CLEARING THE CRUST

Twumasi Duah-Mensah

Image Explanation

The image is of a plant growing in unlikely conditions because of how despite all of the
arguments and everything thrown to them, the Youngers never disintegrated or separated. Against
all odds, they were able to keep it together until the end because of the shared determination not
to become a pawn. The resilience the Youngers kept showing throughout the play led them to
flourish at the end despite an environment that told them they could not.

Entry #1 (12/16/2016)
Stereotypes (Personal Entry)
I am a second-generation Ghanaian, and identify as an African-American. Usually, I
receive both the stereotypes that come with being African or being black in America. I am

usually told that I dont act black, and in middle school, I was almost always told that I was
white on the inside. I assume that being black means fighting, talking without care for
grammar, and being able to dance. I do none of those things. Other stereotypes that come with
being black include not having a father figure, messing around in the streets, struggling in
school, and anything that mainstream rappers talk about. These stereotypes dont bother me
however, and actually sadden me. To me, it looks like our race has decimated itself to making up
nonsense words while sagging and acting foolish. Im not making a call to assimilate, rather a
call not to have to be associated with all the drugs, prison sentences, and single mothers. Its no
wonder that society makes these assumptions about black culture- we act like it so much, its
inevitable for some stereotype to be thrown on the race. As for my African heritage, people
jokingly ask me if I make my parents making clicking noises to communicate, which I dont
mind at all. As for the stereotype against my religion, this truly infuriates me. I am a Presbyterian
(Christian), and an abomination of a stereotype made against Christians by non-religious people
is that Christians hate every other religion, want gays to perish, and the like. Now, while it is true
that the Christian belief doesnt condone homosexuality, that shouldnt vilify Christians who
abide by others differences, but wouldnt take up those differences themselves. A notion of
everyone taking responsibility is the key here. The oppression of people groups such as the
LGBT+ community doesnt lie on Christians only, and shouldnt sum up the Christian
population. Thats as discriminatory as discriminating against the LGBT+ community in the first
place.
Entry #2 (12/19/2016) (SPES italicized)
The Strength of Family
The Younger family sustains its members through its resilience to stick together and love
each other no matter what. All of the members want to escape their situation in search of a better
tomorrow. The Youngers all share a common trait: resilience. This resilience trickles into family
matters, when Mama reminds the family members of loving one another and having each others
back. It can be difficult to stay with each other as a family because family members cannot
always share the same interests, yet still are expected to stay together. A daughter of the family
might not want to live up to what her parents want her to live up to. Yet, the family will always
be there, and are the ones a person makes the closest connections with. This mindset stays with
the Youngers (especially Mama), who are reminded of this whenever troubles hit. They stick
through the thick and thin, and know that eventually, the family will come through. The Younger
family is united through its morals. For example, when Beneatha refuses to care for her brother,
Mama reminds her of how she taught her how to love him even when he is at his lowest point.
When Walter thinks of selling out and acts it out, he breaks down and goes back to his roots, and
remembers how his family was never built to sell out. These two examples show how despite
being at their breaking points, the Youngers kept moving on because of their roots and how they
were raised. The family was always there to pick its members back up. This is very important in
a family and its maintenance. The family is the unit that is paramount; friends come and go, but
family will always be there. Thus, it is important to love your family and always stick to them no
matter what, an idea the Youngers upheld.
Entry #3 (12/29/2016) (SPES)

George Murchisons white shoes and Asagais Nigerian robes

George Murchisons white shoes represent how proud he is of his status and education in
America, and his apathy towards African culture. Asagais Nigerian robes represent how proud
he is of his culture and where he is from. These symbols can tell us that George Murchison is a
man who looks to succeed through his merits and has no interest towards his African culture or
achieving as much as Walter. He believes the system has benefited him very well, and only has
the fraction of ambition that Walter and Beneatha have. Meanwhile, Asagai values being close to
one another and honoring his culture. Murchisons values are proven by his lack of care towards
Walters plans and his mocking of Beneatha when she glorifies African culture when he wants to
go to the movies with Beneatha. Asagais values are proven when he brings the Nigerian robes to
Beneatha and tells her he would do much more for her. He also shows profound respect to elders.
According to the African Studies Institute at the University of Georgia, Yoruba people take their
greetings seriously, and it is looked down upon if respect is not given to an elder when greeting
them, which explains Asagais profound respect towards Mama. For both men, they are put off
by the ambition that Walter and Beneatha show, with Asagai calling Beneatha Alaiyo, One for
Whom Bread is Not Enough, and Murchison saying that Walter is filled with bitterness, and not
showing much care when Beneatha calls him an assimilationist negro. If George cared about his
African culture, he wouldnt be as hostile or apathetic towards it. Meanwhile, Asagai embraces
his culture, and his origin explains why he is thrown off by Beneathas drive. The areas of which
the men are from explain why their values are different. Murchison comes from a rather
successful household, while Asagai comes from Nigeria. This difference in values can explain
the imperialistic attitude that was the White Mans Burden. The successful, industrialized
Western powers, who needed moral justification for their take-over behavior, conceptualized
that the people in the countries they turned into colonies or dependencies had inferior cultures.
This burden might have not come into fruition if the differences between the two cultures had
been understood.
Entry #4 (12/29/2016) (SPES)
Conflicting Expectations 1
To the individual characters in the play, the phrase my time is of distinct significance
when applied to each character. To Mama, the phrase my time represents the schism between
African-Americans in her youth and African-Americans in the time of her old age, which is
represented by Walter and Beneatha. This is proven by the many times Mama reminds her kids
about how in her days, African-Americans were not as ambitious, thus the phrase my time.
This constant remembrance of the past represents a disconnection of Mamas time and her kids
time. To Walter, the phrase my time means a time of success, and a time that wont wait. His
ambitious, entrepreneur-like behavior can support this. He is impatient, and gets angry whenever
his wife discourages his plans. It sometimes gets to the point where Walter abandons his morals
in pursuit of his dream. To Beneatha, my time represents her opportunity to go to medical
school. Beneathas time is the time when she gets to prove every stereotype about her race
wrong. Beneatha, like Walter, is very ambitious, and defies social norms relevant to the 1950s
throughout the play, like her lack of belief in God, her dream to go to medical school being an

African-American woman, and her hatred for African-American assimilation. Beneathas time is
when a black man or woman can stand up, proud of her culture, and defy all odds, something
that is alien to other characters. To Ruth, my time is the time in which she can live misery
behind. Ruth is loyal to Walter despite the many actions and arguments that would make many
other women leave him. Ruth has dealt with an unexpected pregnancy, and works herself to
death to provide for the family. This escape from misery is put in action when Ruth hears about
the new house that Mama purchased, and shows her jubilation in profound fashion. To Travis, he
himself did not bear his definition of my time into fruition, rather his father. My time to
Travis is a time where his father is so successful, he can tell him what he wants to be and he will
be it, as Walter puts it. Walter also talks about how he wants Ruth to be a princess in his luxury.
His time also shows what he wants for his family. This mixture of pursuing goals for your family,
but having to sometimes leave behind your family is comparable to migrant workers who wanted
to work in urban areas in the search of fortune during the 19th and 20th centuries. The fortune
may have never been found, and family life was ruined since women were left to take care of
children and the home.
Entry #5 (12/29/2016) (SPES)
Conflicting Expectations 2
The positive connotations of a phrase like my time can be of passion and hard work.
One finally has the spotlight. The negative connotations can be of elitism and too much pride.
One may feel that their time is much well-deserved than others time, and will bicker over it,
which sometimes damages relationships. The pursuit of my time also can deliver this effect.
This can be proven by the constant arguments in the Younger family as a result of their different
definitions of my time. For example, Beneathas dream to go to medical school and her
embracement of African culture confuse others and end up to be a good joke for them. Mama is
bewildered by how her children stand their ground in the face of opposition, and will not let
others hold them back from their dreams. This bewilderment brings her back to her time when
African-Americans were not like Walter and Beneatha, of which she brings up frequently. This
blur between the definitions of the phrase my time can lead to huge disagreements and ruined
relationships, as almost seen in A Raisin in the Sun. The family is able to keep it together, but
only just. Ones time is usually their goals and dreams fulfilled. Ones goals may be different
from anothers, which can lead to conflict. It can be hard to understand a persons goals, proven
by the goals of Beneatha and Walter, of which Mama and Ruth cannot seem to grasp. Ones
definition of his/her time may not be what another wanted of them, which is why it can be hard
to be part of a family. The ambition to achieve ones goals can lead to leaving others in the dust,
or having to make hard decisions regarding relationships and cutting friends or family off. Walter
is a perfect example of this struggle. He essentially throws away his sisters dreams of medical
school by not putting away money for it, and investing all of the money in the dreams of his
liquor store, a dream that petered out after Willy Harris ran off with the money. Conflicting
expectations and the problems they cause can be seen in arranged marriages. Children who may
not have a say in the marriage are married off to someone they may not know or love anyway.
These children might not even have any idea of love whatsoever, showing the problem of
throwing others under the bus to achieve ones time.

Entry #6 (12/29/2016)
Money 1
To Walter Lee, money means power and a reward for his hustle. Throughout the story,
Walter talks about how African-Americans are too content with their position, and do not dream
big like he does. He wants to treat his family as if it were a royal family, and sees money as the
reward for his drive to achieve his dream. For Beneatha, money is a gateway. Beneatha seems
not to care too much about the money, rather how it will provide in order for her to go to medical
school. She does not care as much as Walter cares about how the money is invested, and makes it
clear that she wants to go to medical school against all social norms. For Ruth, money is
liberation from the chains of a run-down kitchen and job that she has been confined to for ages.
Like Beneatha, she is not as worried about how the money is invested as Walter. Ruth is joyful
when it is revealed that Mama bought a new house, and lists out all her troubles as she says
goodbye to them. The play makes clear that she was burnt out from her unexpected pregnancy,
Walters recent behavior, and working hard to provide for the family. To Travis, money means
that he can be anything. Money is not of much concern to Travis, but could be his gateway if
what his father speaks of can come true (making a fortune). In the beginning of the story, Travis
needs money for school, but Ruth declines to give any, citing that there was not enough money,
and lecturing Travis that he should not ask his grandmother for money. However, Walter Lee
gives him the fifty cents he needs for school. To Travis, money may enable him to go to school
wherever he wants to go, and be what he wants to be should his father be able to make a fortune.
To George Murchison, money is status. George lives in an affluent household and seems not to
be as ambitious as Walter. In fact, he shows apathy towards the plans of Walter. George seems to
not care about what he learns, rather the status he receives if he absorbs what he learns and
applies it to multiple tests to get good grades and get a degree. There are obvious advantages in
job opportunities and potential in wealth with a college degree, according to College Atlas. It
seems that George only goes to school to amass wealth and status. In a way, money means
everything to George. To Asagai, money does not mean much to him. Unlike the rest, he only
seems to want to honor his culture, and is amazed by the political liberation females have in
America, yet is confused by their acting that they are not liberated at all. Asagais culture
probably explains why he does not seem to value money as much. These attitudes contrast
heavily because of the situations the characters are in. It is likely that if Georges situation and
Beneathas situation are flipped (i.e. where they come from and their status), the attitudes
towards money would flip as well. George would not be searching for status, rather money to
pay for medical school, while Beneatha would not be as desperate when it comes to schooling
and money.
Entry #7 (12/29/2016)
Lenas Plant
Most plants represent nascence and growth. They usually represent birth and a new leaf. Mamas
plant is an exception to this definition. Early in the play, the plant is introduced, and is a
foreshadow because of the description of it. The plant is described as new and feeble, and
according to Mama needs more sun. This comment about the plants need for more sun comes

right after Mama mentions her children and their short tempers, after Ruth talks about an
argument Walter and Beneatha had. The plant, therefore, foreshadows Mama trying her best to
accommodate the desires of her kids. The new and feeble plant is a representation of the new
dream Mama has that could help heal the tensions of the family. Thus, the plant needs more
sunlight, or a sign of things looking up, to be effective. The significance of Mamas plant is the
dream of being able to get the best for her children. In the beginning of the play, the apartment is
described as one that has had the life sucked out of it due to constant bickering in the Younger
family. This explains why the lack of sunlight for the plant was mentioned. The plant represents
the resilience of Mama to keep the dream alive despite the lack of positives for the Youngers.

Entry #8 (12/29/2016)
Money 2
Lorraine Hansberry shows the relative wealth of the characters in the play by
accentuating the differences in their personality. For example, George Murchison was nowhere
near compatible with Beneatha because of differences in wealth and personality. George came
from an affluent estate, and has shown that he could not care less about the books, rather the
good grades he can get from reading them, thus a degree, thus better status in society.
Meanwhile, Beneatha is trying to pay for medical school, is very ambitious, and is determined to
break all social norms. Level of occupation also shows relative wealth. While Ruth works herself
to death and Walter is a chauffeur, the Arnolds, who Walter works for, live a lavish lifestyle.
Neither Walter nor Ruth are satisfied about their position. Walter decides to go out and make a
name for himself, and criticizes Ruth for holding him back. The satisfaction of the well-to-do and
the dissatisfaction of those not half as rich is symbolic of the heavy desire to make a fortune and
be free from what holds one back. The characters who are not so successful strive not to be a
mere accessory to anothers wealth, rather gain the wealth and purpose they search for. For a
while in history, Latin American countries were politically independent, but were economically
dependent on Europe and the United States as a result of non-industrialization. Eventually,
revolutions turned Latin America around to set themselves up for industrialization, but with side
effects. This is comparable to the symbol of relative wealth because of how Walter Lee cannot
stand serving someone, Beneatha will not settle for George Murchison simply because of his
wealth, and how the Youngers refuse to sell out. They refuse to be blind followers or pawns
because of such profound ambition

Opinion of the Play

After reading the play, I have a favorable opinion of this play. I think it teaches great
morals that can be applied to our time today. I do not think that many value their family as much

anymore caught up in their jobs, education, and other endeavors. The play teaches that despite all
the struggles you might have, family is paramount. There is always family to care about you, and
be the ones to fall back on. It teaches the idea of unity, and moving together despite the
differences the units may have. The idea of caring for one another and the resistance to keep
moving forward together is an important lesson to learn. There will always be individual traits,
but its always important to come together in the worst of times, and unite.