Mama has suspected it for some time, but in Act I Scene ii Ruth finally confirms that she is indeed pregnant. Mama is overjoyed at the news, but Ruth and Beneatha are much less sanguine. They're thinking about the financial and emotional strain that will be placed on the family by an extra mouth to feed. There is a clear generational gap in the differing reactions of the three women. Mama is very much of the old school; she sees the imminent patter of tiny feet as an unalloyed good. Ruth and Beneatha, however, have a more modern outlook on things. Straight away, they're thinking of the practicalities involved in raising a child in such a cramped, impoverished environment. Far from being a bundle of joy, Ruth's unborn child looks set to be a major burden on the family.
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