Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Mama's character development of raisin in the sun
Conflict in a raisin in the sun
Essay raisin in the sun symbolism
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Mama's character development of raisin in the sun
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry haves a bunch of characters and all of them are important. But some are so important that without them there will be no book and that is Walter and Mama. They are the most important by their dialogue (the things they say) and their action to each other for example Walter trying to invest in a liquor business and when Mama brought a house for the family to live in. But to know how they are important then kept reading.
Walter is important by his actions and the things he say. One of his biggest things that he said is that money is worth more than the family value. In A Raisin in the Sun he says “No- it always money, Mama” and this starts a conflict/fight with the family mostly Ruth and Mama because the way they remember dad he would never have said something like that. But what they don’t know that Walter is depressed and wants a better life for him and his family but people are stopping him so he gets mad and wants to go out and drink to make him feel better but that isn’t good because when he comes back he want to argue some more. To make
…show more content…
But the way she uses the money in her own way to make the family how she wants it to be and Walter even stated that she was making his family into hers. When Mama didn’t give Walter his liquor store and brought a house instead that made her look very selfish. In her own words she said, “And there ain’t going to be no investing in no liquor stores”, so she refused to let Walter get his own business. But of course, this isn’t the only time where she said some very important news, that she really wasn’t supposed to say. Mama is the type of person/character to get her way by any means necessary and if she don’t, she will try to argue with or find another way even if she must use her
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.
Walter fights for what he thinks is right, which is starting the bar with help of his 2 friends. He is trying to convince the family that opening the bar is a good Idea. Walter is trying to get approval so that he can get the money from Mama's
Ruth was being prevented from having a baby because of money problems, Walter was bringing him self down by trying to make the liquor store idea work. Once Mama decided to buy the house with the money she had received, Walter figured that he should further go on with the liquor store idea. Then, when Walter lost the money, he lost his dignity and tried to get some money from the “welcome party” of Cylborne Park. Mama forced him to realize how far he went by making him show himself to his son how low he would go. But he showed that he wasn’t susceptible to the ways the racism created.
Walter lives with his mother, sister, wife and child Travis. After the receival of a life insurance check from the deceased Walter Lee Senior, Mama makes a decision to give it to Walter to make him feel like the man of the house. She places endless trust into her son; she gives him the money that is needed for his sisters school, and the house payments. She has high hopes Walter would not let her down by the use of it for something that goes against her values. Unfortunately, as he receives the money one can see how hastily he works to use it for a meer liquor store as he confesses his wrongdoings: “Mama… I never went to the bank at all… It’s all gone.” (Hansberry 129). Prior to this moment, Mama had asked Walter to
“Mama (To Walter) Son- (She goes to him, bends down to him, talks to his bent head) Son… Is it gone? Son, I gave you sixty-five hundred dollars. Is it gone? All of it? Beneatha’s money too?”(Act 2 Scene 3 Pg. 129). Mama told him that she did not want her late husband’s hard earned money to go into a liquor store. Walter did not listen; therefore, he was held responsible and Mama punished him by beating him( pg.129). She further makes him face the consequences by telling him that he got them into this mess, and as head of the family he needs to get the family out of this situation but not at the cost of the families pride (
Walter complains to Mama about the way he feels about his job. I open and close car doors all day long. I drive a man around in his limousine and I say, "Yes sir no sir very good sir shall I take the drive, sir?" Walter wants to be the one sitting in the back of that limousine while someone else is doing the driving. Walter wants financial freedom, he doesn't want just enough money to provide for his family but rather he tells his mother "I want so many things." Walter is materialistic and greedy, he has been corrupted by a superficial “American dream”.
At the beginning of the play, Walter is a self centered character. In a conversation with Mama, Walter wants to make sure she does not spend all the money. Walter states, “Where were you, mama? Mama, You didn’t go do something with that insurance money, something crazy” (P. 90). It is revealed that Walter is desperate for money and achieving his big idea of owning a liquor store. It’s important to know that this money is Mama’s and not Walters to spend. Instead of being the man of the house
Throughout the play, Walters and Beneatha’s views on wealth clash because according to Walter, money is the answer to all of their issues while Beneatha constantly reminds him that the money was mama’s and she could do whatever she wants with it whenever he pressed on about buying the liquor store. In scene two of act two, after mama gives Walter the money, Walter explains to his son Travis in a long speech how he will invest the money and what kind of life they will live once the business is successful, this also included sacrificing Beneatha’s school money. This speech also shows Walters “American Dream”. Unfortunately, Walter trusted the wrong man with his money and ended up losing it all.
To start off, Walter’s obsession with money is going to cost him a lot since it is the only thing he cares about. In the beginning, Walter starts out by only caring only about himself, but towards the end, he starts to care for everyone else as well. This shows that Walter is a selfish person. As Walter Lee states to Ruth, “Yeah. You see, this little liquor store we got in mind cost seventy-five thousand and we figured the initial investment on the place be ‘bout thirty thousand, see” is the dream that Walter Lee has for himself (Hansberry 33). Walter wants the money that the Younger family is getting from the insurance company to buy the liquor store. He thinks that the liquor store will make them rich and the family would not have to struggle anymore. At the end, Walter changes his whole point of view towards the insurance money. Walter declares to Mr....
1. Walter - His dreams of owning a licquor store conflict religiously with Mama's value system. The conflict between Mama and Walter is amplified by the fact that it is Mama's apartment in which the family lives and Walter is unable/unwilling to make decisions because Mama is so domineering. Ironically, it is the one decision that she eventually lets Walter make which nearly destroys the family.
The chasing of a mirage is a futile quest where an individual chases an imaginary image that he or she wants to capture. The goal of this impossible quest is in sight, but it is unattainable. Even with the knowledge that failure is inevitable, people still dream of catching a mirage. There is a fine line that separates those who are oblivious to this fact, and to those who are aware and accept this knowledge. The people who are oblivious represent those who are ignorant of the fact that their dream will be deferred. This denial is the core of the concept used in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. The perception of the American Dream is one that is highly subjective, but every individual dream ends in its own deferment.
The conflict that involves Walter and Mama superficially concerns Mama's receiving an insurance check for ten thousand dollars, which she hasn't yet decided what to do with. Walter has hopes for using the money to invest in a liquor store, with the profits providing him and his family a better quality of life than what they have endured in the past. What really is at stake here, though, is more than money. Mama and Walter have different visions of what happiness is and what life is all about. For Mama, the best thing to do with the money is to make a down payment on a house. This house is to be situated within an all-white neighborhood, and represents assimilation. This is Mama's dream, and the dream ...
Readers can see early on in the play the importance of money to Walter Lee. In a scene in Act 1 we see Walter trying to talk his mother, Lena, into giving him the money to invest in a liquor store. We can see him growing more and more agitated with her because she has already made her decision on the matter. Walter responds by saying,
These woman in Walter’s life has a strong presence and give Walter a reality check when he needs it. When Walter’s father passed away, Mama assumed head of the house and kept the family together. This proves that women can be in charge of and take care of the entire family. Walter’s belief that men should be in control of the household is debunked by Mama and her status in their family. Beneath, as the outspoken woman she is, argues with her brother on the topic of her education and her career.
She is the head of the house, the eldest, and has the ability to change all of the other main character’s lives - no one wants to go against her - and it shows in how they respond to her assertions. Although it may not be reflected in his words - “Mama-I don’t need no nagging at me today.” (Hansberry 72) - Walter cleary listens and considers his mother’s advice to him. This is most obviously shown nearing the end of the book, when Walter calls Lindor over. His original plan was to beg him for money, however, after telling his family of his plan his mother tried to convince him not to.