In Lorraine Hansberry’s theatrical experience, A Raisin in the Sun, a lower class, black family in Chicago struggles through life to make ends meet. These dull conditions make the protagonist, Walter, look at life differently. Walter’s depressing outlook on life forces him to change to strengthen his relationship with his family. To make money for his family, Walter, is a chauffeur. Driving people around all day gives this man time to think about his life. When Walter looks at where he and his family are at, he is disappointed. This is not what he intended for his family, but most importantly, his son. Walter wants to provide for his son. To hide their poverty, Walter gives Travis more money than he needs. He tells his son, “In fact, here’s another fifty cents… Buy yourself some fruit today …show more content…
From the text after this passage, you can see how Walter is disappointed in himself as a provider. He goes on to mention in another instance that he wants to give Travis an actual room because he has to sleep on the couch. This is one reason that Walter wants to invest in the liquor store. Many others believe that Walter is selfish. As it can seem that he is selfish, and only has a drive for money, Walter does the things he does out of love for his family. In one passage, Walter tells Travis about his desires for his family in the future. In this luxurious depiction Walter tells Travis, “…Just tell me where you want to go to school and you’llgo. Just tell me, what it is you want to be – and you’ll beit….Whatever you want to be – Yessir! You just name it, son…and I hand you the world!” (109). Walter’s ‘selfish’ motives seem nonexistent in this passage and that is because of the context. Walter feels important in this scene because Mama trusted him with the money. For once, Walter does not have a tragic outlook on life, but rather, he looks at life with hope; something he
Walter’s main dream in this book was to open up a liquor store and make money. His thirst for a better live drove him to work toward these goals. When Mama tells Walter that she took all of the life insurance
For the majority of the play, Walter dreams of being an important, rich businessman, a dream that he will never achieve. His desire for money is first shown in act 1, scene 2 when he and Mama are arguing about money. When Mama asks Walter why he always talks about money, he responds by telling her “it [money] is life, Mama!” (74). This statement demonstrates Walter’s obsession with money and his belief that money is the most important thing in life, even more important than a family. Walter’s dream of riches and high social standing is fully shown in act 2, scene 2 when he explains to Travis that “after tonight…there’s going to be offices-a whole lot of offices…” (108). In explaining his business plan to Travis, Walter reveals his desire to have influence and be an important executive who is respected by all. Later, Walter faces a barrier in the form of Willy Harris stealing his money. In act 2, scene 3, Bobo tells Walter that their money is gone, and Walter is crushed (128). A few hours later, in act 3, scene 1, Walter comes to his senses and realizes that his dream was unrealistic and impossible to achieve because of his poor business sense; Willy
Most of Walter’s arguments with his family have been about the $10,000 check. Walter wanted the money to start a liquor store business with his friends Bobo and Willy Harris. He argued with Beneatha about her wanting to become a doctor. He said to her, “Have we figured out yet just how much medical school is going to cost?” He thinks that she shouldn’t pursue being a doctor because the money is going to come out of the insurance check and he wants all of the money for himself. He also argued with Mama about what she should do with her money. Walter said, “Mama, you didn’t go do something with that insurance money, something crazy?” He didn’t want her to spend the money for what she wanted because he wanted the money for himself. Later, when she says that she bought a house, he flipped out. He said, “So that’s the peace and comfort you went out and brought for us today!” Walter thinks that the world revolves aroun him and that everyone should follow his lead because he knows what’s best. He thinks that Mama will just give him the money because he deserves it and no one else does. He said, “Mama-look. Old Willy Harris put everything on paper-.” He thinks that he is entitled to it and whatever he wants should go because he is top dog.
Living in a poverty stricken area, Walter can only think about one of the many things he lacks, money. On the contrary, there are African Americans on the other side of Chicago who do have money and run large businesses. This pushes Walter to not only want to provide more for his family, but also dream big and become determined. The only way that he sees fit for him to make his dream come true and earn more
The adaptive nature of his greed perpetuates Walter into realizing self-growth in regards to who he is as a man without money or pricy accessories. As we can see in the play Walter’s dream is not all materialistic, he only wishes to provide for his family and remove their cares about life. Upon hearing the news that Walter had lost the money the family goes through a period of emotional distraught and hatred towards him. However, Mama says, “There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing. Have you cried for that boy today? I don’t mean for yourself and for the family ‘cause we lost the money. I mean for him: what he been through and what it done to him. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most?..”(Hansberry 573). For Walter seeing his business proposal fail and him losing the money allows a moment of epiphany. The best dream an individual can have is that of a complete house in which the family doesn’t have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter because in the end love conquers all and to be loved is far more valuable than any proposal suggested on Earth. Although we are introduced to Walter Lee Younger as a poor broke down man only after self-achievement we soon realize that he’s also only wanting better for
that a discontented individual is often unable to take ownership of his life until he realizes that he must set a good example for his children. Walter is a protagonist who seems to only care about himself. He is really dependent on his mama's huge insurance check. Walter wants his mama's check so he and Willy Harris can open up a bar. This character continues to go down the wrong path until something tragic happens.
Walter is Mama’s oldest son. His dreams are to be wealth but at the same time wanting to provide for his family. His own personal dream is to open liquor store with his money he receives from Mama.
Mama talks to Walter about her fears of the family falling apart. This is the reason she bought the house and she wants him to understand. Walter doesn't understand and gets angry. "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? So you butchered up a dream of mine - you - who always talking 'bout your children's dreams..." Walter is so obsessive over money that he yells at his mom for not giving him all of it. He doesn't know that what his mom is doing is for the family. He thinks that having money will make the family happy, when in reality the family doesn't need anymore than what they have to be happy.
This will only happen if his family will allow him to roll with the big check they are about to receive. Walter becomes infatuated with the idea of being a successful businessman because he wants to care for his family and be consider as a man. However, that idea of becoming a successful businessman falls flat. When Walter says, “you wouldn't understand yet, son, but your daddy’s gonna make a transaction . . . a business transaction that is going to change our lives [ . . . ] man ... I trusted you . . . man, I put my life in your hands . . . man . . . that money is made out of my father’s flesh” (Hansberry 326, 340). By Walter saying this proves that he failed to achieve what he had planned. Walter was very arrogant with the idea of becoming a successful businessman without any background knowledge. When Walter says, “going to change our lives” proves that Walter believes he is able to achieve his goal if he follows what people who do not have his best interest advice. By allowing that to happen Walter lost all of the money, which he failed to take care of and now he will not become that successful businessman that he had planned. Walter and Willy show how easy it is to become obsessive over and idea that they both knew they will never achieve. Aside from covering the truth from their families, they fail their families by pretending to be someone they are
Lorraine Hansberry in her play, “Raisin in the Sun”, attempted to explain the feelings of the average African American Male in the 1940s. This persona, which is portrayed in the character Walter, had experienced a severe feeling of depression and hopelessness. In order to understand this source of grievance, one must relate back to the Great Migration and the dreams it promised and the reasons why many African Americans sought to move to the North. A desire to achieve freedom from racial injustices and poverty was the prime factor that encouraged Blacks to abandon the south. However, these dreams where soon crushed as African American noticed that Northern whites had still maintained unequal segregation and where as stumbling block to Black advancement. The consequences of a “dream deferred”, as Langston Hughes called it, was dependency on others, alcohol addiction, as well as dysfunctional families.
When Walter has no hope of providing for his family he becomes agitated and takes his anger out on others like Ruth and Beneatha. Walter gets really upset troubled when he hears that Travis asked for money and did not receive any because they don’t have any extra to spare (31). He makes a big deal about giving Travis money and a little extra because Walter values giving his son whatever he asks. He does not want his boy to know that they don’t have any money. By almost challenging Ruth to confront him about it he shows add explanation. Also he complains that "I have been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the
Lorraine Hansberry used symbolism in her successful drama, “A Raisin in the Sun” to portray emotions felt in the lives of her characters and possible her own. Hansberry set her piece in Chicago’s South Side, probably the early 1950’s. During this period in history, many African-Americans, like the Youngers, struggled to overcome the well-known prejudices that were far too familiar. The main scene, in this touching realist drama, is the home of the Youngers, an overcrowded run-down apartment. Hansberry used this private scenery to enhance the many feelings the Youngers, and other African-Americans, fought to conquer and to embrace in the name of happiness.
Walter’s goal is to earn more money; being financially successful is important to him. After the arrival of the life insurance money, Walter and Mama get into a fight over how Walter has changes; Mama asks Walter why he has become obsessed with money, Walter reply “because it is life”(74). For Walter money comes before everything since no money equates to no life ; therefore making money become Walter’s number one priority because he believes validates his existence. After Mama gives Walter part of the insurance money, Walter talks to his son about how he is going to “change [their] lives” (108) he foreshadows the future he plans for the family.
Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun portrays the struggles of an African American three generation family called the Youngers family in 1950 in the poorer side of Chicago. Around 1950, many couple, disregarding the race, desired to fulfill the American dream: to own a house in the suburbs. Numerous families were able to have the money to buy houses, but not everybody, unfortunately. The play also portrays the story of an African American family before the Civil Rights Movements seeking their dreams and the trials they overcome throughout the play. Adding a wide understanding to the play is the opposition between the apartments where they currently live and their dream house: one represents suffering
The late 1950s was filled with racial discriminations. There was still sections living as well as public signs of Colored and Whites. Blacks and Whites were not for any change or at least not yet. A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Vivian Hansberry, tells a story of a black family that is struggling to gain a middle class acceptance in Chicago. The family of five, one child and four adults live in a tiny apartment that is located in a very poor area. Dreams of owning a business and having money to accomplish goals is two key parts played out throughout the whole play. Walter Younger is determined to have his own business and he will go to ends met to see that dream come true. Financial bridges are crossed and obstacles arise when Walter makes a bad decision regarding money that could have help the family and not only himself, if he would have thought smarter. His pride and dignity are tested throughout the story and he is forced to setup for his family. The Raisin in the Sun helps readers to understand history of racial discrimination and how racial discrimination has an effect on the people in the late 1950s and early 1960s as well as how that has an effect on the characters within the play.