"Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden

                Even within the two short stanzas of “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden, Hayden is incredibly successful in effectively conveying both a sense of appreciation, love, and respect for this father as well as a sense the loneliness which his father was forced to bear. In my initial reading of the poem, I focused only on the actions of the father and therefore determined that the central theme of the poem was the father’s dedication to his family. However, upon reading the poem a second and third time and analyzing the imagery more thoroughly, I came to form an understanding of how Hayden incorporated this imagery into the poem in order to express his father’s loneliness. For example, the imagery of the father getting dressed in the blueblack cold appeals to both the senses of sight and touch and implies that the father was left in utter loneliness at all the time, with nothing to keep him company but the stark cold and darkness of a winter night. As the poem progresses, the reader comes to understand through the imagery of the father’s cracked and worn hands that he was an diligent and dutiful worker who worked ceaselessly for the benefit of his family despite the physical toll it took on his body. However, the ultimate reality of the father’s loneliness is made evident in the boy’s reflection that “No one ever thanked him” (Hayden, 781) and by ultimately asking the rhetorical question, “…what did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices” (Hayden, 782).The poem’s title “Those Winter Sundays” also contributes greatly to this notion of the father’s loneliness; after all, coldness and winter are frequently associated with loneliness, illness, death, etc. Furthermore, Sundays are a day of rest in which every member of the family would spend at home; therefore, the fact that the father performed all of this work in solitude on a day when he should be with his family reinforces the idea even further that he suffered at the hands of “lonely offices.”

                While the imagery of the cracked hands and blueblack darkness certainly contribute greatly to the idea of hardship and loneliness, the imagery of the crackling fire stands in stark contrast to these images and presents a notion opposite that of loneliness: love and companionship. While the father is alone in the darkness as he prepares the fire for the rest of those in the family, the light and warmth emanating from the fire ultimately draws the son out of bed and presumably will have the same effect on any other family members. Although the speaker expressed a fear of the “chronic angers” of the house, he also refers to his father as the man who drove the coldness from the house. With this description, Hayden creates a bit of irony within his poem. While the father seems to be very lonely and solitary, his hard work and sacrifice seems to be what allows the other members of the family to enjoy warmth, relaxation, and freedom from worry or anxiety. The fact that the father seems apparently willing to endure a variety of unpleasant realities for the sake of his family, however, speaks volumes towards the quality of his character. Consequently, the reader is ultimately able to draw messages not only concerning loneliness, but also messages conveying the importance of making sacrifices for family members and loving others with limitation or the expectation of a reward. Ultimately, Hayden’s implementation of vivid imagery in the poem enables the reader to draw a plethora of themes and morals from the poem which are easily related to.

"The Joy of Cooking" by Elaine Magarrell

In her poem “The Joy of Cooking,” Elaine Magarrell masterfully embodies the complicated relationship between a brother and sister through the employment of a very sarcastic tone and the manipulation of words which very closely resembles metonymy. While the fact that the brother did not literally cut out his sister’s tongue and convert it into a tasty dish, nor did the sister transform her brother’s heart into a meal, Magarrell’s vivid descriptions certainly arrested my attention throughout the duration of the poem. In analyzing the author’s very unique choice in what method to implement in order to convey a brother and sister’s relentless bickering, I found that the Magarrell’s detailed description of the sister’s tongue and brother’s heart to be very similar to metonymy. Although Magarrell never fully refers to the sister as though she were a tongue nor the brother as though he were a heart, she does conduct all of her characterization of the two siblings through their representative body parts; therefore, the author is utilizing a technique very similar to metonymy by revealing very critical aspects of each character through something very closely associated with them—their body parts themselves. Magarrell actually proves that this is a very effective form of representation. Although the actions committed by the brother and sister agitate one another so severely are never described, the reader can form a general understanding of the aspects of each sibling which annoy the other simply through this very unique representation by body parts. For example, because the brother wishes to cut out his sister’s tongue, the inference can be made that the sister must have gravely offended or hurt the brother by means of something which she said. After all, cutting out one’s tongue and preparing it in a dish is not the first form of retaliation that I would conjure up for a good-humored prank that my sister pulled on me! Furthermore, the fact that the sister explains in great detail how she would prepare her brother’s heart indicates that she finds his heart to be lacking such honorable qualities as compassion or perhaps even forgiveness. By commenting that his heart “needs an apple-onion stuffing to make it interesting at all” (Magarrell) and also adding that “Although beef heart serves six my brother’s heart barely feeds two (Magarrell), the sister points to the fact that she finds her brother’s heart to be small and empty. For good measure, the sister finds it necessary to add at the very end that she might potentially serve his heart in sour sauce, adding the last offensive remark hinting that her brother is excessively bitter. Therefore, in this manner, Magarrell is able to accomplish a great deal of characterization without even directly stating anything about the characters’ appearances, personalities, actions, words, relationships, etc.; rather, she is able to accomplish all of her characterization solely through her descriptions of their maimed body parts being transformed into food.

                Lastly, Magarrell’s employment of an incredibly sarcastic (and humorous) tone contributes greatly to the essence of the poem and points to the central theme. While the two siblings are clearly very agitated with another and obviously possess qualities which are found to be greatly repulsive to one another, the very sarcastic tone with which the author writes seemingly implies that the two siblings do not truly despise one another. Even the title, “The Joy of Cooking” carries a sense of humor and sarcasm in the fact that the two siblings would actually find pleasure in injuring or killing one another for the sake of a meal. The sarcastic tone has a double function of both conveying the siblings’ rivalry and frustration while also making the poem humorous and contributing to its entertaining tone.

"The Worn Path" by Eudora Welty

While reading “The Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, I was immediately reminded of Cantos I and II of Dante’s Inferno, which I was required to read for world literature during my sophomore year. In Cantos I and II, Dante talks at great length about a metaphorical journey which he takes through the woods. Cantos I and II serve as an extensive allegory, drawing very precise correlations between one’s moral path in life and the path which the speaker was taking through woods. As the speaker in Inferno climbs trudges through dark woods and marches dutifully up steep hills, the reader also understands that Dante is referring to difficult and challenging periods in one’s life in which his or her character and quality are challenged. In a similar manner, the old woman also encounters many obstacles along her path to retrieve the medicine. For example, the old woman reaches a large incline and remarks, “Seems like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far… Something always take a hold of me on this hill—pleads I should stay” (Welty, 224). In reading this, the reader is able to unearth a nearly identical symbolism to that in Inferno- that is, a steep hill in one’s literal journey through woods is metaphorically referring to difficult and troublesome times in one’s life, regardless of the cause of this struggle. Furthermore, just as Dante encounters gruesome beasts along his journey which symbolism detrimental qualities such as avarice and greed. The old lady encounters fearsome obstacles along her course as well, such as a cruel huntsmen who points his gun right at her face. Nevertheless, the old lady’s determination to retrieve the medicine for her grandson transcends her intimidation just as Dante’s determination to seek the “right path” overpowers his fear of the beasts he meets along the road.

Perhaps the most potent similarity I drew between “The Worn Path” and Dante’s Inferno lies in the comparison of Dante and the old lady’s motivation in making the trek on their foreboding paths. Dante encounters the poet Virgil in the story, and Virgil notifies him that he was sent as a guide to Dante on behalf of a woman named Beatrice, who was Dante’s love. Therefore, Dante’s love for Beatrice serves as his means of guidance and motivation as he faces the challenges of escaping the woods and traveling through Hell. Ultimately, this piece of the allegory symbolizes how those a person loves often act as motivation to bear suffering and struggle through overwhelming challenges. In the same manner, the old lady in “The Worn Path” also stumbles persistently along her path for the sake the one individual in the world whom she loves the most: her grandson. In fact, if the grandson was truly dead, the stories would become even more similar in that both characters were enduring the long trek in the honor of a loved one who was deceased. Ultimately, both stories’ implementation of powerful symbolism allows their respective authors to convey the central themes of the story effectively.

"Once Upon a Time" by Nadine Gordimer

                The most intriguing and significant literary technique which Nadine Gordimer employs in her short story “Once Upon a Time” is her utilization of the frame story technique. By framing the story of the perfect family living happily ever after in their dream home within the context of the writer telling herself a bedtime story after fearing for her life underscores the central theme of the story. The “fairytale” itself addresses an average family with a nice home in a presumably wealthy neighborhood with all the luxuries that a stereotypical American family would be assumed to possess, such as a dog, a cat, and a swimming pool. However, when many dangerous individuals began to loiter within their neighborhood, robbing homes and begging for work on a regular basis, the mother and father took heed to the warning of the “witch” (the father’s mother) to never accommodate any of these men off of the street. Ultimately, took such drastic measures to ensure their security as to install a very gruesome contraption of metal atop a very high fence along the perimeter of their home, and, while at play, their young boy accidentally entrapped himself within the security system and was murdered. The moral of the story lies in the fact that the family’s insatiable fear of any danger whatsoever befalling the family was what ultimately led to their demise. While fear is an inevitable aspect of life, and concern for the safety of one’s family is certainly an honorable notion, Gordimer sought to convey through her story the criticality of not going so far to protect oneself as to prevent oneself from actually living life. The fact that the boy died while adventurously reenacting a fairytale and impersonating a prince saving his damsel in distress by becoming entrapped in the security system is symbolic of the fact that the boy’s enthusiasm for life was choked by the parents’ unconquerable fear of danger. This central theme was also embodied by other neighbors of the parents. All families within the neighborhood were so cautious as to avoid burglary that they installed burglar alarms within their home; however, the systems were faulty. Oftentimes, burglars would in fact take advantage of the system’s malfunctions and burglarize a home while the systems were sounding unnecessarily so as to have the opportunity to ransack the home when they could not be heard over the blaring alarms. By use of these examples, Gordimer was clearly intending to reinforce the idea that obsessive fear and precautionary actions can actually produce more harm that benefits.

                In addition to conveying the theme of the importance of being wary to not be too cautious in life, Gordimer also instilled the notion within her readers that the horrors people fear most frequently are often worsened by fear itself. Gordimer implements the use of the frame story technique to express this theme. Irony is evident within the “fairytale” in the sense that all the families in the novel feared the ominous beggars and burglars outside their homes when, ultimately, their own actions caused their own demise. The mother and father installed a security gate, and their son died; likewise, neighbors established security alarms, and they were robbed under the cover of the noise of the faulty alarms. The things which the characters in the fairytale actually feared would have caused them no harm had they been left alone, but the family’s own precautions should have been what they feared. Gordimer intentionally reflects this theme by using a frame story to discuss how she feared the noises outside her bedroom while falling asleep. Gordimer admits to suspecting a murderer looming outside her door while she was “reading every faintest sound, identifying and classifying its possible threat” (Gordimer, 232), yet she quickly discovered that the noise was coming from underneath her house where miners were busy at work. Gordimer should have been afraid the lack of sturdiness in the structure of her house, yet she focuses her energy on fearing a nonexistent entity. In this manner, Gordimer employed the use of a frame story for extra emphasis on the theme of not allowing fear to overcome one so much that the fear itself actually becomes the true threat.  

"The Drunkard"

                In reflecting on Frank O’Connor’s “The Drunkard,” question 5 asks the reader to consider the four different perspectives from which the boy’s drunkenness is observed and analyze the key differences between these perceptions. In studying the text, however, I came to ascertain that the differences in the perspectives carry a much greater significance that I first understood. O’Connor employs both humor and, even more importantly, an interesting twist in point of view to reflect the way in which each of the individuals or groups observing the young boy’s drunkenness actually regards the father’s very dangerous drunkenness. While O’Connor utilized the boy as a narrator in order to write “The Drunkard” in the first person point of view, story actually presents the same scenario from various differing views. For example, when the father realizes that his son is drunk due to his consummation of the two pints which the father himself ordered, he becomes incredibly disgraced and embarrassed. O’Connor manifests his humiliation when describing the father and son’s walk of shame on the way home from the pub: “Father, torn between the shamefast desire to get me home as quick as he could, and the neighborly need to explain that it wasn’t his fault, finally halted outside Mrs. Roche’s” (O’Connor, 349). While the father is too proud to show any disgrace or remorse for his own violent and raging streaks of insatiable drunkenness, he certainly bears the burden or disgrace almost instantaneously after allowing his son to become drunk in his own presence among the company of his neighbors, friends, and peers. In this manner, O’Connor reflects what Father’s feelings toward his own drunkenness surely must be in his perception of his son’s drunken behavior.

                Similarly, O’Connor also reveals the opinions of other major and minor characters in regard to Father’s drinking habits through their reactions to the boy’s drinking episode. While returning home from the pub, Father and the boy fall under the observation of many observant neighbors relaxing idly on their front porches. After carefully watching the young boy with the bloody face stumble about, they merely laugh at his antics as he hums a funny tune and carry on about their business. Likewise, Father’s friends at the pub also laughed at the realization that the young boy had become drunk, yet they took no great interest in the matter after their initial comments. This reaction from the onlookers and bystanders in the story reflects the fact that, while Father’s friends and neighbors may take notice of his cyclic drunken patterns and form initial opinions, they quickly go about their lives without taking any great concern to confront Father about it.

                Lastly, O’Connor’s clever use of the first person point of view reveals the most noteworthy perceptions of the boy’s drunkenness: the boy’s observations as well as the mother’s opinion. While others may find the fact that the young boy became drunk to humorous or entertaining, the boy makes frequent comments throughout the story about how miserable his consummation of the alcohol made him feel. Likewise, the mother does not find the boy’s drunkenness to humorous either; however, she does privately laud him at the conclusion of the story for making such a sacrifice in order to protect his father from the dangers of his imminent drinking problems. By showing the boy’s disgust at the concept of drinking such a foul substance as alcohol and having to endure the painstaking effects of drunkenness, O’Connor reflects the boy’s disapproval of his father’s detrimental habits. Similarly, the mother’s appreciation of the boy’s sacrifice reveals how seriously she regards her husband’s habits and wishes for him to rid himself of drinking once and for all.

A Raisin in the Sun Act II Scene III and Act III Scene I

                Before even reading the very first page of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, I first took note of the epigraph at the beginning of the book. The poem featured in the epigraph was Langston Hughes’ “Dream Deferred.” Because the poem contains a line questioning whether deferred dreams are like raisins withering in the sun, which, not coincidentally, is also the title of the play, I made the presumption that one of the central themes of the play was likely to focus on the deferred, or postponed, dreams of one or more of the main characters. Fortunately, as the novel drew to a close with Act III, I learned that my assumption of the connection between the poem and the play was correct; consequently, I was able to implement my knowledge of this connection in order to come to a greater understanding of the novels. Once again, even the most obscure of literary techniques, such as an epigraph, have proven itself to be very functional tools to literary analysis!

                Every author would surely agree that the title which he selects for his work is absolutely essential to the success of his piece. The title of a song, story, poem, play, etc. immediately invites the viewer to make prejudgments of the work based solely on the title rather than the essence of the piece itself. With this consideration in mind, I initially wondered greatly as to why Hansberry would choose create a title for her play with the word “raisin” in it; however, now that I am aware of the play’s connection to Langston Hughes’ “Dream Deferred” I now understand the implications of this title and appreciate it in its entirety. Unfortunately, the fact remains that readers who are not familiar with this particular poem by Langston Hughes are likely to be confused by the mention of a raisin and may even read the entire book without gaining an understanding of the title’s weighty hints at the play’s theme. Nevertheless, I still commend Hansberry for selecting such a creative title for the play which the actions of the third and final act support greatly.

                As the play’s action draws to a close, each character is enabled to make powerful insights as to the personal value which they placed upon their own dreams as well as the significance in making the appropriate sacrifices to pursue these dreams rather than abandon them. For example, after learning that Walter lost thousands of dollars of the family’s money, each member seemed to let their grieving process run its course in its own way for a matter of time. Walter laid dumbfounded on the bed, mourning the loss of his liquor store; Ruth bemoaned the loss of an opportunity to move away from the apartment; Mama was suffering with sever disappointment; and Bennie was left with the immense challenge of accepting the temporary if not permanent end to her pursuit of finishing college and becoming a doctor. However, just as Bennie was about to abandon all hope of every accomplishing anything in her life, Asagai gently reminds her that adversity is no justifiable reason to abandon one’s dreams. Shriveling up like a raisin in the bright sunlight of difficult challenges expresses weakness and a loss of vitality, something which Asagai would never expect to see from his “Alaiyo.” Just as Bennie seems to come to terms with her loss, Walter also surprisingly demonstrates his first signs or maturity when he overcomes his self-pity at the loss of his liquor store and decides to move into the neighborhood predominately inhabited by white Americans. He remarks, “…who decies which women is suppose to wear pearls in this world…I think my wife should wear some pearls” (Hansberry, 143). With this statement, Walter finally brings the meaning of not postponing one’s dreams and pursuing them rather than deferring them by choosing to take action and fight for his family’s well-being, or “pearls.”  

A Raisin in the Sun Act II Scene II

                 Of all the relationships created in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun I found the complicated relationship between Mama and Beneatha to be by far the most compelling and intriguing simply because I found these two individuals to be in stark contrast to one another in many aspects. Through Bennie and Mama’s heated conversations as well as through their interactions with other characters, the reader quickly ascertains that Bennie and Mama differ greatly in the senses of lifestyle, faith, and values. The initial and most blatant difference which can be noted between Mama and Bennie are their lifestyles, for Mama has always been a simple homemaker and maid in the homes and kitchens of others, while Bennie pursues a college education. Mama’s greatest ambitions seem merely to end at providing abundantly for her family and tending her own personal garden, but Bennies wishes to become a doctor and become successful in the work filed. These differences in lifestyles therefore correlates to the difference in the magnitudes of their dreams.

                In addition to their lifestyles and dreams, Mama and Bennie also contrast one another in their beliefs and values. The most tense and polarizing moment between Mama and Bennie occurs when Bennie asserts that she does not have a faith in God. Rejecting God was both an insult to Mama’s beliefs as well as an offense against Mama’s choice to raise Bennie as a Christian. Consequently, in a wave of rage and hurt, Mama slaps Bennie and demands, “Now—you say after me, in my mother’s house there is still God” (Hansberry, 51). This scene, which is highly saturated with emotion, is perhaps the strongest indication in the entire play of the stark contrast between Mama and Bennie.

                The third and most intriguing way in which Bennie and mama contradict one another is in their appreciation of their family, culture, and heritage. While Mama cared dearly about the legacy which her husband, Big Walter, left for the family, Bennie took a greater interest in their heritage stretching all the way back to Africa. In fact, Bennie reminded me of  the character Dee for “Everyday Use” in many respects during Act II. As Bennie donned her exotic Nigerian garments and began a tribal chant in the apartment, I drew many correlations to Dee’s colorful dress and changed African name. Furthermore, just as Dee’s mother in “Everyday Use” knew little of African culture but knew everything about her own family, Mama admits, “I don’t think I ever met no African before” (Hansberry, 57). While Mama and Beneatha ultimately love each other very much, these differences in beliefs and lifestyles reinforce the fact that the characters of Mama and Bennie contrast greatly.

A Raisin in the Sun Act II Scene I

               The setting of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is significant for a number of compelling reasons which are revealed through a plethora of indirect characterization in Scenes I and II of Act II. Ironically, though all the Youngers live within the same bedraggled apartment, the influence of this setting on their dreams and attitudes is unique to each individual. For example, Walter and Bennie appear to view the apartment as though it resembled a prison cell. Walter has desired his entire life to abandon his dreary work as a chauffeur and attain wealth for his family by means of opening a liquor store. However, just as Walter has never been able to escape the apartment his entire life and must eventually return to it every day, so he must return to the reality of his life and minimal money each night. IN this sense, the reader can sense through indirect characterization that Walter resent the confinement of the apartment by the fact that he flees from the apartment to relax and drink on a regular basis. Likewise, Bennie also views the rugged apartment was a limitation to her aspirations, for Bennie expressed IN Act I that she wished nothing more than to express herself. However, when Bennie declares her lack of faith in God, Mama rebukes her severely and proclaims that in the apartment, she will absolutely acknowledge the existence of God with no exceptions; therefore, the reader can also tell that Bennie sees the apartment as a limitation.

                The setting of A Raisin in the Sun also has a profound impact on Mama, although this impact is far more complex for Mama that for any other character in the novel. While Mama’s children have developed feelings of resentment and bitterness towards the worn apartment, to Mama, the humble abode represent the loving marriage that she shared with Big Walter and the life that they build together. Though Mama’s incessant cleaning and upkeep of the house, Hansberry employs indirect characterization once again in order to indicate how valuable the house has always remained to Mama throughout the years. On the other hand, Mama proves herself to be a wise person who understands the immeasurable benefits the family would gain should they purchase a new home. Therefore, Mama’s explanation for opting to utilize the ten thousand dollar check to buy a new house was, “…It’s just a plain little old house..but… it will be ours. Walter Lee—it makes a difference in a man when he can walk on floors that belong to him…” (Hansberry, 92). Through Mama’s justification of her purchase, the fact that Mama’s desire to provide for her family transcends all other dreams and aspirations is revealed. Therefore, in this scenario, the setting serves to indirectly characterize Mama as well as to embody the emotions of the character. In fact, the potential change in setting is so meaningful to Ruth that her emotions and attitudes seem to be tied solely to her location. With all of these considerations, the reader must acknowledge how critical the setting of A Raisin in the Sun remained in Act II in identifying the traits, dreams, and values of the members of the Younger family.

A Raisin in the Sun Act I Scene II

In keeping in accordance with human nature, essentially every character in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is seemingly in the constant pursuit of a better way of life. Of all the characters, however, Walter Lee and Beneatha appear to strive for this improvement by achieving their dreams with the most passion and fervor. Interestingly while Beneatha and Walter’s dreams definitely manifest themselves in different goals, both are united in the sense that they desire to improve their lives by overcoming African American stereotypes to become exceptionally successful.

                Hansberry quickly distinguishes Beneatha from most young African American women of the time by revealing that Beneatha wishes nothing more than to become a doctor. Additionally, although she greatly differed from her brother in this regard, she did not view money as the ultimate definition of success. ON the other hand, Beneatha is more interested in rejecting African American assimilation and learning more about her culture’s origins in Africa. These aspects of Beneatha’s vision for her life are embodied in the two men who pursue Beneatha, or Bennie, throughout the play, George Murchison and Joseph Asagai. While Murchison is unusually rich and successful, Bennie feels no emotion for him; rather, she appears to love Asagai, a Nigerian intellectual who seeks to improve the lives of his fellow Nigerians. Because Asagai’s characteristics and desires align more closely with Bennie’s he is also the man who understand her more fully. He calls Bennie “Alaiyo” as a nickname and explains, “…it means One for Whom Bread- Food- Is Not Enough” (Hansberry, 65). With their statement, Hansberry defines Bennie’s quest for a better way of life by her need for more than a simple, typical African American woman’s life in Chicago.

                In addition to Bennie, Walter also desires passionately to improve the quality of his life. Unlike Bennie, however, Walter views money as the only means by which to attain this improvement. Walter believes the only way to earn this money is by opening a liquor store with some friends, and this obsession has grown to such an extent that it has overpowered everything else in Walter’s life. Walter commiserates with Mama when he complains that his only vision of the future consists of a dark, empty expanse of pointless work, little money, and sheer misery. When Mama asks why he obsesses over money so ardently, Walter is so bold as to say, “Because it is life, Mama” (Hansberry, 74)! Therefore, although I highly doubt Walter’s pursuit of money will ever truly satiate him, the fact that he intends to bring more wealth to his family by opening a liquor store and therefore improve his life is undeniable.

A Raisin in the Sun Act I Scene I

                As Act I, Scene I of A Raisin in the Sun begins, Lorraine Hansberry immediately establishes the fact through employment of the stage directions and setting descriptions that the apartment in which the Younger family lives is less than desirable. As the rugged and worn condition of the furniture and appliances within the small confines of the cramped living quarters materializes within the reader’s mind, the reader quickly begins to understand that each character has been forced to make many adjustments to the negative aspects of their environment. For example, because the unimpressive apartment was not originally built to house five individuals, ten-year-old Travis must sleep on a nightly basis on a make-down bed; furthermore, without a yard to entertain himself in, Travis must play with his friends on the unsafe sidewalks of Chicago’s Southside, where he and his companions must seek enjoyment in unusual activities such as chasing rats. Ruth is certainly discontent with her surroundings as well, for she spends a great deal of time fretting about raising a child in such mediocre conditions. Unsurprisingly, Walter and Beneatha also dislike their small apartment, for the lack of space and grandeur of the apartment seems to reflect the limitations of their own dreams and ambitions, something which they both resent very strongly. However, the character whose compensations for the negative aspects of her environment compelled me the most was Mama.

                While Mama would surely love to provide a higher quality abode for her family, the fact that she feels a much stronger emotional connection to the home than the rest of the family is evident; after all, she and her husband, Big Walter, had purchased the apartment decades ago after getting married, and she has made all of her family memories within the walls of the apartment since that time. Mama certainly appears to be more content and appreciative of her environment than any other character, but, nevertheless, even she is revealed to experience some disappointment on account of their subpar living conditions. With this is mind, I found it very interesting that throughout the first act, Mama is described as constantly tending to and fidgeting with a single, pathetic-looking plant resting on the windowsill. After nursing the plant for a good deal of time, Mama explains to Ruth, “Well, I always wanted me a garden like I used to see sometimes at the back of the houses down home. This plant is close as I ever got to having one” (Hansberry, 53). With this quote, I came to find that Mama’s tenderness towards her withering plant is highly symbolic of her life and deferred dreams. Indirect characterization has already proven Mama to be a woman who lives a fairly understated lifestyle and whose primary concern is simply for the happiness and success of her family members. Although Mama always fostered a desire to own her own home with Big Walter at which she could tend a garden, she accepted the sacrifice of this dream in order to take care of her family with whatever means possible. However, the fact that Mama has clung to this solitary plant for such an extent of time represents the fact that she never truly parted ways with this inner dream and desire, nor did her passion for the garden dissolve over time. Despite this, rather than allow her deferred dreams to transform into bitter and raw emotions, she simply nurtures the plant with love and accepts its mediocre condition. I also believe that Mama’s care for the plant is symbolic of her utmost concern for the well-being of her family members. Even when her children appear to be deteriorating from the inside out due to the adjustments that they have been forced to make due to their environment, she continues to love and provide for them with patience and few demands, just as she loyally cares for her plant without demanding beauty of it. As the play progresses, I will be interested to see if Mama will be able to suppress her own dreams while channeling all her effort into assisting her loved ones in attaining their own.