A Raisin in the Sun
Lorraine Hansberry
The seemingly largest question of the play so far (what is Mama going to do with the insurance money) is finally answered. Mama bought a new house, an escape from the cramped apartment the Younger family has filled for years. However, the house serves as a distinct symbol for Ruth, Mama, and Walter.
To Ruth, the new house represents a future for her family. In the apartment, there is barely room for the current inhabitants. Mama and Beneatha share a room, Walter and Ruth share a room, and Travis has to sleep in the living room. More importantly, Travis has nowhere to play safely. Ruth can now say goodbye to her weary apartment.
To Mama, the house represents a new adventure with her late husband Big Walter. Even though he is no longer with the family, it was because of him Mama got the money to buy the house. To illustrate Big Walter's role in the new house, Mama tells Travis, "Now when you say your prayers tonight, you thank God and your grandfather- 'cause it was him who give you the house-in his way" (Hansberry, 91).
Conversely, to Walter, the house symbolizes a crushed dream. At the beginning of the play, Walter mused about using the insurance money to invest in a liquor store that would allow him to achieve a car, an education, and a house for his family. Mama didn't buy a house; she ruined Walter's hope for a wealthy future.
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