Walter Lee Character Analysis Essay

A Character Analysis of Walter Lee Younger The play “A Raisin in the Sun” was written by Lorraine Hansberry marking her first ever written play. Lorraine Hansberry was the first African American woman to write a play that was to be produced on Broadway. Although a brilliant writer, Hansberry’s opportunities of writing were cut short when she died at the age of thirty-five from cancer. Lorraine lived from 1930 to 1965, dying on the day that Broadway closed her second play, “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”. “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window” was written in 1964, only 5 years later than “A Raisin in the Sun” which was written in 1959. Later in 1959, “A Raisin in the Sun” won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, becoming the first

One of Walter Lee’s negative traits is the bad temper that he has. Walter Lee’s bad temper causes him to spontaneously yell at his wife, sister, mom, and any other character who may aggravate him. His bad temper is caused by stress, but can also be blamed on another negative trait that he has which is drinking. Walter Lee is a heavy drinker in the play. He is constantly drunk. The author portrays Walter Lee’s bad temper due to alcohol consumption many times throughout the story. One moment during the play, the author states “Walter comes in during this performance (Beneatha dancing); he has obviously been drinking…he lifts both fists to the roof, screaming’ (Hansberry 474). Although mostly angered and hot-tempered during the play, Walter Lee did show positive traits of being kindhearted. Such as, for one moment, Walter Lee and Ruth were arguing in a very hostile tone and manner. But, the next moment, Walter Lee and Ruth were making up, as the author states that “He (Walter Lee) turns her (Ruth) to him and they look at each other and kiss, tenderly and hungrily” (Hansberry 480). At this moment, you could still see love between the two. Love had seemed to be missing throughout most of the entire