Bone vs. Raisin
Per Ryan B.
Today in lecture, I began to subconsciously compare the family situation between Leila and the rest of the Leong family in Bone, and the Younger family from Raisin in the Sun. Both seem to be struggling with the ideas of assimilationism and with remaining tied closely to their cultural traditions. Beneatha Younger engages in African dance and explores that culture, while Mah cooks authentic Chinese cuisine and always speaks with a respect for ancient traditions. Are there any other parallels?
11 comments:
Besides the paralleling ideas of assimilation, another common idea is the struggle of the miniority man to conquer his dreams. In Bone, Leon continues to try and succeed in business after business. While in Raisin in the Sun, Walter is having the same problem of having his goals taken seriously.
Bone and Raisin in the Sun address questions of assimilation. They are also stories dealing with a lack of strong male leadership in the family--although Walter does finally step up to the job of guiding the Youngers in the end. There seems to be a lot of power in the women of the homes, in particular Lena (Mama) and Mah. There’s the issue of the sacrifices of older generations (especially the deceased Mr. Younger and the Leong parents), and of faded dreams.
The role of family in Bone and Raisin in the Sun parallel each other. Both demonstrate the importance of tight family bonds in times of hardship. However, they accomplish this in different manners. Bone shows that a family struggling to stay together (lack of strongs bonds) can cause the family to drift further apart when struggles arise. On the other hand, Raisin in the Sun shows that a family who sticks together (close family ties) can overcome many obstacles.
These two books also show parralels between the concept of home. Both have this central idea of trying to find ones' true meaning of home. For the Youngers and Leila maybe going out of what is considered the "norm" is where the true home will be found. Leila removing herself from traditional Chinese locations and the Youngers moving to the white neighborhood.
I see a relationship in the way the children, Beneatha and Leila, try to stay close with their cultural traditions as well as how they try to keep their family together. In the end of A Raison in the Sun Beneatha realizes she is dependent of her family and begins to appreciate her family's efforts while in Bones, Leila is unable to tell her mother about the wedding because it isn't traditional. Leila feels it could break up the family even more so causing her to keep it under wraps with Mah.
It's interesting to see the parllels between the two books and how they are similar in certain respects. The younger generations are looking to move out and gain new knowledge of the world around them while the older generations continue to try and hold on to traditions of their old culture. Because of this it is definatley an age gap which, in Raisin in the Sun, we can even see between Ruth and Beneatha. Even though Ruth isn't much older than Beneatha she is still trying to keep the family values alive and goes along with assimilation. In Bone, Leila defies her parents with marrying Mason without a big ceremony or telling them. This helps to push her out of the traditional cultural norms that she's been pushed towards all her life simply because she's Chinese.
Both Bone and Raisin accurately depict the life of minorities living in America. The struggles experienced in trying to assimilate into American life while retaining cultural heritage and family bonds are strong themes throughout both texts. By showing this, the authors are trying to bring to light the kinds of conflict that many experience on a day to day basis.
The parallel of Walter and Leon also raises the point that both feel familial obligations put upon them, and both seek to escape their families and cultures. For Walter, this escape takes place with alcohol, while Leon hops on a boat, temporarily adopting an entirely new life for himself.
In both the stories, the children are moving AWAY from the culture of their parents. In Raisin, Benetha moves back to her people's native culture, while in Bone Leila is moving away from her people's native culture. However, the two characters are nonetheless breaking away from the culture of their parents. I believe both changes are due to the introduction of white-american culture into their lives.
I believe that both families also struggle with their lower class status. Each family wants to strike it rich and wants to do it right away. They both don't relieve the effects and consequences of their actions. Both families want to start businesses, and both fail to do so. I think that by the end of the books, both realize that they just need to take it slowly and not do to much at one time.
I think there are many parallel idea between risin in the sun and bone. Assimiliation is the one of the concept keep raising in both novel which most characters struggle through.
however, there are little difference between rising in the sun and bone's that while beneatha does not want to be assimilated, both characters in bones want to be assimilated into white culture.
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