A Raisin in the Sun: Lena Younger (Mama) Essay Example

father. Walter understands that he needs to pass on these values to his son as he explains to the real estate man that they are going to move into their house; “…we are proud and that is it—this is my son, who makes the sixth generation of our family in this country, and that we have all thought about your offer and we have decided to move into our house because my father—my father—he earned it,”

This ending shows how Mama knew the family had challenges of racism to face in their new neighbor, but that they had to stay strong together as a family to battle it as they tried to gain a better life of living for themselves. Walter Lee Younger (son) Walter Lee has dreams to provide a better life for his family. He is frustrated with not being able to provide as he desires; “I’m thirty-five years old; I been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the living room—and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people are…”

Walter Lee wants to use the insurance money to become part owner in a liquor store, but Mama wants to use the money as a down payment on a house and Walter Lee feels his dreams are destroyed; “So you butchered up a dream of mine—you—who always talking ‘bout your children’s dreams…”. Walter decides to right the wrong of having the money stolen from him and to not be one of the ”taken” by deciding to take the money offered to the family to not move into the white neighborhood. That white man

is going to walk in that door able to write checks for more money than we ever had,”. In the end, Walter is humbled when his mother wants him to explain why he is willing to accept the payoff money from the whites who don’t want them to move into their neighborhood. He realizes he must humble himself to teach his son the values his father taught him when his mother says, “…you make him understand what you are doing, Walter Lee. You teach him well.

Like Willy, Harris taught you. You show where our five generations did come to. Go ahead, son,”. This ending demonstrates how black people and especially black men struggle to maintain values and morals in their families as they deal not only with racism, but defeating the ways and attitudes of other blacks, like Willy Harris. Beneatha Younger (sister) Beneatha has dreams of becoming a doctor and faces the challenges of meeting the financial costs of medical school.

She feels her brother does not support her dream to become a doctor; “What do you want to form me, Brother –that I quit school or just drop dead, which,”. Beneatha also wants does not want to marry for money; “No I would not marry him [her rich friend George] if all I felt for him was what I feel now,”. She wants to focus on becoming a doctor and wait on marriage; “I’m going to be a doctor. I’m not worried about who I’m going to marry yet—If I ever get married,”

In the ending, Beneatha has a change of heart about marriage because she feels Asagai understands her and she

is marveled by the idea of practicing medicine in Africa; “Mama, Asagai—asked me to marry him today and go to Africa To go to Africa, Mama—be a doctor in Africa,”. This ending for Beneatha’s character demonstrates how she feels reenergized thinking about being a doctor in Africa as opposed to America where she would experience less racism in her profession and as a woman.