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THE IDEAS OF AMERICAN DREAM AS

THE MAIN CHARACTERS’ MOTIVE OF LIFE AS SEEN

IN LORRAINE HANSBERRY’S

A RAISIN IN THE SUN

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree ofSarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By

DANITA IRIANTI MALUTE

Student Number: 044214142

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

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THE IDEAS OF AMERICAN DREAM AS

THE MAIN CHARACTERS’ MOTIVE OF LIFE AS SEEN

IN LORRAINE HANSBERRY’S

A RAISIN IN THE SUN

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree ofSarjana Sastra

in English Letters

By

DANITA IRIANTI MALUTE

Student Number: 044214142

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2008

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MOTTO

PAGE

(Unknown)

YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

BUT IF YOU TRY

SOMETIME

YOU JUST MIGHT FIND

YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED

(JAGGER & RICHARD)

GowiththeFlow,

EnjoyYourLifetotheFullest

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I dedicate this thesis to

MyAlmightyCreator,JesusChrist

MybelovedParent’ssilverweddinganniversary

MylovelySisterandBrothers

MyPrince

Mybestfriends,M.I.AgirlsandtheBROs

In the Hope of Better Future

~Danita Irianti Malute~

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, my deepest gratitude goes to my Almighty Creator, Jesus Christ to

whom I lay down all my dreams and hopes. I thank Him for all the grace, miracles,

and joy in my life. I am nothing without Him.

The writing process of this thesis involved many generous contributions of

wonderful people. My enormous thank and award is dedicated for my advisor, Dewi

Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum. I thank her for all her help, suggestions, and guidance

during my undergraduate thesis up to the end. I also thank my academic counselor,

Paulus Sarwoto, S.S., M.A. for his precious support during my time in Sanata

Dharma University. I also would like to thank Maria Ananta Tri S., S.S., M.Ed. for

the suggestions and inputs as the co-advisor of my undergraduate thesis. My

acknowledgement also goes to all of the lecturers and the staff of Department of

English Letters and the librarians of Sanata Dharma University. I thank them for their

unforgettable great role during my study in this university.

With lots of love, I would like to express my extraordinary gratefulness to my

amazing family. They are my beloved Papa, Ir. Daniel Malute, M.Si., and my wonderful Mama, Monita Patayang who always care of me and taught me to be optimistic in finishing this thesis as soon as possible, and to my colorful sister and

brothers, Daniela Malute, Deni Irianto Malute and Dandi Malute. I thank them for all

their everlasting love, attention, financial support, prayer and suggestions in my life.

All of them become my great spirit in finishing this thesis.

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I would like to express my special gratitude to Marchelynow Alfa Ch.

Mengko for his care, patience, love, and help. I thank him for always be by my side

every time I need him and always help me to solve every problem I face during the

process of writing this undergraduate thesis and also toMengko’s family who always give me love, care, support, and pray.

My gratitude also goes toKoko Fandi’s family who encourage me with love and support. A special dedication goes to my best friends, for “the BROs”, Richo A. Robertho, Maulana Riska Irianto, Maddya Kusuma Widjaya, M. Guruh Agung, and

Riolan Manik and also for all Smoensha’03 Community who do not mind sharing their support, advice, laughter, pain, and love with me. The expression of

thankfulness also goes to all of my friends at English Letters’04 Sanata Dharma

University and also “the M.I.A. (Missing in Action) girls”, Arini Wulandari, Elizabeth Nita Kurniasih, Bertha Yenni Firdinia, Eka Utami Ningsih, and Yuli

Satyawati who have shared an unforgettable and craziness friendship in all lovely

days during my study at Sanata Dharma University, and special warm thanks to all

the Prenggan Sidomulyo team of KKN, and also to Ferdy’02, Gatot’02, Nico’02,

Supra’02 Akakom, Adip’04 Psychology, and Dina’04 Mathematics.

Last but not least, thanks for everyone who helps me in hand and those who

filled my life and my heart with love that I cannot mention here. You are all the best

things I have ever had.

Danita Irianti Malute

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. Background of the Study………...……….. 1

B. Problem Formulation………... 5

C. Objectives of the Study……… 6

D. Definition of Terms………. 6

CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW……….. 9

A. Review of Related Studies………... 9

B. Review of Related Theories……… 13

1. Character……….. 14

2. Characterization………..………. 15

3. The Relation between Literature and Psychology…………... 18

4. Motive and Motivation……… 18

5. The American Dream……….. 22

C. Theoretical Framework………... 24

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY……….. 26

A. Object of the Study………. 26

B. Approach of the Study……… 27

C. Method of the Study………... 28

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS………... 31

A. The Characterization of the Main Characters.……… 31

1. Lena Younger (Mama).………...… 32

2. Walter Lee.………..……… 36

3. Baneatha (Bennie)………..………. 39

4. Ruth………..………..………. 45

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B. The Ideas of American Dream as the Main Characters’ Motive in Life as

Seen in Lorraine Hansberry’sA Raisin in the Sun….………. 49

1. Prosperity………... 50

2. Equality and Opportunity………... 56

3. Liberty………... 65

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION……… 67

BIBLIOGRAPHY………. 71

APPENDIX……… 74

The Summary ofA Raisin in the Sun……...………... 74

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ABSTRACT

DANITA IRIANTI MALUTE (2008). The Ideas of American Dream as the Main Characters’ Motive of Life as Seen in Lorraine Hansberry’sA Raisin in the Sun.

Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.

This thesis discusses the play by Lorraine Hansberry entitled A Raisin in the Sun, which was written in 1958. Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun tells about the life of an Afro-American family in Chicago, South of America. This thesis discusses the ideas of American Dream as the main characters’ motive of life in the playA Raisin in the Sun.

To achieve more about the ideas of American Dream that are revealed as the main characters’ motive of life in the play, two questions are formulated to guide the analysis. They are (1) How are the main characters’ characterizations portrayed in the playA Raisin in the Sun? (2) In what way are the ideas of American Dream revealed as the main characters’ motive of life in the playA Raisin in the Sun?

The method applied in this study is library research. The approach used in this study is psychological approach. The sources that are needed to support this study are taken from the play A Raisin in the Sun and sources that contain the theories of literature, theory of psychology, and theory of American Dream in terms of books and internet.

Based on the analysis, the results of the study are as follows. Firstly, it can be concluded that there are four main characters in the play A Raisin in the Sun. They are Lena (Mama), Walter, Beneatha, and Ruth. Mama as one of the main characters is described as a religious woman who is strong, wise, and really loves her family. Having a better house in the comfortable place is one of her dream that becomes her motivation of life. Walter as another main character is an uneducated man who has an ambition to be a rich man. His focus of life is money. Another main character is Beneatha or Bennie. Bennie is describes as an Afro-American girl who is smart and independent. She really loves challenges to express herself. The last main character is Ruth. Ruth is Walter’s wife who is described as a patient and hard working woman who really loves her family. Secondly, the ideas of American Dream that are revealed as the main characters’ motive of life in the playA Raisin in the Sun are Prosperity, Equality and Opportunity, and Liberty. The characters believe that they shall have a freedom to do what they want to do, to make their own decision, to have their own ideas. They also believe that everyone has the same position, the same rights and the same opportunities to express their own ideas or dreams.

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ABSTRAK

DANITA IRIANTI MALUTE (2008). The Ideas of American Dream as the Main Characters’ Motive of Life as seen in Lorraine Hansberry’sA Raisin in the Sun.

Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Skripsi ini membahas sebuah drama yang ditulis pada tahun 1958, sebuah drama karya Lorraine Hansberry yang berjudul A Raisin in the Sun. Drama tersebut adalah sebuah drama yang mengisahkan tentang kehidupan sebuah keluarga Afro-Amerika di Chicago, Afro-Amerika Selatan. Skripsi ini mendiskusikan tentang ide-ide Impian Amerika sebagai motivasi hidup dari para tokoh utama dalam dramaA Raisin in the Sun.

Untuk mengetahui lebih lanjut tentang ide-ide Impian Amerika yang menjadi motivasi hidup tokoh-tokoh utama di dalam drama tersebut, diformulasikanlah dua pertanyaan untuk memandu proses menganalisa, yaitu: (1) Bagaimana penokohan para tokoh utama dalam drama A Raisin in the Sun? (2) Dalam hal-hal apa ide-ide Impian Amerika menjadi motivasi hidup tokoh-tokoh utama dalam dramaA Raisin in the Sun?

Metode yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah studi pustaka. Pendekatan yang digunakan adalah pendekatan psikologi. Data-data yang diperlukan untuk mendukung studi ini diambil dari dramaA Raisin in the Sundan sumber-sumber yang memuat teori sastra dan teori psikologi dalam bentuk buku-buku maupun data-data dari internet.

Berdasarkan analisis yang dilakukan, hasil temuan studi ini adalah sebagai berikut. Pertama, dapat disimpulkan bahwa ada empat tokoh utama di dalam drama A Raisin in the Sun. Mereka adalah Lena (Mama), Walter, Beneatha, dan Ruth. Mama sebagai salah satu pemeran sentral digambarkan sebagai sosok seorang wanita religius yang tegar, bijaksana, and sangat mencintai keluarganya. Memiliki rumah baru di lingkungan yang lebih nyaman adalah salah satu impian yang menjadi motivasi hidupnya. Walter yang juga menjadi salah satu tokoh utama adalah pria yang tidak berpendidikan yang berambisi untuk menjadi kaya. Fokus hidup walter adalah uang. Tokoh utama lainnya adalah Beneatha atau Bennie. Bennie digambarkan sebagai seorang gadis Afro-Amerika yang cerdas dan mandiri. Dia sangat menyukai tantangan untuk mengekspresikan dirinya. Tokoh utama yang terakhir adalah Ruth. Ruth yang merupakan istri dari Walter yang digambarkan sebagai sosok seorang wanita pekerja keras yang sabar dan sangat mencintai keluarganya. Kedua, ide-ide Impian Amerika yang menjadi motivasi hidup tokoh-tokoh utama di dalam drama A Raisin in the Sun adalah kemakmuran atau kesejahteraan, kesetaraan hak dan kesempatan, dan kebebasan. Para tokoh percaya mereka memiliki kesempatan dan kebebasan yang sama untuk melakukan apa yang ingin mereka lakukan, kebebasan untuk memutuskan apa yang ingin mereka putuskan, dan kebebasan untuk memiliki pemikiran-pemikiran sendiri. Setiap orang memiliki kedudukan yang sama, hak-hak yang sama dan kesempatan yang sama untuk mengekspresikan pemikiran-pemikiran atau impian-impian mereka.

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Most popular literary works are the reflection of human life. It means that

literary works are the portraits of human’s life and what is pictured in literary works

is based on the facts and experiences which ever happened in the past or dreams

about future that the author has. Many literary works present the phenomena of real

life that happen in the world seen from the author’s point of view. Hudson says inAn Introduction to Study of Literature,

Literature is the expression of life through the medium of language; it can be regarded as something essential since it contains about real life, people, thought, and their feeling about life (1958: 10).

That quotation shows that literature contains an essential idea about human’s

life. That is why some opinions say literary works can reveal actions, sadness,

dreams, motives, happiness, depression, anxiety, even love that happened in human’s

life. An author tries to share his/her feelings, inspirations, emotions, even his/her

creative imaginations through the literary works. On the other side, through literary

works, the readers can get something new and learn lots of things about life. It can

also be said that literary works do not only give the readers understanding, new

perception, satisfaction, and enjoyment but also enrich their knowledge as an

individual and society.

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As Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs (1987: 2) state in their book

Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing.

Literature helps us to grow, both personally and intellectually; it provides an objective base for our knowledge and understanding…. It enables us to recognize human dreams and struggles in different societies that we would never otherwise get to know; it helps us to develop mature sensibility and compassion for the condition of all living things.

On the other side, Kenney (1988: 5) on his bookHow to Analyze Fictionstate that, To analyze a literary work is to identify the separate parts that make it up (this corresponds roughly to the nation of treating it to process), to determine the relationship among parts, and to discover the relation of the parts to the whole.

Kenney’s idea has shown that every part in literary work is a unity. It means one

element in the literary work has a relation with other elements. As the example, the

character always has relations with other intrinsic elements; even it can have a

relation with the era or the society that is described in the literary work. In some

literary works, an era and society bring a big influence toward the main character’s

dreams or hopes that can become his motive in life. As Jung (1978: 4) says, if we talk

about motive, we talk about causes or reasons underlying behavior. Therefore,

someone’s behavior is a response to other’s behavior or situation, because someone

will always respond to something in order to adapt or to be against or to show his

feeling toward it.

In this study, I choose one of Lorraine Hansberry’s greatest plays A Raisin in

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happened in the 1950s in the middle of American society and the main topic that will

be discussed is about the ideas of American Dream as the main character’s motive of

life as seen in A Raisin in the Sun. One thing that makes A Raisin in the Sun interesting to be discussed is the way Lorraine Hansberry’s, the author, uses the

African-American Younger family as the characters to represent a struggle of a

family to pursue the idea of American Dream in the middle of American society.

Dream of a better life becomes their motive in life in the middle of society around

them. As state in the Sparknotes webpage, A Raisin in the Sun is essentially about dreams, as the main characters struggle to deal with the oppressive circumstances that

rule their lives (www.sparknotes.com). It shows A Raisin in the Sun is interesting since it is colored by dreams as the characters’ motive of life.

The idea of “dream comes true” is based on the story of success that has

become an obsession and motivation for everyone in this world. What comes into our

mind when we hear the words motive and motivation? Most of people know that motive and motivation deals much with human beings and their effort in gaining

something in life. As long as human being is alive he or she will always have goals to

achieve and dreams to realize to make a better life.

If we analyze more about motive, we will find that there are lots of factors that

influence the motive such as past life, types of personality, and society around us.

Those factors can give a lot of contribution toward human motivation in doing

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can be seen inRaisin in the Sunwhere the main characters’ motive influenced by the surrounding society. In Raisin in the Sun, the idea of success in American dream influenced the main characters’ motive of life.

It is related to Ralph Barton Perry’s opinion. (1949: 10) in his book

Characteristically American “Success is thought of as the fruit of marriage between circumstance and action”. It means that success is a combination of action, effort, and

society. A Raisin in the Sun examines a family’s dreams, human motivation, and social prejudice.

InA Raisin in the Sun, Youngers are African-Americans who lived in America because they think that America is a promising land to get a better future, in fact their

opinion is not true. The flow of the play shows that “life is like a game”. People have

problems, and problems in life are things that come and go as if they were endless.

Sometimes people think it is hard, but it is sometimes easy to face. Problems always

exist in everyone’s life, and everyone makes the decision, in which it could effect on

the happening situation forward, whether it is good or bad.

As the example, the struggle to rise from economic adversity as the most

problem of the family was present in the protagonist in the play. It was described by

Walter Younger’s character. He had dreams of achieving economic success, as the

central issue in this play. The ideas of American Dream brought lots of motivation for

him to open a liquor store and reap from the profits. However, this could not be

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that she received from her husband’s death. The other characters that can show the

ideas of American dream are Mama, Beneatha, and Ruth characters.

The setting, the flow, the dynamical emotion of getting involved in this play, the

sense, and the scope of understanding the play are the things that can be reached more

in this play. The writer also admits that this play is considered to be really touchable

in revealing it with the real life. Yet, what the writer means “real” is something that

constructs certain senses and mind sight blended into one portrait of such condition.

Considering the term non-fiction in categorizing this play, we can precisely guess that

the way the story goes by the main characters’ experiences of fording such condition

through life must be something that we can consider to happen mostly in the real life.

The life which is described in the play shows a process in which the characters want

to have dreams of changing positions, from the ordinary life into the extraordinary

one or into a better future. That is why “THE IDEAS OF AMERICAN DREAM AS

THE MAIN CHARACTERS’ MOTIVE OF LIFE AS SEEN IN LORRAINE

HANSBERRY’SA RAISIN IN THE SUN” is chosen as the title of this thesis.

B. Problem Formulation

As a guide for the writer in referring to the particular elements to discuss,

these questions below will direct the writer’s writing on the certain scope of the

analysis. They are stated to be the problems, as well as the basic construction of the

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1. How are the main characters’ characterizations portrayed in the playA Raisin in the Sun?

2. In what way are the ideas of American Dream revealed as the main characters’

motive of life in the playA Raisin in the Sun?

C. Objectives of the Study

Studying the topic proves that literature has a relation with the real life and

the social condition, related to the time of the author’s work. The aim of the study is

to answer the two formulated problems above as clearly as possible. Firstly, the

writer tries to find how Lorraine Hansberry describes the main characters’

characterizations in the playA Raisin in the Sun.Second, this study aims to explain in what way the ideas of American Dream are revealed as the main characters’ motive

of life.

D. Definition of Terms

To avoid any misinterpretations in the title, this thesis will provide some

explanation on an important term mainly used and closely related to the topic. The

writer tries to explain them by borrowing mainly from the media, particularly from

some books.

1. Character

Character is one of the elements of play or novel that has significant role to

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Glossary of Literary Terms, character is the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work who naturally possesses moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities

that all reflected in the dialogue and action among the person.

2. Characterization

The process by which an author creates a character is called characterization.

Murphy in Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students (1972: 161-173) describes characterization as the way in which an author attempts to make his characters understandable and come

alive for his readers.

3. Motive and Motivation

According to Frank J. Burno inDictionary of Keywords in Psychology (1986: 140) the definition of motive is hypothetical state in an organism used to explain its

choices and goal-oriented behavior. Furthermore, in Psychology and Life the definition of motivation is the process of starting, directing and maintaining physical

and psychological activities toward a certain goal (Gerring and Zimbardo, 2002:

364).

4. American Dream

According to Random House Webster’s College Dictionary (2001: 43), “American Dreams is the ideal of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally

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Robert H. Fossum and John K. Roth (1981: 6), they said that the term American Dream was firstly used by a historian namely James Truslow Adams in his bookThe Epic of Americawhich was written in 1931. He states that “The American Dream is dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man,

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CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL REVIEW

A. Review of Related Studies

The existence of a literary work always invites criticism from some critics.

The criticism can be an agreement or disagreement toward the play or the story.

There are some criticisms directed to A Raisin in the Sun and those criticisms are needed to support the analysis of this study.

One of the criticisms is from Martin Luther King, Jr. He said that

“Hansberry’s commitment of spirit, her creative ability and her profound grasp of the

deep social issues confronting the world today will remain an inspiration to

generations yet unborn” (http://www.raisinonbroadway.com/news.html).

Furthermore, Brenda Bell says that in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family is faced with several issues. The setting of the story takes place in the

1950's when African American families had to deal with blatant issues of poverty,

segregation and culture. A reflection of Hansberry's personal experience can be seen

inA Raisin in the Sun(http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/kearny/raisin).

Kuiper in Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature (1995: 513) states “A Raisin in the Sunis an insightful study of the stresses that both divide and unite a working-class black family when it is presented with a chance for a better life”. An

idea by David D. Cooper (in Guerin, Labor, Morgan, Reesman and Willingham,

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1979: 1585) states that “A Raisin in the Sun is a play about distress, futility, and tragedy, but also about hope and pride and what kind of conviction and commitment

it takes to bring hope out of hopelessness, courage out of fear, and idealism out of

fatalism”. Those statements refer to The Youngers, especially Walter and Mama who

has motivation to bring a bright future for the family’s life, their effort can be clearly

seen when they try to fulfill all family’s needs.

Another writer Tammy Burris in Reuben’s article PAL: Perspectives in American Literature - A Research and Reference Guide - An Ongoing Project writes that “Her (Hansberry’s) writings reflected her fight for black civil rights, and her

views against racism, and sexual and statutory discrimination. Due to her short life

her legacy left only a few works but all with dramatic effect on all, no matter race or

color, who came in touch with them”

(http://web.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap8/hansberry.html).

A realistic play likeA Raisin in the Sun according to Stanley Hochman in the Encyclopedia of World Drama(1984: 444) is “a realistic portrayal of a black family struggling to maintain its pride and identity”. It is clearly seen from Walter’s

characterization as an African-American in pursuing his family’s hopes to be

successful and equal with the whites and also from Beneatha’s characteristics who is

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The same idea is also raised by Paul P. Reuben in his article PAL: Perspectives in American Literature - A Research and Reference Guide - An Ongoing Project, he notes that

Hansberry’s purpose was to show ‘the many gradations in even one Negro family’, the characters suffer, hope, dream, and triumph over the enormous barriers erected by the dominant culture.

(http://web.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap8/hansberry.html)

That statement shows that Hansberry depicts the life of the Youngers’ character. She

describes the life of African-American family who always live under the whites’

oppression as the dominant culture.

The play A Raisin in the Sun gives the portrayal of real life and also tells about moral values as Oscar G. Brockett (1995: 583) wrote in his bookHistory of the Theatre, A Raisin in the Sun is “a compassionate drama about a hardworking black family in Chicago whose dreams are shattered but whose values mature in the

process”. Generally, many immigrants place a great hope in America; they expect

everything the best in that country. It also happens to the Youngers in the play A Raisin in the Sun. The play wants to show that besides describing the condition of the African-American family, Youngers whose dreams seem hard to be fulfilled; it also

tells about how finally someone tries to reach his maturity. It can be seen from

Walter’s character in the end of the story where his maturity leads his family into a

better life.

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For at the deepest level it is not a specific situation but the human condition, human aspiration and human relationship-the persistence of dreams, of the bonds, and conflicts between men and women, parents and children, old ways and new, and the endless struggle against human oppression, whatever the forms it may take, and for individual fulfillment, recognition, and liberation-that are at the heart of such plays.

Some criticisms above show thatA Raisin in the Suncovers social issues and racial issues during the 1950s. Most of them tell about how the Youngers can still

survive under the white oppression as the dominant culture. However, this play also

covers the feminist issues at that time. As Emilie Browne said in her article,

Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun challenges the stereotype of 1950's America as a country full of doting, content housewives. The women in this play, Mama, Ruth and Beneatha, represent three generations of black women who, despite their double fronted subordination, continue to dream of a better tomorrow. Although the aspirations of these women differ in subject, they all involve the furthering their roles as women, whether it be owning a house, paying for a child's education or attending Medical School.

(http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/raisin/essay1.html)

That statement shows that Hansberry describes Mama (Mrs. Younger) as the

representative of an ideal mother who does everything for the family. Hansberry

describes how Mama’s role not only as a mother but also as a father in the family. It

can be seen in how she places and functions her self as the head of the family whom

always tries to improve the family standard of living. Hansberry also describes

Beneatha’s struggle in reaching her dream to become a doctor. She is considered as

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Hansberry put her thought about how women can also have high education

just like men, how women can have dreams that the men have. Hansberry challenges

the stereotype of American women in 1950s through the character of Beneatha. The

stereotype about the women should not take high education because they should place

their selves in the kitchen and do house jobs after they are married.

Those opinions, criticisms, and comments give deeper information for the

reader in analyzing the play. Most of them share the same view about the issues

appearing in the time when the play was written and generally focus on cultural

diversity. In this thesis, the opinions from Oscar G. Brockett, David D. Cooper, and

Robert Nemiroff open a way for the writer to discuss American Dream in relation

with motive in human life through the struggle of the characters in the play. Another

opinion from Emilie Browne shows another side of the play that focuses on the

feminist issues. That opinion drives the writer to function the struggles of the women

characters in the play not only as the feminist issues but also as the struggle to pursue

the idea of American Dream. In this undergraduate thesis, the writer will emphasize

more on how the ideas of Americans as the main character’s motive of life as seen in

Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. The writer hopes that this study will give something new in understanding the story of the play.

B. Review of Related Theories

Some theories will be used in the study as the guidance in answering the

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1. Theory of Character

Since this study tries to deal with the characters’ motive and their contribution

in revealing the ideas of American Dream, the writer thinks that the understanding of

the theories of character is needed to do the analysis because character is one of the

elements of play or novel that has significant role to show the qualities of the novel or

play.

InAn Introduction to Fiction, Stanton (1965: 17-18) says “The term character is commonly used in two ways. It designates the individuals who appear in the story,

and it refers to the mixture of interests, desires, emotions and moral principles that

makes up each on these individuals”. Furthermore, he also states that “most stories

contain a central characters and minor characters. A central character is a character

that is relevant to every event in a story, and minor characters are characters whose

attitude is very important toward central characters”.

The same theory can be found inGlossary of Literary Terms, Abrams (1981: 20-21) defines characters as “the present in dramatic or narrative work, who are

presented by the author as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that

can be evaluated from the dialogue and the action among person”. Abrams also stated

that characters are divided into “major” and “minor” character based on their

importance in the novel. He mentioned that major characters are substantially

involved in the main action as well as becoming the central and the most important in

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are necessary to become the background for the major character. Both theories above

show that the major or central character has the important role and becomes the focus

of the story. Those combinations of theories of character help the writer in analyzing

the main characters in this play. The character can be identified from the dialogue and

the action done by the main character.

2. Theory of Characterization

The process by which an author creates a character is called characterization.

Murphy in Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students (1972: 161-173) describes characterization as the way in which an author attempts to make his characters understandable and come

alive for his readers. He also proposes some methods of characterization to discern

how an author conveys the characters and the personalities of the people he writes

about.

The first method ispersonal description. By using this method the author can describe a person’s appearance in terms of build, face, hands, skin-color, hair, and

clothes in order to help the reader both to visualize the character and to understand

his characteristics.

The second method is character as seen by another. Instead of describing a character directly the author can describe him through the eyes and opinions of

another. The reader gets, as it were, a reflected image. This method can give the

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will give explanation about what the character is like.

The third method isspeech. The author can give the readers an insight into the character of one of the persons in the book through what the person says. The

characters of a person can be seen from whenever he/she speaks, having conversation

with others, and stated his/her opinion.

The fourth method is past life. By letting the reader learn something about a person’s past life the author can give the readers a clue to events that have helped to

shape a person’s character. This can be done by direct comment by the author, though

the person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another

person.

The fifth method isconversation of others. By using this technique, the author can also give the readers clues to a person’s character through the conversations of

other people and the things they say about him. People talk about other people and

the things they say often give as a clue to the character of the person spoken about.

The sixth method isreactions.By using this method, the author can also give the readers a clue to a person’s character by letting us know how that person reacts to

various situations and events. The actions are related to his/her motives and thought.

The seventh method isdirect comment. In this way, the author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly. Usually the author gives comments based

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The eighth method is thoughts. In this method, the author can give us direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. In this respect, he is able to do what

we cannot do in real life. He can tell the readers what different people are thinking.

The readers then are in a privileged position; they have, as it were, a secret listening

device plugged in to the inmost thoughts of a person in a novel.

The last method ismannerisms. Through this method, the author can describe a person’s mannerisms, habits, or idiosyncrasies which may also tell the readers

something about his character.

Another theory is by Brockett (in Benedetty, 1970: 129-130) as quoted inThe Art of Work that there are four levels of characterization. The first level is physical which is concerned only with such basic facts as sex, age, size, and color. The second

level is social, which includes “character’s economic status, profession or trade, religion, family relationship –all those factors place the character in his

environment”. The third level is psychological which reveals “character’s habitual responses, attitudes, desires, motivations, likes and dislikes –the inner workings of

the mind, both emotionally and intellectually, which precede action. The last level is

moralwhich explains that sometimes a moral decision causes a character to examine his own motives and values, in the process of which his true nature is revealed both

himself and to the audience. Some of the theories above will be useful to help the

writer to identify and understanding characters’ attitude in the play and to do the

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3. Review on the Relation between Literature and Psychology

According to Wellek and Warren in Theory of Literature (1956: 81), psychology and literature have a close relation in which some literary works take the

issue of psychology as the basic idea. The term psychology of literature has four

possible meanings. The first is the psychological study of the author as a type or as an

individual. The second is the study of creative process. The third is the study of

psychological types and laws presented within works of literature, and the last is the

effect of literature upon readers (1956: 81). They state that people can learn theory of

psychology that may be revealed in works of literature by analyzing the works. There

is another theory which states that literature and psychology has a relation in

exploring human’s life, “in a variety of ways, a psychological approach has opened

new avenues to the study of literature” (Cohen, 1958: 189). Those theories have

shown the relation between psychology and literature. Analyzing literary works may

reflect certain psychological factors. This study will explore parts of the

psychological subjects. That is the motive and motivation.

4. Theories Motive and Motivation

According to Frank J. Burno in Dictionary of Keywords in Psychology the definition of motive is hypothetical state in an organism used to explain its choices

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and psychological activities toward a certain goal (Gerring and Zimbardo, 2002:

364).

Motive makes human beings keep their effort to keep them on their goal and

motivation supports them in the process of achieving their goal. Therefore,

motivation always influences someone’s action or behavior to pursue their goal. That

statement shows that the theory of motive can not be separated from the theory of

motivation. So, in this analysis those theories will be used to explain the characters’

motive in life.

Worchel and Shebilske place motives into two groups. The first is primary

motive, which concerns in our biological needs, e.g. thirst, sexual desire, hunger, rest,

etc. This motive is usually unlearned, common to all animals, and vital for the

survival of the organism or the species. The second is social motive which comes

from learning and social interaction, includes the needs for affiliation, aggression, and

achievement (1989: 374).

Furthermore, Abraham Maslow in Introduction of Psychology (in Atkinson, Atkinson, and Hilgard, 1983: 317) stated that there ispsychological motive. Security, acceptance by and approval from those around us, feelings of self-worth and

competency, and the search for new experiences are important part in psychological

motives, although the way in which they are satisfied varies with each individual and

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*

Aesthetic needs: symmetry, order and

beauty

Cognitive needs: to know, understand, and explore

Esteem needs: to achieve, be competent, and gain approval and recognitions

Belongingness and love needs: to affiliate with others, be accepted, and belong

Safety needs: to feel secure and safe, out of danger

Physiological needs: hunger, thirst, and so forth

Maslow proposed an interesting way of classifying human’s motives. Maslow

constructed a Hierarchy of Needs, ascending from the basic biological needs to the more complex psychological motives that become important only after the basic

needs have been satisfied. As showed in the following pyramid.

*self-actualization needs: to find self-fulfillment and realize one’s potential

(Figure 11-1, (in Atkinson, Atkinson, and Hilgard, 1983: 317)

Maslow’s hierarchy provides an interesting way of looking at the relationships among

human motives and the opportunities afforded by the environment. He also states that

people must struggle for their food, shelter, and safety (in Atkinson, Atkinson, and

Hilgard, 1983: 317). Maslow’sHierarchy of Needswill be used in analyzing how the idea of American Dream can become the motives of the characters.

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which are based on a psychological necessity or other condition of an individual

which may directly affect the survival of that individual. The social motives are those

which require the presence or participation of another individual for their expression

or instigation. The self motives are those which contribute towards the maintenance

of the concept of self or ego which each individual has personally developed.

Edwards’ idea about motive also will be used in determining what category is the

motive of the character.

According to Adler in Human Motivation (in McClelland, 1985: 39), everyone is motivated by desire to compensate for weakness. They want to look

perfect in the eyes of other people. Every human being wants to have strong dignity

in front of other people and they do not want to be despised even though they know

they have some weaknesses. Therefore, they do their best to be stronger even if it is

hard to do. In addition, McClelland states that one of human motives is the motive of

achievement. He defines motive of achievement as a desire to be successful (1985:

46).

From those theories of motivation and motive, it can be concluded that all

people usually have certain motive when they do something in their life because

motive is the foundation of every action human beings do. As the example, a girl is

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motivation. Also through those theories, the writer can learn and analyze about the characters’ motive in the play, internal and external factors which lead the characters

to do a certain action, and their process in achieving their goal.

5. Theory of American Dream

In the book titled American Dream, “historically the motif of new beginning is tied to the image of America as a New World, a potential New Eden in the west, as

well as to common America attitudes toward history, opportunity, success, and

failure” (Fossum and Roth, 1981: 7). So, there was a land, a virgin land that was

known as the New World. The New World means a start of new era and new

beginnings for the newcomers that came from others places that faraway from the

New World. The newcomers came to realize their dreams with a hope of better life

for the family in the new place that they called a New World or a new paradise.

The same idea is also stated in theAn Early American Reader,

The very name calls the New World an idyllic myth, the start of a new golden age, a new beginning for a new Adam. The name conspired with the idea of nature to ensure that the prevailing myth of the New World would be that of a new Garden of Eden. The New World seemed to promise that mankind could recapture the innocence, joys, and eternal life, as well as the freedom from cares and labor that had existed in the Garden of Eden (Lemay, 1989: 1).

In the 1950s, the New World seemed to promise the new Adam a chance to get better

life. It shows in that era, there were many immigrants that came to the New World.

They came with lots of reasons. Most of them left their country for a better life

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political and religious oppression. One of the examples is the Youngers, they came to

America to have a better life condition and a greater economic opportunity.

In his article “Who wants to be a millionaire: Changing Conceptions of the American Dream”, Matthew Warshauer stated that Americans are captivated by what many consider as an easy avenue to achieving financial success, the “rags to riches”

legend has and continues to be a cornerstone of the American Dream. He said that,

the traditional message taught that through hard work, frugality, and self-sacrifice one

could achieve financial success and social mobility.

(http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=801)

The term American Dream itself, as it is quoted in the book The American

Dream, was first introduced by a historian namely James Turslow Adams in his book The Epic of America written in 1931. He suggested the meaning of American dream as:

Dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. The dream might be ‘the greatest contribution’ that the United States has ‘made to the thought and welfare of the world’. (Fossum and Roth, 1981: 6)

Furthermore, Fossum and Roth captured some of the ideals – equality, liberty,

prosperity, opportunity – which commonly associated to the idea of American Dream

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Many people from outside of America had immigrated to the country. They

came from different countries, homelands, ethnic and races. America had shaped their

dreams not only to make more money, to get prosperity, or to be more comfortable,

but also to live a better life although not all of them could reach a better life.

C. Theoretical Framework

Some theories are employed by the writer to be the basic understanding in

doing the analysis of the study. The theory of character and characterization is used

because in the first part of the analysis the writer deals with the characters and

characteristics of the characters in the play. In here, writer needs those theories to

understand the basic concept of characters and to describe the characteristics of the

character in the play.

The writer also uses a review on the Relation Literature and Psychology and

theories of motivation and motive to find out and analyze the relation between those

theories with the ideas of American Dream. Those theories explain about the

understanding human’s behavior in doing an action to achieve their goal. It enables

the writer to analyze the character’s motive in life, as the answer of the second

problem.

To answer the second problem, the theory of American Dream is also needed

to explain the basic concept of idea of American Dream. So, it is necessary to know

about all about those theories because the this study has a purpose to find the ideas of

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tries to reveal as response toward the society in her play A Raisin in the Sun. Those theories are related to one another and built the basic understanding of the study. The

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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

This thesis takes Lorraine Hansberry’sA Raisin in the Sun as the object to be analyzed. A Raisin in the Sunwas firstly published by Random House Incorporation, New York in 1958. The play of A Raisin in the Sunwas first performed on 11 March 1959 in New York. The play that the writer used as the primary source of this study is

taken from the book with an introduction by Robert Nemiroff, published by Vintage

Books Edition, Random House Incorporation, New York in 1994.

The book that is used in this study consists of 151 pages. Lorraine Hansberry

divided the play into three acts. Act one was divided into two scenes. The first scene

was begun on Friday morning and scene two in the following morning, while act two

was divided into three scenes. Scene one, later the same day as in the act one, scene

two opened on Friday night, a few weeks later and the last scene of act two began one

week later. Act three had only one scene, which opened an hour later. In this edition,

the book contains the story of A Raisin in the Sunand some important information. The first one is an introduction of the play by Robert Nemiroff and the second one is

the information about the author in brief with her works.

The play itself was the first drama by a black woman to be produced on

Broadway in 1959. The production was first taken out of New York and played in

New Haven, Philadelphia, Chicago, and in all places audiences loved it. It also won

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the New York Drama Critic’s Circle Award as the best play of the year. The film

version of A Raisin in the Sun in 1961, which starred Sidney Portier as Walter Lee, received a special award at the Cannes film Festival. In 1937, her ex-husband

Nemiroff and Charlotte Zaitzberg adapted Hansberry’s first play into a musical,

entitledRaisin.Raisinwon the Tony Award as the best musical and ran on Broadway for nearly three years. Her success opened the floodgates for a generation of modern

black actors and writers who were influenced and encouraged by her writing.

The play takes setting in a house of a black family who live in Chicago, South

America.A Raisin in the sunis generally about an African-American family’s efforts to move into an all white neighborhood to fulfill all of their dreams or to find a better

future for the family. Even though refused by all white community at the place that

they are going to stay, they persist to move there.

B. Approach of the Study

In order to analyze the play A Raisin in the Sun, the writer uses the psychological approach as the most suitable approach to be applied in this study

because the writer studies on the main character’s motive of life in the play itself.

Rohrberger and Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature divided literary approaches to literature into five basic sections. There are: formalist approach,

biographical approach, psychological approach, sociocultural-historical approach,

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Psychological approach is used to explore the main character’s motive in

revealing the idea of American Dream. As stated in Reading and Writing about Literature(Rohrberger and Woods, 1971: 81),psychological approach emphasizes on human psychology and believes that human’s creativity, thought, behavior and other

psychological aspect that give influence to literary work. By using this approach, the

writer tries to find out how the ideas of American Dream influence the character’s

motive in life.

C. Method of the Study

In analyzing the study, the writer used library research in collecting the data.

There were two kinds of sources used in this study. The primary source of data was a

book with an introduction by Robert Nemiroff, published by Vintage Books Edition,

Random House Incorporation, New York in 1994.

The secondary sources were some books and criticisms on literature and some

books that concerned with the theory of motive and the ideas of American Dream.

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Reading and Writing by Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs, An Introduction to Fiction by Robert Stanton, How to Analyze Fictionby William Kenney, Humanistic Psychology by John Cohen, Understanding Human Motivation: A Cognitive Approachby John Jung,Psychology Principles and Applicationsby Stephen Worchel and Wayne Shebilske, Introduction to Psychology by Rita L. Atkinson, Richard C. Atkinson, and Ernest R. Hilgard, Characteristically American by Ralph Barton Perry, andThe American Dreamby Robert H. Fossum and John K. Roth.

To gather explanation of the play and the theory of American Dream, the

writer used some online sources, such as, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Changing Conceptions of the American Dream” by Matthew Warshauer, “A Raisin in the Sun” in the sparknotes.com, “The Aspirations of Women in A Raisin in the Sun” by Emilie Browne, and PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guideby Paul P. Reuben.

In order to have a good understanding about the meaning of American Dream,

motive and motivation the writer used some dictionaries, such asMerriam Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature, Dictionary of Keywords in Psychology, Random House Webster’s College Dictionary, andNew Oxford American Dictionary.

Concerning with the library research, there were four steps that the writer

used in this thesis. First, the writer read the play to find the topic. Second, the writer

tried to find some references, which could be used to support the topic in revealing

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relation of character’s motive in revealing the idea of American Dreams in the play.

Finally, after having answered the two problems, the writer drew the conclusions

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CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

This chapter consists of the analysis of the literary work and the answer of the

problem formulation. The first analysis deals with the characterization of Mama,

Walter, Beneatha, and Ruth as the main characters in the play. The second analysis is

the contribution of the ideas of American Dream as the main character’s motive of

life. I would like to answer the formulated problems using the theories presented in

chapter two.

A. The Characterization of the Main Characters

Character has various types. As Abrams (1981: 20-21) stated that characters

in the novel are divided into major and minor character. The major character takes the

important role and becomes the focus from the beginning until the end of the play,

while the minor character is the character that appears in certain setting. According to

this theory, in Hansberry’sA Raisin in the Sun, Lena (Mama), Walter, Beneatha, and Ruth are categorized as the major or main character because they play the most

important role in the play and they become the focus of the story as well.

In order to find out the characteristics of the main characters, Murphy’s

theories of characterizations (1972: 161-173) are applied. They are personal

description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, reaction, conversation of

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others, direct comment, thought, and mannerisms. However, from those nine

methods, the writer only uses some of them.

1. The Description of Lena Younger (Mama)

a. A Strong Woman

Lena Younger is one of the main characters in the play. She is called Mama in

the family. She has two children, Walter Younger and Beneatha Younger. According

to Brockett’s theory of characterization (in Benedetty, 1970: 129), characters can be

analyzed by seeing their physical appearance. By using that theory, Mama’s

appearance is described as a beautiful woman in her early sixties, full-bodied and

strong. Her dark-brown face is surrounded by the total whiteness of her hair; her face

is full of strength. She has wit and faith of a kind that keeps her eyes lit and full of

interest and expectancy (Hansberry, 1994: 39).

Murphy (1972: 162) stated that instead of describing a character directly the

author can also describe a character through the eyes and opinion of another. Mama’s

strength can also be seen in Ruth’s direct comment toward her. Ruth described Mama

as a strong woman who can take care of her children.

Ruth : Now…you taking it all too seriously. You just got strong-willed children and it takes a strong woman like you to keep ‘em in hand (Hansberry, 1994: 52).

Another strength that she has can be seen in how she deals with the death of her

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head of the family. Her role as the head of the family can be seen in her statement in

the dialogue.

Mama : (Walking away from BENEATHA, too disturbed fo triumphant posture. Stopping and turning back to her daughter) There are some ideas we ain’t going to have in this house. Not long as I am the head of the family.

Beneatha : Yes, ma’am (Hansberry, 1994: 51-52).

The author can give us an insight into the character of one of the persons in

the book through what the person says (Murphy, 1972: 164). From what Mama says

above, it is clear that she is a strong woman who has to manage the family by herself

after the death of her husband. She has the authority to rule the family.

b. A Wise and Loving Woman

Since her husband passed away, Mama was forced to be the head of the

family. It is necessary for her to become a wiser person. She gains wisdom through

her experience in facing problems in life. Mama’s wisdom can be seen through not

only how she deals with her family but also in her manner and action when facing

every problem in the family.

Mama is a wise and loving woman. Mama always trusts her son, Walter, as

she never stops loving him by giving him the rest of the insurance money (Hansberry,

1994: 107) and even when she finds out that Walter made a fatal mistake in losing all

the money that she gave, she still forgives him. She even wants Beneatha not to hate

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Beneatha : Love him? There’s nothing left to love.

Mama : There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing. (Looking at her)... Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody most? When they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain’t through learning-because that ain’t the time at all. It’s when he’s at his lowest and can’t believe in his self ‘cause the world done whipped him so! When you starts measuring somebody, measure him right, child, measure him right. Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys (Hansberry, 1994: 145).

Mama teaches her daughter Bennie about love. She explained that it is easy

for someone to love others who make us happy but actually the true love itself is

when we love those who have hurt us, disappointed us, or let us down. She wants

Bennie to love her brother though he has made a fatal mistake.

Mama’s wisdom can be seen in her advice for Walter when he had a fight

with his wife. Mama wanted Walter to be a real man. As she said, “… I’m waiting to

hear how you be your father’s son. Be the man he was… I’m waiting to see you stand

up and look like your daddy and say we done give up one baby to poverty and that we

ain’t going to give up nary another one…” (Hansberry, 1994: 75). Mama wants

Walter to be a wiser and stronger person. When Walter knows that he has lost the

money, and thinks that it would be better for him and the family to accept the offer

from Mr. Lindner to buy the house back, Mama comes and wisely advised him by

telling him that money is not everything, money is not the most important thing in the

world. Mama told him that there is something that is priceless more than just

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c. A Religious Woman

According to Murphy (1972: 164) in Understanding Unseens, we can know the characters deeper through nine methods, two of them are through their speech and

mannerism. The author can also describe a person’s mannerisms, habits, or

idiosyncrasies which may tell us something about the character (Murphy, 1972: 173).

As we can see from Mama’s speech and mannerism, we can conclude that Mama is a

religious woman. As a simple example is how often Mama used words such as Lord

that refers to God in her sentences. It is very often for the religious black people

especially the black women to use the Lord’s name in expressing their emotions, such

as amazement. As stated in the following statement, “… Lord have mercy, look at

that poor bed. Bless his heart – he tries, don’t he?” (Hansberry, 1994: 40).

Her religious side can also be seen when she was mad at Beneatha because

Beneatha used the Lord’s name inappropriately. Mama knows that it is a sin for a

Christian to mention the Lord’s name for an inappropriate reason. In this case, she

practices one of the commandments. It is showed in the following dialogue,

Beneatha :(Shrugging)How much cleaning can a house need, for Christ’s sakes.

Mama :(Not liking the Lord’s name used thus)Bennie! Ruth : Just listen to her – just listen!

Beneatha : Oh, God!

Mama : If you use the Lord’s name just one more time – (Hansberry, 1994: 46).

The dislike of un-Christian things also shows Mama’s religious side. Mama

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the morning to be talking about money. It ain’t Christian” (Hansberry, 1994: 41). She

thinks that it is not the way of Christian to talk about money in the morning. She also

rejects Beneatha’s opinion about God’s existence. Mama is really shocked when she

heard Beneatha’s opinion about God and Christianity. Beneatha does not believe in

God, she prefers to be rational than being religious while Mama thinks that God is

everything in life (Hansberry, 1994: 51). Other parts that show Mama’s religious life

are when she disagrees with Walter’s idea to invest the insurance money to open a

liquor store and Ruth’s plan to have an abortion. Mama explains that she does not

want her children to be involved in something which is un-Christian.

2. The Description of Walter Lee

Referring to the theory of character mentioned by Stanton (1965: 17), Walter

is considered as the central or the major character because his character is relevant to

every event in the play. In the play, Hansberry describes Walter as a lean, intense

young man in his middle thirties, incline to quick nervous movements and erratic

speech habits and always in his voice there is a quality of indictment (1994: 25). In

Mama’s eyes, Walter is describes as “a good-looking boy with a god job, a nice wife,

a fine boy, etc” (Hansberry, 1994: 73). One of Walter’s interesting characteristics is

his ambition. Just like another Afro-American who comes from the oppressed

society, Walter grows up as a dreamer. He likes to imagine that someday he becomes

a rich man that owns lots of money from his business. This dream of being rich that

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a. An Ambitious and Money Oriented Person

As Brockett (in Benedetty, 1970: 129) stated, one way in analyzing a person

characteristic is by using the social condition, which includes “character economic

status, profession, religion, family relationship, all those factors place the character in

his environment”. In the play, one way in analyzing Walter’s characteristics is by

seeing his profession as a chauffeur. Walter works as a chauffeur since there is a

limitation of job type for the colored people. He dreams to be a rich person but his job

does not support him in reaching it. Unfortunately, his dream of being rich has turned

him into an ambitious man.

Walter : … Mama – Mama – I want so many things… Mama : Yes, son –

Walter : I want so many things that they are driving me kind of crazy… Mama – look at me.

Mama : I’m looking at you. You a good looking boy. You got a job, a nice wife, a fine boy and–

Walter : A job. Mama, a job? I open and close the car doors all day long. I drive a man in his limousine… Mama, that ain’t no kind of job…that’s ain’t nothing at all… (Hansberry, 1994: 73).

Walter feels that his job as a chauffer is nothing at all. He wants a change of

fortune here. He wants so many things and one of them is to have his own business

which leads him to the idea of having a liquor store. By putting some money from the

insurance money, Walter believes that he can get much money from the liquor store

in the future. His ambition in achieving his goal by having a liquor store has brought

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Mama : Son – how come you talk so much ‘bout money? Walter :(with immense passion)Because it is life, Mama!

Mama : (Quietly) Oh – (Very quietly) So now it’s life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life – now it’s money. I guess the world really do change…

Walter : No – it was always money, Mama. We just didn’t know about it (Hansberry, 1994: 74).

Walter talks about money all the time. He even emphasizes on what money is

equal with. Walter believes that money is equal with life because money itself is life.

Freedom that used to become life has been put aside by Walter. He states that it is just

about money. People never really know or understand how important money is.

When Mama bought a house using the insurance money, Walter felt that he has lost

his dream along with the money that mama spent. “So you butchered up a dream of

mine…” (Hansberry, 1994: 95). Another point that shows how money oriented

Walter is when he is going to accept Mr. Lindner’s offer to buy the house back.

“Don’t cry, Mama. Understand. That white man is going to walk in that door able to

write checks for more money than we ever had…” (Hansberry, 1994: 143). It shows

that Walter does not care about anything else but money, even he does not care to his

family condition. He feels that money is the only things that can bring pleasure to

life.

b. An Uneducated person

Hansberry also describes Walter as an uneducated person. It can be seen

through how this character’s ability in using English. Hansberry also portrays Walter

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thinks that colored women have small minds. He thinks that a wife should always

agree with her husband and support them in everything (1994: 24-25). Walter thinks

that men should have higher education than women therefore it is unnecessary for a

woman to have high education.

Walter : Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ‘bout messing ‘round with sick people – then go be a nurse like other women – or just get married and be quiet… (Hansberry, 1994: 38).

Walter thinks that Bennie’s dream to be a doctor is something useless. He sees

that if Bennie really cares with the sick people, what she needs to accomplish at most

is just becoming a nurse. He thinks that if she does not want to, it is better for her to

get married and stay at home with the children and the household job.

3. The Description of Beneatha (Bennie)

a. A Smart Girl

Beneatha is the daughter of Mama. She is called Bennie by the members of

the family. Related to Murphy’s theory of characterization, one of the methods so that

we can understand characters in the story is by personal description (1972: 161). As

we can see in the play, Hansberry describes Bennie’s appearance as slim and intense

as her brother. She is about twenty years old. She is not as pretty as her sister in-law,

but her lean, almost intellectual face has a handsomeness of its own. Her speech is a

(53)

It shows that Hansberry explains Bennie as an educated girl in the play. One

way in showing how well educated Bennie is by having Bennie as the character who

uses better English compared to Walter and Mama. As Hansberry states, “ … it is

different from the rest of the family’s insofar as education has permeated her sense of

English–and perhaps the Midwest rather than the South has finally–at last–won out in

her inflection…” (Hansberry, 1994: 35). Another way that Hansberry used to show

that Bennie is an educated girl is by having some sophisticated words or scientific

words in Bennie’s statements which is not familiar to other characters.

Beneatha : Not Crazy. Brother isn’t really crazy yet – he – he’s an elaborate neurotic. (Hansberry, 1994: 49)

Beneatha : You mean save them fromheathenism –(Hansberry, 1994: 57). Another sophisticated word that Bennie used is assimilationist. As she said “...I am not an assimilationist!” (Hansberry, 1994: 63). The term of assimilationist is

well accepted when it is brought to the conversation between Bennie and her collage

friends, in this case between Bennie and Asagai and between Bennie and George. It is

because they have at least the same level of education. When the term assimilationist

comes to Ruth who is considered having less education than Bennie, it is difficult to

be understood.

Beneatha : Because I hate assimilationist Negroes!

Ruth : Will somebody please tell me what assimila-who-ever means! (Hansberry, 1994: 81).

Bennie is not only described as a well educated character but also a young girl

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