If you got a big life insurance check today, what would you spend it on? If it came from your fathers insurance and he spent his whole life working to get that money for your family, how would you spend it? Would you use it to buy something that he always wanted for the family or would you split it up between the family members and let them use it how they want?
That is the story behind "A Raisin in the Sun". The Younger family had this experience and situation happen to them. Walter Lee Sr. worked his whole life so he could try to make his families life better. Well that moment finally came for the family, and now the question is what should they do with the money? The life insurance check worth $10,000 just arrived and all of the kids are already being greedy over it. Mama, however, is one of the only people that wants to use this money for the good of her family instead of the kids using them for their own personal uses. Mama has her deceased husbands goals in mind when she decides to use the check. Walter Lee Sr. always wanted his family to be able to get out of the impoverished areas of Chicago and live a nice life, a life that most black families at that time could not have. Mama decided to use the money to buy her family a nice house in a white neighborhood that would give her family a different, better life.
It seemed like Beneatha wanted to use the money for the good of the family because she kept saying that it was their father's money and they should use it how he wanted, however, she also wanted to use some of the money to help pay for her schooling. Walter Lee Jr. on the other hand wanted to use the money to invest in a liquor store because he figured that if they invested in that then they would make a quick return on it and would have more than just $10,000. I believe that in the end Mama made the best decision by using her husbands money for something that he wanted for the whole family.
The title of your post really say's a lot about the play. Mama played a big role with the family and there decisions.
ReplyDeleteI like the title of your post. I feel Mama is an important part of the play and the Younger family, yet at times is seen as a nuisance by her children. If it wasn't for Mama, they wouldn't have the apartment they are in and they wouldn't be able to use her late husband's insurance money for their benefits. Mama is the backbone of the family and should have the last say of where the money goes.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Mama ultimately makes sacrifices for the good of the family It was always her and her husbands dream to have a better life for their family and mama works hard to do that
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