Glass Menagerie Essay

The Importance of Dreams and Family

It's only human nature that people, no matter what age or background, have dreams and ambitions. Every we were young we, have these dreams of accomplishing something and as we get older we develop new ones while striving to obtain those set. What is known as the "American Dream" is something that nearly everyone in this nation has pursued and visualized. These dreams however, can not be accomplished without struggle and self-determination. In Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun, we see a family who strives for the American dream. We see a struggle of individual dreams versus the responsibility to family through Walter's dream of opening a liquor store; Beneatha's dreams of paying her college tuition and becoming a doctor; Ruth's desire to be wealthy through her husband Walter; and Lena's (Mama) dream of owning a house. To reach their dreams, we see through the play how these different routes all typified the routes taken by black Americans.

Walter Younger's ambition is filled with impulsiveness and risk that was exemplified by the route taken by African Americans who have been oppressed and willing to do anything in blind desperation to accomplish their dreams. Although we notice that Walter is the only male in the family, he did not assume the role as man of the house. His mother Lena, who is referred to as Mama, was the family's backbone and assumed the role as head of the household. Not only was Walter ashamed of not being head of the household, but he was also discouraged that he was struggling to support his wife Ruth and son Travis. Walter wanted to make more with his life and felt that this money his mother received for the husband's death insurance could make him wealthy. Walter says to his wife Ruth "I'm thirty-five years old; I been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the living room and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live."(Hansberry 1297). He says this because he dreams of becoming rich to tell his son stories just like the rich white people he chauffeurs around. Walter did gain a willingness to abandon poverty and get out of their small apartment. His greatest concern was becoming wealthy by opening up his liquor store with the possibility of losing or improving his financial status. Walter was so caught up in his humiliation that he was willing to sacrifice his dignity to climb up the social economic ladder. He was focused heavily on his dreams of owning a liquor store that he neglected the more important things in his life, such as his family. His whole dream of owning a liquor store ending when the money he invested was stolen which altered his whole dream. The route that he chose out of anguish and desperation was now gone.

Beneatha Younger, Walter's sister, pursuit of her dreams was typical of many people in those times who were easily guided by whims. She was enrolled in college to become a doctor, but also liked to express herself. Beneatha was always changing hobbies and experimenting with what caught her interest just for the simple fact she wanted to. Her mother Lena, viewed her as being fickle saying "Lord, child, don't you know what to do with yourself? How long it going to be before you get tired of this "guitar lessons" now-like you got tired of that little play acting group you joined last year? And what was it before that?" (1305)and "Ain't nobody trying to stop you. I just wonders sometimes why you has to flit so from one thing to another all the time. You ain't never done nothing with that camera equipment you brought home."(1306) What Beneatha exemplified though was very fitting to her generation and not to mention very ambitious. She had an independent mind and broke away from that mold of the traditional American ways and values. Beneatha, much like Walter was so caught up in her dream that she wanted to use the money for her tuition. She was being selfish toward her family wanting to invest all the money to her tuition. She loses sight that it's not just about her, but about her whole family as well. Her dream also took a huge turn when Walter lost the money because she had no hopes of paying her tuition and becoming a doctor anymore. She lost all hope until her friend Asagai opens up her eyes and tells her that the money would have never been if her father never died. With new confidence she goes on attending college in pursuit of her dream.

Ruth, Walter's wife, displays the role of black wives struggles of shoving their dreams and ambitions aside to make way for their husbands. Hoping that Walter would make money she is very disappointed and knew that he would not fair well trying to. Her dream was to be the wife of a successful man. Ruth in fact is living in the real world while Walter dwelled on fantasy. Although they were in a lot of disagreement she genuinely loves him and wants him to be happy. Empathizing the hardships that Walter went through, Ruth follows Walter's ambition of owning a liquor store in order to cheer up her husband and make him feel better. She is proud at least that he has his heart set on something. Ruth felt that if Walter didn't get the chance to pursue his dream, his hard feelings would worsen. She worked domestic jobs to serve her husband and son, Travis, because her best interest was that of her family. She would exemplify the women of that time because she catered to her husband's