A Raisin in the Sun ...tres

since I am on a roll with this whole making connections in other literature and such, I figured I might as well go for a hat trick and make this third blog about Walter and Tom from the Glass Menagerie.

Tom and Walter both have a dream- which is to get the heck outta their current living conditions. Tom is a grown man living with his obsessive mom- who can blame him on that one? Walter on the other hand is a relatively poor black man living with his mom, wife, and sister in one small apartment. Walter desperately wants to get his family out of their financial struggle by opening up a business. He tells Travis that he is going to change their lives with his new business transaction (pg 108). This is a classic example of how Walter is always trying to appear to be some hero. Both men are pretty dang unhappy with their lives. Tom isn't as selfish as Walter. To treat himself, Tom indulges in a night at the movies.. or the bar??.. almost seven nights a week. Walter also treats himself to a little bit of drinking every once in awhile. By the end of both plays, Walter and Tom make drastic moves (pretty selfishly) that affect their whole family. In the Glass Menagerie Tom simply leaves home- fulfilling his dream. Walter spends his mother's money on an investment in a liquor store- which doesn't exactly solve any problems. But, these similarities are pretty significant. In both plays the man of the family is tired with the life they live and desires a change. They make a bold move in order to reach for their goals.

A Raisin in the Sun.. take two.

So... characterization time? I think yes.
Okay, Mama. I'm gonna be real honest, I was really disappointed when Mr. Costello said she was played by Phylicia Rashad- I envisioned more of the Martin Lawrence "Big Mama's House" type of gal. But anyways... Mama is my favorite character throughout the whole story. She is honest and sympathetic. She knows her place in the world, "We Just Plain Working folks (pg 42)." However she still has dreams of moving into a nicer home. Mama is selfless because even after she is advised to spend her husband's money on herself, she gives it to her children to decide what to do with it (big mistake).
Ruth- Well, I don't think there is much to say about Ruth. She is the typical hard-working and unappreciated house wife. Sometimes she comes off as a little bit strict- but she has to when she is married to such an irresponsible man (typical).
Beneatha- I am confused by this lady! One minute I think she is trying to break out of the colored people stereotype getting herself a fancy education and whatnot, but then the next minute she goes all Wangero on us (yep, look at me making all these literature connections! from the short story Everyday Use... in case you didn't pick up on that one). I mean who the heck is Alaiyo anyways?
Walter- hmm.. I don't think selfish would fully suffice. Really, if he had just let Beneaha use the money on schooling, the whole family would have been better off. Walter is just the typical man.. He insults his wife when trying to give her a compliment (again, typical man), he tries to look all tough and noble for his son by giving out money that he clearly doesn't have, and he tries to be the hero in the story- which turns out to be a disaster.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot Travis. Well... He's eleven and pretty much oblivious to the conflicts within the family. Travis recognizes the family's financial struggles though and is slightly embarrassed.

A Raisin in the Sun

So obviously we studied the poem "A Dream Deferred" earlier this year. I really liked the poem because I understood it on my own (yay me!) and it made a lot of sense to me. I think the connection Hansberry made with this poem and the overall theme of her play is perfect. I believe the overall theme of this play was that everyone had a dream. Mama and Ruth wanted the family to be happy in a nice and bigger home (good luck on that one) Beneatha wanted to finish medical school, and Walter (idiot) wanted to open up a liquor store (yeah.. real ambitious fellow). (All of this info is revealed througout the play- mostly between pages 36- 42) Anyhow, the family only had $10,000 to spare on the so-called dream. Walter, being the brilliant and selfless kind of guy he is used a bunch of that money to open a liquor store. He was tricked which put his family in quite the pickle. However, even though so many negative things took place throughout the play, I honestly believe that things will get better for the Youngers. The theme of the poem is that when you don't reach for your dreams you regret it for the rest of your life. Well, even though it really wasn't a success, the Youngers took a chance. Now they are moving into a new neighborhood with a baby on the way!

Characterization

Amanda- I think that it is almost unfair the way Amanda is portrayed in the story. Because this is a memory, we can assume that Tom is a little biased. Most children, though they love their parents, believe their parents to be overprotective, annoying, and strict. Throughout the play, Tom gives the impression that Amanda is all of the above. However, there were several moments in the play when Amanda said things such as "I pray for my wonderful children" that make her sound much more sympathetic and loving. Every memory Tom presents of his mother is one in which she is trying desperately to put on a show and be someone she is not. This is especially evident when Tom invites Jim to the apartment and Amanda cleans/ transforms the home. She tries to charm Jim with her southern hospitality.
Laura- Laura, from what Tom reveals to us, seems very shy. She is nervous and anxious around strangers. Tom seems very protective of Laura. He tries to reason with his mother that she may not be cut out to be somebodies wife and that is okay. In the end of the story, Tom makes it out of his home- but he brings Laura with him. She is very dependent and oblivious to many things around her. as Tom says, she lives in her own little world with her glass ornaments.
Tom- There really is very little to say about Tom. All we really know is that he is ambitious and looking for adventure. Throughout the story there is some questioning in whether Tom goes to the movies every night or whether he goes out to drink. I think that, because he goes out to drink almost every night, his memory is impaired, and therefore many of the things mentioned in this story may not be how they appear to be to Tom.

#6. There are many different theatrical aspects included in this play. The use of music seems to be very significant throughout the play. At some points the "The Glass Menagerie" would be played. I think that this song was played to emphasize low points within the story. For example, in the first scene Laura admits to her mother, Amanda that she doesn't think there will be any gentleman callers for her that day (pg 1239). Amanda is astonished at this fact but Laura is clearly unconcerned. I think this song is chosen because it reinforces the idea that Laura lives in her own world composed of her glass menagerie and nothing else. She is not worried about gentleman callers because all she has to worry about in life is her glass figures. Other music played throughout the play was upbeat music like the tango or waltz. This music, coming from across the street, was heard during high points in the story. When Laura and Jim begin to hit it off the music is suddenly upbeat and they begin to dance. One more significant element within the play is the portrait of their father. It is a reminder, not only to the family, but to the audience that it is possible for someone to "escape the clutches of Amanda". Tom has big dreams of getting out of that house and following in his father's footsteps. This portrait reminds him and the audience that he can do it.

TomTom

#8. The narration of The Glass Menagerie was very different than typical plays. Tom, a character in the play, was also a narrator. Tom describes background information that is useful to the audience. When the scene unfolds, the audience is prepared for what is going to occur. What is so unique about this play is that Tom describes it as his own memories- however there are instances in which Tom is not present. For example, When Jim O'Connor comes to the Wingfield home, Jim and Laura are alone in the living room (almost the entire scene 7). If this play was actually composed of Tom's memories, this scene probably would not have been included. I thought this aspect made the storyline seem a bit unrealistic. The play comes from the point of view of Tom, yet the audience knows almost nothing about him. The audience knows a great deal about Laura and Amanda, yet Tom's life is still a mystery. I think this narration makes the play seem unrealistic / non realistic (I still don't fully understand the difference between the two).