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He needs this chance, Lena" (Hansberry 26). Ruth dreams of rekindling the love that used to exist between them, and she knows that it has changed or altered somehow, and that something is missing in her relationship with him. She believes in him enough to stand up for him, even though they do not share the same dream, which shows that she is a supportive and caring woman, and that Walter has chosen his wife wisely and well. She also dreams of a home of their own, so Mama is fulfilling at least some of Ruth's dreams as well as her own with the purchase of the house.
Finally, the theme of dreams fills this play and its characters lives. When Joseph Asagai, Bennie's boyfriend talks to her about her dreams he says, "Then isn't there something wrong in a house -- in a world -- where all dreams, good or bad, must depend on the death of a man?" (Hansberry 119). That is true, all of these characters are in fact basing their dreams on the dreams of their dead father, who took out the insurance policy so that his children could have more than he did, which is the same dream Walter has for his own son. Dreams permeate this drama, and give the characters reason...
Not all the characters' dreams come true by the end of the play, but the fact than any do is a reason for hope for the future. It is clear the Younger family will face adversity in their new neighborhood. They will continue to struggle to survive, and they will continue to work hard to make their dreams come true. Moreover, through it all, the dreams of the parents will center on the children, hoping that Travis (and the unborn child); will be able to have more advantages and dreams that can take them anywhere they want to go. Ultimately, all the characters in this drama base their dreams on the dreams of the generation before them, as well as future generations, and there is always hope that in the future, more of these dreams will come true.
References
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Modern Library, 1995.
Hughes, Langston. "Montage of a Dream Deferred." University of Texas at Austin. 2000. 4 Feb. 2008. http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~daniel/anderson/amlit/raisin/samantha/raisin.html
Raisin in the Sun Beneatha is ahead of her time in a Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Beneatha is the daughter of Lena Younger and younger sister of Walter Lee who is married to Ruth. Walter Lee and Ruth have a ten-year-old son Travis, who gets his way often being the only grandson. Beneatha is a college student who desires to attend
She misrepresents the proposal of marriage of Asagai and is unable to provide the man who loves her so much and who understand her well. The complex character of Beneatha demonstrates another hidden quality towards the end of the play. The confrontation of Walter with Mr. Lindner reveals the arrogant statement of Mr. Lindner, "I take it then that you have decided to occupy." The easiness of Beneatha's reply
.. Don't understand nothing about building their men up and making 'em feel like they somebody. Like they can do something" (Hansberry, I, i.). It is clear that Walter Lee still believes it is the woman's role to support the man in his endeavors, and not to make decisions or act on them. In her responses to him, Ruth displays her growing frustration with and rejection of this belief, which
As to Walter's decision to use the money as he saw fit, we find a man who's suffering and discontent had blinded him to the real sustenance and value in his family. Truly, for the unhappiness which he had bore, and for the racial abuse shown to the family through such archetypal figures as Mr. Lindner, Walter might have seen himself as fortunate for the presence of all the family
Although treated unjustly by her older sibling, Beneatha has begun to question her desire to become a doctor, and is considering trying to get more in touch with her African roots instead. She wants to fix things in a more meaningful fashion than merely physically. The end of the play is bittersweet, because it is uncertain if the family will be happy in the all-white suburb, or safe, and because
It is the last thing Mama carries out of the apartment when the family moves, symbolizing the family's failure to thrive in their neighborhood. Both the plant and the Younger family are expected to blossom in their new surroundings. Walter Jr. wants to use the money to buy a liquor store with his friends. He believes that owning a business will give the family the financial freedom that will make