A Raisin in the Sun

I enjoyed reading this play and it is my favorite so far. The characters were complex and showed many dimensions of family relationships. Their life was not perfect although they each dreamed of a better life. I was expecting an unhappy ending where the family gave in and took the money instead of moving into the house. Walter's character was redeemed when he refused to take the money from Lindner. Mama was very mean though and she beat both of her children within the play. She slaps Beneatha across the face when she says there is no God (page 51) and she "beats him [Walter] senselessly in the face" (page 129). Although she was very angry in both situations, a mother should never revert to hitting her children. I thought her actions were heartless, abusive,and immature.

A Raisin in the Sun

Question 6
In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, the stage directions and gestures are very important. They help set the tone of the play. There is a scene in the beginning of the play where Ruth is making Walter breakfast. Ruth is angry with Walter. "RUTH (maximum indifference) Did they?" "(Affecting tea-party interest) Is he now? Poor thing" (page 26). Her tone is described in the play and it helps the reader understand her thoughts and feelings. If 'maximum indifference' was not noted, the reader might think she was actually interested in what Walter was talking about. This shows the stress between the relationship of Walter and Ruth. She is angry and she wants him to know she is angry so she changes her tone and then turns on him.

A Raisin in the Sun

Question 3
The protagonists of the story are Ruth, Walter, and Beneatha. Although Mama and Travis are important characters, they are not considered protagonists of the story. Ruth and Beneatha are foil characters. Ruth is calm and composed and more mature than Bennie. Ruth is older than Bennie and has a child so she should be more mature. Mama is a very important character because she brings the large sum of money into the story. Her husband died and she was getting insurance money. Walter wanted the money for his liquor store, but Mama did not want to give him the money for it. She, in Walter's eyes, is the person holding him back from his dream of owning a business. Walter and Bennie are both very immature for their age and are very similar to Tom and Laura from the Glass Menagerie.

The Glass Menagerie

I enjoyed reading this play. It was easy to read and the characters were colorful and dynamic. Though the play did not have a happy ending, Laura did not seem as helpless as she was in the beginning of the story. I was disappointed to find that Tom was following in his father's footsteps. He had left and was travelling. He was unhappy and tried to forget his family, but could not. He had always imagined that his father was happy to go and he enjoyed being away, so he thought that was how he was going to be. His father might have been miserable after he left, just like he was. I enjoyed Tennessee Williams' unique style of writing. It was a nice change from Shakespeare.

The Glass Menagerie #6

The stage movements and gestures are very important throughout the play. Many of the emotions described in the play are not in the dialogue. "Laura turns away, nearly faint with the novelty of her emotions" (pg 1283, vii). If the play had just stated, ''Laura turns away,'' the reader would not understand her emotions as she turned away. The lighting is also important to pay attention to. There is one instance when Tom is talking about a magic trick he saw involving a coffin, the light shines on the photo of Tom's father. Tom says, "But who in hell ever got himself out of one without removing one nail? As if in answer, the father's grinning photograph lights up" (pg 1249, iv). The light shining on the photograph answers Tom's question.

The Glass Menagerie #1

The play involves many nonrealistic conventions. Tom says, "I am the narrator of the play, and also a character in it" (pg 1236, i). Most characters do not know that they are a part of a play because the play is their reality. The time span in the story is unclear. Time moves very fast. Amanda asks Tom to bring someone home to dinner for Laura. He does bring someone home and she cannot believe it and he asks her, "Don't you remember asking me to fetch one?" (pg 1256, v). Amanda had just told Tom not long before he asks this question which makes it seem that a lot of time has passed since Amanda had asked the favor.