by the play's end because Walter has reclaimed his dignity, Beneatha is becoming calmer with her interest in Asagai, her two children are getting along well, Ruth drops the idea of abortion and the family is moving to their new home in the white neighborhood despite the loss of 2/3 of the life insurance proceeds.

2. Walter Lee

a. What is the dream?

Walter Lee dreams of becoming an important man who makes big business deals.

b. Why does it matter to the character?

The dream matters to Walter Lee for several reasons: he believes his current job as a chauffeur is "nothing at all"; he hears about big deals supposedly being made by other men, black and white; he wants to be able to provide well for his family; and he wants to be a strong father figure for his son.

c. What obstacles does it face?

Walter Lee's dream faces several obstacles, too. He lacks money to make big deals and his mother will not dedicate her $10,000 life insurance payout to his dream of opening a liquor store. As a chauffeur, he is disregarded by black people who are used to big deals, such as George Murchison and his father. His dream of the big deal liquor store is opposed by his mother, his wife and his sister. His dream is also threatened by his sister's plans to go to medical school, which will require part of the insurance proceeds, and the new house down payment, which also requires some of the insurance proceeds. After Walter Lee is entrusted with 2/3 of the insurance proceeds, the cruelest obstacle to his dream is his cheating business partner, Willie Harris, who ran away with all the money.

d. What is the status of the dream at the plays end?

The dream of making big deals is severely harmed and perhaps even killed by the end of the movie. However, it is replaced by Walter Lee's new dignity, beautifully revealed when Walter Lee explains to Mr. Lindner that the Younger family will move into their new home in the white neighborhood because Walter Lee's father "earned it brick by brick."

3. Ruth

a. What is the dream?

Ruth's dream is to move out of their cramped apartment that shares a bathroom with other apartments and move into their own home, complete with sunshine.

b. Why does it matter to the character?

The new home matters to Ruth because the Younger family is already terribly cramped in their apartment, she is expecting another child and she is depressed by their current apartment's "old, tired walls."

c. What obstacles does it face?

Ruth has several obstacles to the dream of a new home. Walter Lee is upset when he hears about the down payment, goes out drinking instead of going to his job, and he is acting as though he doesn't care about anything she might want, saying, "Who even cares about you?" Once Walter Lee loses 2/3 of the insurance proceeds, Lena says they might as well stay in the cramped apartment and Ruth is extremely upset that they might have to stay there. Ruth's dream is also threatened by Mr. Lindner's appearance and obvious attempt to buy off the Younger family so they will not move to the new home in his white neighborhood.

d. What is the status of the dream at the plays end?

Her dream is fulfilled at the end of the play because they decide to move to the new home after all. In fact, the play/film ends with them happily carrying their belongings out of the cramped apartment to move to their new home.

4. Beneatha

a. What is the dream?

Beneatha's dream is to be fulfilled, I think. During most of the film, she focuses on being a doctor but her choice at the end of the film shows that her dream is more than a mere occupation; it's fulfillment.

b. Why does it matter to the character?

Beneatha's dream matters to her because she is an intelligent, curious, assertive, enthusiastic young black woman who would not be satisfied with her mother's limited life, with Walter Lee's "big deals" or with Ruth's move to a new home. Beneatha is bursting with gifts and desire, so her happiness will take a lot of life and fulfillment.

c. What obstacles does it face?

Beneatha's dream faces a number of obstacles, too. Her mother is an obstacle because she has a limited horizon, cannot completely grasp Beneatha's vision, and is still the head of the household. Her brother, Walter Lee, is also an obstacle because he has a discriminatory attitude toward women: women are supposed to support men in their dreams but Beneatha is supposed to "become a nurse or get married and shut up." Walter Lee's squandering of the money for her education is also a serious threat to her development because she lacks school tuition. Ruth is also an obstacle to Beneatha's dreams because Ruth is an older, more traditional married woman who does not understand Beneatha's intention of probably staying single and becoming a doctor. The other men in Beneatha's life are also obstacles: George Murchison wants her to be acceptable; and even Asagai has a limited view of women, seeing them only in connection with men (though he's the most liberal of all characters other than Beneatha in the film).