A Raisin in the Sun: Ruth Younger Essay Example

Ruth did achieve her goal of being able to live her life comfortably because she was to keep her family going, keep her unwanted pregnancy despite her family's hardships, and was able to move out of the old house despite learning of Walters' failings. Ruth Younger is a selfless, kind, and enthusiastic individual. Ruth is essential to the Younger family's well-being. She feeds Travis and keeps him in line, as well as mediating conflicts between Walter and his sister Beneatha, who bicker like toddlers all of the time. Her marriage to Walter is having difficulties, but she is hoping to restore their love. She's in her thirties, but her tiredness makes her appear older. 

Ruth helped thier progress toward their goal of living life comfortably by keeping the family protected and unified. Ruth is very over-protective and wants to stop the family from talking about the money, as it is slowly tearing their family apart. It is frustrating to Ruth when Watler Lee (her husband) talks about his mothers money from his late father when her main concern is her baby and his family. “They said Saturday and this is just Friday and I hope to God you ain’t going to get up here first thing this morning and start talking to me ’bout no money—’cause I ’bout don’t want to hear it.” (Hansberry 29) This scene is explaining how Ruth is a good mother who has a problem with Mama Lena trying to control her family. “No—he don’t half try at all ’cause he knows you going to come along behind him and fix everything. That’s just how come he don’t know how to do nothing right now— you done spoiled that boy so.”- (Hansberry 43) Ruth feels like Mama Lena is trying to take over her role as mother of the house. Mama Lena just wants to help but Ruth tries to take it all on her own. She feels like she can’t slip up or make mistakes because she is the glue that holds the family together. 

Ruth helped thier progress toward their goal of living life comfortably by keeping the unplanned pregnancy. Ruth is expressing her sadness about her unplanned pregnancy. “I’m all right … (The glassy-eyed look melts and then she collapses into a fit of heavy sobbing. The bell rings)” (Hansberry 65) Ruth already knew her family was falling apart and her marriage was on the verge too, it's stated in the text “—I’m sorry about this new baby, Walter. I guess maybe I better go on and do what I started … I guess I just didn’t realize how bad things was with us … I guess I just didn’t really realize—(She starts out to the bedroom and stops) You want some hot milk?” (Hansberry 89) So, she didn't want to have a baby because she felt like it would hinder their relationship furthermore. Also in the text it states, “Honey … life don’t have to be like this. I mean sometimes people can do things so that things are better … You remember how we used to talk when Travis was born … about the way we were going to live … the kind of house … (She is stroking his head) Well, it’s all starting to slip away from us …” (Hansberry 90) Ruth  realizes that the reason they are fighting so much is because they lost their vision for their future. And in their vision there weren't two kids in a cramped apartment, living with Walter’s mom and sister. She thought by ending the pregnancy she would be doing them a favor but in reality it brought back the hope and joy for their future. 

Ruth helped thier progress toward their goal of living life comfortably by convincing everyone that the move was still possible even though the family thought it wasn’t. When Ruth found out that they were moving she was so excited she started crying tears of joy. When walter Lost all the money, Mama Lena was distraught and didn't even want to move anymore but Ruth said, “Lena—I’ll work … I’ll work twenty hours a day in all the kitchens in Chicago … I’ll strap my baby on my back if I have to and scrub all the floors in America and wash all the sheets in America if I have to—but we got to MOVE! We got to get OUT OF HERE!!” (Hansberry 139) Ruth was so passionate about her decision to move that she yelled at Mama saying, “Lena, no! We gotta go. Bennie—tell her … (She rises and crosses to BENEATHA with her arms outstretched, BENEATHA doesn’t respond) Tell her we can still move … the notes ain’t but a hundred and twenty-five a month. We got four grown people in this house—we can work …” (Hansberry 139) Then a young man said they would buy their house for more than what they paid because they want to keep the coloreds out but they masked it with “Trying to protect their safety”. This just made Ruth want to move even more to prove the young man wrong. 

Ruth was able to achieve her aim of being able to live comfortably since she was able to support her family, keep her unwanted pregnancy despite her family's struggles, and move out of the old house despite learning of Walters' failures. The Younger family leaves their longtime apartment in Chicago's South Side neighborhood to move into a house they've purchased in the otherwise all-white community of Clybourne Park at the end of A Raisin in the Sun. Yes, Ruth will have challenges in the future, but with her family by her side, she feels prepared to confront them.