Miss Brill

Loneliness is a theme in the story Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield. Throughout the course of the story, the reader learns a great deal about the character Miss Brill through her actions. The fact that Miss Brill is always sitting alone on a park bench expresses her loneliness. It also acts as a step to making conversation with others through her lonely time. Loneliness often time leads to desperation. Miss Brill continues to follow a band around to try and find someone. Despite her actions, he still ends up feeling alone in a sea of people. While she wishes for company on the park benches, Miss Brill is often joined by couples: couples who already have someone to be with. Loneliness is also expressed in the story when the only conversation that she ever hears is the talk about herself. She seldom converses with others and when she does, most of the talk is about her. Eavesdropping is a skill that Miss Brill uses to try and ease her loneliness. Often times, the plan of eavesdropping makes her feel even worse and even more lonely because people are talking about her negative pathetic life. "Miss Brill's eyes filled with tears" (Mansfield, 185).

External Conflict

In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, there is a cycle of external conflicts. Throughout the course of the novel, each of the characters express an external conflict that influences the rest of the family. Ruth's determining on whether or not to get an abortion affects Walter and Mama. It affects Mama because it brings back the memories of Big Walter. It affects Walter because he has to make the decision and stand up for his son just as his father (Big Walter) did. Another external conflict that affects multiple family members is when Willy takes Walter's money. It affects the family because not only do they not have the money that was for the liquor store, but Walter did not invest any money, so they lost all of the money. Walter states, "that money is made out of my father's flesh" (Hansberry, 128). It also affects Travis because they force Walter to explain this in front on his son. Travis learns to act like a man and take responsibility for the things he does both right and wrong in his life. The external conflicts throughout the course of the novel we learn not only impact the person individually, but also the people surrounding them.

Dreams

Throughout the course of the novel A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, many of the characters have dreams. The character's dreams vary greatly. Mama's dream can be described as the typical american dream. She wants a big house, nice car, and a garden for her family. Her dream is a a better life for her family. “Well, I always wanted me a garden like I used to see sometimes at the back
of the houses down home" (Hansberry, 53) The garden symbolizes her dream growing more and more. Along with Mama's dream, Walter's dream deals with economic security. Throughout the course of the novel, Walter searches for self-happiness that he believes comes with opening the liquor store. Ruth is another character with a dream. Ruth's dream deals with having financial security and a happy marriage. We see this throughout the course of the novel when she wants to invest part of the $10,000 check. The many different dreams throughout the course of the novel symbolize the differences in the Younger Family.

Money

Money plays a huge role in the novel A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Money is connected to one of the major conflicts in the novel which is what to do with Mama's $10,000 insurance check. But even before the reader learns about the insurance check, there is an argument about the 50c that Travis needs for school. Even though it is just a small amount, the tension grows in the scene because of the money. Ruth states, "I don't care what teacher say. I ain't got it" (Hansberry, 28). The money continues to rip the family apart throughout the course of the novel. Walter wants to get the check in order to follow his dream of owning a liquor store. Walter is very selfish when it comes to the money. Some members of the family think that the money should be used for Beneatha's education. In the end, as the reader, I think that Mama should do with what she wants with the money. Besides, it is for her to use it for whatever she thinks is best for her family.

Symbolism

There are many symbols in the novel A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. One symbol in the novel is the plant. The plant symbolizes hope. Throughout the course of the novel, the plant symbolizes her hope for a better life for her family. Mama is constantly watering the plant symbolizing her always trying to to nurture her family and make them grow closer together. The fact that the plant is always in the darkness symbolizes the darkness that the Younger family is stuck in. The fact that even though Mama continues to water the plant in the darkness, she never gives up hope on her family. It also shows how she is constantly caring for her family. Even when Mama tries to leave the plant behind at the old to symbolize her leaving her behind, she goes back and gets the plant. After she leaves the plant behind, "The door opens and she comes back in, grabs her plant, and goes out for the last time," (Hansberry, 151). She takes the plant with her because it symbolizes the struggles that their family has overcome and the constant love that she has had and will always have for her family. 

Father

The father plays an essential role in the novel A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Even though the father is deceased, his presence is key in  parts of the novel. His death has significantly impacted the family and their financial status. Because of his death, conflict and tension has developed with the family. The family is constantly bickering and disagreeing on how to use the $10,000 insurance check that Mama will receive from the death of Big Walter. He is also influential in his son Walter's life. When Ruth is considering the abortion, Mama talk to Walter about standing up for his soon to be child, just like his father stood up for him. Mama states,"I’m waiting to see you stand up and look like your daddy" (Hansberry, 75). Even though Big Walter is gone, Walter is still constantly being compared to his father. He is expected to be the man that his father was, before he was taken away from the family. The term gone but never forgotten perfectly describes Big Walter in the Younger household.

Attention to Detail

At the beginning of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, we learn that Amanda pays great attention to detail. In the first scene, we see the family eating what was suppose to be a nice relaxing dinner. We soon learn that Tom the narrator and Tom the character are completely different people. While they were eating dinner, Amanda instructs Tom on how to eat his food. She not only pays attention to the details of how he eats his food, but also to the food itself. Amanda states "A well cooked meal has lots of delicate flavors that have to be held in the mouth for appreciation" (Williams, 1237). She pays attention to the specific detail that some spices must have be held in the mouth for a certain amount of time in order to get the full flavor. She also pays attention to how the other member of her family, not just Tom do not take the time to appreciate the food. They do not share the same appreciation for the food as their mother. They also do not take the time to pay attention to the details of life. It shows how Tom and Laura do not take after their mom in every aspect of their lives.