A Raisin in the Sun is all about decisions. Discuss the significant decisions made by the different characters as well as how these decisions affect plot, character development, and theme.
In this play many different controversies and decisions are introduced. Each character is faced with the obligation to make decisions; some bad and some good. Walter Younger made a decision that negatively affected himself and his family. Walter made a foolish decision out of selfish motives and let his desire to live a more prominent lifestyle lose his father’s hard earned money. I believe this choice left a bitter effect on the family and crushed Walter’s dreams of ever making a better life for himself and for his family. Ruth contemplated on possibly terminating her pregnancy. This affected Ruth emotionally as well as taking a toll on some of her family members. Ruth decides to keep going with the pregnancy which lifts a burden off of her family. Mama’s decision to buy a house, especially one in a white community, is certainly one that is of great significance in the story. This decision shows how strong this family is. Even more so the Younger’s decision to stay in Clybourne Park after being antagonized to leave shows a lot about the character rooted in this family. This decision also affected the plot and brings out the theme present involving racial oppression. The theme of dreams is also introduced through the decisions Walter and Mama made. Some of decisions made affected the characters by giving them a new outlook on life in the different situations. Whether good or bad, each decision changed the characters’ sense of well-being. I think an important lesson to take away from the decisions of the Younger family is that whatever decisions are made by each individual they all ultimately can either have negative or positive effects on other people.
I believe that there are many important decisions in this play that affect both the themes and the plot of the play. Walter is faced with the decision what to do with the money that he was entrusted to by his mother. Walter made a poor mistake and trusted a person he didn’t know well, this decision led to the demise of his great scheme to become wealthy and become the man he always wanted to be. Walter’s decision affected all of the characters because after the money was gone the family had no financial foundation to keep them on their own two feet, and it was this decision that almost caused the breaking of the family. Walter also made a great choice when he denied the money from the neighborhood representative and didn’t go back on what his family had stood for for over five generations. Another major decision in the play is the decision about whether or not Ruth should get an abortion or not. Ruth was torn between the wellbeing of her family and the wellbeing of a brand new human life. Ruth’s choice to not get an abortion was a weight that was lifted off her heavily laden chest but the only down side to having a new born was the fact that more money would be needed to feed and care for the baby, money they didn’t have. Mama was also faced with a major choice that she could never seem to get by because there was no way around it, what she was going to do with the insurance money she received from her deceased husband. Finally in the end she decided to spend the money on a new house for her and her family, give some to her son Walter, and to save some of the money for Beneatha and her schooling. This decision was not fulfilled completely because she entrusted the money for Beneatha’s school money to her son Walter and he went and lost the money to a conman that ran away with all the money that Walter gave to him so that nothing was left over for Beneatha’s college. These are some of the main decisions that affected both the plot and themes of the play, and it was these decisions that changed and shaped the paths the characters traveled and the actions they took to stay alive.
One of the most important, significant decisions made in the play were splitting the money. Mama was the head of the house, who was in charge of the money, had that decision to make on what to do with the money. Her motive was to make her family have a better place. Getting the money affected most of the people in the house hold which makes the plot more dramatic. The importance of family was the theme emerged from mama's decision, since it held their futures. Beneatha wants the money for her education which was another decision for her to make and if that's what she wants to do for a living, is helping people. She struggles awhile trying to achieve her dream which is another theme emerged from decisions. Mama's decision in moving into a new house was achieving their dream in a better place. This made mama's character stand out because of her generosity towards her family. I believe Walter's decision was the most dramatic of all. He wanted to invest money into his liquor business and mama kindly gave him three thousand to put in for Beneatha's education and gave him the leftover thirty five thousand for his business, with greed he put in all of that money mama trusted him with for the liquor store which he had invested in and the money was stolen anyway. He also wanted to make the decision of not moving and getting paid not to so he could make up for what he lost but soon realized the importance for everyone in the family living in a better place he decided to move which from that point something had changed in his character.
I am a Chappy grad (class of '86) and a huge Chappy fan. I am married and have two kids, Kayla and Biggs, who attend Inman Intermediate, and I have a miniature Pomeranian named Sweettart.
In this play many different controversies and decisions are introduced. Each character is faced with the obligation to make decisions; some bad and some good. Walter Younger made a decision that negatively affected himself and his family. Walter made a foolish decision out of selfish motives and let his desire to live a more prominent lifestyle lose his father’s hard earned money. I believe this choice left a bitter effect on the family and crushed Walter’s dreams of ever making a better life for himself and for his family. Ruth contemplated on possibly terminating her pregnancy. This affected Ruth emotionally as well as taking a toll on some of her family members. Ruth decides to keep going with the pregnancy which lifts a burden off of her family. Mama’s decision to buy a house, especially one in a white community, is certainly one that is of great significance in the story. This decision shows how strong this family is. Even more so the Younger’s decision to stay in Clybourne Park after being antagonized to leave shows a lot about the character rooted in this family. This decision also affected the plot and brings out the theme present involving racial oppression. The theme of dreams is also introduced through the decisions Walter and Mama made. Some of decisions made affected the characters by giving them a new outlook on life in the different situations. Whether good or bad, each decision changed the characters’ sense of well-being. I think an important lesson to take away from the decisions of the Younger family is that whatever decisions are made by each individual they all ultimately can either have negative or positive effects on other people.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there are many important decisions in this play that affect both the themes and the plot of the play. Walter is faced with the decision what to do with the money that he was entrusted to by his mother. Walter made a poor mistake and trusted a person he didn’t know well, this decision led to the demise of his great scheme to become wealthy and become the man he always wanted to be. Walter’s decision affected all of the characters because after the money was gone the family had no financial foundation to keep them on their own two feet, and it was this decision that almost caused the breaking of the family. Walter also made a great choice when he denied the money from the neighborhood representative and didn’t go back on what his family had stood for for over five generations. Another major decision in the play is the decision about whether or not Ruth should get an abortion or not. Ruth was torn between the wellbeing of her family and the wellbeing of a brand new human life. Ruth’s choice to not get an abortion was a weight that was lifted off her heavily laden chest but the only down side to having a new born was the fact that more money would be needed to feed and care for the baby, money they didn’t have. Mama was also faced with a major choice that she could never seem to get by because there was no way around it, what she was going to do with the insurance money she received from her deceased husband. Finally in the end she decided to spend the money on a new house for her and her family, give some to her son Walter, and to save some of the money for Beneatha and her schooling. This decision was not fulfilled completely because she entrusted the money for Beneatha’s school money to her son Walter and he went and lost the money to a conman that ran away with all the money that Walter gave to him so that nothing was left over for Beneatha’s college. These are some of the main decisions that affected both the plot and themes of the play, and it was these decisions that changed and shaped the paths the characters traveled and the actions they took to stay alive.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most important, significant decisions made in the play were splitting the money. Mama was the head of the house, who was in charge of the money, had that decision to make on what to do with the money. Her motive was to make her family have a better place. Getting the money affected most of the people in the house hold which makes the plot more dramatic. The importance of family was the theme emerged from mama's decision, since it held their futures. Beneatha wants the money for her education which was another decision for her to make and if that's what she wants to do for a living, is helping people. She struggles awhile trying to achieve her dream which is another theme emerged from decisions. Mama's decision in moving into a new house was achieving their dream in a better place. This made mama's character stand out because of her generosity towards her family. I believe Walter's decision was the most dramatic of all. He wanted to invest money into his liquor business and mama kindly gave him three thousand to put in for Beneatha's education and gave him the leftover thirty five thousand for his business, with greed he put in all of that money mama trusted him with for the liquor store which he had invested in and the money was stolen anyway. He also wanted to make the decision of not moving and getting paid not to so he could make up for what he lost but soon realized the importance for everyone in the family living in a better place he decided to move which from that point something had changed in his character.
ReplyDeleteYou did this on Christmas Eve? Aww...
ReplyDelete