A Raisin in the Sun: What a Sad Story

"MAMA: (Presently) Well-- (Tightly) Well-- son, I'm waiting to hear you say something... (She waits) I'm waiting to hear how you be your father's son. Be the man he was... (Pause. The silence shouts) your wife say she going to destroy your child. And I'm waiting to hear you talk like him and say we a people who give children life, not who destroys them--(She rises) I'm waiting to see you stand up and look like your daddy and say we done give up one baby to poverty and that we ain't going to give up nary another one... I'm waiting.
WALTER: Ruth-- (He can say nothing)" pg. 75

Even though the ending is good, its pretty horrible to watch this story unfold. To think that a married woman might have to consider an abortion out of sheer inability to afford another child is awful. When you're married, you're supposed to be able to have as many children as God gives you and live happily and comfortably with them, even if they give you strife sometimes. But that is not the case in A Raisin in the Sun. Instead, the adults in the house are all expected to put up a front that nothing is that wrong when they are around Travis, but they're all living with the burdens that a lower class life imposes on its subjects. While Ruth's struggle seems the worst, Beneatha and Walter have difficult lives as well. Both of them have a dream of being successful and it just so happens that their dream would mean the demise of the dream of the other. If Mama gives the money to Beneatha for her tuition, Walter won't be able to open the liquor store. If she gives the money to Walter, Beneatha probably won't be able to afford school and her dream of becoming a doctor will never be fulfilled. This story is pretty depressing when you get down to it. It kind of goes to show you how a hard life can make even members of the same family become enemies. Before they move into the new house at the end, all of the characters are basically walking on egg shells when in the presence of the other characters. Almost all discussions turn into fights. A story like this really makes you appreciate being able to afford little inconveniences and being able to solve your problems easily because its definitely not always as easy for everyone else.