Each character's problems by the end of the second act:
Walter Younger has just lost his dream of becoming a rich man because he gave the money his mother gave to him in the hands of a disloyal friend so that his business could get started. In the process of doing this, he was also disloyal to his family because he gave the money for Beneatha's education to Willy and must now face his family with shame.
Beneatha is still having trouble with men and finds that she really does not like George Murchison. She seems to be having major identity problems still.
Lena is having problems with Walter, to whom she can no longer give her trust. Additionally, she is still going for her goal of owning a house, but she is now facing problems because she is indirectly informed by the welcoming committee of her new neighborhood that her family is not welcome and because she is putting her family at risk of possibly being bombed.
Ruth still has the baby, and it must be an assumption that she decided to keep it because of how well she and Walter were getting along during the second act. Perhaps that will change now that she cannot trust her husband and because the family has lost so much money.
Finally, there is Travis, who says he wants to be a bus driver. His main problem is his father and the fact that he is being lied to about financial situations and told things that will never become a reality for him.
Mama and Ruth are still a bit cold towards each other because of the baby. Ruth spoke of a female doctor early in the play which we can believe to mean that she is going to kill it. Aborting the baby doesnt seem like an option to Mama and Ruth feels that it is the only way to keep her and her husband together. Mama and Beneatha had a disagreement that ended with Beneatha getting smacked across the face. When Beneatha spoke out againist God and started blaspheming in Mama's house, Mama Forced her to apologize. Personally, I think Beneatha did it to only please her mother but inside she really feels that way. Mama and Walter had just began to fight at the end of act 2. Mama's rage began to show through when she finds that Walter has lost all the money her husband had worked so hard for. SHe is upset because he disobeyed her and was greedy. He also lost the money that she had given to her daughter for her to achieve her dreams. Beneatha and George have completely different views when it comes to the role of a woman. He thinks that a woman should not speak out of turn or have view points. They should only sit still and look pretty. She finds that she appreciates Agasai much more.
>Beneatha Younger, the aspiring doctor has just lost all possible hope of achieving her dream and she is also having trouble with George Murchison. Beneatha figures out that she is not in love with George and does not like him very much. >Walter Younger has recently lost his mom's money to Willy Harris and has also lost his dream of becoming a rich liquor storeowner. Not only has Walter lost his dream, but he has also lost his family's trust. The money he lost was to be divided between him and Beneatha and since the money is lost, there is a conflict between the family. >Lena Younger has lost trust in Walter as stated in the above paragraph and is about to move into a neighborhood that does not welcome African-Americans. The "welcoming committee" visited the Younger's house and informed them that they are not welcomed in the neighborhood indirectly. >Travis Younger dreams of being a bus driver but this dream was quickly destroyed by his dad because that job is not good enough for his son. Walter wants Travis to become something better. Also, his dad lies to him about how well off they are and that he can become anything. These ideas greatly impacted Travis and are now causing conflicts between him and his dad. >Ruth Younger is currently pregnant with Walter Younger's baby and she has been told to get an abortion but she has not made up her mind about it and this has resulted in conflicts between Walter, Lena, and herself. -IndiboiX911
Almost all the main conflicts in the Younger family revolve around the incompetence of Walter. First, Ruth's baby: Ruth is struggling with Lena and Walter on whether to have an abortion or not. While Ruth knows that her family cannot have any more members because of the financial limits, Lena insists that the baby to be given birth. Second, Benethea's independence: Walter once said to her that she should just marry off to someone and keep a quiet, humble life; now, she has no choice but to do that because Walter lost all the money that was supposed to get Benethea through education. The main conflict in the Younger family is between Lena and Walter. Lena believed in Walter and gave him the money that was acquired with her husband's flesh, but now that he lost it, despair and indignation filled their relationship. In conclusion, Walter messed up everyone's lives.
There are many conflicts that occur between the family members of the Younger family. One conflict that takes place between Ruth and Walter Lee Younger is Ruth's being pregnant. Ruth has found herself pregnant and looking for a place to raise her child. Walter is so preoccupied with his dream of owning a liquor store, that he show no attention towards her dilemma. She wants to have an abortion, although she subtly says this so that she can get Walter to stand up for her child and make her feel like her future baby is wanted and able to be raised.
Another problem in the Younger family is the predicament of Walter Lee's dream of a liquor store. The only way for his dream to be realized is for his father's life insurance money to get used entirely for the purpose of the liquor store. This, however, hits a brick wall and creates several other external conflicts between the other members of the family. Beneatha wants to use the majority of the money to got to school in order to be a doctor. Ruth and Mama want to use the money to buy a house so that Travis can actually have a room and the possible new baby can have a home to grow up in.
Yet another problem exists between the marriage issue of Beneatha. She has been going out with George Murchison, a rich black man. She wants to dump him and search for someone else on the basis of personality, while Mama and Walter Lee want her to keep going out with him because he is extremely rich. That way, if she marries him, they ,too, will be rich.
The Younger family is experiencing some very difficult times, which has put tension on many of the relationships between the characters. The most apparent relationship that has been damaged are the ones between Walter and the rest of the family. He lost 6,500 dollars. This has caused his trust to be questioned. None of the family members will likely trust him with anything important for the rest of the play. Mama is not pleased at all with Walter and seems very mad at what he has done. Another conflict arrises when Travis says he wants to be a bus driver. This does not appeal to Ruth at all. She has a desire for him to grow up and have a real job, as does Walter. A conflict also arrises when the Youngers are told they are not wanted in Clybourne Park. They are all timid because of the recent violent actions expressed upon blacks when they are where whites do not want them.
Walter, to begin is still them same. All he wants in life is money, and more money. Lena gives him $6,500 to split between him and Beneetha's schooling. She expects him to use it responsibly, but he blows it all on the liquor store license, and soon gets stolen. He was dishonest and now it is causing his family a bunch of pain. Ruth is finally getting her dream, Walter finally seems happy, and Ruth is finally getting a house for her family to live in. Lena has pretty much stayed static. She still cares for her family more than anything, and bought them a house. Near the end of Act II, she begins to distrust Walter becuase of the money situation. Beneetha discovers finally that she does not want to be with George. She has begun to take to the "Asagai" way of life. Finally, Travis is let down. His father pormises him outrageous things, and ends up just dissappointing his son. Travis wants to be a bus driver when he grows up. -Loof
Much of this conflict between the cahracters, revolves around the check that really determines how they may or may not live their lives. Mama, who rightfully has control over the money, wants to buy a home. However, Walter wants to spend the money on a liquor store. He has no concern for anyone elses dream but his own, and this creates many issues. Beneatha, really wants to become a doctor, but there is almost a struggle for which one of the siblings. All Ruth wishes for is to have a loving family and husband. She misses what she does not have, but unlike the other Youngers, she does not talk about her dreams.
Walter does not get along with anyone in the household. He loves them all and wants them to leave poverty behind but is naive in his methods of reaching this goal. Beneatha does not believe in all the preachings of her mother and mama has lost control of her children. She mourns the loss of her husband and has never fully gotten over him. She believes that she has failed her kids and visa versa. Ruth married into a troubled and gets along with mama. She always gets into arguments with her husband and sister in law. Travis is the only one that gets along with everyone and he seems to be the most willing to work out of the whole family. It is a troubled family that is growing apart.
Walter's conflict revolves around his decision to give money to Willy Harris to open up a liquor store. Walter lost all his money becuase he trusted someone who was untrustworthy. This also causes conflict for him with his family. His family does not trust him anymore.
Beneatha is conflicted with her own identity and she has trouble making a decision between George Murchison and Joseph Asagai. She also suffers from the money lost by Walter, becuase that was suppose to go toward her education. Therfore Beneatha has some conflict with Walter.
Ruth is conflicted with her pregnancy. She is involved in her thoughts about getting an abortion. This causes conflict between her and Mama who doesnot want her to get an abortion. She is also worried about her relationship with Walter, although it was getting better.
Mama is upset, becuase Walter has lost all the money and she hates him for being greedy and she can no longer trust him.She is also concerned with the welcoming committee indirectly saying that they are a not welcomed to the neighborhood.
Travis is conflcited with his dream being not good enough. Walter tells Travis that his dream of becoming a bus driver is not good enough, and so it bothers him. Also the fact that his family has been lying to him about their financial status concerns him.
Every characters problem revolves around Walter and his obsession with money. Walters main problem is that he has lost the $6500 mama gave him and his liquor store dream is over. Beneatha is torn between George and Asagai, she also has no college money because of Walter. Mama feels bad because Walter has reminded her that she and her husband didnt provide their kids with the best life. Ruth is pregnant despite the fact that they cant afford to give Travis an adequate life as is.
Walter lost a huge sum of money after disobeying his mother by investing it in a liquor store through Willy Harris, who ran off with the money. He lost trust from his family members and also they are back to where they started in a financial struggle to keep up a living. He lost Mama's respect and trust, he lost money for Beneatha's education, and he is still in somewhat bad terms with his wife. Mama lost her trust for Walter and there is Linder who is trying to keep the Youngers from moving into the white neighborhood. Beneatha is split between two men, George and Joseph. She does not dislike George but finds him shallow. Joseph is an intellectual but his pride for his heritage might be a little too much for her. On the other hand, her brother had just lost all her tuition money. Ruth is still in the troubling state of deciding whether to keep the baby or not. The family's back in their financial troubles so she might have to actually get rid of it. She is still in bad terms with her husband and they admit to each other that they do not know how to get close with each other again. For Travis, his dream is to be a bus driver. This is not a very positive thing for his dream is not big. As a kid, he should be having extraordinary dreams of who he wants to grow up to be but he only wants to be a mere bus driver.
Ruth and Walter have a lot of tension because of the new baby that they will have in the next year. Walter and Ruth want to be closer but everything is strained because of inexperience when it comes to showing affection by Walter.
Walter and his Mama have lots of tension because walter feels unappriciated which leads to mama having all her money lost by Walter. Mama also wants Walter to be a man and tell Ruth that she should keep the baby.
Travis is out of the loop in terms of knowledge about whats going on but at the end of the 2nd act his future is looking grim beacause he wants to be a bus driver and when his dad loses the money that just seems to solidify that earlier want.
Beneatha still has disagreements with with Walter and Mama. She also fights with George and this leads to her losing alot of intrest in him.
Also Mama and the Family is "Welcomed" by their new community with an offer on the house. This with the loss of the money creates lots of anger in the family.
Ruth and Walter Lee are having marital difficulties. Walter Lee vunerably expresses that he does not know how to get closer to Ruth. The major reason they fight constantly is because of Big Walter's check. Ruth kept telling Walter Lee to grow up and make a smart decision for the money but Walter Lee took all of it and gave it to Willy. Therefore all the money is gone and Walter Lee is the culprit.
Beneatha has her identity issue. She is not sure who she should become. She also has trouble with George because she realizes he only wants her for her looks.
Mama is conflicting with Walter Lee because she displayed her trust in him and gave him the money but he wasted it. She is also having problems with her new neighborhood because they do not want her.
Travis has a reality issue. Walter Lee shares with him that he can be anything he wants and this will cause future problems for him.
There are many conflicts in the Younger family that are between different characters, but there are also internal conflicts that the characters are dealing with.
Mama is having to deal with the whole family. She has to keep the house in order and everyone happy. A major conflict is between Mama and her son Walter. She is trying to trust Walter even though it is difficult for her. She wants her son to be happy, but she is also trying to do what is best for the family. An example is how Mama had a hard time dividing up the money to make everyone happy, but she gave the majority to Walter to show trust.
Walter is also having conflicts with his wife, Ruth, because they are not as close as they used to be. They fight and argue about everything. This is because Walter wants to give his wife and son a rich life and he can not provide for them like he wants to. Walter also has internal conflicts because he gets so upset when he does not get his way.
Ruth is also having an internal conflict because she can not decide what to do about her pregnancy. She has to almost decide by herself because her husband, Walter, is to bitter to take time and listen to her. She has to decide if she wants to keep the baby or have an abortion.
Benethea's loud mouth get her into many conflicts with her family. Benethea has a hard time getting the family to understand why she doesn't like George Murchison. He is wealthy so the family does not understand why she will not marry him. Benethea also has a conflict with her brother, Walter. Walter does not believe Benethea will ever be a doctor and does not understand why school and that job are so important to her. Benethea speaks her mind which also gets her in trouble with Mama.
Mom was opposed to Walter when he said he wants to open a liquor store. However, Walter invested his mom's money and lost them all. He lost his dreams to open a liquor store, and his family doesn't trust him anymore.
Another conflict is between Ruth and family members. Ruth is pregnant, but she cannot choose whether she should have an abortion or not. Lena wants a baby, but Ruth knows that her family cannot afford new baby. Ruth is having hard time because of money problem, and the baby problem.
Beneatha is also having a conflict because Walter lost all the money that should be used to Beneatha's education. Beneatha doesn't want to marry George, but now she has to marry him because he is a rich man.
The Younger family has many conflicts that are external and internal.
Internally: -Beneatha is struggling with whether she wants to accept and integrate herself fully into the White American culture, or to keep true to her ancestors. She is also struggling on which guy she likes and the pressures of marriage her family is putting on her. -Walter has to deal with his marriage as well as focusing on his dream. Walter and Ruth have been experiencing many emotional problems and he feels like he can't be close to her anymore. He also feels like his family has no faith in him because they are initially discouraging his dream. Ruth-The struggle of whether to bring another life into the world, or to kill it and keep it away from the poverty it would be born into.
The external conflicts are almost all caused by Walter's selfishness. The money that Mama trusted him with was lost, and now the liquor store, probably the house, and Beneatha's education can no longer occur. Walter also is causing trouble with Ruth when he won't agree with Mama that the new baby should not be aborted. Beneatha also now has a new conflict face, and that is how to pay for college.
Walter - after loosing all $6500 that Mama had given to him in hopes of fulfilling his dream of opening a liquor store he has lost the trust of everyone important in his life. Not only did he invest and loose Mama’s money, he also gave all of Beneatha’s money for college to Willy. He trusted Willy and he betrayed him and because of his betrayal he must face his family with shame. Beneatha - She is having many troubles with her love life, especially with George. She figured out that he only likes her for her looks and could care less about her ideas and personality that she has to offer. It’s sometimes hard for her to face the truth. Ruth- She is still pregnant with her baby and after seeing how well her and her husband have been getting along durning this act, maybe there wont be an abortion after all. But seeing that Willy has lost all the trust from his family it’s going to be interesting to see what will happen next. Travis – Most of his conflicts come from his father and the fact that he is being lied to about his financial situation. One day he told his dad that he wanted to become a bus driver and Willy wasn’t to pleased with that idea. Willy really needs to start telling Travis the truth and stop making him believe in things that will never become a reality. Mama- At the end of this act she has just been betrayed by Walter who has lost all the money that she gave him. She no longer trusts Walter. She is still perusing her dream of buying her own house. Even though, she is indirectly informed by the welcoming committee of the new neighborhood, where her family is not welcome.
Each character in the Younger family are face with several conflicts at the end of act 2. The conflict that happens at the end of act two is the climax. -Walter has invested $6,500 in a liquor store with Willy Harris and Bobo, but his dream was crushed when Willy Harris ran away with all of the money. The rest of the family no longer trusts him because he lost the fortune his father work his entire life for. -Mama is faced with how to deal with Walter, and the rest of the family. She does not rust Walter anymore because of his poor decision making. She is also faced with dealing with the white community in which her family has just bought a house. The welcoming committee wants them to move out because it is putting the rest of them at risk. -Ruth has recently been have a great time with her husband, but now she is faced how to give him her trust. She is now returning to the poor relationship they had at the beginning of the play. Ruth is also pregnant. She at first wanted to get rid of the baby, but Mama had did not want her to, causing tension in their relationship. -Beneatha is torn between two guys. She likes Asagai because he is so in tough with his African heritage, and George because of his wealth. Now, her dreams of going to medical school have been crushed because her family no longer has the money; Walter lost it all. -Travis has just let his father know that he wants to be a bus driver when he grows up. This is not good enough for the adults in the family because they want a better life for him than what they have. He also has to deal with the constant arguing between the members in his family.
Travis is the most controversial character in the entire story so far. He seems to be in a conflict with everyone. Him and Ruth have two problems, trying to rekindle their love for one another and they are trying to figure out how and if they can have the baby. Walter likes to shut Ruth out and deal with his problems without talking them out and that is one of the reasons that he and his wife aren't getting along. Also a conflict exists between Mama and Walter. Mama is seeing her boy turn into a bad husband and father who has lost sight of what is really important in life and feels that he is tearing the family apart, not just him but he is a major reason. Walter also feels that his mother does not trust his decision making ability, she has good reason not to but he still would like to have her support. Beneatha has a inner struggle between the two men in her life. One man is very wealthy but only wants her for her looks, and the other is true to his roots and dose not really take her all the serious. However, the major conflict is not understanding each other and the family's inability to communicate with each other in oder to make the best decisions.
Where to start: Walter just lost the money for himself and Beneatha for his own selfish needs (liquor store) and has betrayed Mama, Beneatha, and the entire family. Therefore his dream is ruined along with Beneatha' s and his family in the process.
Beneatha now has no education money for college and she is not doing well relationship wise. She doesn't really like George Murchinson and hasn't really found herself yet.She also has tension against Mama due to religious beliefs. She is also mad at Walter for losing the money.
Lena/Mamastill wants her goal of having ahouse. Due to the welcoming commitee, this doesn't give her a sense of ease. She also despices Walter who spent All the money she gave to him, even the amount given to Beneatha's education, and lost it all. Shee feels betrayed and lied to.
Ruth is unsure for her feelings of Walter and she is pregnant with Walter's baby. Due to peer pressure she is thinking of abortion but is not sure about tht either.
Finally, Travis wants to be a bus driver but due to Walter's dramitization on how well off they were and that he could do anything he wanted skewed Travis's perception of things, therefore this will cause further conflicts laters I suppose.
Walter is depressed because his get-rich-quick scheme didn't work and he lost all $6500 that Mama trusted him with, $3000 of which were meant for Beneatha. He let down everyone in the family, ruining, not just his own dreams, but everyone else's as well. He and Ruth are still struggling with their relationship.
Mama is furious and disbelieving that Walter could be so thoughtless as to squander away over half of the money that was given to her as a result of her husband's death. She is upset that Ruth is considering abortion for her baby, and worried about the fact that the "welcoming committee" from her soon-to-be new neighborhood is so unwelcoming.
Beneatha is upset at her brother for losing her money to pay for schooling, upset at George for not respecting her dreams or taking her seriously, and just generally very upset.
Ruth is struggling to reconnect with Walter and to decide whether or not to keep the baby. She squabbles with Mama over the caretaking of Travis, and, like the others, is horrified that Walter was idiotic enough to lose their share of the money.
Travis' one real issue is that his father is an idiot. And also that Walter is encouraging Travis to dream bigger than is really beneficial, seeing as most of the strife in the household seems to be caused by unrealistic dreams. But mostly his father's just an idiot.
As in the beginning, many of the same problems still exist. Walter, however, now has an even bigger problem. Since he lost all of the money that Mama gave him, he still remains poor and with a dream that seems to be getting farther and farther away from him. Ruth still has the problem with her husband and the way he acts, but the tensions about the couple are not as strong anymore. For example, they went on a date together and really did have a nice time. Beneatha still has the issue of how to pay for school, but now she is confused on which man to date. She likes both men, but each one has something different to offer her. Joseph offers the unique African culture, while the other offers her a lot of money. Also, Mama's problems have gotten bigger too, like Walter's. Once she got her check, it seemed that all of her problems went away, but new problems came along with the check. Once she put a down payment on the house, her future "neighbors" decided that an African American family could not live in their neighborhood, whereas Mama just wanted a nice, bigger home for her family. Also, Mama did lose some of her money thanks to Walter who foolishly gave it to one of his friends. Finally, Travis presented a problem to his father when he said that he wanted to be a bus driver. This hurt Walter so much in that he really wants to prove to his family that he can become wealthy and successful.
A lot of the conflicts within the Younger family have to do with Walter. Ruth and Walter have a conflict because of Walter's refusal to listen and concern himself more with his family than his own ideas. Bennie and Walter fight because of the money their mother is recieving. Bennie feels as if her mother should be the one to decide what she wants to fdo, while Walter feels that the money should be his to "invest" in whatever way he sees fit. Mama also has conflict with Walter because of his disregard for hi wife's feelings and because of the fact he is consumed with the want of money. Walter is not the only source of problems in the household, Mama gets angry at Bennie because of her disbelief in God.
Many problems exist within the Younger family house. Walter is the cause of most of these problems. HIs constant need to be rich and fulfil his dreams leads him down a path of disappointment. He gave all of his money and trust to his "partner" Willie who ended up taking the money for himself and running away. Beneatha has a problem also, although her quandary is not as profound. She is having trouble with the men in her life. While George Murchison is the wealthy, safe choice, she does not like him as much as Joseph Asagai. She has trouble choosing between them with her family influencing her decision. Ruth also has a major problem. She is pregnant, but she does not know what to do with the baby. She does not even know if they would be able to support another child.
-Mama and Walter: Mama believes that Walter has lost sight of what is important. She sees him searching desperately for money at the expense of his family [no pun intended] while she spent most of her life fighting for her freedom. Walter believes that Mama doesn't trust him or believe in her dreams. Mama feels she must convince Walter otherwise and so she gives him the check [which he wasted and so I predict that Mama has lost hope in him].
-Mama and Ruth: Mama and Ruth get along very well. Mama is very caring towards Ruth and Ruth is very respectful of Mama. Personally, I think that Mama has a grudge against Ruth because she went to see the lady about getting rid of her baby. However, the conflict between the two never shows because Mama mostly blames Walter for driving Ruth to make such a decision.
-Mama and Beneatha: Mama and Bennie have a lot of trouble dealing with each other. Mama disregards Bennie in many ways. From her random fancies it foolhardy ideas, it seems from Mama's point of view that Bennie is new, naive fawn in a place of utmost opportunity. She doesn't seem to be able to stick to one path and she picks up ideas like dollars on the road. Also, Bennie understands that Mama disregards her thoughts and ideas. Bennie is upset about this because most of the people in the family say things that upset Mama, but when she mentions God, Mama thinks that Bennie is taking it too far. The two women are constantly bickering, but you can see they take the same stand against men and their foolishness after Bennie's date with Murchinson.
Bennie and Ruth: Ruth is very supportive of Bennie, and Bennie is very grateful for her confidence, though she doesn't know how to show it. However, Ruth is slightly envious of Bennie. It is clear that Ruth is dissatisfied with her marriage and because of Walter, she is also dissatisfied with her life. Ruth is careful not to show her feelings about this because she knows that as the sister-in-law and daughter-in-law of Bennie and Mama, she is most likely the reason they haven't torn at each other's necks with claws.
-Walter and Ruth: Walter and Ruth have a HORRIBLE marriage. No offense. Walter is being a...very bad man. He is jealous, greedy, selfish. Yes, these feelings arose out of originally good intentions [his desire to provide for his family], but he has taken it too far. He is convinced that just because his wife wants the best for Mama and Beneatha, she doesn't want to see him succeed either. Walter is blind to all the work that Ruth does to help support the family, blind to the effort she puts in to keep peace within the household, and blind to the support and patience that Ruth has given him for the past years. Ruth is very patient, but with such negative feedback from Walter, of course she is losing her patience. Something like what happened at the end of Act II might drive her away. Even if she wants to leave though, I predict that she will not because she needs to support Travis and she loves Mama and Bennie too much to abandon them with Walter. She loves Walter very much and from some of the dialogs earlier, you can tell that she is still waiting for Walter to realize what he is doing and atone for his behavior.
-Walter and Travis: Travis has the love hate relationship with his father. Sometimes he loves his father for his happy-go-lucky, jovial manner which has so far been seen twice in the play. On the other hand, however, Travis knows that he cannot depend on his father. He resents the fact that his father goes out drinking every time things get tough. He resents his father for creating so much conflict within the house. It is apparent that Travis loves his father, however he never allows himself to depend on his father, which is not healthy for the relationship but it is completely understandable why he feels this way.
Every character in this play is in a conflict. Walter is too selfish and because of it people around him suffer. He has just recently lost his dream of owning the liquer store so he is depressed. Ruth is freaking out because she is pregnant and is debating whether or not to keep it. She is afraid because of the way Walter is acting. Mama is disillusioned because her son is acting like a total jerk to everyone and he is too blind to see what sort of damage he is causing to the family. Beneatha is struggling with herself because she doesn't know who she loves; Asagai or George. She also has to worry about her education and expenses. Travis as the youngest Younger is growing up in a very hostile environment and he is being lied to by his parents about financial situations. Travis will grow up weak because of his surroundings.
There are many problems for the characters in A Raisin in the Sun Act II. They are: 1) Walter Younger's problem is probably the most significant and will have the biggest effect on the family in the future. Mama decided to trust Walter with the money left from her husband's life insurance check and he invested it all in the store he wanted to buy. The man Walter trusted with his money left town with all of the money. This crushes Walter's dreams of life in high society and puts his family in a difficult position. 2) Mama's money was all lost except for the down payment she put on the house. She no longer trusts or respects Walter. There is also the issue of the new house in the white neighborhood that affects the whole family but mostly Mama. A man from the neighborhood "welcoming committee" tried to convince the Younger's that moving to the new neighborhood was a mistake. 3)Beneatha no longer has money for school because of Walter's blunder. She is also unsure about the two very different men she is dating. Beneatha is also struggling to find who she really is 4)Ruth is pregnant and is not sure if she will keep the baby. She had been fighting a lot with Walter and may have also been unsure if they could afford another child.
response to kyoko 212... Wow. You wrote a lot. I agree with you on how Walter is a bad husband for Ruth or for anyone else, but I disagree on Walter being a bad father. Walter did come his drunk and he surely did act irresponsibly, but he only did that because he was in a state of despair. He wasn't always like that; you can see that from the dialogue between Walter and Travis once Lena told Walter that she will endow him some money.
Although you covered the main conflicts in early Act 2, you left out the conflict that in my opinion is the most important in the act. That conflict is Walter losing the money. The fact the money is now gone really changes a lot. The conflicts no longer revolve around who gets the money and how to spend the money but now center around Walter's selfish and irresponsible actions.
The inheritance of the $10,000 is at the heart of nearly everyones' conflicts. At the end of act two the money is gone and everyone is mad at each other. Walter is mad because he now knows that he will never own a bar. Beneatha is mad at Walter because he lost the money and now she cant afford college. She is also still undecided about her boyfriend. She doesnt know what she wants. Mama is upset that Walter did not put any money in the bank. The family as a whole is concerned about moving into a white neighborhood.
Mama has a problem trusting Walter with the money and is trying to push her dream that benefits the whole family, she also has a problem with the white community resenting her purchase of a house in a white neighborhood.
Walter loses the $6,500 that he was trusted with, now he faces the disappointment of telling Beneatha that her money for medical school is lost and telling Mama he lost her trust.
Ruth is struggling on deciding what to do with the baby seeing that there may be no room for it and seeing the Younger's financial status that is the result of Walters mistake.
Travis is now beginning to feel some of the finacial stress in the family and now pursues the simple dream of becoming a bus drivers as he feels he can not hope to pursue an extravagant career.
There are many conflicts between the Younger family. Ruth and Walter are arguing about the birth of the unborn child. Walter and Beneatha will not agree on what to do with the check their mother is about to recieve. Also, Beneatha cannot decide between her two boyfriends, and which culture she would like to represent. Walter is still dreaming of becoming rich, but because Wily stole his and Beneatha's money. Momma cannot believe Walter distrusted her like that. There is a lot of drama going on right now!
Stopkidding, I mostly agree with the main conflicts that each character faces. I agree with your comments on the argument between mama and Ruth. Ruth's abortion choice is controversial and it indeed did cause conflict between these two characters. Mama believes that getting an abortion is wrong, while Ruth believes that the baby will be necessary in order to save her relationship with Walter and that it will hurt the family even more. I don't think Beneatha will stop asserting her independence because although Walter's losing the money will hurt her in her education, I think she is more concerned about her relationship with George Murchison and Joseph Asagai. That I believe is her main conflict. I agree with your statement on Walter's conflcit with Mama about him losing the money.
blah, I agree with every conflict stated in your response. Walter has the most important conflict in that he is the one to blame for losing 6500 dollars and hurting Beneatha's education. He also loses trust of the family memebers, and he is internally conflicted for trusting Willy Harris. Beneatha does have a conflict between assimilating and following her African heritage. Lena has conflict with her house dream and Walter. The "welcoming committee" upsets her by suggesting them to not move into the new neighborhood. Ruth is having trouble fixing her relationship with Walter and in dealing with the abortion issue.
response to dmoney- Yea. However, if she doesn't have any money, how would she get the proper education to become a doctor and be able to pursue her dream? um. This is only a rhetorical question. You don't have to answer it.
38 comments:
Each character's problems by the end of the second act:
Walter Younger has just lost his dream of becoming a rich man because he gave the money his mother gave to him in the hands of a disloyal friend so that his business could get started. In the process of doing this, he was also disloyal to his family because he gave the money for Beneatha's education to Willy and must now face his family with shame.
Beneatha is still having trouble with men and finds that she really does not like George Murchison. She seems to be having major identity problems still.
Lena is having problems with Walter, to whom she can no longer give her trust. Additionally, she is still going for her goal of owning a house, but she is now facing problems because she is indirectly informed by the welcoming committee of her new neighborhood that her family is not welcome and because she is putting her family at risk of possibly being bombed.
Ruth still has the baby, and it must be an assumption that she decided to keep it because of how well she and Walter were getting along during the second act. Perhaps that will change now that she cannot trust her husband and because the family has lost so much money.
Finally, there is Travis, who says he wants to be a bus driver. His main problem is his father and the fact that he is being lied to about financial situations and told things that will never become a reality for him.
Mama and Ruth are still a bit cold towards each other because of the baby. Ruth spoke of a female doctor early in the play which we can believe to mean that she is going to kill it. Aborting the baby doesnt seem like an option to Mama and Ruth feels that it is the only way to keep her and her husband together.
Mama and Beneatha had a disagreement that ended with Beneatha getting smacked across the face. When Beneatha spoke out againist God and started blaspheming in Mama's house, Mama Forced her to apologize. Personally, I think Beneatha did it to only please her mother but inside she really feels that way.
Mama and Walter had just began to fight at the end of act 2. Mama's rage began to show through when she finds that Walter has lost all the money her husband had worked so hard for. SHe is upset because he disobeyed her and was greedy. He also lost the money that she had given to her daughter for her to achieve her dreams.
Beneatha and George have completely different views when it comes to the role of a woman. He thinks that a woman should not speak out of turn or have view points. They should only sit still and look pretty. She finds that she appreciates Agasai much more.
>Beneatha Younger, the aspiring doctor has just lost all possible hope of achieving her dream and she is also having trouble with George Murchison. Beneatha figures out that she is not in love with George and does not like him very much.
>Walter Younger has recently lost his mom's money to Willy Harris and has also lost his dream of becoming a rich liquor storeowner. Not only has Walter lost his dream, but he has also lost his family's trust. The money he lost was to be divided between him and Beneatha and since the money is lost, there is a conflict between the family.
>Lena Younger has lost trust in Walter as stated in the above paragraph and is about to move into a neighborhood that does not welcome African-Americans. The "welcoming committee" visited the Younger's house and informed them that they are not welcomed in the neighborhood indirectly.
>Travis Younger dreams of being a bus driver but this dream was quickly destroyed by his dad because that job is not good enough for his son. Walter wants Travis to become something better. Also, his dad lies to him about how well off they are and that he can become anything. These ideas greatly impacted Travis and are now causing conflicts between him and his dad.
>Ruth Younger is currently pregnant with Walter Younger's baby and she has been told to get an abortion but she has not made up her mind about it and this has resulted in conflicts between Walter, Lena, and herself.
-IndiboiX911
Almost all the main conflicts in the Younger family revolve around the incompetence of Walter.
First, Ruth's baby: Ruth is struggling with Lena and Walter on whether to have an abortion or not. While Ruth knows that her family cannot have any more members because of the financial limits, Lena insists that the baby to be given birth.
Second, Benethea's independence: Walter once said to her that she should just marry off to someone and keep a quiet, humble life; now, she has no choice but to do that because Walter lost all the money that was supposed to get Benethea through education.
The main conflict in the Younger family is between Lena and Walter. Lena believed in Walter and gave him the money that was acquired with her husband's flesh, but now that he lost it, despair and indignation filled their relationship.
In conclusion, Walter messed up everyone's lives.
There are many conflicts that occur between the family members of the Younger family. One conflict that takes place between Ruth and Walter Lee Younger is Ruth's being pregnant. Ruth has found herself pregnant and looking for a place to raise her child. Walter is so preoccupied with his dream of owning a liquor store, that he show no attention towards her dilemma. She wants to have an abortion, although she subtly says this so that she can get Walter to stand up for her child and make her feel like her future baby is wanted and able to be raised.
Another problem in the Younger family is the predicament of Walter Lee's dream of a liquor store. The only way for his dream to be realized is for his father's life insurance money to get used entirely for the purpose of the liquor store. This, however, hits a brick wall and creates several other external conflicts between the other members of the family. Beneatha wants to use the majority of the money to got to school in order to be a doctor. Ruth and Mama want to use the money to buy a house so that Travis can actually have a room and the possible new baby can have a home to grow up in.
Yet another problem exists between the marriage issue of Beneatha. She has been going out with George Murchison, a rich black man. She wants to dump him and search for someone else on the basis of personality, while Mama and Walter Lee want her to keep going out with him because he is extremely rich. That way, if she marries him, they ,too, will be rich.
The Younger family is experiencing some very difficult times, which has put tension on many of the relationships between the characters. The most apparent relationship that has been damaged are the ones between Walter and the rest of the family. He lost 6,500 dollars. This has caused his trust to be questioned. None of the family members will likely trust him with anything important for the rest of the play. Mama is not pleased at all with Walter and seems very mad at what he has done. Another conflict arrises when Travis says he wants to be a bus driver. This does not appeal to Ruth at all. She has a desire for him to grow up and have a real job, as does Walter. A conflict also arrises when the Youngers are told they are not wanted in Clybourne Park. They are all timid because of the recent violent actions expressed upon blacks when they are where whites do not want them.
Walter, to begin is still them same. All he wants in life is money, and more money. Lena gives him $6,500 to split between him and Beneetha's schooling. She expects him to use it responsibly, but he blows it all on the liquor store license, and soon gets stolen. He was dishonest and now it is causing his family a bunch of pain.
Ruth is finally getting her dream, Walter finally seems happy, and Ruth is finally getting a house for her family to live in.
Lena has pretty much stayed static. She still cares for her family more than anything, and bought them a house. Near the end of Act II, she begins to distrust Walter becuase of the money situation.
Beneetha discovers finally that she does not want to be with George. She has begun to take to the "Asagai" way of life.
Finally, Travis is let down. His father pormises him outrageous things, and ends up just dissappointing his son. Travis wants to be a bus driver when he grows up.
-Loof
Much of this conflict between the cahracters, revolves around the check that really determines how they may or may not live their lives. Mama, who rightfully has control over the money, wants to buy a home. However, Walter wants to spend the money on a liquor store. He has no concern for anyone elses dream but his own, and this creates many issues. Beneatha, really wants to become a doctor, but there is almost a struggle for which one of the siblings. All Ruth wishes for is to have a loving family and husband. She misses what she does not have, but unlike the other Youngers, she does not talk about her dreams.
Walter does not get along with anyone in the household. He loves them all and wants them to leave poverty behind but is naive in his methods of reaching this goal. Beneatha does not believe in all the preachings of her mother and mama has lost control of her children. She mourns the loss of her husband and has never fully gotten over him. She believes that she has failed her kids and visa versa. Ruth married into a troubled and gets along with mama. She always gets into arguments with her husband and sister in law. Travis is the only one that gets along with everyone and he seems to be the most willing to work out of the whole family. It is a troubled family that is growing apart.
Walter's conflict revolves around his decision to give money to Willy Harris to open up a liquor store. Walter lost all his money becuase he trusted someone who was untrustworthy. This also causes conflict for him with his family. His family does not trust him anymore.
Beneatha is conflicted with her own identity and she has trouble making a decision between George Murchison and Joseph Asagai. She also suffers from the money lost by Walter, becuase that was suppose to go toward her education. Therfore Beneatha has some conflict with Walter.
Ruth is conflicted with her pregnancy. She is involved in her thoughts about getting an abortion. This causes conflict between her and Mama who doesnot want her to get an abortion. She is also worried about her relationship with Walter, although it was getting better.
Mama is upset, becuase Walter has lost all the money and she hates him for being greedy and she can no longer trust him.She is also concerned with the welcoming committee indirectly saying that they are a not welcomed to the neighborhood.
Travis is conflcited with his dream being not good enough. Walter tells Travis that his dream of becoming a bus driver is not good enough, and so it bothers him. Also the fact that his family has been lying to him about their financial status concerns him.
Every characters problem revolves around Walter and his obsession with money. Walters main problem is that he has lost the $6500 mama gave him and his liquor store dream is over. Beneatha is torn between George and Asagai, she also has no college money because of Walter. Mama feels bad because Walter has reminded her that she and her husband didnt provide their kids with the best life. Ruth is pregnant despite the fact that they cant afford to give Travis an adequate life as is.
Walter lost a huge sum of money after disobeying his mother by investing it in a liquor store through Willy Harris, who ran off with the money. He lost trust from his family members and also they are back to where they started in a financial struggle to keep up a living. He lost Mama's respect and trust, he lost money for Beneatha's education, and he is still in somewhat bad terms with his wife.
Mama lost her trust for Walter and there is Linder who is trying to keep the Youngers from moving into the white neighborhood.
Beneatha is split between two men, George and Joseph. She does not dislike George but finds him shallow. Joseph is an intellectual but his pride for his heritage might be a little too much for her. On the other hand, her brother had just lost all her tuition money.
Ruth is still in the troubling state of deciding whether to keep the baby or not. The family's back in their financial troubles so she might have to actually get rid of it. She is still in bad terms with her husband and they admit to each other that they do not know how to get close with each other again.
For Travis, his dream is to be a bus driver. This is not a very positive thing for his dream is not big. As a kid, he should be having extraordinary dreams of who he wants to grow up to be but he only wants to be a mere bus driver.
Ruth and Walter have a lot of tension because of the new baby that they will have in the next year. Walter and Ruth want to be closer but everything is strained because of inexperience when it comes to showing affection by Walter.
Walter and his Mama have lots of tension because walter feels unappriciated which leads to mama having all her money lost by Walter. Mama also wants Walter to be a man and tell Ruth that she should keep the baby.
Travis is out of the loop in terms of knowledge about whats going on but at the end of the 2nd act his future is looking grim beacause he wants to be a bus driver and when his dad loses the money that just seems to solidify that earlier want.
Beneatha still has disagreements with with Walter and Mama. She also fights with George and this leads to her losing alot of intrest in him.
Also Mama and the Family is "Welcomed" by their new community with an offer on the house. This with the loss of the money creates lots of anger in the family.
Ruth and Walter Lee are having marital difficulties. Walter Lee vunerably expresses that he does not know how to get closer to Ruth. The major reason they fight constantly is because of Big Walter's check. Ruth kept telling Walter Lee to grow up and make a smart decision for the money but Walter Lee took all of it and gave it to Willy. Therefore all the money is gone and Walter Lee is the culprit.
Beneatha has her identity issue. She is not sure who she should become. She also has trouble with George because she realizes he only wants her for her looks.
Mama is conflicting with Walter Lee because she displayed her trust in him and gave him the money but he wasted it. She is also having problems with her new neighborhood because they do not want her.
Travis has a reality issue. Walter Lee shares with him that he can be anything he wants and this will cause future problems for him.
There are many conflicts in the Younger family that are between different characters, but there are also internal conflicts that the characters are dealing with.
Mama is having to deal with the whole family. She has to keep the house in order and everyone happy. A major conflict is between Mama and her son Walter. She is trying to trust Walter even though it is difficult for her. She wants her son to be happy, but she is also trying to do what is best for the family. An example is how Mama had a hard time dividing up the money to make everyone happy, but she gave the majority to Walter to show trust.
Walter is also having conflicts with his wife, Ruth, because they are not as close as they used to be. They fight and argue about everything. This is because Walter wants to give his wife and son a rich life and he can not provide for them like he wants to. Walter also has internal conflicts because he gets so upset when he does not get his way.
Ruth is also having an internal conflict because she can not decide what to do about her pregnancy. She has to almost decide by herself because her husband, Walter, is to bitter to take time and listen to her. She has to decide if she wants to keep the baby or have an abortion.
Benethea's loud mouth get her into many conflicts with her family. Benethea has a hard time getting the family to understand why she doesn't like George Murchison. He is wealthy so the family does not understand why she will not marry him. Benethea also has a conflict with her brother, Walter. Walter does not believe Benethea will ever be a doctor and does not understand why school and that job are so important to her. Benethea speaks her mind which also gets her in trouble with Mama.
Mom was opposed to Walter when he said he wants to open a liquor store. However, Walter invested his mom's money and lost them all. He lost his dreams to open a liquor store, and his family doesn't trust him anymore.
Another conflict is between Ruth and family members. Ruth is pregnant, but she cannot choose whether she should have an abortion or not. Lena wants a baby, but Ruth knows that her family cannot afford new baby. Ruth is having hard time because of money problem, and the baby problem.
Beneatha is also having a conflict because Walter lost all the money that should be used to Beneatha's education. Beneatha doesn't want to marry George, but now she has to marry him because he is a rich man.
The Younger family has many conflicts that are external and internal.
Internally:
-Beneatha is struggling with whether she wants to accept and integrate herself fully into the White American culture, or to keep true to her ancestors. She is also struggling on which guy she likes and the pressures of marriage her family is putting on her.
-Walter has to deal with his marriage as well as focusing on his dream. Walter and Ruth have been experiencing many emotional problems and he feels like he can't be close to her anymore. He also feels like his family has no faith in him because they are initially discouraging his dream.
Ruth-The struggle of whether to bring another life into the world, or to kill it and keep it away from the poverty it would be born into.
The external conflicts are almost all caused by Walter's selfishness. The money that Mama trusted him with was lost, and now the liquor store, probably the house, and Beneatha's education can no longer occur. Walter also is causing trouble with Ruth when he won't agree with Mama that the new baby should not be aborted. Beneatha also now has a new conflict face, and that is how to pay for college.
Walter - after loosing all $6500 that Mama had given to him in hopes of fulfilling his dream of opening a liquor store he has lost the trust of everyone important in his life. Not only did he invest and loose Mama’s money, he also gave all of Beneatha’s money for college to Willy. He trusted Willy and he betrayed him and because of his betrayal he must face his family with shame.
Beneatha - She is having many troubles with her love life, especially with George. She figured out that he only likes her for her looks and could care less about her ideas and personality that she has to offer. It’s sometimes hard for her to face the truth.
Ruth- She is still pregnant with her baby and after seeing how well her and her husband have been getting along durning this act, maybe there wont be an abortion after all. But seeing that Willy has lost all the trust from his family it’s going to be interesting to see what will happen next.
Travis – Most of his conflicts come from his father and the fact that he is being lied to about his financial situation. One day he told his dad that he wanted to become a bus driver and Willy wasn’t to pleased with that idea. Willy really needs to start telling Travis the truth and stop making him believe in things that will never become a reality.
Mama- At the end of this act she has just been betrayed by Walter who has lost all the money that she gave him. She no longer trusts Walter. She is still perusing her dream of buying her own house. Even though, she is indirectly informed by the welcoming committee of the new neighborhood, where her family is not welcome.
Each character in the Younger family are face with several conflicts at the end of act 2. The conflict that happens at the end of act two is the climax.
-Walter has invested $6,500 in a liquor store with Willy Harris and Bobo, but his dream was crushed when Willy Harris ran away with all of the money. The rest of the family no longer trusts him because he lost the fortune his father work his entire life for.
-Mama is faced with how to deal with Walter, and the rest of the family. She does not rust Walter anymore because of his poor decision making. She is also faced with dealing with the white community in which her family has just bought a house. The welcoming committee wants them to move out because it is putting the rest of them at risk.
-Ruth has recently been have a great time with her husband, but now she is faced how to give him her trust. She is now returning to the poor relationship they had at the beginning of the play. Ruth is also pregnant. She at first wanted to get rid of the baby, but Mama had did not want her to, causing tension in their relationship.
-Beneatha is torn between two guys. She likes Asagai because he is so in tough with his African heritage, and George because of his wealth. Now, her dreams of going to medical school have been crushed because her family no longer has the money; Walter lost it all.
-Travis has just let his father know that he wants to be a bus driver when he grows up. This is not good enough for the adults in the family because they want a better life for him than what they have. He also has to deal with the constant arguing between the members in his family.
Travis is the most controversial character in the entire story so far. He seems to be in a conflict with everyone. Him and Ruth have two problems, trying to rekindle their love for one another and they are trying to figure out how and if they can have the baby. Walter likes to shut Ruth out and deal with his problems without talking them out and that is one of the reasons that he and his wife aren't getting along. Also a conflict exists between Mama and Walter. Mama is seeing her boy turn into a bad husband and father who has lost sight of what is really important in life and feels that he is tearing the family apart, not just him but he is a major reason. Walter also feels that his mother does not trust his decision making ability, she has good reason not to but he still would like to have her support. Beneatha has a inner struggle between the two men in her life. One man is very wealthy but only wants her for her looks, and the other is true to his roots and dose not really take her all the serious. However, the major conflict is not understanding each other and the family's inability to communicate with each other in oder to make the best decisions.
Where to start:
Walter just lost the money for himself and Beneatha for his own selfish needs (liquor store) and has betrayed Mama, Beneatha, and the entire family. Therefore his dream is ruined along with Beneatha' s and his family in the process.
Beneatha now has no education money for college and she is not doing well relationship wise. She doesn't really like George Murchinson and hasn't really found herself yet.She also has tension against Mama due to religious beliefs. She is also mad at Walter for losing the money.
Lena/Mamastill wants her goal of having ahouse. Due to the welcoming commitee, this doesn't give her a sense of ease. She also despices Walter who spent All the money she gave to him, even the amount given to Beneatha's education, and lost it all. Shee feels betrayed and lied to.
Ruth is unsure for her feelings of Walter and she is pregnant with Walter's baby. Due to peer pressure she is thinking of abortion but is not sure about tht either.
Finally, Travis wants to be a bus driver but due to Walter's dramitization on how well off they were and that he could do anything he wanted skewed Travis's perception of things, therefore this will cause further conflicts laters I suppose.
Walter is depressed because his get-rich-quick scheme didn't work and he lost all $6500 that Mama trusted him with, $3000 of which were meant for Beneatha. He let down everyone in the family, ruining, not just his own dreams, but everyone else's as well. He and Ruth are still struggling with their relationship.
Mama is furious and disbelieving that Walter could be so thoughtless as to squander away over half of the money that was given to her as a result of her husband's death. She is upset that Ruth is considering abortion for her baby, and worried about the fact that the "welcoming committee" from her soon-to-be new neighborhood is so unwelcoming.
Beneatha is upset at her brother for losing her money to pay for schooling, upset at George for not respecting her dreams or taking her seriously, and just generally very upset.
Ruth is struggling to reconnect with Walter and to decide whether or not to keep the baby. She squabbles with Mama over the caretaking of Travis, and, like the others, is horrified that Walter was idiotic enough to lose their share of the money.
Travis' one real issue is that his father is an idiot. And also that Walter is encouraging Travis to dream bigger than is really beneficial, seeing as most of the strife in the household seems to be caused by unrealistic dreams. But mostly his father's just an idiot.
As in the beginning, many of the same problems still exist. Walter, however, now has an even bigger problem. Since he lost all of the money that Mama gave him, he still remains poor and with a dream that seems to be getting farther and farther away from him. Ruth still has the problem with her husband and the way he acts, but the tensions about the couple are not as strong anymore. For example, they went on a date together and really did have a nice time. Beneatha still has the issue of how to pay for school, but now she is confused on which man to date. She likes both men, but each one has something different to offer her. Joseph offers the unique African culture, while the other offers her a lot of money. Also, Mama's problems have gotten bigger too, like Walter's. Once she got her check, it seemed that all of her problems went away, but new problems came along with the check. Once she put a down payment on the house, her future "neighbors" decided that an African American family could not live in their neighborhood, whereas Mama just wanted a nice, bigger home for her family. Also, Mama did lose some of her money thanks to Walter who foolishly gave it to one of his friends. Finally, Travis presented a problem to his father when he said that he wanted to be a bus driver. This hurt Walter so much in that he really wants to prove to his family that he can become wealthy and successful.
A lot of the conflicts within the Younger family have to do with Walter. Ruth and Walter have a conflict because of Walter's refusal to listen and concern himself more with his family than his own ideas. Bennie and Walter fight because of the money their mother is recieving. Bennie feels as if her mother should be the one to decide what she wants to fdo, while Walter feels that the money should be his to "invest" in whatever way he sees fit. Mama also has conflict with Walter because of his disregard for hi wife's feelings and because of the fact he is consumed with the want of money. Walter is not the only source of problems in the household, Mama gets angry at Bennie because of her disbelief in God.
Many problems exist within the Younger family house. Walter is the cause of most of these problems. HIs constant need to be rich and fulfil his dreams leads him down a path of disappointment. He gave all of his money and trust to his "partner" Willie who ended up taking the money for himself and running away. Beneatha has a problem also, although her quandary is not as profound. She is having trouble with the men in her life. While George Murchison is the wealthy, safe choice, she does not like him as much as Joseph Asagai. She has trouble choosing between them with her family influencing her decision. Ruth also has a major problem. She is pregnant, but she does not know what to do with the baby. She does not even know if they would be able to support another child.
Problems within the Younger family:
-Mama and Walter: Mama believes that Walter has lost sight of what is important. She sees him searching desperately for money at the expense of his family [no pun intended] while she spent most of her life fighting for her freedom. Walter believes that Mama doesn't trust him or believe in her dreams. Mama feels she must convince Walter otherwise and so she gives him the check [which he wasted and so I predict that Mama has lost hope in him].
-Mama and Ruth: Mama and Ruth get along very well. Mama is very caring towards Ruth and Ruth is very respectful of Mama. Personally, I think that Mama has a grudge against Ruth because she went to see the lady about getting rid of her baby. However, the conflict between the two never shows because Mama mostly blames Walter for driving Ruth to make such a decision.
-Mama and Beneatha: Mama and Bennie have a lot of trouble dealing with each other. Mama disregards Bennie in many ways. From her random fancies it foolhardy ideas, it seems from Mama's point of view that Bennie is new, naive fawn in a place of utmost opportunity. She doesn't seem to be able to stick to one path and she picks up ideas like dollars on the road. Also, Bennie understands that Mama disregards her thoughts and ideas. Bennie is upset about this because most of the people in the family say things that upset Mama, but when she mentions God, Mama thinks that Bennie is taking it too far. The two women are constantly bickering, but you can see they take the same stand against men and their foolishness after Bennie's date with Murchinson.
Bennie and Ruth: Ruth is very supportive of Bennie, and Bennie is very grateful for her confidence, though she doesn't know how to show it. However, Ruth is slightly envious of Bennie. It is clear that Ruth is dissatisfied with her marriage and because of Walter, she is also dissatisfied with her life. Ruth is careful not to show her feelings about this because she knows that as the sister-in-law and daughter-in-law of Bennie and Mama, she is most likely the reason they haven't torn at each other's necks with claws.
-Walter and Ruth: Walter and Ruth have a HORRIBLE marriage. No offense. Walter is being a...very bad man. He is jealous, greedy, selfish. Yes, these feelings arose out of originally good intentions [his desire to provide for his family], but he has taken it too far. He is convinced that just because his wife wants the best for Mama and Beneatha, she doesn't want to see him succeed either. Walter is blind to all the work that Ruth does to help support the family, blind to the effort she puts in to keep peace within the household, and blind to the support and patience that Ruth has given him for the past years. Ruth is very patient, but with such negative feedback from Walter, of course she is losing her patience. Something like what happened at the end of Act II might drive her away. Even if she wants to leave though, I predict that she will not because she needs to support Travis and she loves Mama and Bennie too much to abandon them with Walter. She loves Walter very much and from some of the dialogs earlier, you can tell that she is still waiting for Walter to realize what he is doing and atone for his behavior.
-Walter and Travis: Travis has the love hate relationship with his father. Sometimes he loves his father for his happy-go-lucky, jovial manner which has so far been seen twice in the play. On the other hand, however, Travis knows that he cannot depend on his father. He resents the fact that his father goes out drinking every time things get tough. He resents his father for creating so much conflict within the house. It is apparent that Travis loves his father, however he never allows himself to depend on his father, which is not healthy for the relationship but it is completely understandable why he feels this way.
Every character in this play is in a conflict. Walter is too selfish and because of it people around him suffer. He has just recently lost his dream of owning the liquer store so he is depressed. Ruth is freaking out because she is pregnant and is debating whether or not to keep it. She is afraid because of the way Walter is acting. Mama is disillusioned because her son is acting like a total jerk to everyone and he is too blind to see what sort of damage he is causing to the family. Beneatha is struggling with herself because she doesn't know who she loves; Asagai or George. She also has to worry about her education and expenses. Travis as the youngest Younger is growing up in a very hostile environment and he is being lied to by his parents about financial situations. Travis will grow up weak because of his surroundings.
There are many problems for the characters in A Raisin in the Sun Act II. They are:
1) Walter Younger's problem is probably the most significant and will have the biggest effect on the family in the future. Mama decided to trust Walter with the money left from her husband's life insurance check and he invested it all in the store he wanted to buy. The man Walter trusted with his money left town with all of the money. This crushes Walter's dreams of life in high society and puts his family in a difficult position.
2) Mama's money was all lost except for the down payment she put on the house. She no longer trusts or respects Walter. There is also the issue of the new house in the white neighborhood that affects the whole family but mostly Mama. A man from the neighborhood "welcoming committee" tried to convince the Younger's that moving to the new neighborhood was a mistake.
3)Beneatha no longer has money for school because of Walter's blunder. She is also unsure about the two very different men she is dating. Beneatha is also struggling to find who she really is
4)Ruth is pregnant and is not sure if she will keep the baby. She had been fighting a lot with Walter and may have also been unsure if they could afford another child.
response to kyoko 212...
Wow. You wrote a lot.
I agree with you on how Walter is a bad husband for Ruth or for anyone else, but I disagree on Walter being a bad father. Walter did come his drunk and he surely did act irresponsibly, but he only did that because he was in a state of despair. He wasn't always like that; you can see that from the dialogue between Walter and Travis once Lena told Walter that she will endow him some money.
In response to blakjak21
Although you covered the main conflicts in early Act 2, you left out the conflict that in my opinion is the most important in the act. That conflict is Walter losing the money. The fact the money is now gone really changes a lot. The conflicts no longer revolve around who gets the money and how to spend the money but now center around Walter's selfish and irresponsible actions.
The inheritance of the $10,000 is at the heart of nearly everyones' conflicts. At the end of act two the money is gone and everyone is mad at each other. Walter is mad because he now knows that he will never own a bar. Beneatha is mad at Walter because he lost the money and now she cant afford college. She is also still undecided about her boyfriend. She doesnt know what she wants. Mama is upset that Walter did not put any money in the bank. The family as a whole is concerned about moving into a white neighborhood.
By the end of the second act there are many conflicts going on in the younger family.
Walter is having a conflict with everyone because he has lost the money.
Ruth and Mama are having a disagreement about weather or not to keep the baby.
Beneatha is just having a fight with everyone that she can just because she can.
Travis is having a problem about what he is going to do in the future. He wants to be bus driver, but his father wants him to be more.
Mama has a problem trusting Walter with the money and is trying to push her dream that benefits the whole family, she also has a problem with the white community resenting her purchase of a house in a white neighborhood.
Walter loses the $6,500 that he was trusted with, now he faces the disappointment of telling Beneatha that her money for medical school is lost and telling Mama he lost her trust.
Ruth is struggling on deciding what to do with the baby seeing that there may be no room for it and seeing the Younger's financial status that is the result of Walters mistake.
Travis is now beginning to feel some of the finacial stress in the family and now pursues the simple dream of becoming a bus drivers as he feels he can not hope to pursue an extravagant career.
There are many conflicts between the Younger family. Ruth and Walter are arguing about the birth of the unborn child. Walter and Beneatha will not agree on what to do with the check their mother is about to recieve. Also, Beneatha cannot decide between her two boyfriends, and which culture she would like to represent. Walter is still dreaming of becoming rich, but because Wily stole his and Beneatha's money. Momma cannot believe Walter distrusted her like that. There is a lot of drama going on right now!
Stopkidding,
I mostly agree with the main conflicts that each character faces. I agree with your comments on the argument between mama and Ruth. Ruth's abortion choice is controversial and it indeed did cause conflict between these two characters. Mama believes that getting an abortion is wrong, while Ruth believes that the baby will be necessary in order to save her relationship with Walter and that it will hurt the family even more. I don't think Beneatha will stop asserting her independence because although Walter's losing the money will hurt her in her education, I think she is more concerned about her relationship with George Murchison and Joseph Asagai. That I believe is her main conflict. I agree with your statement on Walter's conflcit with Mama about him losing the money.
blah,
I agree with every conflict stated in your response. Walter has the most important conflict in that he is the one to blame for losing 6500 dollars and hurting Beneatha's education. He also loses trust of the family memebers, and he is internally conflicted for trusting Willy Harris. Beneatha does have a conflict between assimilating and following her African heritage. Lena has conflict with her house dream and Walter. The "welcoming committee" upsets her by suggesting them to not move into the new neighborhood. Ruth is having trouble fixing her relationship with Walter and in dealing with the abortion issue.
response to dmoney-
Yea. However, if she doesn't have any money, how would she get the proper education to become a doctor and be able to pursue her dream?
um. This is only a rhetorical question. You don't have to answer it.
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