In this essay, we will discuss the complexity of the character Walter Lee Younger, and prove that through Walter’s complexity and actions taken by him throughout the play, it makes the character more self-aware of himself. This will furthermore prove that Walter Lee Younger is the lead character due to the various obstacles he part takes in with reference and support from quotes from the play Raisin in the Sun.
Walter Lee in Raisin in the Sun is considered to be the most complex character due to his dramatic actions through his decision making throughout the play. Walter is a 35-year-old who lives with his wife Ruth, son Travis, mother Lena and his sister Beneatha. He is interchangeable, ambitious, driven man who has taken on the responsibility of being the man of the family due to the fact that his father has passed on, making him the main provider for his son and wife, but also for his sister and mother too. Walter is more concerned about making money than making his family happy and proud of him as a man. Walter would sacrifice anything in order to gain respect, and his way of achieving this would be to ensure that he is in a better financial standing that his family already is in. Walter can also be viewed as an angry man, mainly angry at his current financial situation, and is seen to be very argumentative with family. For example, his is seen to be arguing with his sister in the beginning of the play saying, ‘Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you crazy ‘bout messing’ round with sick people – than go be a nurse like other woman – or just get married and be quiet’ (Hansberry, 1959: 499), this proves that Walter does not think about the future of his family but only the
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Walter goes through major transformation, and that is seen in the decisions he made through his
Walter Lee is stubborn, very ambitious, and filled with pride at the beginning of the story. He strives for success with the money “Mama,” also known as Lena got from the life insurance from her husband who recently passed away. Walter was so selfish all he wanted was to provide a better life for he and his family because he was not satisfied with their current standards of living. He wants more and wishes to become rich because he believes he never had enough growing up, but at the same time he wants to provide money and societal respect for his family. He put his trust with the money into a person who betrayed him and he ended up losing it all including his sisters schooling money. After this scene in the play Walter was at his lowest point,
No matter how hard they try, there are some people who cannot get ahead in life. Walter Lee Younger is a man who is frustrated with his current position in life, and every disappointment he has encountered thus far. Although he tries to be a loving man, sometimes he does not know how to show the idea of love, "Sometimes...sometimes...I don't even know how to try" (Hansberry 89). His position in life can be regarded as symbolic of every black male struggling to provide for his family by any means necessary. Although Walter has a job, it seems inadequate for his survival. As a result, he has become frustrated and lacks good judgement. Throughout this play Walter searches for the key ingredient that will make his life blissful. His
Walter’s role changes significantly from the beginning to the end of “A Raisin in the Sun.”
Because of this Walter has lost his self esteem and will to do anything to make his life better. This is important because it shows that Walter does not have a firm grasp on his own identity.
No matter how hard they try, there are some people who cannot get ahead in life. Walter Lee Younger is a man who is frustrated with his current position in life, and every disappointment he has encountered thus far. Although he tries to be a loving man, sometimes he does not know how to show the idea of love, 'Sometimes...sometimes...I don't even know how to try' (Hansberry 89). His position in life can be regarded as symbolic of every black male struggling to provide for his family by any means necessary. Although Walter has a job, it seems inadequate for his survival. As a result, he has become frustrated and lacks good judgement. Throughout this play Walter searches
The true hero of A Raisin in the Sun is Walter, because he is able to rise above his own pride and internal conflicts to put his family’s wants and needs above his own. Walter struggles with wanting to be the man of the family throughout the play, but in the end is able to step back and do what is best for his family.
Walter was so brainwashed that he messed up the whole entire family trying to succeed in the American Dream. What is an American Dream? Is someone who thinks you have to achieve by doing hard work in the society. Which is just how Walter is describe in the play. Walter is trying to get his hands on the liquor store to get rich and that he doesn’t have to see his family struggling
In Raisin in the Sun, Ruth Younger struggles with her husband, Walter Lee, when he does not listen to her when they discuss their money problems. Walter strives to have more money, so he can provide his family with nice things. He is tired of being overlooked by the white men that he works for and wants to be more like them. Walter hates the job that he has because he must obey a white man. He constantly feels like the women in his life do not listen to his struggles and confides in alcohol instead of speaking with his family about his emotions. Walter Lee constantly belittles his wife saying, “that just goes to show you what women understand about the world...nothing will happen for you in this world ‘less you pay somebody off!” (Hansberry 81). Again, the women’s opinions and thoughts are overlooked by the men in the play. In the end, Walter Lee chooses to do the right thing and becomes the hero. When
When Walter loses the money, his views change. He convinces himself that a man doesn’t need morals, and that the only thing that matters is how
Throughout the play A Raisin in the Sun, Walter demonstrates his lack of control, happiness, and dignity in his household and occupation until he asserts his dominance in the last scene. In his household through most of the play, Walter appears subordinate to Mama and Ruth. Having a degrading and humiliating occupation like a chauffeur adds to his lack of control. Finally, the loss of the money compiles onto his lack of dignity and self-respect. Early in Act 1, Walter endures his encounter with Ruth over breakfast while Travis is present.
Walter's frustration festers and his anger turns inward towards his family who, in Walters eyes, do not understand him. Walter's family members do understand him and they also want to amass material dreams, but Walter's family members know that it is going to take work to get there.
As Walter denies the community buyout offer that served as an incentive to deter him from moving, he proves to be a progressive character, looking to gradually advance in his life in doing right without confrontation. In Katheryn
In ''A Raisin in the Sun'' Hansberry uses Walter Lee Younger to represent the ambitious but, uninformed African American family. Walter's main role in 'A Raisin in the Sun' is to personify the African American families that make many gambles, which eventually lead to complete failure. Walter is shadowed by greed and ignorance which causes him to fail to achieve the success he wishes to gain. Walter Lee Youngers' greed is exemplified when he talks about, "Check coming today." (Hansberry 26). Walter's lack of wisdom and hard headedness allows him to portray American success, which he hopes of achieving in a very short time. When Walter Younger fails at what he has been trying to do he exclaims, "THAT MONEY IS MADE OUT OF MY FATHER'S FLESH."
Imagery in The Raisin In The Sun displays uniquely to distinguishes each feeling or reaction proceeding to the characters. The reader gets more of a better image of situation, actions and feelings as illustrated “Mama: Son do you know your wife is expecting another baby? (Walter stands stunned and absorbs what his mother has said.) That’s what she wanted to talk to you about…” (Act 1 Scene 2 Page:1568.) With this image you can examine him feel so much emotion Walter at that time. The imagery of him just sitting there blank as stone, the feeling of anguish, speechlessness and surprised with the news that may seem as bad news giving him the image of unhappiness. Furthermore, it exposes the possibility to be a restriction Walters dream and the families dream as said according to Mama: “Mama: I'm waiting to see you stand up and look like your daddy and says we done giving up nary another one… I'm waiting.” This is a big interpretation towards the American Dream that they needed money but it was a load of work to provide enough for Travis and the baby. It consumes the part of Walter that he can't explain with money, it was his one and only chance to use properly for himself. In Addition, Walter is not just being selfish but he is just seeing the outcomes of his dream be put down. Then again there was also a big huge family that was living in the house; in which was also needing to provide Mama but she expected more from her son, to be wise enough to choose between the right and
Although he is more than qualified to do this, he decided to manufacture illegal drugs. This led him led to commit many immoral crimes and constantly endanger his family because he couldn’t be satisfied with a job where he would need to work under someone else. Walter’s intentions may have been heroic, but he is still a villain because of his selfish pride, which ultimately caused him put his entire family in terrible danger and to lose the respect of everyone close to him.