Raisin Essay

Juma !1 Myra Juma Mrs. Sienkowski English III American Literature, Block F 13 April 2018 Women and Our Archetypes Women, throughout history, have always had established roles. Women were always seen as good for only a few things, such as cleaning, cooking, and raising the children. Throughout recent research, women are also seen as archetypes such as the nurturer, the rebel, the explorer, and the boss. In the play A Raisin in the Sun, author Lorraine Hansberry, provides us with three generations of women: Lena Younger, Ruth Younger, and Beneatha Younger. Lena, or mama, is the nurturer and the boss archetype, Ruth is the nurturer archetype, and Beneatha is the rebel and the explorer archetype. Lena Younger, as the head of the household, is mostly seen as the one that everyone in the family leans upon and relies on. The archetype she best connects with is the nurturer and the boss. Everyone in the family at different points throughout the play felt compelled to lean on Lena. For example, Lena says to Ruth “...Now you just relax. That’s right...just lean…” (Hansberry, 60). Ruth began to sob while leaning on Lena. Lena during this moment connects with her archetype of the nurturer, she is taking care of Ruth and allowing Ruth to lean on her. A scene where Lena aligns with the boss is when Lena tells Ruth, “No—there’s something come down between me and them that don’t let us understand each other and I don’t know what it is...What is it that’s changing, Ruth.” Ruth then says soothingly “Now...you taking it all too seriously. You just got strong-willed children and it takes a strong woman like you to

Juma !2 keep ‘em in hand,” (Hansberry, 52). Lena aligns with the boss in this scene because Ruth explains how she is a strong-willed woman. Lena can handle her children because she is the head of the household, Lena is the boss. Throughout the play, Lena is needed by most members in the family. Lena allows people to lean on her and rely on her because her archetype is the nurturer and the boss of the household. She aligns herself with these archetypes when they are most needed. Lena cares when someone needs her to care, and she puts her foot down when a family member is out of control. Ruth Younger is symbolic of Ruth from the Bible. Ruth from the Bible and Ruth Younger both fit the archetype of the nurturer very well. Ruth is caring and loving towards her family, and tries to do her best to provide for them. The story of Ruth from the Bible tells of how Ruth’s husband died and even though he died Ruth still chose to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, and provide for her, by taking care of her in her old age and working to provide food and shelter for Naomi. Ruth says to Naomi in the Bible, “Do not press me to go back and abandon you! Wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God, my God. Where you die I will die, and there be buried. May the Lord do thus to me, and more, if even death separates me from you!” (Ruth 1:16-17). Ruth stayed with Naomi and helped her since Naomi was old and could not work. Ruth did not abandon Naomi even when Ruth remarried. The Biblical version is symbolic of Ruth in the play because, Ruth stays with Lena through everything and they support each other. For example Ruth shows us how she wants the best for Lena by telling her, “You know what you should do Miss Lena? You should take yourself a trip somewhere. To Europe or South America or someplace...I’m serious. Just pack up and enjoy yourself some. Forget about the family and have yourself a ball for once in your life

Juma !3 —” (Hansberry, 43). Ruth aligns with the nurturer because she is trying to help Lena place her needs in front of everyone else’s for once. Ruth is trying to get Lena to go out and be free and be happy. Another example is when Ruth offers Walter milk and coffee because Walter went out and had a little too much to drink, Walter in response says “Why you always trying to give me something to eat?” and Ruth helplessly says “What else can I give you, Walter Lee Younger?” (Hansberry, 88). This shows us how Ruth tries her best to give her family whatever she can. Ruth loves Walter and tries her hardest to care for him during his times of need. Ruth Younger and Ruth from the Bible both fit the archetype of the nurturer. Ruth nurtures her family members when they need it the most. She loves them when nobody else will, especially Walter. Ruth gives them all she has just like the nurturer should. Beneatha Younger may be beneath her entire family, including Travis a ten year old boy, but she has a side of her that aligns with the archetype of the rebel and the explorer. Beneatha is a twenty year old, unmarried, Black woman which already places her far beneath everyone else in the family and in society. Her status is in her name, BENEATHa. Beneatha is beneath everyone but she has dreams for herself. She wants to become a doctor and find out who she is. Beneatha wants to know who she is and does not want a man telling her who she is supposed to be. Beneatha breaks some rules, for example, she believes God has nothing to do with mans creations; therefore, that places her as the archetype of the rebel. But she does want to find who she is and learn what the world has to offer which, places her as the archetype of the explorer. For example Beneatha says to her mother and Ruth “...There simply is no blasted God—there is only man and it is he who makes miracles!” Lena rises and slaps Beneatha across the face and says “Now—you say after me, in my mother’s house there is still God,” (Hansberry, 51). This

Juma !4 scene shows us Beneatha’s status in the family because, Lena stood and slapped Beneatha in the face. Lena treated Beneatha like a child would be treated. Beneatha fits in the archetype of the rebel because she says there is no God. Another example, Beneatha tries to find her identity by talking to Asagai, a boy Beneatha met in college who came from Africa. She asked him in school when she first met him “Mr. Asagai—I want very much to talk with you. About Africa. You see, Mr. Asagai, I am looking for my identity!” (Hansberry, 62). Beneatha fits the archetype of the explorer since she is exploring a different culture to contribute to her personal identity. Beneatha may be treated beneath everyone, but she has hopes for herself. Beneatha wants to become a doctor and she wants to find her identity, she fits the archetype of the rebel and the explorer. Lena Younger can be seen as the archetype of the nurturer, at times, and the boss. Ruth Younger is always seen as the nurturer, and Beneatha is always seen as a rebel and the explorer. Lena is a nurturer because of the way her family feels the need to lean on her and rely on her. Lena also fits the archetype of the boss because she keeps the family in check and is considered the head of the household. Ruth is always seen as the nurturer because all she can do is care for her family and give them her all. Beneatha may be “beneath” her whole family, but she does act like the archetype of the rebel and tries to explore to find her identity just like the explorer. Women have always had a set role in society. Men see women as good for only a few things which is house work. We had set archetypes for ourselves and never really tried to go outside those things. If you truly think about it, you are an archetype. Which one are you?