what surprising news does mama have for the family at the end of Act2, scene 1? Why does the family have mixed reactions to Mama's News? What do you predict will be the outcome of Mama's desision and Why?

Mama tells the family that she has brought a house for them to which Ruth is happy, Walter is angry, but Beneatha is not a stage so the audience never finds out about what Beneatha thinks. This is an unusual thing for Hansberry to do as Beneatha is the most outspoken member of the family. This is also a very climatic moment in the play as most of the earlier events have been leading up to this. From the beginning of the play of the play the audience has heard about the cheque and the significance that it holds. It is the cause of most of the tensions in the play as each member of the family want something different from it. They each have their own dream and the money would help them to achieve that. Walter wants the money for his liquor store. Beneatha, although she never explicitly states it, it can be understood that she wants the money for her medical school fees. Ruth is the only one who does not have a mercenary dream but just wants the family to get on well and often takes on the role of peacekeeper. Mama throughout the play subtly mentions that she wants a house and tells Ruth that she thinks that she could “meet the notes on a little old two storey house somewhere.” The only person who seems to acknowledge Mama’s dream is Ruth. This is evidenced by the stage direction, “and concentrating on her ironing, anxious to encourage without seeming to.” One of the major factors that pushed Mama to fulfil her dream and buy a house is Ruth’s plan to have an abortion. She understands why Ruth feels it is necessary and this is voiced by Beneatha in a moment of senselessness “where is he going to sleep on the roof?” Mama understands that there is not enough space in their current apartment so she thinks that if she buys a larger space Ruth won’t have to kill the baby. As a matter of fact we already see that Ruth has a change of heart about the abortion as the stage directions tell us she flings her arms up and places them “slowly, reflectively over her abdomen, aware for the first time that the life therein pulses with happiness and not despair.” Mama also thinks that having his own house might help Walter get back on the right path. She tells him after she has told the family about the house, “I—I just seen my family falling apart today … just falling to pieces in front of my eyes … We couldn’t of gone on like we was today. We was going backwards ’stead of forwards—talking ’bout killing babies and wishing each other was dead … When it gets like that in life—you just got to do something different, push on out and do something bigger … (She waits) I wish you say something, son … I wish you’d say how deep inside you think I done the right thing”. This is really poignant as it shows how Mama is doing what she thinks is right but without corrupting what she perceives to be ethical. She does not want to go into the liquor business because she thinks it is un-Christian so she attempts to find something else that might hold the same value for Walter. However, Hansberry quickly tells us that Walter does not see it that way and rather thinks that Mama is emasculating him as he tells her, “What you need me to say you done right for? You the head of this family. You run our lives like you want to. It was your money and you did what you wanted with it. So what you need for me to say it was all right for? (Bitterly, to hurt her as deeply as he knows is possible) So you butchered up a dream of mine—you—who always talking ’bout your children’s dreams…” This can be seen as childish of Walter but the audience can see that Walter means well and that throughout the play the want to provide for his family and let his wife wear real pearls comes through. Mama wants do the right thing and buying the house was definitely the right thing to do but she was selfish it not listening to Walter and we can empathise with his deep bitterness towards her.