A Raisin In the Sun - Money, Money, Money

"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..." - Mama

I think this book was sort of eye opening for a lot of people when it was published. It was for me. I know that there are people out there who never stop to think about the effects money has on the people who have the least of it. The Younger's, for example, have so little of it that they can hardly afford anything. This was most clearly demonstrated when Ruth was going to get an abortion because she didn't think that they could afford another baby. That is one of the saddest things to me. Whenever I think about abortions, I tend to think about young mothers who aren't ready to raise a child and don't want to go through the embarrassment of having to carry one for nine months. However, I never really think about the mothers who simply cannot afford to have a baby. That is something that deeply saddens me. Not only about the poor condition that people are raised in, but it also makes me sad about human dignity in general. I know I'm kind of going off topic here, but what kind of world do we live in that can afford to spend all this money to enhance our lives or make them longer, yet they cannot help those out who cannot simply afford to bring new lives into existence?

Anyways, this reinforced the idea that the family is centered so much around money. That check was the driving force for the plot and allowed all of their dreams to come true. Which raises the question: can money really bring happiness?

A Raisin In the Sun - The Glass Menagerie

"The Younger living room would be a comfortable and well-ordered room if it were not for a number of indestructible contradictions to this state of being..."

This play connected a lot with The Glass Menagerie. The main connection I saw was the integral part that the setting played in both. In each story, the action was centered around an apartment. All the conflicts and struggles each family had took place (for the most part) in the apartment. It was how they hid away from the world and coped with their problems as a single unit. Another similarity is, in each story, there is a mother who drives the plot. Both have set goals that they strive for and they ultimately want the best for their children. Whether that be moving to a new house or finding a husband for her daughter, each mother tries her hardest to do what is right. Finally, there are characters in both plays that desire to overcome obstacles or escape their current situation. Basically all the characters in A Raisin In the Sun want to do their own things but struggle because of a lack of money. Walter wants a liquor store to prove that he is worth something. Mama and Ruth want a nice house of their own. Beneatha wants to make a change in bettering mankind. In The Glass Menagerie, Tom wants to set sails and explore, just like they did in all the adventurous movies he watched. Laura, I think, also wants to escape the confines of her handicap and begin to be the person she always had the potential to be.

A Raisin In the Sun - loneliness

Asagai: (Rather quickly for him) That when it is all over - that you come home with me-

Beneatha: (Staring at him and crossing away with exasperation) Oh-Asagai-at this moment you decide to be romantic!

11. I think that Beneatha is the most lonely character in the play. She is widely set apart from the other young women because she is an African American who is also a feminist. During this time, they did not hold a whole lot of social power. The members in her family and the two men she was involved with basically told her that she was wrong in her feminist ways. I think she is also one of the loneliest members in the family. She is trying to go through college to become a doctor, which is frowned upon by those she is closest to. Also, she is the last one to receive money for her endeavors in the family (even though she never actually receives it because Walter invests the money in the liquor store). Finally, she is lonely because she doesn't think that anyone understands her desire to learn about her heritage. So she is excited about the idea of moving with Asagai to continue on a new journey that will hopefully fill some sort of void in her life.

The Glass Menagerie - Poor Laura

"You didn't mention that he was engaged to be married." p. 1287

As my title of this blog entry states: poor Laura! It's really not hard for the reader to take Laura's side on everything that happens in this story. I instantly felt sorry for her when Williams mentioned her crippled leg. That feeling of sympathy grew as the story went on. She had to drop out of school because she had an embarrassing moment and her mother constantly reminds her of how she doesn't have any callers at night. Not to mention she is constantly put in between Amanda and Tom. But perhaps the most depressing thing about Laura is that she finally got a caller, Jim, to give her a chance he ended up being engaged to someone else. That had to have been completely awful. And as if that wasn't enough, Tom left her alone with Amanda. I just generally feel really sorry for Laura in the entire story.

The Glass Menagerie - Tom's Dilemma

3. What is Tom's dilemma? Why is he always quarreling with his mother? What is his attitude toward Laura? Why does he finally leave? Does he ever resolve his dilemma?

"You think I'm crazy about the warehouse? You think I'm in love with the Continental Shoemakers? You think I want to spend fifty-five years down there in that -celotex interior! with -fluorescent- tubes! Look! I'd rather somebody picked up a crowbar and battered out my brains-- than go back mornings. I go!" p. 1246

Tom's dilemma is that he is trying so hard to break out of the confines of his depressing life. Day in and day out, he goes to a mundane job that he hates. Then every night he lives out fantasies vicariously through the actors in the movies he watches. He desires to leave this place behind and go on adventures like they do in the movies. I think a big reason he fights with Amanda is because she refuses to see all that he does for her and Laura. He hates what he does everyday but he continues to do it in order to pay for the two women in his life. And his one source of joy - going to the movies - is constantly being tainted by his mother's constant nagging about him going out instead of staying home with her. So he easily gets in quarrels with her. When it comes to Laura, Tom is very kind. He cares for her a great deal and is somewhat sympathetic of the struggles Laura has to face as well. Not only does she have to deal with the daily, physical pain of her leg, but she also has to deal with how Amanda treats her, which can end up being a greater challenge. So Tom feels like it is his duty to protect her and be there for her. I don't think Tom resolves his dilemma because when he leaves, he isn't fully escaping his problems. He still has to think back and have the regret of leaving Laura behind to deal with their mother.

The Glass Menagerie - Dynamic Character

"One Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain - your mother received - seventeen!- gentlemen callers! Why, sometimes there weren't chairs enough to accommodate them all." p. 1238

Even though there are really only three main characters in the story, they are really the only ones needed to bring the story to life. This is due partly to Amanda being such a dynamic character. On one hand, she is a sweet, caring mother who will do anything for her children. This is demonstrated by her waking Tom up in the morning and by her trying to get Laura some "callers". However, I think she can be a bit controlling and overemotional. For example, she refuses to speak to Tom when he upsets her and she made Laura too scared/ashamed to admit that she had dropped out of school. And, as the character information states, she is living in an unreal world. She dwells on the past and almost refuses to look into the present or the future. She holds onto her kids too tightly and doesn't really get over her husband that left her.

"As You Like It" - major disappointment

"Proceed, proceed: we will begin these rites, as we do trust they'll end, in true delights." Act V.iv.78

This was one of the worst things we have read all year. The reason I am saying that is not because it was a beyond-belief-horrible play; it followed Othello, which was a fantastic play and one of my favorite things that we have read thus far. There was no real plot or driving force in the story. I feel as if Shakespeare wrote characters doing certain things just to write them. The series of events did not make much sense and the story was too underdeveloped. Othello was such a wonderful tragedy that had great characters and a suspenseful plot. As You Like It, however, had none of that. In the beginning, it started out pretty good with the whole, brother on brother hatred kind of thing. But that faded as soon as the characters all started to fall in love with on another. The plot did not really make sense. This would only be considered halfway decent to me if I was watching the play onstage and I wasn't into thinking too deeply. Other than that, Shakespeare really let me down on this one.