When a man’s spirit is broken who is there to pick him up? In the influential play, a Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry uses the failures and frustrations of Walter Younger to highlight the importance of family in a man’s life.
The feeling of being alone can drive even the best of us mad, but if poverty, racism, and lack of opportunities are piled on a midlife crisis like Walter’s will be created. Throughout the extraordinary play the protagonist, Walter, has the feeling that no one is in his corner, even his own family; he is drowning and his family are sitting on the shore watching. Walter’s feeling are most evident after Mama goes against Walter’s wishes and spends the insurance money on a down payment on a house. He says, “so you butchered
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Earlier in the play, Walter feels that Mama is the one calling the shots for the family, and she was. His perception that he is not the man of the household causes Walter feel that he is unimportant and insignificant. Walter’s power struggle is highlighted by Hansberry in Act 2 Scene 1, Walter says to Mama, “you the head of this family. You run our lives like you want to.(LH pg.95)” This quote is talking about how Mama is the one making the decisions in the family. But, it is very important because it shines a light on the emasculation Walter feels throughout the play, and how he thinks family is the one to blame for his problems. Later in the play the family dynamic changes and Mama finally let’s call the shots. Mama leaves Walter up to make the crucial decision about whether or not to sell the house. Walter says, “and we have decided to move into our house…(LH pg.148)” Walter chooses to move his family into the house, mainly because they have worked so hard and they deserve to be rewarded. But, this quote is most significant because it shows how Walter’s family has put their trust and the power of decision making into Walter’s hands. Which causes Walter to be more confident in himself, and make him feel like a true
Trust is given to those who earn it, yet unconditional trust is placed in the family. If that trust is broken, it always hurts the most. The play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry has many different themes and perspectives to look at the play from, but betrayal and hurt are major points in this play.
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”.
Walter brings to topic his importance to the scenario, and decides to break away from the event and think of his answer towards his wife’s information and response. He later is shown the understanding of his wife by the reaction of his mother, who questions his standing on how his father would have reacted. This brings Walter to think of why he should change and not walk out on times of importance. Walter discovers that his turmoil of drinking and appearance on the topic could end up losing the life of his newly developing child. At the discussion over selling the house owned by the family to Mr. Linder, Walter is shown the original faith that the selfish purpose of the money for himself would be better the property that would benefit the entire family, including his child.
Walter and Beneatha’s relationship is very complex. The spiraling tension between the two siblings causes confrontation to form and creep into the Younger household. Walter needs his family to respect him as the man of the family, but his sister is constantly belittling him in front of his mother, wife, and son. This denigrating treatment taints Walter’s view of himself as a man, which carries into his decisions and actions. Beneatha also subconsciously deals with the dysfunctional relationship with her brother. She desires to have her brother’s support for her dream of becoming a doctor, yet Walter tends to taunt her aspiration and condemns her for having such a selfish dream. Mama as the head of the family is heartbroken by the juvenile hostility of her adult children, so in hopes to keep her family together she makes the brave move of purchasing a house. Mama’s reasoning for the bold purchase was,“ I—I just seen my family falling apart….just falling to pieces in front of my eyes…We couldn’t have gone on like we was today. We was going backwards ‘stead of forw...
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.
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
People may often be far too familiarized with the trials of betrayal from those they trust most. In the play A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry exhibits several acts of deception. One character commits one of the most front facing acts of betrayal. Walter Lee Younger, a simple family man holds a dark side . He betrays the trust his family has placed into him with the remainder of a check his mother chose to give him.
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.
The day they move into their new house a guy named Mr. Linder from the Clybourne Park community came and talks to them about how the neighborhood members would like them to not move in because they are not comfortable with blacks in the white area. Walter confidently states, “And we have decided to move into our house because my father- my father - he earned it for us brick by brick....We don’t want your money” (P.148). Walter wants everyone to know that his father got them to where they are right now. He is more confident about himself, he shows that during the moving of the house. During the end of the play he realizes his family is way more important than the other things in his life. Additionally, during the talk with Mr. Linder Walter is frustrated with the racism around them and just wants to live a happy life in a great neighborhood that does not care about what color their neighbors are. Walter angrily shouts, “... You got any more to say ‘bout how people ought to sit down and talk to each other? . . . Get out of my house man”(P. 118). He is very angry because he does not want to move just because some white people want them to leave their place. Walter is very confident and stands up for his family and what they want. He has changes significantly throughout the whole play, he changes into a great man for his
The audience is exposed to the struggles of Walters desire to lead and provide for his family. Not only does Walter struggle financially but, his authority is tested when his mother takes over the responsibility a man would do. Walter wants to be acknowledged and appreciated for the things he does for his family but, it seems he hasn’t done anything because Mama has taken an authorial position over the rest of the family including Walter. Due to the fact that Walter doesn’t have authority over his family like he wants to go
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.
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 frustrations stem from him not being able to act as a man and provide for his family and grasp hold of his ideals to watch them manifest into a positive situation.
In the beginning of the play, Walter is foolish and quarrelsome, with his heart set on becoming affluent. As he grasps how hard work his father worked and how hard his family works, he reasons that living by his standards is more important than gaining wealth, and he stops feeling resentful towards them. This play highlights how many members of society focus more on making money than living by their ethical
In the first scene of Lorraine Hansberry’s play, Walter attempts to become “the man” he wants, not the one his family needs. Walter emphasizes his masculinity, through his words, by repeatedly demanding people wake up early. “Now what is that boy…he just going to have to get up earlier. I can’t be late on the account of him” (Hansberry 1783). However, this attempt backfires as his Ruth confidently stands up against him and assertively defends their son from Walter’s accusations. “Oh no he ain’t going to be getting up no earlier…it’s not his fault he can’t get to bed [it’s you and your friends fault] (Hansberry 1783). Walter is left feeling emasculated by his wife, so he redirects his demands to a seemingly easier target –his sister. But instead
Authors sometimes influence the theme of a work by initiating conflicts between a parent and child to intrigue the audience and advance the plot. In her play A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry conveys an ambivalent relationship between a mother and her son. Although “mama” will always love Walter and do anything for her family, the strenuous pressure put on the Younger’s as they share a two-bedroom “apartment” with three other people will begin to cause a rift in their relationship. Hansberry’s play takes place in Southside Chicago during the 1950s, a time period overwhelmed with economic struggle, racial thoughts, and segregation between African- American and Caucasian ethnicities. The reader will discover on their journey around the Younger apartment that the economic struggles that have been occuring is the driving force behind the many quarrels and arguments between Walter and Mama.