A Raisin in the Sun opens with the relatable scene of a mother waking her son with "a good, final, rousing shake." A mother's pushy attitude on a school day morning is an allowed annoyance. She is your mother, and she knows what is best. You listen to her nagging even if it is a quarter past seven and you are incredibly tired. Ruth's assertive actions in the opening scene establish her character as the responsible mother. She may not be the head of the household, but she does her best to improve the lives of those around her. In Act I Scene I, Travis becomes angry at his mother's refusal to give him fifty cents. He shoves away his breakfast in outrage to Ruth's clear tyranny. Ruth cheers on his pouting by telling Travis to make his bed, fix his hair, and put on his jacket. Before he makes his exit, Ruth lifts the mood by mocking the child. She teases his critical, masculine attitude through her portrayal of Travis, "I wouldn't kiss that woman good-bye for nothing in this world this morning!" The relationship between Travis and Ruth is heartwarming, but contrasts the relationship between Walter and Mama.
While Ruth and Travis settle the conflict before exiting, Mama and Walter leave the house without any closure. While Mama is the head of the household, she is neither a great leader nor mother. Mama talks about Big Walter being an excellent father to his children, but after his death Mama is unable to control her children. At the end of Act I Scene I, Beneatha argues that there is no God to her extremely religious mother. Instead of appealing to her daughter, Mama slaps her across the face to inflict shame and punishment. She makes Beneatha repeat the phrase, "In my mother's house there is still God," but Beneatha won't change her views on God through a slap. She may know not to express her personal views in her mother's household, but she still feels the same on the inside. Walter's desire to use the money towards opening a store is a major conflict of the play, but his dream is just a universal desire for escaping poverty. Walter's dream is different in that he wants to escape through financial opportunity. When Walter shows complete indifference to his wife's own turmoil, Mama sees the difference in the placement of values between Big Walter and Walter. Mama states, "I'm waiting to hear you talk like him," but sees how Walter is a "disgrace to [his] father's memory." Her yelling pushes Walter out of the house, and the conflict is not resolved. It can be predicted that Mama has played the role as the loving mother, and does not know how to correct the children without her husband. Ruth, however, is able to control Travis on her own. Her relationship with Walter has forced her into a position as the lover and punisher of her child. Although Travis' confliction is minor to that of Walter and Beneatha, Ruth is not any less capable of correcting their behavior.
A Raisin in the Sun opens with the relatable scene of a mother waking her son with "a good, final, rousing shake." A mother's pushy attitude on a school day morning is an allowed annoyance. She is your mother, and she knows what is best. You listen to her nagging even if it is a quarter past seven and you are incredibly tired. Ruth's assertive actions in the opening scene establish her character as the responsible mother. She may not be the head of the household, but she does her best to improve the lives of those around her. In Act I Scene I, Travis becomes angry at his mother's refusal to give him fifty cents. He shoves away his breakfast in outrage to Ruth's clear tyranny. Ruth cheers on his pouting by telling Travis to make his bed, fix his hair, and put on his jacket. Before he makes his exit, Ruth lifts the mood by mocking the child. She teases his critical, masculine attitude through her portrayal of Travis, "I wouldn't kiss that woman good-bye for nothing in this world this morning!" The relationship between Travis and Ruth is heartwarming, but contrasts the relationship between Walter and Mama.
While Ruth and Travis settle the conflict before exiting, Mama and Walter leave the house without any closure. While Mama is the head of the household, she is neither a great leader nor mother. Mama talks about Big Walter being an excellent father to his children, but after his death Mama is unable to control her children. At the end of Act I Scene I, Beneatha argues that there is no God to her extremely religious mother. Instead of appealing to her daughter, Mama slaps her across the face to inflict shame and punishment. She makes Beneatha repeat the phrase, "In my mother's house there is still God," but Beneatha won't change her views on God through a slap. She may know not to express her personal views in her mother's household, but she still feels the same on the inside. Walter's desire to use the money towards opening a store is a major conflict of the play, but his dream is just a universal desire for escaping poverty. Walter's dream is different in that he wants to escape through financial opportunity. When Walter shows complete indifference to his wife's own turmoil, Mama sees the difference in the placement of values between Big Walter and Walter. Mama states, "I'm waiting to hear you talk like him," but sees how Walter is a "disgrace to [his] father's memory." Her yelling pushes Walter out of the house, and the conflict is not resolved. It can be predicted that Mama has played the role as the loving mother, and does not know how to correct the children without her husband. Ruth, however, is able to control Travis on her own. Her relationship with Walter has forced her into a position as the lover and punisher of her child. Although Travis' confliction is minor to that of Walter and Beneatha, Ruth is not any less capable of correcting their behavior.
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