Jenna Holland
In the novel A Raisin in the Sun by author Lorraine Hansberry and the play from 1963 by David Susskind, the story centers around the Younger family, a working class group of five who struggles in the tasks of their everyday lives. One person in particular that struggles greatly throughout the story is Ruth, the wife of Walter and the mother of their son Travis. In the progress of the story, Ruth is belittled by Walter, his mother Mama, and Beneatha constantly question Ruth for trivial reasons in the book, while in the movie Ruth is treated in an almost identical manner with more visual proof.
Looking first into the book perspective of Ruth, she consistently throughout the play is downtrodden by Walter, Mama, and a bit by Beneatha. Starting off towards the beginning of the story, in the first morning of the play, Walter looks at his wife and mentions how, “Just for a second it was- you looked real young again. It’s gone now- you look like yourself again” (Hansberry 27). Walter in comparing Ruth to how she looked in the past, he is insinuating that she does not look as attractive as when they first got together. This insulting comment concerning beauty happens coincidentally when the two start arguing about things that are affected by their circumstances like having to share a bathroom and Travis not having his own room. Later in the same conversation as things begin to heat up, Walter continues to discount Ruth by stating that, “That is just what is wrong with the colored women in this world… Don’t understand about building their men up and making ‘em feel like they somebody” (Hansberry 34). Walter talks about all African American women in a generalized negative way while referring to Ruth subtly. Walter saying that all wives are wrong since they don’t support their husbands dreams, gives the impression that Walter believes Ruth is not a good wife. Following the leaving of Walter and Travis on the first day, Mama mentions to Ruth how, “I just noticed all last week he had cold cereal, and when it starts getting this chilly in the fall a child ought to have some hot grits or something when he goes out in the cold” (Hansberry 40). Mama inquires about what Ruth is feeding Travis for breakfast due to the weather changing towards winter. In Mama questioning how well she is feeding Travis, this implies that Mama thinks Ruth is lacking as his mother by not supplying him with what she considers a proper diet. Right after the money arrives at the house, Mama talks about Ruth’s doctor appointment stating, “Now, Ruth… you know better than that. Old Doctor Jones is strange enough in his way but there ain’t nothing ‘bout him make somebody slip and call him “she”- like you done this morning” (Hansberry 70). Mama knows that Ruth’s primary doctor is a male, so she is suspicious as to who Ruth went to see instead. Mama concluding that Ruth had gone to see a female abortion doctor, is attempting to chastise Ruth for believing it is right to abort her fetus. After Ruth finds out she is pregnant for a second time, Beneatha asks about whether, “Did you plan it Ruth?.. It is my business- where is he going to live, on the roof” (Hansberry 58). Beneatha questions about if Ruth’s pregnancy was an accident and because of their current small home, where the new child would even sleep there. As Beneatha asks Ruth these questions, it casts Ruth into an inconsiderate light as an inconvenience to the family. Overall, Ruth is subjected to harsh judgement by her family.
In comparison to the book of A Raisin in the Sun, the movie version directed by Susskind presents Ruth in a very similar rendition of the book. The lines in the play almost match word for word with the movie lines besides a few topics changed. Another part different was that there were small speaking scenes put in involving Walter that help tell more of the story background. A portion that was altered was the part where Ruth and Mama had originally been about Ruth feeding Travis, the movie instead has Mama question Ruth over Travis doing his homework (Susskind). With Mama stating that fact, she thinks that Ruth is too hard on Travis rather than her being incompetent with feeding him as said in the book. One part where Ruth and Walter interact where I found his actions interesting was that during the egg scene, Walter continually started to move towards Ruth as they had their dialogue about Walter’s dreams (Susskind). The action of Walter moving in an assertive manner towards Ruth put extra emphasis on his words about Ruth not supporting him. Walter’s movements only further confirm the point that Walter projects his hostility at his wife along with the rest of their family in both versions of A Raisin in the Sun.
2 Discussion Questions-
How would you feel if you were put in the same situation as Ruth?
Do you think how Ruth is treated is warranted?
Work Cited
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print.
Susskind, David, et al. A Raisin in the Sun . Columbia Tristar Home Video, 1999.
