Lena Younger/Mama

Lena Younger or Mama is an African-American woman in her early sixties. She is described as strong and beautiful with white hair and a face that reveals her strength (pp.22-23)[1].  Lena lives with her children, Walter and Beneatha, and her daughter-in-law and grandson, Ruth and Travis. She is the widow of Big Walter, as she calls her deceased husband. He has died recently and Lena and the rest of the family are waiting for the money from his life insurance. She describes her late husband as a man who loved his children to death and put his family first. It is also clear that their marriage was no bed of roses (“God knows there was plenty wrong with Walter Younger- hard-headed, mean, kind of wild with women- plenty wrong with him. But he sure loved his children. “ p. 28 ll. 12-15).

Lena is a religious person and God plays an important role in her life and in her understanding of the world (“It’s too early in the morning to be talking about money. It ain’t Christian” p. 25 ll. 3-4). Early o...