A Raisin In The Sun English 9 By Ivy Andrade

Money Money symbolizes life, because all through out the play money is discussed. It all starts off with the 10,000 dollar check given to mama for her husbands death. Each character wanted the money for different purposes. Walter wanted the money to invest in a liquor store and to be the main provider in the household. He feels with money him and his family will have a happier and have an easy life. Beneatha wants the money for medical school. Her dream is to become a doctor. With out money she can’t get to her dream. Ruth and mama both want a house to call there own. All the things that each one of these characters want is fueled by money. Money is life.

Quotes Mama: son- how come you talk so much ‘bout money? Walter: (with intense passion) because – it is life, Mama! (Hansberry 74) what Walter says is true money is life. he realized that he can’t get any where in the world without money. With money he can provide for his family so they don’t have to struggle. With money he could buy his wife some pearls. Buy a house for his family. Start a business. Put Beneatha in medical school, and gain respect from the people around him. It is life and mama doesn’t understand that. Another quote is this. Mama: (Quietly) oh- (very quietly) so now it’s life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life – now it’s money. I guess the world really do change… (Hansberry 74) This shows how in a generation something can change so drastically. People in mama’s day used to not worry about money they'd worry about freedom and just surviving. Times changed. In the world they live in they cant have anything without money. Therefore money is life.

With money comes happiness I picked this picture of a man and women from the 1950’s laying down in loads of money; happy as can be because. It symbolizes life in that time period. Without money life wasn’t that enjoyable. Its the life that Walter wants for his family. More specifically what he wants for him and Ruth. Walter believes that money will give him a better life because he would be able to provide for his family with material items. Walter more than anything what's to put pearls around his wife's neck, but cant because he does have the money. He feels that as a man it is his job to provide for his family. And that’s why I choose this picture. And titled it with money happiness.

Willy Harris Willy Harris symbolizes power. Willy Harris is an African American male who lives in the 1950’s he’s well off. For an African American male. He owns multiple businesses he is a very successful man. Through money comes power. And sure enough Willy Harris has a lot of power. He has the power to persuade Walter and Bobo into giving him money to invest in a liquor store. Willy has money that makes him successful. And society views him better than people who materially have less than him. Walter thought he to could become like Willy finically wise.

Quotes This quote by Walter: “Life is, sure enough. Between the takers and “the tooken” (He laughs) Iv’e figured it out finally. (He looks around at them) yeah. Some of us always getting “tooken.” (He laughs) People like willy Harris, they don’t never get “tooken.” ( Hansberry 141 ) shows what Walter views as a man with power. Willy is a successful and wealthy business man who can get anything he wanted. Willy ran off with Walter’s money. The money that was trusted with Walter. Walter realized that he shouldn’t put so much trust in one person and that’s why there are the takers and the tooken. Willy Harris is the takers. And Walter and his family is the tooken. Another quote is Walter: “Mama- you don’t know all things a man who got leisure can find to do in this city… what’s this- Friday right? Well- Wednesday I borrowed Willy Harris’ car and I went for a drive.” (Hansberry 105) This quote shows the bond and trust Willy and Walter have for each other because Willy is willing to let Walter borrow his car. Also this shows the fincial power that willy has because he can buy a car Spoiler alert the trust is broken by the end of the play because Willy Harris ran off with Walter and Bobo’s money for the liquor store investment.

The world underneath I choose this picture of a man at the top of a mountain looking down at the ground because it symbolizes power. The man is Willy; who's at the top. Rich and successful, and the land is Walter; since he's at the bottom. He’s like a mass amount of land. Walter is filled with opportunities. People build from the ground up and Walter wants to build himself. The man who is looking down is Willy because Willy looks down upon Walter for being so gullible. Willy Harris has power. Even if he knows it or not he has to power to control someone's life. Like how he controlled Walters life. With the hope of becoming business partners and making loads of money. The faith of Walter and his family was in the hands of Willy. All of Walters dreams of becoming rich were given to Willy. That’s how Willy Harris symbolizes power.

Mama’s Plant Mama’s plant symbolizes comfort, support, and security. I say this because all though out the play mama goes to her plant whether its walking over to her plant when she's feeling down or picking up her plant when she feels confused or she has a mix of emotions, or when she doesn’t know what to do with herself she goes to her plant. Mama takes care of the plant like a how a mother takes care of a child she loves and cares for the plant, she has faith in the plant even though at times the plant looks like it could die at any second, she tries her best to nurse it to health and she does. The plant is a sanctuary for her. It has her hopes and dreams in it, the hope for a better life for her and her family, and her dream of one day buying a house and having a garden, her plant is the closet thing she has to her garden.

Quotes Mama’s plant symbolizes comfort, support and security a quote that shows that is this (Coming out, going to her plant): “They frightens me Ruth. My children.” (Hansberry 52). This shows how mama goes to her plant for comfort and support. Mama’s children frightened her so goes to her plant to feel secure. Something like this would happen all through out the play. There are numerous scenes with mama and her plant. “She crosses through the room, goes to the window, opens it, and brings in a feeble little plant growing doggedly in a small pot the window sill. She feels the dirt and puts it back out” (Hansberry 38). I also choose this quote because it shows how mama tends to the plant even though its not a its peek condition. It shows how she cares for the plant. If she didn’t care she wouldn’t have brought the plant in the house to check on it.

Mama’s plant I choose this picture of Naruto (A cartoon character) sleeping because it best represents mama’s plant. Because I symbolized mama’s plant as comfort, support and security. And sleeping is all of that wrapped into one. The bed is comfort. The pillow is support. And sleep is security. Mama’s plant is mama’s escape. She goes to her plant to get away. From her children, tough times, Etc. This picture reminded me of that, because people sometimes use sleeping as an escape. Mama wants relaxation in her life and she wants to have a productive life for her and her family a life were she doesn’t have to worry about every thing. In my opinion sleep relates to mama’s plants and how she goes to her plant for comfort and support and security.