Ruth Younger

Choose a character from the play, A Raisin In The Sun, and create a character map of sorts. Describe this character and his/her significance in the play. What do they dream of having? Why did you choose to discuss this character? What about their personality and presence in the play spoke to you as a reader?

Ruth Younger

Poor Ruth is married to Walter lee Younger and has one child, Travis with Walter. Ruth is described as “a pretty girl, even exceptionally so, but now it is apparent that life has been little that she expected, and disappointment has already began to hang on her face.” As I read the first half of this play, these were the words that kept haunting my mind whenever Ruth spoke to Mama, and even her husband. Ruth just comes of as a character that life has beat down repeatedly. She goes about her daily tasks without complaint, but you can see that the tediousness of everything is aggravating her. Each morning, having to wake her son and husband, and give them breakfast, that seems to be scrambled eggs each morning. Ruth is stuck with Walter, whom I believe she once loved, and was loved by. But as the years grew on, and dreams were shattered, they grew apart, to a dysfunctional marriage. Ruth is stuck in a small apartment with her family, as well as her mother and sister in law; all while she is dreaming of having her own little house, where she is not worried about the cockroaches and mice, and she would have a room that allows in the sunlight that she craves. Ruth also dreams of having ahead and that loves her, and is willing to do whatever it takes to provide for his family and make them happy. But instead, she is stuck with Walter lee younger, a man with big dreams and get-rich-quick schemes. Ruth plays a big part because of her and Walters relationship. We see how far apart they have grown. Walter runs out to go drinking when he hears that his wife is not only pregnant, but ready and willing to abort it. Without ever saying no, Ruth has been influential in ensuring that Walter does not cause the family any more financial stress. I chose to discuss Ruth because in some ways she reminds me of my mother. The argument between Ruth an Walter over the liquor store reminds me of the conversations I hear between my parents. My dad with his big dreams and big business ideas and my mom reminding my dad that they don't have the initial investment to start whatever venture he has moved on to now. My mom, like Ruth, does the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and other household chores because it is exactly what she has been doing for years. Those things have now become expected of her. She may not always be happy to be the only one doing it, but she does it anyway. As a reader, I could not help but feel so sorry for Ruth. To be stuck in a loveless marriage, a hole in the wall apartment, and no one to talk to seems like one of the worst things a woman can experience. Ruth's easy decision to abort her baby made me feel like she was so stressed out that she just would not be able to handle another child. The sunlight that Ruth referred to when she found out about the house that Mama bought was all of Ruth's hopes and dreams. I can't wait to read the rest of the play, as I am patiently waiting for Ruth to find her sunlight and her happiness.