Lena Younger Essay

350 Words2 Pages
In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the matriarch of the Younger family, Lena Younger, also known as Mama, is constantly chasing what she believes to be the American dream. This mirage is constantly changing from the time Mama has just been wed to when she finds out that her daughter-in-law, Ruth, is expecting another child. No more than two weeks after their marriage, Lena and Big Walter form a plan; “[they are] going to set away, little by little… and buy a little place out in Morgan Park,” while living, temporarily, in a shoddy apartment (Hansberry 1.1.44). Mama’s original dream was very self-centered, only pertaining to her and her husband’s life. Mama’s second ambition is more long term than the first, focusing on the lives of her children. The idea for this dream came from her husband, Big Walter, who remarked “seem like God [doesn’t] see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams – but He [does] give us children to make them dreams seem [worthwhile],” (1.1.45). This simple observation has a lasting effect on Lena and causes her to want a better life for her children, more so than for herself and Big Walter. Finally, after her grandson Travis is born and the news of Ruth’s pregnancy comes out, Mama finally sees the bigger picture. With Big Walter’s insurance money, Mama “[goes] out and she [buys Travis] a house,” where he will have plenty of room to play and has his own room, rather than just sleeping in the living room (2.1.91). Mama even tells him that “it’s going to be [his] when [he] gets to be a man,” so that way future generations can grow up in the same nurturing environment (2.1.91). Mama’s concept of what the “American dream” really is transforms from the time is first married to when she learns the news of another grandchild. As Mama matures, the image of the American dream matures with her, becoming more generous as more
Open Document