The Younger family is a melting pot of critical issues, being held together very loosely by its familial bonds. Several issues of the story thus far relate heavily to real-world issues that faced the country decades ago in the time period the text is based, but also in the world today. Conflicts of the issues mesh together, however, unfortunately, into one family, the Youngers. The country today suffers from not understanding that all the issues of today have been serious issues of the past. The text offers an opportunity for readers to observe clarity, however, the amount of clarity may be, by applying all the issues into an intriguing story of money and family matters.
The first major issue which looms over the entire family is money. Money is the great stabilizer and destabilizer in any society and family. When money becomes an issue, it penetrates each member of a family and changes everyone emotionally at some level. In the text, Ruth, the mother of Travis and wife of Walter feels the heavy burden of economic stress at multiple levels. I believe this because she attempts to keep the family in order in multiple ways. She has a job, to rake in whatever income she can while Travis is away at school, She wakes up earlier than anyone else in the house so her young son has breakfast for school, and that her son and husband are awake to be ready for the day. She attempts to brunt the burden of the economic strain on her own, since her husband is an absent drunk, except for when it comes to him wanting something from someone else. This struggle is immense on anyone on its own, however, it is enlarged immensely when she discovers she is pregnant. Incorporating the issue of barely managing to get by with one child, she now suffers, essentially alone, with the burden of deciding whether she should keep the child or sacrifice the life of an unborn for the child she has living. This is an issue that is not only present in fictional stories but common in society globally today. Whether by mistake or not, economic struggle produces immense struggle out of nowhere at times and the question of if it’s manageable;e to have a child or not, may not just be as easy as some groups would claim.
Another, strong figure in the text who has a major part in the economic situation of the Youngers is Mama. Mama is the mother of Walter, who is allowing her son’s family to stay with her. She recently lost her husband and has insurance money from his death coming. She says that she wants some of the ten-thousand-dollar check must be put away for her daughter Beneatha’s schooling. She also intends to possibly buy a better living area for the whole family, somewhere which young Travis could play in a yard and enjoy life more than in the old and dilapidated apartment the whole family currently lives in. Mama struggles with her son Walter however, who continues to use his mothers money as if it is his own. She must continuously refuse him the money because she wants the money to put the family somewhere better, whereas he wants a liquor store, which both his wife and mother do not think is a good idea, especially for a drunk. Mama struggles immensely toward the end of Act One because of Ruth’s pregnancy and attempts to get Walter to convince his wife to keep the child, however, Walter isn’t able to even talk to either of the women in the room. Although Mama attempts to keep the family on its feet financially, the issues continue to build upon an already struggling family. Many families have someone like Mama, who attempts to keep the family moving toward a better life, even with the path is long and without an end in sight. She attempts to keep their faith in a better life, especially with the potential to use the insurance money as a lifeboat to a better place. However, with Ruth now pregnant, the family is experiencing a whole new issue that they all are not prepared for.
Is the struggle against Walters plan for a Liquor Store a benefit or hindrance to the developing family struggle of the Younger’s?
Is the struggle of the pregnancy able to be remedied with the money Mama received from the insurance, or is the issues more than just money when it comes to the pregnancy?
Brian,
Your second paragraph about conflicts with having to do with money, seems to connect with our world today and many other eras. Many people are struggling with money but on top of that, people are struggling with how to afford the important necessities for their children. I have been noticing that many people have been getting pregnant young and being able to buy vital essentials for their family is becoming a challenge.
Hi Brian,
After reading your blog, I strongly agree with you. Especially we you stated “when money becomes an issue, it penetrates each member of a family and changes everyone emotionally at some level.” Unfortunately, I have witnessed this happen in my own family all because of greed. I believe that the struggle against Walter’s plan for the Liquor Store is a hindrance to the developing family struggle of the Younger’s because this is clearly the only thing on Walter’s mind. Walter basically wants the “American Dream” including a nice car, an good job, and a nice home. He doesn’t appreciate what he actually has, so it’s just tearing them apart.
I believe that the struggle of the pregnancy is not able to be remedied with the money Mama received from the insurance because I think it’s more than just money problems. I think that Ruth knows how her husband is and acts, especially showing his true colors when it came to the insurance money and the Liquor store. Also, the whole family isn’t satisfied on their living situation, so she doesn’t want to raise another child in the same living conditions as she did with Travis.
I don’t believe that the pregnancy is able to be remedied with Mama’s check. I think that Ruth is also putting the other possible uses for the money first, such as helping to pay for medical school or to help with their living situation. The family is not well off, and adding another child into the mix will only put them into a deeper money rut, so I believe that she is considering abortion to protect the unborn child from being raised in an environment that is unsuitable for a young child. Walter is a drunk and lives with thoughts of unreachable dreams, according to Ruth, and she may not consider him to be a suitable father for the child. In conclusion, I don’t believe that money is the only issue in regards to the unborn child, but I also don’t think that the check would sufficiently solve all of their issues and allow the child to be raised ideally either.
Hey Brian,
I agree with your statement when you said “Money is the great stabilizer and destabilizer in any society and family.” Although this is true, money is not always the reason for a families uprise or down fall. The struggle of pregnancy can definitely be remedied with the money received from the insurance but the problem will not be solved. The money will help but the emotional stress and the struggle of raising a kid is still in play. The issues that come into play are, the actual actions of raising a child, both the mother and father being on board and then the financials come. Saving the money for the child’s schooling is the right move because the child is supposed to be the main priority in the family. Everything parents do is supposed to be for their child, and money will not always solve this problem.
Hi Brian,
I really enjoyed the way you specified how Mama is a major strong figure and how she has a big role in the Youngers family’s economic situation in the last paragraph. Even though she has high expectations from receiving all of the money from her husband’s death, I do not feel like it would be enough. She wants to save money for Beneatha’s schooling, and also hopes to move somewhere better worth living ,but then wants to care for Ruth’s baby along the way. A ten-thousand dollar check can not make up for all of these issues. Mama is struggling to keep her family in decent shape and Walter’s idea of owning a liquor store would rarely benefit the family since he is a alcoholic himself. Therefore, all these issues with the Youngers family is way more than just money when it comes to handling everything including the pregnancy.
Great post Brian, I really like how you broke down the different conflicts from the first act. To answer your questions, I think its in the families best interest to keep the money out of Walters hands. If he’s a drunk, owning a liquor store would be the worst possible thing for him. In theory owning a liquor store is a good idea but not when you’d be drinking away the profits. Walter in his own liquor store would be like that episode of Spongebob where Squidward gets into the crabby patties. As for the pregnancy, the family seems loving; if money wasn’t an issue another kid probably wouldn’t be a huge problem.
Brian,
I think you made some very true points about the effects that money has on a family in the era the play was placed. I don’t agree with how Walter handles his frustration about money, drinking, but I can understand that he may need an outlet or an escape from the stress he endures in his home. I think in Walter’s mind, he has a great idea to own a liquor store, a dream that it could take them from a poverty based life to a more deserving one. Previously he was interested in starting up a dry-cleaning business and his family didn’t support the idea, then the man he was going to work with ended up making a significant income of $100,000 a year. Walter is upset, frustrated, and disappointed with the life they’re living, and is eager to change it. It bothers him that his child sleeps in the living room, and he can’t afford a decent place for him to sleep. I think that’s why when Mama tells him Ruth is pregnant he freezes. He’s full of mixed emotions. He probably excited to have another child but doesn’t want to bring in another family member into the poverty-stricken life they experience everyday.
Awesome post Brian,
I appreciated how you related the families money issue to issues today that we see in the real world. The issues that this family faces are some of the most common issues that plague modern families in so many communities today. I do not think that this insurance check is going to solve all of the families problems (because it’s a play and of course there has to be some drama) but also because of the fact that when you have a family dynamic like theirs, money will not solve problems, no matter what the amount is, until they straighten out their relationships and learn to work together as a family.