The character's in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin the Sun all feel trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and unfulfilled dreams. However, no character feels as trapped in life as Ruth. Ruth is stifled by her environment, living in a tiny apartment with the entire family. Her husband too feels trapped and unhappy, leading to a marriage filled with strife. She cannot escape him, for she has no where else to go. She remains in the family, poor and unhappy.
The climax of her misery comes in the form of an unwanted pregnancy. A event that should be expressed with celebration is instead met with horror and resignation. Obviously, Ruth and Walter can barely afford the family they currently have. Ruth's contemplation of terminating the pregnancy shows just how trapped in her life she feels. Mama tells Walter "I think Ruth is thinking 'bout getting rid of that child" (Hansberry, 476).To Ruth, the only options are to condemn the family she currently has to a life of severe poverty, or not allow a new unit of the family to exist.
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