"No—there's something come down between me and them that don't let us understand each other and I don't know what it is. One done almost lost his mind thinking 'bout money all the time and the other done commence to talk about things I can't seem to understand in no form or fashion."
This is Lena Younger at the end of scene one and it seems to me that her words capture perfectly the zeitgeist in which the play existed. Hansberry's play was first performed in 1959, the first play on Broadway written by an African American. The Civil Rights Movement is barely four years old. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is not yet a national figure. Five years later four little girls will be murdered in a bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama, and their killers will be acquited (the bomb maker will be eventually convicted in 2001). That same year, three Civil Rights workers in Mississippi are murdered with the help of local law enforcement. Congress passes its first Civil Rights legislation since Reconstruction. And to a great degree it all comes crashing down with the murders of both Dr. King in 1968 and Malcom X in 1965. (Of course, it's all good now, what with a black President and the post-racial age his election inaugurated...)
A Raisin in The Sun is universally hailed as one of the great contemporary American dramas. If this were a class on American theater since World War II, we would most certainly have read this play as well as Miller and Mamet's plays. It's a play that, like Miller and Mamet's plays, attracts the great actors. The original production starred Sydney Poitier and Ruby Dee (Mother Sister, to some of you, in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing). Poitier was succeeded by Ossie Davis (Ruby Dee's husband and Da Mayor in Do The Right Thing). We'll be watching clips from the 1989 production starring Danny Glover as Walter. And the play was revived on Broadway in 2004 (and made into a television movie)
starring Sean Combs (yes, Puff Daddy—or is it P-Diddy?) as Walter, muti-Tony award winner Audra McDonald (most recently seen on Broadway in the new adaptation of Porgy and Bess) as Ruth, and Mrs. Huxtable herself from The Cosby Show, Phylicia Rashad as Lena. Like Death of a Salesman and Glengarry Glen Ross, A Raisin in The Sun has become a staple in the American dramatic canon. It's a magnificent play, and one that hasn't become dated in the 53 years since its creation. And I, for one, happen to love it.
I know some of you read the play in 10th grade. I hope our study of it will add something new to your understanding of the play.
All this said, a couple questions:
1. Your reaction to the first scene? Like? Dislike? What draws you in—or what keeps you out?
2. Which character do you find yourself drawn to so far? Which character do you find yourself not drawn to so far? And, in both cases, why?
3. What line(s) in the first scene best captures for you what you think the play is about so far? And why?
Those of you who have read the play, try to the best of your ability to not give spoilers of what hasn't happened yet.
Tomorrow, we'll look at some of the first scene in class. The Death Star is alive again! See you then.
1. I think the first scene depicts the family, the family's struggles, and each family member's perspectives very well. It shows each family member's perspectives of their struggles, their money, and their life, and none of the family members really agree with each other. But this scene really introduces this family and their life in a very harsh and depressing way. It shows the true reality of this family.
ReplyDelete2. I like Mama, so far. She seems to be the loving and nurturing figure this family needs. Mama shows the love in the family, but she's not completely optimistic. She sees the reality and wants what's best for her family. I don't like Walter Lee, because I feel as though he knows the reality, but he tries to cover it up. Walter Lee doesn't want to see that his family struggles with money. For example, he gave Travis 50 cents and then an extra 50 cents when Walter Lee knows that the family is very tight on money, and then he asks Ruth for 50 cents. Walter Lee also comes off very selfish. He only talks about himself and his issues, when his issues are the family issues. He also doesn't respect Ruth at all. He kept talking about how Ruth keeps him down. He just seems immature and selfish to me.
3. One line that stuck with me was when Walter Lee said, "Tired of everything. Me, the boy, the way we live--this beat-up hole--everything. Ain't you? So tired--moaning and groaning all the time, but you wouldn't do nothing to help, would?" I think the whole family is just tired of the way they're living. I also think this line really depicts Walter Lee's perspective of his life. He's just always complaining and tired of complaining about his life. Another line I liked was the description of the apartment and the description of the carpet. "But the carpet has fought back by showing its weariness, with depressing uniformity, elsewhere on its surface. Weariness has, in fact, won in this room." I think this is a good introduction to the play and this family. This family and life is worn out and depressing. There's no life anymore in this apartment. It's dead.
1. I really enjoy this play. I think it hits on many subjects that the plays we have read so far have not addressed. It has the more obvious themes, like being a black family in a still racist community, but there are smaller more intimate ones, such as Travis coping with his financial woes, and Walter and Ruth fighting over money. I feel like I'm right there, part of the story, omnipotent but not intrusive. Its really enthralling. It's only a small detail, but I find the stage instructions a little excessive, almost as if I preferred being able to let my imagination take the story in any direction. It's not a problem though.
ReplyDelete2. I can't tell if I like Ruth yet or not, but I think she is a pretty sophisticated character. She is unhappy with where she is in life, and the way this scene ended I'm interested to see what will happen to her. I think I find myself drawn to her by the way I almost take the play from her perspective for some reason. I also like Walter. I believe he, as well as Beneathea, contain what each of these plays have in common, which is determination. I'm not sure I like Mama though. She seems to have lived her life, and she has established her goals, but she will never change them. This is admirable, but with change so prevalent in her time, It is somewhat stubborn.
3. "I don't believe in God. I don't even think about it. It's just that i get tired of Him getting credit for all the things achieves through its own stubborn effort" (51). Benethea is not even talking about god here I don't think. I think she's talking about racism, and how all the great things people have done have been pushed down or stolen due to racism.
1. I like the play so far. It’s similar to Death of a Salesman in that it depicts the struggles of a working class (or below) family. However, in this play, the entire family seems as exhausted as Willy Loman was. The Loman family gets to live in their two story house where everyone has plenty room, and they get to basically maintain their lifestyle up until (and consequently past) Willy’s death. Here we see this larger family living in a smaller, more run-down place. The tough life has taken a clear toll on everyone. And with Ruth collapsing at the end, it’s probably safe to say that this play is going to be as depressing (if not more so) than Death of a Salesman.
ReplyDelete2. So far, I like Beneatha the most. She seems determined to make something of her life. It seems as though Ruth’s dreams died long ago, and Walter’s dreams are a little naive. I can just imagine Walter investing in that store only to get scammed or just find out it was a bad investment. Then again, becoming a doctor might be an unrealistic dream for Beneatha as well. She just seems like the only one well equipped to actually make it at this point. Maybe Travis is too; we just haven’t seen enough of him (plus he’s only 11). I also really liked that she’s found enough individualism to sort of step out of the mold of her relatives. She’s an atheist, and she does nothing to try and hide it. She realizes that they can’t just wait for god to work his magic on their lives. They have to accomplish it themselves. If I’m opposed to anyone in this play, it’s Mama. And it’s certainly not to a great degree. I don’t think that we’ve seen anyone who’s truly unlikable so far, but the way she hits Beneatha for proclaiming her lack of faith was unlikeable.
3. “Yes, life can be a barrel of disappointment sometimes”(45). Ruth says that to Mama after Mama tells her about the failed dreams that she had had as a younger person. I think that this is a perfect summation of the American Dream for most people. No one grows up planning to fail, but it happens quite often. Now we have to see whether the cycle will be continued or broken by Travis and Beneatha.
1. I really liked the first scene mostly because the dynamic of the family and how each person interacts with the others. The relationship with Ruth and Mama, and then Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha also really interests me especially because Ruth and Mama seem to be closer than either Beneatha and Mama or Walter and Mama. I usually see woman and their mother-in-laws having a big gap in their relationship, but to see a woman and her mother-in-law seeming closer to each other than the mother and her children is really interesting for me to see.
ReplyDelete2. I find myself drawn to Beneatha because she’s really fighting for what she wants, which is to be a doctor and she’s also really trying hard to care for her mother and not let Walter get in the way of her mother’s money. She knows that her mother could use that money for a new house or to pay for Beneatha’s medical schooling, but she would rather her mother choose what to do with the money instead of her children telling her what to do with it whether or not she’s considered their ideas before. On page 37, “I never asked anyone around here to do anything for me!” her brother is telling her to work just like everyone around the house, but she wants to work for her own benefit, and to make herself happy, whereas everyone is working to make money for the family. Yes, it could be called selfish, but for me, it fits perfectly into the timeframe, because the people who were fighting for civil rights stopped working for the benefit of others, but started working for their own benefit. Beneatha is a revolutionary figure of the Younger family to me. I’m not so keen on Walter, because he comes off to me as very resentful of Beneatha’s working for her own benefit and he really seems like he’s trying to hinder her success so the family will be equal.
3. The line that I quoted earlier from Beneatha on page 37, “I never asked anyone around here to do anything for me!” really stands out for me because it’s the sentiment of the time at that moment, the turning point where the people that never asked for anything start taking matters into their own hands to get what they want, just like Beneatha is doing for her own future.
1. What drew me in from the start were the stage directions. I found them very interesting and it’s completely different from Glengarry Glen Ross where there were barely any stage directions. The one that really struck me was one that described Ruth: “Now it is apparent that life has been little that she expected, and disappointment has already begun to hang in her face.” (24) This line said a lot to me about Ruth’s character, and she hadn’t even spoken yet. For me, the stage directions in this play add so much to the narrative and add another layer to story.
ReplyDelete2. Like Sohail and Molly, I feel drawn to Beneatha. She seems to be only in the play (so far) who is actually doing something to better their position in life. Walter Lee has dreams of opening a liquor store, but at this point it just seems to be a fantasy. Ruth is so focused on providing her family and being the ideal spouse and mother and doesn’t seem to want to do anything for herself. Mama is at a point where she really has no time to better her place in the world. I have a hard time connecting with Walter Lee because he seems very self-serving to me, especially compared to his wife who does everything for her family and ignores her own needs.
3. “There simply is no blasted God - there is only man and it is he who makes miracles!” (51). Beneatha says this and the reason I think this line is so important is because this family is not in a great condition. Their home is small, they aren’t in the best financial situation, and there is palpable tension the members of the family. The family is not going to be saved by God, they all need to put the work in to it for things to be fixed. Beneatha seems to be the only one actively trying to change the course of her life by going to medical school, and it is because she has this mindset that God will not save her and it is the individual that has the power to make miraculous changes in their lives.
1. I like the play so far. It is very honest, and there is already a lot of depth. Like Death of a Salesman, I think the main conflict will central around the different dreams each character has. In my opinion the play has a sort of sleepy tone so far, but it doesn't bother me. I think that fits really well with the melancholic mindset all the characters have. What drew me in the most was the idea that these characters have, and probably will, always get the short end of the stick. In some ways they have accepted this, but at the same time they won't give up.
ReplyDelete2. I like Beneatha the most so far. She seems strong and independent, and she really wants change. I found it interesting when she was talking about how she doesn't believe in god, because usually poor people have a strong sense of faith. She just seems to see the world in her own way, and I like that. Walter Lee bothers me the most. He reminds me of Willy a lot, in a bad way. He is optimistic with money, but I don't think he is thinking too clearly about it. Honestly though at this point I'm not sure; he very well might be on the right track. But it is clear that Walter doesn't respect Ruth, or women in general, and that is very frustrating.
3. There are two that really stuck out to me. The first was Mama quoting Big Walter: "'Seem like God didn't see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams- but He did give us children to make them dreams seem worth while'"(46). To me this really stressed the importance of family that is becoming apparent in this play, as well as the theme of dreams (like I said earlier each character has their own dreams).
The second was Ruth talking about George: "Shallow- what do you mean he's shallow? He's rich!"(48). Ruth shows that since they are living with so little, money has become the only thing that really matters. Money not only gives you a better live but makes you a better person.
1. I think the most interesting aspect of this boom so far is that they've already begun to tackle issues of race, class, gender, and religion. It seems that most novels only dare to tackle one of these issues if any at all, but already, in this first scene, all of these issues have been introduced as key conflicts in the novel. In addition each one of the characters has already received a good level of description. In only a few pages all of the characters have been given enough depth that there is no easy way to characterize them. Overall the play has done an impressive job bringing the reader in so far.
ReplyDelete2. I think it's hard to say who appeals to me most at this point in the book. Each character is flawed in one way or another. The only character who truly appeals to me at this point is Travis. Unfortunately the only reason I have to feel this way is that he's the only character I don't dislike. Whereas the rest of the characters are flawed, Travis seems perfectly innocent so far. I don't know how long this will last but for now he remains the character that appeals to me the most. His relationship with his parents has served to endear him to me because it is the only relationship so far I feel like I can identify with.
3. The quote that I think best captures the first scene is Mama's quote, "One done almost lost his mind thinking 'bout money all the time and the other done commence to talk about things I can't understand in no form or fashion." I think this shows the heart of the conflict in the family. While Walter is thinking of nothing but his mildly ridiculous plan to enter the liqueur business Beneatha is thinking of nothing but herself and her schooling. No one in the family seems at all prepared to compromise or even acknowledge the needs of the other members of the family and this results in a mutual frustration throughout the family.
I agree with you 100% Andrew about the way Hansberry weaves the themes of race, class, gender, and religion so quickly and effortlessly into the play. The mutual frustration is clearly there, but aren't Lena and Ruth pretty much on the same page? And what should Beneatha be thinking? And why would Walter be so fixated on such a questionable plan? As we said in class on Friday, who isn't selfish on one level on another? Even Travis, the boy, who will appeal to Mama when he can't get what he wants from his mother. What is what each character wanting so much saying about this world they live in?
DeleteI did like the first scene of the play. I think Lorraine does a very good job really showing this family's life through beginning the play by starting out with just any old regular morning. The stress, the cramped living space, the love between mother and son, the focus on money, morals, and god, even the hostility between family members is shown is just this one scene. But, as it is a regular morning, it is implied that this is how life regularly goes for the Younger family, and from that implication you are really able to get a good look at the Younger family and what they are about from just the opening scene. I think of all the aspects of the first scene, the one that really pulled me in, the one that really gave me an idea of the struggles the Younger family has and the poverty they live in, was how they all share one bathroom with the other people on the floor of the apartment building, and how casual or normal that seems to them. Or, rather, how used to this sort of life they are. They get up every morning and it is routine to race the other people in the hall to the bathroom, and I think that of everything this really shows the situation they are in.
ReplyDeleteThe character I feel the most drawn to at this point is Mama. Of all the characters, she seems to be the one who is the most positive, the character who is really trying to give off a positive attitude in a not so positive environment. She is upbeat, and Ruth does not agree with her spoiling Travis, but what are Grandmother's for? I think it gives her more of a warm personality. Also, she is very religious, and I just simply agree with that and it ties me to her a little bit. However, I would say that it does feel a little bit like she is in denial of the bad situation they're in, that she is trying to block out and forget, and it feels like this is foreshadowing for something along these lines that will happen later in the play. The character I'm not drawn to so far is Beneatha. While Beneatha is in medical school and actually getting somewhere with her life by studying to be a doctor, she seems stuck up and entitled to me. It feels like she doesn't appreciate the fact that the Younger family is paying for the expenses of school, and she just comes off as a little snobby in my opinion. Plus, it always feels like she is picking a fight with someone. Yes, she makes the point to say that all she does is walk into the room and people get angry, but to me it feels like she always does something to instigate it.
"You tired, ain't you? Tired of everything. So tired-moaning and groaning all the time, but you wouldn't do nothing to help, would you?" This line from Walter I think really tells us from the get go what the play is about. The play is about going out and changing your fortune, putting matters into your own hands to change your life. It is physically up to you to achieve the American Dream. But more than this, I think what the purpose of this play really is is to question this theory. I think this line from Walter establishes the big question that the rest of the play will answer: can you simply change your fortune and your life because you try, because you put your mind to it?
Indeed with that last point, Sam. He wants so much to change the fortunes of his family, in much the same way Willy wants to provide for his family. Race, class, gender, religion, family, the place of the man and woman in this world—Walter echoes often the world view of Roma and the salesmen. What kind of man is he if he can't provide for his family? And just to make clear: Beneatha isn't in med school yet.
Delete1. I found the stage direction interesting. The detail that is provided is incredible and the first thing that I thought about is how painful it could be to fulfilled every detail. On the other hand, I think that if the director is able to make this happen, it would be a gorgeous play. I think that the first scene capture the problem entirely and it provided very dynamic characters that are very real. This scene does not fail to capture the reader's attention by maintaining a constant interaction between the characters.
ReplyDelete2. I find Travis a very interesting character. In other plays we have read, there is not much attention paid to kids but I think that this play would be different. It is interesting to see how he acts considering how different his parents are. Also due to the fact that his dad tries to shelter him from their financial issues and this could hurt him greatly. I am not very fond of Mama because it think that she is too stubborn and could hurt her family. The way she forces Bennie to believe what she says is repulsive.
3. To me, the line, "I listen to you every day, every night and every morning, and you never say nothing new" (34), because it talks about change. This makes me think about the change they are all expecting when the money comes, but also about times when nothing changes. Maybe the money comes or maybe it doesn't but the characters might stayed the same. Everybody wants change but it is a scary thing to think about. Many people don't like change and are not capable of changing. For better of for worse, change is inevitable.
1. I first read this play in Jr. High and I really liked it back then. I have already realized that I am going to have a completely different understanding of the play now than when I first read it 4-5 years ago. However, I still really like how realistic it all is, and how the characters have an honest struggle. I also like how this family seems more like real families. I like the Younger family much more than the Loman family because they seem so real. I like how each of the characters have different traits, attitudes, the dynamic isn’t so superficial, I think the Youngers depict a wider group of families in the 50’s than the Lomans do. I just really enjoy the reality of the play.
ReplyDelete2. I like Ruth because she is trying to hold her entire family together and she isn’t lying to herself. I found myself comparing her to Linda a lot because Linda would constantly reassure Willy when the going got rough and Ruth just straight up tells Walter that they don’t have 50 cents to give Travis and that the whole liquor business isn’t a good idea. She isn’t fooled by anything and I really like that. I also really like Lena for the same reasons and I think she is trying to make everyone stay together as a whole family unit through this tough time. I don’t really like Walter, I don’t like Walter even more because I know what happens later on, I just don’t like him because I don’t like how he treats Ruth. I think he doesn’t acknowledge just how hard she tries and I think that he’s putting down his own support system which in turn will be his own downfall.
3. The quote that sticks out for me is what Lena said that Big Walter said: “Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams - but He did give us children to make them dreams seem more worth while” (45). I think this quote explains what the play is about because this family just struggles in every way and it seems like dreams and religion are all they have to keep going. Lena never got the house she wanted, she never was able to achieve what she wanted and it seems like Beneatha is living out her life for the sake of her mother, to make her mother feel like she has at least achieved something in raising them right and raising them to achieve their dreams.
1. So far, I like this play. The incredibly descriptive set up was tedious, and at first I didn't like how each action and emotion was so cleary described by Hansbury since we're coming right off of Glenngary Glenn Ross. As Andrew pointed out, already so many important issues have arisen from this one scene and can lead to days of discussion. What draws me into the play is the fact that I can see clearly the struggles of each character-- there isn't a single one that I don't sympathize with. What keeps me out is the feeling of the same cycle day in and day out. I could see this play being very depressing in the end.
ReplyDelete2. I love Beneatha! She's so sassy and to the point. I feel like she's the type of person to call the bullshit which is so refreshing. She is an incredibly brave and progressive person. I was particularly impressed with her snapping at her mother: "Mama, you don't understand. It's all a matter of ideas, amd God is just one idea I don't accept"(51). She is very well spoken, and I admire her. Ruth, on the other hand, bothers me. Walter so obviously needs her support and her love, but she refuses to offer any. Later, when she's talking to Lena, we see that she does care for her husband's dreams, but I think that she could definitely improve her life and her family's if she smiled and was more affectionate and understanding.
3. "Big Walter used to say, he'd get right wet in the eyes sometimes, lean his head back with the water standing in his eyes and say, 'Seem like God didn't see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams-- but He did give us children to make them seem worthwhile"(46). I think this quote illustrates what the play is about so far. The power of dreaming and the pain of failure to reach those dreams. The only bright light for the failings of dremas is seeing the hope for your children, and the fact that you give them the opportunities you can in order for them to succeed. It's like getting a second chance. This is a strong theme that we also saw in most of the other books we've read thus far. Mama and Big Walter had/have big hopes for their kids. Same with Ruth and Walter for Travis. I think a problem for these parents is that they give up on themselves and rely only on the success of their offspring for reassurance that they did something right.
To answer John's additional comment, every character in the book so far wants to succeed in the way they see the rich white men. They want the house, the jobs, the leisure, and the seemingly endless opportunities. It really shows the racial inequality in this world they live in, and it also shows what it is they think they need in order to be happy. Society is dictating who they believe they should be.
1. So far I like this play a lot more than the two other plays that we have read so far. The book does a great job of describing not only the setting, but the characters as well. The book's descriptions really helped me get a mental image of the apartment and all the characters that live inside it, and brought me in closer to the scene. I think that this book goes to extra lengths to narrate and dictate the settings of the play. Where the other plays used minimal stage direction and setting descriptions, this book explains the entire layout.
ReplyDelete2. My favorite character so far is Mama. She is by far the strongest character in the play, and she seems to be the anchor for the family. While everyone else is going crazy, she stands strong. Even though Ruth is depressed, Walter has become lost in his dreams and Beneatha has become pretentious and condesending, Mama remains faithful and strong. My least favorite character is Beneatha. She wants to learn new things and branch out culturally, but in doing so she belittles her family. Why did she find it necessary to upset her grandmother? She seems like a perfect example of young arrogance. She educates herself and then looks down upon others because she thinks they are ignorant and unable to understand her logic.
3. So far my favorite line was the description of the tiny window in the apartment. It is the only source of natural light in the whole room, and it is very small. As of yet, I feel like the window represents hope. Even though it's tiny and doesn't measure up to much, it keeps the family going. It mirrors the predicament of Ruth and Walter. Walter sees a window of opportunity and thinks that all of his problems are solved, while ruth is more reserved and has almost given up on her hopes of a different life.
1. I thought that the first scene demonstrated the issues and the conflicts that take place in this family very well. The thought that this conversation may happen every day for decades illustrates the immobility of the Youngers. I like the play so far, and am interested to see where it is going to go. The situation with the life insurance money intrigues me, and I am wondering how that money will be spent.
ReplyDelete2. I like Travis. His maturity at such a young age really hit me with his family's struggles. He doesn’t complain and is willing to work for his money, and at age eleven he already knows how money makes the world go round. I don’t not like Walter Lee, but he is my least favorite character so far. He refuses to accept that his family is in financial trouble, but his love for his child is admirable. He doesn’t want Travis to think that they’re in trouble, and everything is going to be all right, but sooner or later Walter has to face the facts. But, I like Walter’s aspirations, however confounded, to be more than what he is and live the American Dream.
3. “Now—you say after me, in my mother’s house there is still God” (51). This line from Lena states that she is against anything new, and makes her life stagnant. Beneatha is progressive, always wanting to try out new things and rise above her humble beginnings, but Mama has a hard time accepting that. Lena’s children are dreamers, just like how she dreamt of that garden, but Lena does not change to fulfill her dream. I believe in Beneatha’s argument about God receiving credit for humanity’s miracles, so I am inclined to stand on her side. But slapping a grown woman, even if she is your child, is a cross of the line no matter how you look at it.
1. I love it so far. This is the first thing we have read in this class that has captivated me from the start. I love the interactions between the characters. The differences in personalities are so compelling. I like the insight into a completely different lifestyle than my own. The characters' lives are so foreign to me, but so interesting. I like that the idea of class differences as well as racial differences and stereotypes are established so early. I really like Beneatha. She is the one character not to only realizes these distinctions and stereotypes, but to no see them as impasses. She is strong, strong-willed and empowered.
ReplyDelete2. I touched on this in the first answer but I really like Beneatha. As I said she is the strongest character in the play. I love how, despite her family, her culture, and her society, she is determined to make a better future for herself. She sacrifices so much to do something that the rest of her family and society doesn't understand. I also like the talk about her forms of expression. How she defies what is expected in order to help her find her own forms of empowerment, I'm not as much of a fan of Walter. He is so bought into the expected. He is the first in the play to mention and put stock in racial stereotypes. He talks about how black women are inhibitors to the great dreams of black men. Yet in the play the only true dreamer is Beneatha.
3. The line that stuck out to me was when Beneatha was talking about god to Mama and Ruth. She says "There simply is no blasted God-there is only man and it is he who makes miracles!" This line stuck out to me because it is so against everything Beneatha's family believes in. Beneatha realizes the reality of life, nothing can happen without people and people's will to succeed. God cannot, as she says, pay tuition, he cannot motivated people, give them money. It is up to the individual to make things happen.
1. I really like this so far. I've read it before, but I don't remember much of the play and I've already noticed different things within the story, particularly with regards to the bigger picture. I agree with others that this family seems the most genuine so far. I believe the struggles much more here than I did with the past two plays, but maybe it's because I'm already familiar with the characters. I think the first scene does a great job at dropping us into the story just enough so that we understand that this family is struggling with money and family dynamic, but not so much that I feel lost or confused by these struggles. Again, I don't know if that's just because I've read it before. Although this book has used more stage directions, I don't feel like I'm trying to picture a play on a stage with props and an audience. The writing presents a story that makes it easier and smoother to imagine.
ReplyDelete2. I do feel bad for Walter. He wants to be able to support his family so badly but just hasn't had the luck to do so. He does tend to sugar coat their situation which really doesn't help, but I sympathize with his desire to make the problems go away. I can imagine that a man who can't support his family and whose family doesn't even trust to be the money-maker can feel emasculating. We've read so many books about men who go out and push themselves so far to be the modern cowboy and now we have a man who isn't even trusted to be the cowboy. The Loman family at least had hope that Willy would pull it together. Mama and Beneatha don't believe in his investments ideas, although probably rightfully so. I don't like Beneatha. She is way too self-centered and I'm bothered by the fact that she still needs to express herself. When your family is struggling financially it's probably not the best time to be finding activities that allow her to "express herself."
3. I love the line “Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams - but He did give us children to make them dreams seem more worth while." This family dreams and dreams and dreams but where is their opportunity? They are living in a home that screams disappointment, Walter can't make enough money, Beneatha wants to go to med school, Mama deserves to travel the world according to Ruth, and then there's little Travis with his whole life ahead of him. This family wants to be successful so that this innocent little boy can be too.
1. I liked this first scene a lot. The first thing it did was to thrust us, the readers, into this apartment that looked sad and decrepit, and introduced us to all of the problems and conflicts bubbling in that apartment. The way it is done, and how it is the first thing we see, makes it seem like this is an almost daily occurrence, a routine for the Younger family. Walter being… Walter with his dream of a liquor store, Beneatha and Walter fighting, and everything else going on in this first scene. It draws me in because it is so dynamic and the air in this house seems so… volatile.
ReplyDelete2. I find myself really taking a liking to Beneatha. She is quick, to the point, and smart. She wants to be a doctor and won’t let anyone tell her otherwise. And she sees. We see that she calls George “shallow”, and Mama and Ruth are both asking what she means by that. And, she is very strong. Not letting anyone get in her way of becoming a doctor and also fighting her VERY strong willed mother on the point of God. I find myself not liking Walter very much. I don’t know, maybe it’s just the way he talks for the short time we see him. Maybe it’s the way he treats Ruth. I don’t know. But the first person that came to mind when being asked who I don’t like was Walter. But, I do respect that he wants to get out of this situation by starting a business.
3. “ You tired, ain’t you? Tired of everything, me, the boy, the way we live—this beat-up hole—everything. Ain’t you? So tired—moaning and groaning all the time, but you wouldn’t do nothing to help, would you? You couldn’t be on my side that long for nothing, could you?” I feel like these lines so far represent what the play is about because it talking about wanting to dig yourself out, and the lack of support. Walter wants to pull himself up by his bootstraps to get out of this “beat-up hole” that they are living in. Working himself to achieve the American Dream.
1. I really enjoy the first scene for the tight bonds that are clearly visible between all the members of the family. It seems as though being stuck in poverty and scrounging for money brings them together in ways that ordinary families would never see. On the other hand this constant battle for money strips this family to the core and creates fights inside the family. This idea of money being a battle intrigues me and draws me in more than anything else. Its like a spectator watching a fight in progress guessing at who will win. I like this family at first glance and will enjoy reading on their progress.
ReplyDelete2. I feel drawn to Travis. At such a young age to have to live in harsh economic times would be extremely hard. He seems to handle it well as we see in the first scene a lively and chipper kid that loves his family. I loved the scene with Ruth, his mother, and him when he is so frustrated with her but after teasing he falls into her arms and all is forgiven. It shows that even when times are hard the can fall back on their family and give each other strength. This was very touching. I didn't have a clear character that I disliked. I would only say that Mama was very harsh when dealing with Beneatha's outburst on God. I think she could have been a little less stern but at the same time I respect her and see that she is just trying to keep the family from falling apart.
3. "DAMN MY EGGS--DAMN ALL THE EGGS THAT EVER WAS!" (34). This is Walter yelling at Ruth for telling him to shut up and eat his eggs. I though it was powerful because it shows the frustration that poverty brings. Walter is powerless against in and can do nothing about it. This struggle with money causes Walter to shout at his own wife. Walter cannot accept that nothing can be done about it. He must find a way to help his family while Ruth has accepted the fact they are poor. I feel that for Walter a lot of words could replace eggs in this line.
I really enjoyed reading the first scene because as opposed to the last two plays we’ve read there are multiple women in the play and I can relate so much more. Of course the oppression of women and people of color shocked me just as much. The language kept me hooked too because for some reason the way they said things was just more realistic to me than using formal english. I also liked the description of the characters because it was better for my mind. I think the lack of description in the last play is what kept my interest so low. The storyline is dramatic as well so I’m excited to read the rest and know what happens.
ReplyDeleteI’m mostly drawn to Bennie because she’s a young girl, so I mostly relate with her. She seems to be not much of a sinner yet when she does something so freely with sort-of-good intentions, she gets shunned. She’s a free person and very “spirited” as described. It seems that Bennie is the most enlightened character out of all of them. She tries to break out of the stereotype. I’m not really drawn to Walter because I can’t relate to him. He’s just a man that blames his wife for his failures, and I don’t like that. So maybe I don’t like him.
“We ain’t no business people, Ruth. We just plain working folks.” I think this play is about the stubborness people are born into. The black race was oppressed for so long, that these people don’t believe they deserve more. They limit themselves.
1) The first scene of A Raisin In The Sun is about as far from the opening scene of Glengarry Glen Ross as it can be. From the explanations of actions to the presence of women, this play is perfectly timed to follow the lifeless atmosphere of Glengarry Glen Ross. The character that appealed to me most had to be Ruth. She is a lot like Linda in her respect for her husband, but she is stronger than Linda and is a force to be reckoned with. This is the first book that has involved children, and it's nice to see Ruth act as both a wife and a mother figure. I have read this book before, but thankfully I can't remember the ending so i'm looking forward to finding out the result of the mysterious "check". All around I thought it was a great start.
ReplyDelete2) Like I said, Ruth appealed to me most. However, the character of Walter is also very distinct and different from any character we've met this year. He reminds me of Willy Loman in his dreams and visions of success. He wants the best for his family, even though he doesn't exactly respect Ruth. He is a hardworking man and values his dream above all else. Walter seems to solidify his dreams more than Willy, although they seemingly never work out. Beneatha annoys me a bit. She seems like a bit of a troublemaker and doesn't seem to be on the same page with the rest of the family. Like Alex said though, she is the only member of the family with a realistic dream. She acts to achieve that dream, putting her one step ahead of Walter. I am interested in seeing Beneatha's and Walter's paths towards achieving their goals.
3) “Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams - but He did give us children to make them dreams seem more worth while” (45). This is the first play we've read that deals with race. This line sums up Walter's intentions. He clearly loves Travis and works for his benefit. Walter's dreams spur him on, and even if he doesn't benefit from them it gives him hope for Travis's life. Without Travis, Walter would be an entirely different man. Walter pretends that Ruth doesn't live up to his expectations, but Walter is defined by his family.
1. I really liked reading the first scene of this play. It gave me a lot to think about. I am curious to know exactly what happened to Ruth and what will happen with the mysterious check. All the characters are very distinct and interesting to read. The storyline kept me intrigued and I enjoyed getting to know this family. I liked that Hansberry opened the play with the morning routine, it shows a somewhat normal morning for the family. The stage directions were very in depth and gave a good amount of information on each character. Unlike the beginning of Mamet's novel, Hansberry eases the reader into the play. It is easily understood and the message comes across clearly.
ReplyDelete2. I was drawn to Bennie's character the most while reading the scene because she is hard working and is ready to make something of herself. Bennie wants to be a doctor and she won't let anyone tell her to be a nurse. Also she thinks to much of herself to marry a boy that she doesn't love just because of his money.Bennie wants love and will sacrifice George's money for it. Bennie is finding her own path and I respect that in a character. There is not a character that I don't like yet. I can't say that any of them are really bad people. I am not drawn to Walter's character that much. He is living on the dream of a check and he is not willing to step out. I did not like that Lena slapped Bennie, but I am still somewhat drawn to her character. There are a lot of layers in her character that I can't wait to see.
3. The line from Travis's exit stands out to me, "What you tell the boy things like that for?...Here son-...In fact, here's another fifty cents...Buy yourself some fruit today-or take a taxicab to school or something!"(31). Walter does not want to let Travis feel left out or poor. Walter is almost even alluding his wealth to himself. He is banking on the check that is supposed to come on Saturday. He makes a point of shoving the fact that he is giving Travis money in Ruth's face. Walter wants to believe that everything will be alright. Travis is being lulled into a false sense of security as well. Only Ruth is alert, she wont speak of the check and acts as if it is taboo. The check is a way for this family to carry on. Everyone is counting on the mail that will come with Saturday. I'm very curious to see what happens next.
This first scene was an enjoyable one to read because in my opinion it was a really realistic view if the struggle for the American Dream that still happens today. It portrayed the life of a lower class colored family that is working to maintain and adequate lifestyle. I liked that we got an inside to the characters and we saw what each of their dreams are. The way the play is written with all the details and dialogue made it easy to visualize and kept me drawn in. I also enjoyed how emotions and different tones are used by Hansberry and it shows how their way of life is affecting the family. I find it interesting that the characters have race, and or gender as possible obstacle a lot with the issue of class.
ReplyDeleteWalter Lee reminds me of Willy Loman because he is the father figure who wants the best for his family but is so caught up with his ambitions and he money he loses a sense of reality and how things really are at the house. It also makes him a stubborn husband on his wife who is feeling down, so I don't like him as much as other characters like Mama or Beneatha. Mama is the head of the household in my opinion unlike Walter, because she provides love and nurture like the mother tribute she is and she understands and era listed the reality of how things are. Walter just covers it up and decides to not face it. For example he gives Travis 50cents covering up their issues with money and not letting Travis see how things really are. Beneatha in my opinion has dreams that can one day attainable and are more realistic and positive than Walter's liquor store. I also admire how she is ready to face everything against her like race, gender, and class issues to realize that dream.
I would say a line from Ruth and Mama's conversation on page 45 defines what his play will be about. Ruth states, "Yes, life can be a barrel of disappointment sometimes." I feel we will find out how hard it has been for the family to achieve their goals and a great life. Mama has already told us how her dream did not work. Ruth realizes and accepts the ways things are in their life and how race, class and gender prevent her true happiness. Another quote is from page 37 “I never asked anyone around here to do anything for me." Beneatha doesn't allow the factors against her to stop et she realizes she has to do things on her own is she wants to accomplish anything. She is willing to fight for her dreams in order to succeed and I believe that will be another aspect of this story.
1. I have read this book before, so I kind of knew what to expect in the first scene, even though I have forgotten a couple details since sophomore year. No matter what, I really like this book. Not only doe I like the characters and the plot line, but I like how different this book is from the last two books. I think that the last two books we have read have characters that I cannot connect with as much as I would like to, but just from this first scene and seeing their morning routine, and seeing how the family interacts, I feel like I can really connect. I really like having an idea about what is going on and where we are, setting wise, unlike at the beginning of Glengary Glen Ross. I really like the way Hansberry introduces the characters, and how from the beginning I know who is who, I know all of their mannerisms, and I know their morning routine, I already feel a personal connection to them.
ReplyDelete2. Like many people have said before, I am very drawn to Beneatha. Her character and her personality is something that i think I have been lacking in the books we have read recently. Her strong manner, and her perseverance and her courage to say things that, at that time and in that family especially were not accepted. I also feel like I have been missing a strong WOMAN. WE have read a few books about strong men and weak men, and salesmen, but we have not read a lot of books about a strong fearless woman. I think this really adds to the play because all of a sudden it is no longer a mans world, and we see things, slowly but surely starting to shift. I strive to be someone like Beneatha on a daily basis, I try to stand up for myself and what I believe in and I feel like I can connect a lot to her as well because of her religious beliefs, I am agnostic/atheist and I understand her ideas, and her thoughts behind her comments. Some people have said this already, but I do not think I am not drawn to anyone right now, if anyone though, it would be Mama, in the way she reacted to her daughters statement. I find it hard to believe that just because you do not agree with someones ideas, especially your daughters that someone could believe that hitting was okay. if she is a god loving and God fearing women I think that it would be against her beliefs too.
3. I believe an important quote so far is, “We ain’t no business people, Ruth. We just plain working folks.” because I think it shows that these people are not people like we have seen in the past. We are not focusing on the business is business side of the book, we are focusing on the human or humanized side of the book. I really believe that this book is a good representation of the act because it helps me look at the book in a different light, and change my mindset from the last two books, so that I am able to focus on the main point, that people are not old dogs and that there are still people who pull up their boot straps in the morning.
I like the play so far. Even though it seems to echo Death of a Salesman a bit, it is fundamentally different from it. For one thing, there are more characters introduced. The Younger family is much larger than the Loman family. What I keep returning to is the fatigue of all the characters as they wake up in the morning, like Travis- he "makes his bed" by throwing all the sheets together haphazardly, and has to be reminded to comb his hair by Ruth. Mama seems like the quintessential meddling mother-in-law, and one has to wonder what it was like for Ruth living with her for all those years. But I guess these characters feel like it would be easier to know them, they have all of our problems.
ReplyDeleteI like Beneatha a lot. She seems strong-willed and independent, arguing with Walter in the first scene. We learn that she wants to become a doctor, which is a pretty high aspiration given the state of the family and their finances, and considering the fact that it is 1959 and she is a Black woman. However, I think that she has the drive to overcome the race and gender obstacles, that's part of what makes her character.
"Don't nothing happen in this world for you 'less you pay somebody off!" This quote describes the bitter reality that the Younger family has to face every day, the situation that Walter finds himself in. To help speed along the process of getting a liquor license, he has to bribe somebody- he doesn't mention who. Ruth calls it what it is, a bribe, but he doesn't want her to call it that, doesn't want to feel like he's playing dirty, although he won't get anywhere in this world playing by the rules.
I like that Hansberry shows the family dynamics in the first scene and we get a sense of the situation, with a little history and background information right away. The stage direction and scene description are my favorite things about the play so far, I can really picture the apartment well in my head. Like Andrew said, I also think it’s interesting that issues of race, class, religion, and gender have already been highlighted; it gives the reader a sense that the characters are very aware of those statuses on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteI’m drawn to Travis, because he is innocent and does not really understand the situation completely. He does to some degree obviously, because he lives it, but he does not know what it means in the grand scheme of things. His innocence is portrayed though his persistent kid-like ways with his parents and when he takes the extra 50 cents from his dad to buy fruit or take a taxi to school. As much as I like how Walter acts around Travis, I find him to be childish and have dreams that aren’t well thought-out. His eagerness to spend Mama’s money is unsettling. I get the feeling that rather than Walter and Ruth being the people who hold the household together, Mama and Ruth do.
“RUTH what is there to be pleasant ‘bout!” (31) This line gives the right uncomfortable feeling of how unhappy and unsatisfying life in the Young family is. They are not doing well financially, and live in very close quarters, and I think that is why they can’t stand each others different ideas and argue all the time. Everyone in that family has their own idea of what is the best thing to do for themselves, and or for the family as a whole. This causes conflict and a lot of tension between them as they anxiously wait for the check and wonder what is going to happen with the money.
1.
ReplyDeleteSo far I am enjoying the play. I like the new perspective of family life that the play presents, which, while the core themes remain the same, the effects on different individuals are distinctly different from the plays we've read previously.
2.
I find myself drawn to Travis, who is the innocent voice in the play, who calls what he sees as how he sees it. I find myself repulsed from Walter, simply due to the fact that he can think of nothing else than money, he is the dreamer of the family, much like Willy Loman, but he has never been given the opportunity to fail.
3.
I feel that the line that sums of the play and the world around these people is, “Don’t nothing happen in this world less you pay somebody off!” This is the world around them, this is reality.
1) Yes, I do like it so far. I think it is a really interesting change from all the books that we have been reading so far. It shows some of the struggles that other characters we have studied faced but I find the extra aspect of race interesting.
ReplyDelete2) It is hard for me to decide at this point which characters I am most attached to. I really appreciate Mama but that may be because she is such a contrast to the characters in Death of a Salesman. I do not exactly dislike any of the characters very strongly yet.
3) I thought the quote, "“We ain’t no business people, Ruth. We just plain working folks.” was really interesting because I have a feeling that this play may highlight the difference between the work of the characters in Raisin in the Sun and the work of those in Death of a Salesman.
1. I liked this play the first time I read it in 10th grade, and I still liked it when I reread it. Like Jenny, the stage directions added an interesting element for me while I was reading. I guess it made the characters emotions very clear to the reader. There was one part where Travis said "whoopee!" and then there were 5 lines describing what he was doing as he said it. I have been enjoying that we've been reading plays recently, I had not done much of that before this year.
ReplyDelete2. I think its nearly impossible to dislike Walter as a character. Maybe I am biased since this is my second time reading the play, but I think it's pretty obvious that Walter's heart is in the right place. To me, he is a very similar character to Willy Loman. He is desperately trying to support his family. He shows his desperation with his investment schemes. I dislike Beneatha the most out of the current characters. I respect that she is trying to get in touch with her heritage, but it seems like there would be more productive uses of her time, like helping the family by getting a job.
3. One of the lines you quoted in the original post was actually one of my favorite lines in the section. When Lena says "One done almost lost his mind thinking 'bout money all the time" stuck out to me. It pretty much sums up the meaning of the play to me.
1. The first thing I noticed about scene 1 was the use of stage directions. Hansberry used about three pages of extremely detailed stage directions that I think really set up the first scene and made it a lot easier to understand. This books seems so real and relatable compared to the last few books. This shows a realistic family dealing with a period of struggle. There is a small hint of Death of a Salesman in this play. I see this most with the characters of Ruth and Linda.
ReplyDelete2. I am really drawn to Beneatha. I think she has a lot of the spirit and drive that the rest of her family is lacking. She is really independent and strong, which must have been very difficult thing to be in that time period. I like how she talks back to Walter and put him in his place unlike Ruth, who isn't as independent and forthright.
3. "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've got to give him is stories about how rich white people live..." (34). Walter's line really sums up the main theme of the play so far. Walter, much like Willy, is trying to establish himself and be respected and loved. He is yearning for success that is quite out of his reach.
The humanity leaps out at me and slaps me in the face. The unexpected details that make a house a home are more than enough to show the spirit of the family. Each character is already more complex than expected. Above all there is personality to this play, it's not a blatant American Dream story, it's a window into the lives of people who are struggling with hardship, but still with spirit. It does not seem dull or gloomy, there is a hint of vitality in these charters despite the grind of every day life. Hansberry's descriptions and stage directions add an entirely new element as well. It reads more like a novel than a play.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of complexity, Walter takes the cake. I am intrigued to hear about his back story, and how he got to be stuck in this situation. Without knowing his history I am inclined to say that I feel sorry for Walter. It can't be easy to be living with your mom at 35, and with a kid who sleeps in the living room. More than anything though, he still seems to be searching for a way to go get out. He's looking for the golden opportunity, but unlike his son, he doesn't go out and get it, he's just relying on Mama's money to save him. This poor man is just hoping for a miracle at this point. He can't seem to understand that he is unreasonable and child-like because he is only focused on appearing to be the adult and the man of the house.
"DAMN ALL THE EGGS THAT EVER WAS". Walter's anger at his stagnant situation culminates with this outbreak. He uses the eggs because they are so ordinary, so mundane and everyday, to show that this is the same story each and every morning, that nothing ever changes. He so desperately want to escape that he doesn't think about the basic necessities of living. It sums up their strain to have to think about the basics when really all they want to do is be like the rich white folks.