1. Lalla-Rose Stanley and Ashleigh Martin
Role of the Matriarch
Lalla-Rose Stanley and Ashleigh Martin

2. Matriarch- a matriarch is a woman who is the head of a family.
What is a matriarch?
Matriarch- a matriarch is a woman who is the head of a family.

3. Matriarch in a death of a salesman
Linda Loman
Middle aged woman
Has two sons, Biff and Happy, and is married to Willy Loman
Admires her husband to the point of being stepped on by him but not caring
Loves and cares for her boys very much but she puts her husband first in most circumstances, even if her boys are right
In the middle of Act Two, pages , Linda, Happy, and Biff are in the kitchen while Willy is wandering outside fiddling with his garden. Biff tries to go out and talk to his father but Linda is trying to kick the boys out of her house for being rude and leaving Willy at a restaurant. She calls Biff things life an animal and a louse.
In Act One, pages 15-17, Linda is talking to Willy and Willy is calling his sons lazy bums and that they are not good business man. Linda is sticking up for her sons by saying things like, “you don’t mean that” or “that’s not true!”. While doing this, Willy is just blowing Linda off and not respecting her as his wife and treating her kindly.
Summarized: Linda is a caring, loving mother but will always be on Willy’s side, no matter if it is wrong or right.

4. Matriarch in A raisin in the sun
Ruth Younger
· Middle aged working woman.
· Second youngest mother in the Younger’s household.
· Considers terminating pregnancy to prevent more issues.
· Very loving mother. Opinion sometimes changes due to Lena Younger (Mama).
· Protective over Travis Younger.
· Often comes to Lena Younger for advice.
“Oh mama makes me so mad sometimes, I don’t know what do! I wouldn’t kiss that woman goodbye for nothing in this world! Not for nothing in this world!”
“Son- do you know your wife is expecting another baby? That’s what she wanted to talk to you about. This ain’t for me to be telling- but you ought to know. I think Ruth is thinking ‘bout doing some-thing to that child.”
“Oh let him go out and drink himself to death! He makes me sick to my stomach!”
“Well- I guess I might as well go onto bed… I don’t know where we lost it… but we have… I’m so sorry about this new baby, Walter. I guess maybe I better go on and do what I started… I guess I didn’t realize how bad things was with us…I guess I just didn’t realize…”
Summarized: Ruth is a kind woman who cares about her husband and family deeply and will work super hard to take care of them, even when she is frustrated at them, she always will show she loves them.

5. Similarities
Some similarities between Linda Loman and Ruth Younger is how they will always love their children. They both have that motherly instinct and they strive to take care of their kids and as much as they can. They also get kind of pushed around by their husbands. Because Walter and Willy are out trying to achieve their “American Dream”, Ruth and Linda both experience the aftermath if when things don’t go just right and they lash out on their wifes.

6. Differences
There are some differences between Ruth and Linda, also. With Ruth, Walter does step on her a bit but she will usually retaliate. If she thinks Travis or someone else is right besides her husband, she will side with them because it is what she thinks is right. Even if she is siding against her husband. With Linda, it is the exact opposite. Linda will be on her husband’s side no matter if he is right or wrong. Even when he tells her to shut up and run all over her, she will still be there for him and not say anything mean back.