Pride Never Lost

    

It is important to put one's intentions out.  Intentions are goals and dreams one wishes to accomplish over a period of time.  I try to put out my intentions for what I would like to see myself accomplish every year around this time.  It's Christmas, New Year's, and my birthday all wrapped up in one.  Starting afresh with new intentions each year gives me a sense of purpose about my life.

In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, everyone in the Younger family has dreams they wish to accomplish.  The problem is each dreamer needs to have the ambition, intelligence, and money to accomplish his/her dream.  Beneatha is lucky enough to go to school and gain the intelligence she needs to accomplish her dream of becoming a doctor.  She also has the ambition, but unfortunately lacks the money.  Her disadvantage is also being a black woman in this time period.  On the other hand, Walter dreams of owning a liquor store, being able to give his son the opportunity of whatever profession his little heart desires, and owning yachts on Lake Michigan.  Since he drinks his life away, Walter puts forth how he has no real ambition to accomplish his dreams.  He simply complains away his life to his wife, Ruth, and his mama.  Ruth simply wants her husband to love her the way he used to when they first got married.  Mama's check has the ability to give the Younger family the hope of finally conquering their dreams.  Mama's innate sense of trust in her son is the downfall of them all.  But the sense of pride Mama instilled in Walter all these years is not lost.  Walter gains the pride he needs to reject the white man's money and move into the white neighborhood.  Their five generations of pride all the way from Africa is not lost.