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What are some adjectives that describe Mama from A Raisin in the Sun?

Starting with Hansberry's own description of Mama in Act One, Mama is a strong character, "a woman who has adjusted to many things in life and overcome many more."  Mama has dealt with many obstacles in her life, from the disappointment of not achieving her dreams along with living in poverty and working hard for very little. She is also a woman who has to teach her children to be strong in the face of adversity.


Mama is also full of hope, using that strength to continue to look toward the future optimistically.  Mama's plant is a symbol of that hope and those dreams: She cares for it and nurtures it as she does her children and grandchild, knowing that it will continue to live, though Hansberry describes it as living "doggedly." The reader discovers at the end of the play that Mama's hopes and dreams do come true, and she will soon have a garden and yard in which her plant can thrive.  


Finally, Mama is forgiving and trusting.  Mama has had to watch her husband die and her children struggle with poverty.  Mama wants and has to be the pillar of strength for her family, and she ends up taking control of all their decisions.  However, when she gives Walter Lee the rest of the insurance money, which he loses, she has to forgive him and trust that he will make the right decisions for the family.  In the end, these qualities show how strong she truly is.

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