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Critical analysis of a raisin in the sun by lorraine hansberry
Critical analysis of a raisin in the sun by lorraine hansberry
Critical analysis of a raisin in the sun by lorraine hansberry
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How far will you be willing to go, in order to make you and your family live better? Walter Lee Younger a selfish, naive, ambitious man who goes to great lengths to make something of himself, but by the end, he had changed into a respectable man and learns that money is not everything. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry follows the story of the Younger Family, but the main protagonist of the story is Walter. The reader follows Walter throughout the story and watches him grow as a character. Walter goes from just wanting the life insurance money from Mama to start off the liquor business and just wanting to improve his life, to wanting what is best for the family and not just himself. The Younger family lives in Chicago in the 1950’s. The Youngers live in an overcrowded, small apartment that is not big enough for the five of them. Everybody in the family has dreams that rely on the money from the father's death. Mama, the head of the family wants to buy a house for the family, and own it. Walter Lee Younger, her son who wants to use the money to start a liquor business in order to make something out of himself. This …show more content…
Also, Walter’s purpose in this story is to be the protagonist, and throughout the story shows us the readers change in his character. But Walter in the future is going to go back to his old ways. If he sees an opportunity to improve his life and his families, then he is going to take that opportunity and try to do it. Even if it’s wrong, he will still do it. Although, Walter has his misjudgements, he shows that he is just like everybody else, he is a human being. Rightly so he makes mistakes and he does make the right decision at the end. This shows how he is the protagonist of the story, and shows that he is also a dynamic
Walter's change happen because he was in a crisis. Walter has lost almost all his money when he gave it to a person he trusted. From their Walter was willing to do anything to get some money back. This ends up backfiring when Mama gives Walter a choice. On page 1605 Ruth, Walter's wife, tells Travis, Walter's son, to go down stairs but Mama says no. Mama states: "No. Travis you stay right here. And you make him understand what you doing, Walter Lee. You teach him good. Like Willy Harris taught you. You show where our five generations done come to." Walter was set and stone on not to move in the house until Mama brings Travis into the conversation. Mama wants Walter to think if the choice he is making is the right choice. Walter and Malcom had a similar crisis and that was an identity crisis. With Malcom, when he went to prison, was still acting like the same low life criminal he was on the streets of Harlem until he meets Baines. For example Malcom was taking a shower Baines gave him a drink. Baines tries to talk to Malcom but he ignores him. Bains soon asks him the question "Who ate you?" This left Malcom to change to him think who he really was. From the cause to change to the change Walter and Malcom went through they had some similarities but big
The first reason I believe that Walter is the protagonist is because he isn’t a selfish man. What I mean by this is when he is talking about issues he tends to discuss family issues above his own personal things. Though at times in the play when he is drunk and loses his temper he does start speaking selfishly, I believe that his overall attitude in the play is for his family to move up the world. I believe that Walter’s son Travis is the main reason why he acts so unselfishly. He seems to want the best for this son and doesn’t want his son to feel that there isn’t anything he can’t have or do.
...ontrol of his personal ambitions to benefit the whole or in Walter's case the family. Certainly it would be unfair for Walter give up his aspirations. The issue is whether Walter can distinguish between a fantasy of reality and a dream deferred.
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....
She’s considering having an abortion. On the other hand the daughter wants to get merry to her African boyfriend he wants her to move with him to Africa. Momma is very excited to own her first home and they also refuse to take the money from Mr. Linden, they are tired of living in the apartment, momma thinks a house is the best investment. The son is going through some extremely hard times after losing all that money trying to open a liquor store. In the story the son faces more problems the son has the most problems for example he’s in charged of the house after his father die he took over all the responsibility he’s father had. During the 1950s after the father die the son usually took over the family and all its
Living in a society where the fulfillment of dreams is based upon material wealth, the Younger family strives to overcome their hardships as they search for happiness. As money has never been a way of life for the family, the insurance check's arrival brings each person to see the chance that their own dreams can become reality. Whether in taking a risk through buying a "little liquor store" as Walter wishes to do or in -"[wanting] to cure" as Beneatha dreams, the desires of the family depend upon the fate of Mama's check. In the mind of Walter Lee Younger, the check is the pinnacle of all, dominating his thoughts, as he does not wait a second before "asking about money "without" a Christian greeting." He cannot see beyond the fact that he "[wants] so many things" and that only their recently acquired money can bring them about. The idea of money and being able to hold it "in [his] hands" blinds him from the evils of society, as he cannot see that the Willy Harris's of the world will steal a person's "life" without a word to anyone. When money becomes nothing but an illusion, Walter is forced to rethink his values and his family's future, realizing that there is more to living that possessing material riches.
Walter has an interesting turn of events towards the end of the book. He is forced to abandon his quest to the North Pole, he is faced with the monster and must hear the monster's plans for self-destruction, he has to watch idly as his new friend, Victor, passes from this world. He has such noble dreams and aspirations, but they are all brought to a halt because of his chance meeting with Frankenstein. Or, was his expedition doom from the start because of the nature of wanting to do what no other man had done? Was it his ambition that led him to untimely failure? The evidence from the text proves that possibly he was never meant to surpass his peers and obtain the glory that he pursued.
This episode illustrates a major conflict throughout the story. As Walter dreams bigger and bigger he seems to leave the 'smaller' things such as his family behind. This movement away from the family is against the furtherance of the values and morals of the family. While his father would have been happy simply working and caring for his family, Walter is more concerned with becoming a 'mover and shaker' without thinking about the resulting consequences for his family.
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.
In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the Younger family had lost the glue of their family, Walter Younger also known as Big Walter.
Rather the kind that will do anything to get to there dream as quick as possible no matter the casualties. In “A Raisin in the Sun,” Mama asked Walter, “Son how come you talk so much *bout money?” Walter replied to Mama with passion, stating, “Because it is life, Mama!” (Hansberry 950) This quote supports Walters belief that life revolves around money; he believes that wealth and fame is life's purpose. His dream was self-driven and focused on his success, even though all of his family tried to warn him over and over he continued to only believe in himself and in wealth leading to happiness. He wants to become a man with his big dreams, but a man earns his money and works hard to pursue hopes and dreams. He used money from his dead father to pursue a selfish goal. What kind of a man does that make Walter Lee
From dreams deferred to identity affirmed Lorraine Hansberry’s, “A Raisin in the Sun,” presents readers with many differing themes. The most prevalent and reoccurring theme is the effect money plays on society’s views of manhood and happiness. Readers are shown multiple characters with a diverse view on manhood. From Walter Lee with his matching societal views that a man should be able to provide whatever his family needs or wants to Lena whose views are a biased compilation of her late husband’s behavior and her own ideals, that a man should maintain his honor and protect his children’s dreams.
The social inequality which the Younger's encounter also does not hinder Mama's compassion. Mr. Lindner temporarily shatters Mama's dream of owning a home when he comes to the Youngers prepared to give them money to move from Clybourne Park. The derogatory use of "you people" by Mr. Lindner has little to no effect on Mama's steadfast decision to move to Clybo...
Walter attempts to reinvent himself through his work and relationships to try and provide for his wife and family. Walter is fighting a battle within his household because he believes that Ruth, his wife, “couldn’t be on [his] side that long for nothing,” even though she is just trying to do what is best for everyone involved (Hansberry 32). Walter cannot see past his dream to realize the impact it would have on everyone else if it failed, so he drowns his sorrows in alcohol. Although “he knows the possibility of failure is also a vital part of the American success story” Walter is not just risking his own future, he is risking his child’s, mother’s and sister’s and without a second thought to his personal relationships, he blindly makes an investment on the chance of having the wealth and house he desires for everyone (Washington 98). Walter is so focused on reinventing his work life and having money that he loses sight of his family’s values and ideas. He does not care about Ruth being pregnant and the possibility of aborting their child as long as he can achieve his goals. Walter is living in a dream where he believes that “anyone can become anything he wants to be,” and that is not true in his case with the social and racial standards that are set against him (Washington 95). Walter sees wealth as ensuring happiness and having everything he desires, which is why he is pushing his family so hard for the money, causing issues. Even though all the odds are set against him in this time period, Walter cannot see past being able to provide for his family and having the American Dream that he most
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a play about segregation, triumph, and coping with personal tragedy. Set in Southside Chicago, A Raisin in the Sun focuses on the individual dreams of the Younger family and their personal achievement. The Younger's are an African American family besieged by poverty, personal desires, and the ultimate struggle against the hateful ugliness of racism. Lena Younger, Mama, is the protagonist of the story and the eldest Younger. She dreams of many freedoms, freedom to garden, freedom to raise a societal-viewed equal family, and freedom to live liberated of segregation. Next in succession is Beneatha Younger, Mama's daughter, assimilationist, and one who dreams of aiding people by breaking down barriers to become an African American female doctor. Lastly, is Walter Lee Younger, son of Mama and husband of Ruth. Walter dreams of economic prosperity and desires to become a flourishing businessman. Over the course of Walter's life many things contributed to his desire to become a businessman. First and foremost, Walter's father had a philosophy that no man should have to do labor for another man. Being that Walter Lee was a chauffeur, Big Walter?s philosophy is completely contradicted. Also, in Walter?s past, he had the opportunity to go into the Laundromat business which he chose against. In the long run, he saw this choice was fiscally irresponsible this choice was. In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee's dreams, which are his sole focus, lead to impaired judgement and a means to mend his shattered life.