What was so Significant that Mama had Taken the Plant Last

• What makes Beneatha change her mind about becoming a doctor?
• Why did Walter change his mind?
• What happened after the Youngers moved to the new house?
• Who would the main character be considered?

Quotes:

“Bad? Say anything bad to him? No—I told him he was a sweet boy and full of dreams and everything is strictly peachy keen, as the ofay kids say!” Pg 1675; Beneatha is mad at Walter because of what happened with what was supposed to be her money. She wants things to get hard for Walter because she is really mad at him.

“There ain’t no causes— there ain’t nothing but taking in this world, and he who takes most is smartest—and it doesn’t make a damn bit of difference how.” Pg 1677; Walter is trying to make up for what he had done. He tries to change his thinking.

“Son—I come from five generations of people who was slaves and sharecroppers—but ain’t nobody in my family never let anybody pay ’em no money that was a way of telling us we weren’t fit to walk the earth. We ain’t never been that poor. [Raising her eyes and looking at him.] We ain’t never been that dead inside. Pg 1677; Mama explains that they shouldn’t take the money from Karl because it would take away their pride. She has always been in a family who has had pride and doesn’t want to lose it now.

“Yes—I taught you that. Me and your daddy. But I thought I taught you something else too...I thought I taught you to love him.” Pg 1678; Mama wants Beneatha to forgive Walter. She says that she needs to love him because they will need each other.

“Somebody tell me—tell me, who decides which women is supposed to wear pearls in this world. I tell you I am a man—and I think my wife should wear some pearls in this world!” Pg 1677; Walter feels bad that he can't afford pearls for Ruth. He wants her to have everything she wants.

Notes:

• Sunlight represents goodness
• darkness represents evil
• The sun nourishes and allows all to grow and develop
• All the darkness nourishes is dark thoughts; plants and people wither in darkness
• Lena’s plant - symbolizes hope for a better life, caring for the plant no matter how feeble it becomes, shows that she’s keeping her hope alive
• Beneatha’s hair - when she cut straight hair, she’s rejecting social norms of the time and is rejecting the white norms
• insurance check money - for everyone in the play, money is the symbol of their dreams; they believe money will be the key to dreams coming true
• George Murchison’s white shoes - symbolizes discrepancy between the Younger’s poor lives versus George’s privileged life; Rich blacks worked very hard to separate themselves from poor blacks as represented by his dress
• Asagai’s robes - Symbolizes African heritage and fight for freedom colonial rule and importance to Beneatha to find her roots  

Cite this page