Whitney Pierre

Mr. Farrell
05 March 2015
English Language Arts 903

Most modern people usually picture the American Dream of having a happy family and a pretty
successful life. In the play A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry the characters ( The Youngers ) also
wish to have the average american dream however they face a bigger challenge in achieving the dream because
of the lack of communication & trust in the family. This family are like many others with issues of their own
however it comes to question what effect might the lack of communication have on a family ? There are many
ways to answer this question however the answer that best represents the younger family in this situation would
be that the lack of communication and trust has the worst effect on families especially if they carry their own
personal issues.
In a family almost every individual have their own problems this can cause lack of communication and
trust. During an argument between Mama & Walter ( This is between the mother of the family and the oldest &
only son ) Mama tells Walter to talk to his wife (Ruth) , Walter interrupts and declares " Somebody please listen
to [Him] today ! " This indicates that Walter had a problem that he wanted to talk about at home. Mama on the
other hand is trying to fix the lack of communication at home and ask Walter to talk to his wife. Walter has an
individual problem making it hard to focus on their families communication.
The character Beneatha ( The daughter of Mama and the sister of Walter ) has a strong opinion on god
and the belief of him , Mama is very religious and doesn't like Beneatha's thoughts on god. Beneatha argues "
[She] see[s]. [She] see[s] that everybody thinks it's okay for mama to be a tyrant but all the tyranny in the world
will never put a god in the heavens ". As usual in a family the members have different thoughts and beliefs.
Beneatha believes that she had a thought of her own. As an young women who wants independence she faces
her own personal issues with sexualism , while at home she not only faced discrimination from her brother
because she wants to be a successful women but also from her mother. Beneatha feels that everyone excluding

Travis ( Ruth and Walters Son ) is an adult and are entitled to their own beliefs an example is her opinion on
Ggod. This shows the lack of communication because as a parent & a daughter Beneatha feels that Mama
should just accept how she feels and Mama feels like Beneatha should just follow her [Mama's] rules.
There are decisions one family member makes that tends to affect the whole family, the reaction of the
whole family can show either great communication or none at all. In the play Ruth finds out she is carrying a
baby and as she tells Beneatha and Mama Beneatha responds " [...] it is my business where is he going to live
on the roof ?!" Beneatha's reactions to Ruth's announcement of carrying a child shows a great lack of
communication because Ruth carrying a baby is her own personal issue while the choice of her keeping the
baby may affect the whole family because they are in a poor estate.
Walter intends to fix all the financial issues by investing into a liquor store the money he receives
would be able to help provide for his whole family. Mama is against this idea religiously and Walter declares to
mama Dont aim to have to speak on that again [...] tell it to [His] wife [..] when she has to go out [and] look
after somebodies kids. Mamas decision of not letting Walter invest in the liquor store is hurting the rest of the
family because Walter believes he can solve the issues the family has with money with this store. This quote
also shows lack of communication because Mama states she doesnt want to hear of the liquor store situation
without fully listening to her sons ideas.
Lack of communication and trust in a family are temporary and can be easily fixed. In an
aforementioned statement Walter feels like the liquor store will make a dramatic change for his family, as Mama
and Ruth talk about Walters wanting to invest Ruth implies [that Walter] needs something [..][that she] cant
give him anymore[..] he needs this change. Ruth believes that although she may not agree much with Walters
choice of investments , however she does see that he really wants the chance and thats something she cant give
him and tries to convince Mama of this. Ruths actions do show that she cares very much about family and
wants them all to work out. After an argument between Mama and Beneatha about Beneathas belief on god,
Beneatha explains to Ruth her opinion and that she feels strongly about it Ruth reports [To Mama that
Beneatha] says shes sorry. Ruth tries to make peace in the house although nobody in the household
acknowledges it. Ruth tries to fix the lack of communication by saying Beneatha apologizes because it was the

right thing to do. The announcement of Ruth carrying a child brings shock to Beneatha and causes a terrible
reaction from her, however she thinks on her action and admits [she] didnt mean that [...] honest [She] thinks
its [Rather] wonderful. Beneatha catches her actions and tries to fix any damaged emotions she mightve
caused to Ruth.
One mistake can always ruin perfect progress, one large argument in a family that previously faced lack
of communication can ruin their great progress. Every member of the family would have to want the lack of
communication to be fixed. Mama wants Ruth to tell Walter herself about the baby she is carrying however
Walter refuses to talk because he has his own personal issue. This brings Mama to the point where she tells
Walter herself and she also tells him that ruth went to a doctor whom she feels might be abortion doctor. Mama
insists "[Mama] is waiting to hear [Walter] say something [...] be the man [Walter's father] was" Walter however
doesn't quickly respond to what his mother says. As Walter processed what his mother said to him he responds "
No No Ruth wouldn't do that". Ruth and Walter hadn't spoken much and that shows when Walter is able to say
she wouldn't do that (carrying through with an abortion) and Ruth was able to actually do what he said she
wouldn't. As a wife and a husband although there might be common little arguments, Ruth and Walter
demonstrate that even the little things such as Walter not wanting to speak to her at the moment can affect their
communication in a big way.
As a family I can relate that times do get hard enough to the point where lack of communication has
the worst effect on a family. As a child growing up there was a huge amount of lack of communication in my
home similar to The Youngers family and just as Travis I was sent out the room , however it begins to affect a
child much like myself when larger issues are placed. In the Youngers family their lack of communication tends
to hurt the family in many ways from not listening to one another to making choices that hurt the family with
only one person's decision. Even with the attempt to fix lack of communication and trust the effect is still there.

Introduction
Hook: Importance of Topic or Theme
Introduce the author and the play
Introduce your PERSONAL ESSENTIAL QUESTION
CLAIM: Answer your Personal EQ
Supporting Paragraph 1
Topic Sentence about claim
Textual Evidence #1
Commentary
Textual Evidence #2
Commentary
Concluding Sentence
Supporting Paragraph 2
Topic Sentence about claim
Textual Evidence #1
Commentary
Textual Evidence #2
Commentary
Concluding Sentence
Counterclaim and Rebuttal Paragraph
Topic Sentence about counterclaim
Textual Evidence #1
Rebuttal/Commentary
Textual Evidence #2
Rebuttal/Commentary
Concluding Sentence
Conclusion
Restate claim: Answering Personal EQ
Personal experience
Concluding thought
TEXTUAL EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS:
Minimum 4 quotations from A Raisin in the Sun
Minimum of 2 quotations or facts from an outside source
Maximum of 1 personal experience or story
HELP with CLAIMS, COUNTERCLAIMS, and REBUTTALS: http://goo.gl/nV5XEJ

Claims Essay Rubric

Standard Addressed

PROBLEM
FORMULATION:
Formulates
testable/researchable and
relevant questions, problem
statements, or hypotheses
that demonstrate clarity
about the nature of the task.

RESEARCH:
Collects information and data
necessary to solve the
problem as formulated,
drawing evidence from
informational texts,
conducting an investigation,
or generating data.

INTERPRETATION:
The student identifies and
considers the most relevant
information or findings and
develops insights. To make
connections and draw
conclusions, the student
uses structures and
strategies, which contribute
to the framework for
communicating a solution.
The student reflects on the
quality of the conclusions
drawn and may revisit and
revise previous steps in the
process.

COMMUNICATION:
Incorporates feedback to
make appropriate revisions.

PRECISION:
Assures that the final product
meets all discipline-specific
standards for language,
terms, expressions, rules,
terminology, and
conventions.

I can introduce
I can introduce
precise claim(s),
precise claim(s),
distinguish the
distinguish the
claim(s) from
claim from
alternate or
alternate or
opposing claims,
opposing claims,
and create an
and create an
organization that
organizational
establishes clear
structure that
relationships
maintains
among claim(s),
consistency with
counterclaims,
the overall
reasons, and
argument.
evidence.

I can introduce a
precise claim that
remains
consistent
throughout the
text, and which is
evaluated against
at least one
counterclaim.

With help, I can

introduce precise
claim(s),
distinguish the
claim from
alternate or
opposing claims,
and create an
organizational
structure that
maintains
consistency with
the overall
argument.

Even with help, I

cannot introduce
precise claim(s),
distinguish the
claim from
alternate or
opposing claims,
or create an
organizational
structure that
maintains
consistency with
the overall
argument.

I can draw
With help, I can Even with help, I
evidence from a
I can draw
I can draw
draw evidence
cannot draw
range of texts to evidence from a evidence from at
from a range of evidence from a
support my claim range of texts to least two texts to
texts to support range of texts to
and refute a
support my claim. support my claim.
my claim.
support my claim.
counterclaim.
I can develop
claim(s) and
I can develop my
counterclaims
own and other I can develop my With help, I can
fairly, supplying
claims,
own claims using develop my own
evidence for
examining the
evidence;
claim(s) with
each while
Even with help, I
evidence and
counterclaims
some evidence,
pointing
cannot develop
implications for
may only
but may ignore or
out the strengths
evidence of a
each. Some
be mentioned.
dismiss
and limitations
balanced look at
recognition of
The two sets of
counterclaims,
of both in a
the issue.
audiences
claims may not
and cannot
manner that
knowledge is
be fair or
recognize the
anticipates the
present or
balanced.
audience.
audiences
implied.
knowledge level
and concerns.
I can utilize peer
I can share my
With help, I can
I can utilize peer
Even with help, I
feedback to
work with peers
utilize peer
feedback to
cannot utilize
improve my work
and request
feedback to
improve my work
peer feedback to
for precision and
feedback for
improve my work
for precision.
improve my work.
style.
precision or style.
for precision.
I can write and
revise a timely
claims essay,
attending to or
exceeding all
aspects of the
task.

I can write and

revise a claims
essay, attending
to all aspects of
the task.

With help, I can

I can write and
write and revise a
revise a claims
claims essay,
essay, attending
attending to all
to some aspects
aspects of the
of the task.
task.

Even with help,

I cannot write and
revise a claims
essay, attending
to all aspects of
the task.