Running Head: RESPONDING TO DRAMA
Responding to Drama
Responding to Drama
Walter is mama’s only son, the husband to Ruth, the father to Travis and the brother to Beneatha. Walter’s role is interpreted to be both a protagonist as well as the antagonist. He is one of the primary characters in the play whose actions tend to have adverse effects in the play. The family is highly affected by the very same actions that Walter takes (Booth, Hunter and Mays). This is seen when Mama entrusts Lee with some portion of the money they received from the insurance company. Without the consent of Mama, who had disagreed to the proposition for ethical reasons, Walter secretly invests in a liquor store scheme with the thought that it will increase four times the initial price.
Walter Lee’s prospective partner runs away with the money, this is a loss that puts the spiritual and psychological mettle of the family members to test. This action on the other hand portrays Walter as the man of the family who aims to find better methods to uphold the family’s economic status. He is of the idea that money will solve the family’s problems. The film portrays Walter as easily angered, depressed and proud this is when he wanted to take up Lindner’s offer then rejected it to maintain his family’s pride.
Walter is not a good listener, as he constantly argues with his family members. He pays little attention to his family members concerns which if he did would go a long way to help him. He eventually notices that his sole effort cannot be successful unless the inclusion of other members of the family, he begins to listen to his family. He agreed to the family’s dream of buying a house. His refusal to money offered to him by Lindner to move to the dream house eventually presents him as an antagonist.
Mama is the name used in the play while in the film she is called Lena. She is the mother of Walter and Beneatha, her role comes out as a wise person who would want to see the success of the family as they maintain the moral boundaries. She objects to Beneatha’s sentiments about God in addition to Ruth’s consideration of an abortion (Hansberry). Walters’s idea to invest in the liquor store was not acceptable to Mama. Her nurturing quality in the play comes out clearly in the play in the need to provide for the family and make them happy.
Beneatha is a college student who comes forth as an independent female with an ambition of becoming a doctor. She plays the role by condemning Walter’s move to invest the money they received in the liquor store scheme that led to loss of money. She comes out as a dependent person from her desire not to leave America, this goes on when she had to rely on the insurance money from her father in addition to her brother’s dream of becoming a doctor greatly influences. Her quality rises when she acquires new energy to accomplish things by herself.
In the plot interpretation, the play similar to the film is divided into three acts and the scenes are chronologically arranged as to how they occurred in actual time. It is a traditional, simple and linear manner of telling a story. The director brings out the story, A RAISIN IN THE SUN as an African-American-related family that lives in the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. scene 1 starts the play with the family’s anticipation of receiving an insurance check of $10,000 from Mr. Younger’s life insurance policy.
The money becomes the basis of each family member’s desire fulfill their dreams; Mama wants to house, a dream she had with her husband, Walter wanted to invest in a liquor store with friends, Ruth, Walter’s wife concurs with mama in addition to considering their son Travis (Lee, Younger and Younger). Beneatha, Walter’s sister wants to employ the money in education, medical school tuition. The film clearly brings out the breakdown of how the cash is used in terms of amount while the play only gives their uses.
The director goes on to demonstrate the clashing of their dreams; Ruth’s pregnancy that is brought out in scene two will put the family’s financial position under pressure. Mama on her side sees a bigger dwelling place would benefit them all; the house is in a white neighborhood in Clybourne Park. Mr. Lindner offers the Youngers money so as to stay away which is turned down. Walter, who invests in a liquor store against his mother’s will losses the money to a business prospect partner. Beneatha turns down her suitor George Murchison; Joseph Asagai approaches her with a marriage proposal. He wants her to pursue medicine degree and move with her to Africa. The family fulfills their dream of living in their dream house and determined to live a happy life if they stick together.
The time period of the film is considered as the turning point of the play in American art. There are several issues that are addressed in the 1950s in the US. This time period was the time of complacency and conformism, there was the growth of suburbs and commercial culture. There was a backdrop of the landscape and the persons and the environments of Walter and mama gave the play body and soul.
The film brings out clearly the anticipation that prevails in the Younger’s family that has dreams to fulfill in a real world. They all want to improve their current status and advance it to a much better one. The play on the other hand tends to leave out the reality part of the nature and lives the imagination of the viewers to play the central role. In the film the music tends to bring the viewer into it and becomes part of it; an instance is when Walter lost the cash to his friend Willy Harris. The frame shot that is applied is the medium shot that contains the figure of the characters from the knees or waist up, taking into consideration that this is a dialogue play. When the number in the screen are three it becomes three shot. The play on the other hand plays music that tends to not relate with the mood of the story.
The shot changes when the number of characters is more for it to become a long shot. In most cases, the camera angle is at an eye level, which is a neutral shot. This presents the camera as if it is a human who is viewing the film. The actors in this case are level with the focus. The camera low level shot tended to bring out the characters taller than they really are. The effects and the music did play front role of the mix, they sounded somewhat thin, though it suited the material. The audio was generally satisfactory. The play on the other hand is a high angle shot. The camera is raised above the ground; this may be using a crane for general view. The characters being viewed appear smaller. The characters are more often than not swallowed by their setting as they become part of a wider picture.
Works Cited
A RAISIN IN THE SUN. By Lorraine Hansberry. Perf. Walter Lee Younger, et al. Broadway. 2011.
A RAISIN IN THE SUN. Dir. Lorraine Hansberry. Perf. Walter Lee Younger, et al. 2011.
Booth, Alison, J. Paul Hunter and Kelly J. Mays. “The Norton Introduction to Literature.” W. W. Norton & Company; Ninth Edition, 2005.
