What do the characters in A Raisin in the Sun represent?
During the exposition, a great deal is discovered about the characters, their possessions, and how the play applies to the conflict of the era. Many of the characters hold a strong symbolic meaning, and Walter Lee Younger is no exception. He is the symbol of hope and ambition, dreams and desires, passion and fury.
What kind of character was Travis in a raisin in the sun?
The son of Walter Lee and Ruth, Travis is the youngest member of the family. A “sturdy, handsome” boy of about ten years old, Travis sleeps on a make-down bed in the Youngers’ living room. Travis is a good-natured and persistent young boy who, for the most part, obeys his parents and grandmother.
Who is the strongest character in a raisin in the sun?
Interestingly, Hansberry makes Mama, Lena Younger, the strongest character in the play. She always seems to have the right answers while the other characters do not.
What are Walter’s personality traits in a raisin in the sun?
Essentially, this play is the story of Walter Lee Younger, sometimes called “Brother.” Passionate, ambitious, and bursting with the energy of his dreams, Walter Lee is a desperate man, shackled by poverty and prejudice, and obsessed with a business idea that he thinks will solve all of his economic and social problems.
What are 3 symbols in a raisin in the sun?
A Raisin in the Sun Symbols
- Mama’s Plant. Mama’s feeble plant represents her family’s deferred dreams for a better future, which have struggled to survive under the strain of life in Chicago’s South Side.
- Beneatha’s Hair.
- The Insurance Payment.
What does Mama symbolize in a raisin in the sun?
Mama is the most nurturing character in the play, and she constantly reminds Walter that all she has ever wanted is to make her children happy and provide for them. She cares deeply for Walter and shows this care by giving him the remaining insurance money.
Why Is Travis a significant character?
Travis symbolically represents the future of the Younger family and his destiny is directly affected by his father’s decisions. Walter Lee becomes a more sympathetic character once the audience realizes that his motivation for entering the liquor business is to provide Travis with a better future.
What does Travis represent in this story?
By far the youngest member of his family (stage directions describe him as ten or eleven years old), Travis represents the future of the Younger family.
What is the resolution of the story a raisin in the sun?
In his shining moment, Walter tells Karl that the Younger family is a proud family, and that they have no plans to cause trouble when they move into Clybourne Park. The suspense is finally resolved; Travis’s naïve presence jolted Walter into standing up for principle.
What is Ruth’s dream in a raisin in the sun?
Ruth’s dream is similar to Mama’s. She wants to build a happy family and believes one step toward this goal is to own a bigger and better place to live. Ruth’s dream is also deferred by a lack of money, which forces her and Walter to live in a crowded apartment where their son, Travis, must sleep on a sofa.
How do Walter and Ruth describe their relationship?
Walter and Ruth have a difficult relationship and are not happily married to each other throughout the play. Their love has grown cold over the years and their financial struggles have taken a toll on their relationship.
What lesson does Walter learn in a raisin in the sun?
Walter comes around. He learns that dignity is not the product of finances or profession, but is instead a product of self-respect. This is the essential challenge that both he and Beneatha face – to achieve a sense of dignity and self-worth.