A Raisin in the Sun: Lena Younger (Mama)
A Raisin in the Sun
Lena Younger (Mama) Lena Younger (Mama) had dreams of buying a house with her husband and having a garden of her own; “…you should know all the dreams I had ‘bout buying that house and fixing it up and making a little garden in the back-And didn’t none of it happen,” (1782). Mama wants to her family to remain respectful of one another and of her and wants the insurance money from her husbands death used in a way to help keep the family together; “I don’t ‘low no yellin’ in this house, Walter Lee, and you know it. There ain’t going to be no investing in no liquor stores,” and “[To Walter] ain’t nobody said you wasn’t grown. But you still in my house and my presence. And as long as you are—you you’ll talk to your wife civil,” (1794). Mama also wants to preserve the memory of her husband by reminding Walter of his father’s character, “[To Walter] ‘I’m waiting to hear how you be your father’s son. Be the man he was…and I’m waiting to hear you talk like him and say we a people who give children life, not who destroys them. I’m waiting to see you stand up like your daddy and say we done give up one baby to poverty and that we ain’t going to give up nary another one…,” [To Walter] “…you are a disgrace to your father’s memory” (1796). Mama wants Walter to carry forth the values of his father. In the end Mama is happy because Walter comes to understand why it is important to maintain the memory and values of his father. Walter understands that he needs to pass on these values to his son as he explain 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,” (1829). This ending shows how Mama knew the family had challenges of racism to face in their new neighbor, but that they had to
Lena Younger (Mama) Lena Younger (Mama) had dreams of buying a house with her husband and having a garden of her own; “…you should know all the dreams I had ‘bout buying that house and fixing it up and making a little garden in the back-And didn’t none of it happen,” (1782). Mama wants to her family to remain respectful of one another and of her and wants the insurance money from her husbands death used in a way to help keep the family together; “I don’t ‘low no yellin’ in this house, Walter Lee, and you know it. There ain’t going to be no investing in no liquor stores,” and “[To Walter] ain’t nobody said you wasn’t grown. But you still in my house and my presence. And as long as you are—you you’ll talk to your wife civil,” (1794). Mama also wants to preserve the memory of her husband by reminding Walter of his father’s character, “[To Walter] ‘I’m waiting to hear how you be your father’s son. Be the man he was…and I’m waiting to hear you talk like him and say we a people who give children life, not who destroys them. I’m waiting to see you stand up like your daddy and say we done give up one baby to poverty and that we ain’t going to give up nary another one…,” [To Walter] “…you are a disgrace to your father’s memory” (1796). Mama wants Walter to carry forth the values of his father. In the end Mama is happy because Walter comes to understand why it is important to maintain the memory and values of his father. Walter understands that he needs to pass on these values to his son as he explain 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,” (1829). This ending shows how Mama knew the family had challenges of racism to face in their new neighbor, but that they had to