
In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the Younger family receives a $10,000 insurance check following the death of the family patriarch. Each family member has a different idea of what to do with the money. Lena, the matriarch, wants to buy a house with a yard for her grandson Travis to play in. Her son Walter wants to invest in a liquor store with his friends, while his wife Ruth, the protagonist, is primarily concerned with keeping the family happy and providing for their needs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ruth's opinion on what to do with the insurance money | Ruth is motivated by her family and wants to make them happy. She supports Walter's idea of starting a business and investing in a liquor store. She also wants to use the money for Beneatha's education. |
| Ruth's feelings about the money | Ruth is exhausted from overwork and is annoyed with Walter. She feels that she can no longer provide for him and is caught in the middle of the fight over the money. |
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What You'll Learn

Ruth wants to use the money to invest in a business venture
In the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry, Ruth Younger is motivated by her family. She is caught in the middle of the fight over the insurance money, as each member of the family has a different idea of what to do with it. While Ruth is primarily concerned with fulfilling her family's needs and desires, she also supports her husband Walter's dream of starting a business.
Ruth is exhausted from overwork, and her conversations with Walter revolve around their lack of money. Despite this, she encourages Walter to pursue his dream of investing in a liquor store with his friends. She believes that this could help him regain his happiness and confidence, which she feels she can no longer provide for him. However, Walter's obsession with money and his desire to get rich quickly through this business venture cause problems in their relationship, as Ruth is unsympathetic to his preoccupation with financial gain.
Ruth's support for Walter's business idea puts her at odds with Mama, the matriarch of the family. Mama is religiously opposed to the liquor business and wants to use the money to buy a house with a yard, fulfilling her dream of providing a better living situation and stability for her family. Despite their differing opinions, Ruth and Mama share a common goal of wanting what is best for their family.
Ruth's role as the household manager and her dedication to her family highlight her strong character within the play. She navigates the complexities of her relationships while facing the challenges of limited financial resources.
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She wants to put a down payment on a house
In the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry, the Younger family has differing opinions on how to spend an insurance check for $10,000 they have received following the death of the father/husband.
Ruth, the wife of Walter Lee and mother of Travis, is caught in the middle of the fight over the money. She is exhausted from overwork and is unsympathetic to Walter's obsession with the money. She is also pregnant and considering an abortion. Ruth's primary motivation is her family, and her wish is to make them happy and provide them with what they want and need.
Ruth supports Walter's idea of starting a business, and she wants to put a down payment on a house with the insurance money. She and Walter dream of a better life and want to escape the South Side ghetto in which they live. They want to provide for their family and achieve the stereotypical American dream of the 1950s: a house with a yard, a big car, and a happy family.
Ruth and Walter's conversation revolves around money and their lack thereof. Their current living situation is cramped, with Travis sleeping on the sofa due to a lack of space. Ruth is the household manager and is responsible for getting her family ready for work and school and doing all the cleaning in the apartment. She is also employed outside the home as a cleaning woman.
Ruth and Walter's relationship is strained due to their differing views on money and their inability to communicate effectively. Walter feels emasculated and frustrated, believing that Ruth does not support his dreams. Despite their arguments, Ruth ultimately gives in to Walter's demands, even when it goes against her better judgment.
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She wants to use it for Beneatha's education
In the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry, the Younger family has differing views on how to spend an insurance payout of $10,000 that they have received following the death of the father/husband.
Ruth, the wife of Walter Lee and mother to Travis, is caught in the middle of the fight over the money. She is exhausted from overwork and is unsympathetic to her husband's obsession with the money. She is motivated by her family and wants to make them happy, but the money situation is an obstacle.
Ruth's primary objective is to see her family get what they want and need. She is aware that Walter is at his lowest point and that his pursuit of money is not for self-interest but to make things better for the whole family. She supports Walter's idea of starting a business, and she believes that if he is given some of the money, he might regain his happiness and confidence.
Beneatha, Walter's sister, is a college student who will require a considerable amount of money for medical school. Lena, the matriarch of the family, wants to use some of the insurance money for Beneatha's education. Ruth is also in agreement with this, as she wants her family to have what they need.
Ruth also agrees with Lena's desire to buy a house with a yard where Travis could play in the summer. She recognises that they have paid enough rent on their current awful apartment to have bought four houses by now.
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She wants to use it to escape the South Side ghetto
In the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry, Ruth Younger is motivated by her family. This is shown by Ruth wanting to make her family happy, her working even though she is tired, and later when Ruth finds out there is going to be another mouth to feed. She is the household manager and is constantly working to take care of her family. She gets her family up and ready for work and school and does all the cleaning in the apartment. She also works as a cleaning woman for wealthy whites.
Ruth is caught in the middle of the fight over the insurance money. Her husband Walter has his heart set on investing in a liquor store with a few of his friends, but Ruth is exhausted from overwork and is unsympathetic to Walter's obsession with the money. She is also worried about her family falling apart. She knows that Walter is at his lowest point and that he needs something, but she is “out of sorts" and annoyed with him. She admonishes her son Travis even before he asks for money for caps, revealing her negative feelings about caps and cap guns.
Ruth's first objective is her wish for her family to have what they want and need. She is on Walter's side when it comes to the insurance money, and she thinks that if her mother-in-law Lena gives him some of the money, he might regain his happiness and confidence, which are two things Ruth feels she can no longer provide for Walter. She also agrees with Lena's desire to buy a house for the family, as she knows that owning a home represents a step towards achieving the American Dream and a more secure future for her children and grandchildren.
Ruth wants to escape the South Side ghetto in which they live and provide a better quality of life for her family. She wants to give them what they want and needs, and she knows that their current living conditions are not enough. She is motivated by her family's dreams and wants to make them happy, even if it means sacrificing her own.
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She wants to use it to provide for her family
In the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry, the Younger family has differing opinions on what to do with the insurance money they receive following the death of the family patriarch. Ruth Younger, the matriarch's daughter-in-law, is motivated by her desire to provide for her family and ensure their happiness. She is caught in the middle of the fight over the money, as each family member has their own ideas and dreams.
Ruth is exhausted from overwork and the demands of managing the household. She is aware of her husband Walter's obsession with the money and his desire to invest in a liquor store venture with his friends. While she initially seems unsympathetic to his ideas, she later shows her support by asking her mother-in-law, Lena, about Walter's plans. Ruth recognises that Walter needs something to regain his happiness and confidence, which she feels she can no longer provide for him.
Ruth's primary concern is the well-being of her family. She wants to ensure that her son Travis has what he needs, as evidenced by her annoyance when he asks for money and she has to refuse. She also considers the future of her family, as she is expecting another child and worries about their living situation.
Ruth's mother-in-law, Lena, shares a similar dream of providing a better home for the family. Lena wants to use the insurance money to buy a house with a yard, fulfilling her long-held dream of homeownership and providing a space for Travis to play. This desire is driven by her hopes for a more stable and comfortable living situation for her family.
Ruth's wish for her family to have what they need and her motivation to provide for them is a driving force in her decisions regarding the insurance money. She is caught between her husband's dreams and her mother-in-law's wishes, all while navigating her exhaustion and the challenges of managing a household.
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Frequently asked questions
Ruth is motivated by her family and wants to make them happy. She is caught in the middle of the fight over the money. She supports Walter's idea of investing in a business, but she is exhausted from overwork and is unsympathetic to Walter's obsession with the money.
Ruth suggests that some of the money should be used for Beneatha's school and that they should buy a house with a yard where Travis could play in the summer.
Ruth's mother-in-law, Mama, wants to use the insurance money to buy a house for the family and give some of it to Beneatha for her education. She is morally repulsed by the idea of investing in the liquor business.
Walter wants to invest in a liquor store with his friends. He also wants to give some of the money to Beneatha for her education.
Beneatha is a college student who will require a considerable amount of money for medical school.











































