Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” The playwright, A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, is an excellent example of an African American family struggling to live through the severe discrimination of the 1950s. The Youngers, a family of five residing in a tiny apartment in the slums of South Side Chicago, wish to escape poverty and live as happily as the white families in America. Walter Lee Younger, an ambitious man who works as a chauffeur and believes money is happiness, becomes selfish and learns a valuable lesson through his attempt to own a liquor store in order to resolve his family’s financial struggles. By the end of the story, Walter’s persistence on bringing the Younger’s out of the ghetto and into an elegant area seems closer to a reality than it does to a dream. In the Younger household, Mama is the ultimate leader of the family. Although she does not believe that money has much meaning in life, she does wish to move her family into a more sizable home. Walter Lee Jr., Mama’s son and eldest child who is not the least bit content with his life, constantly …show more content…
Walter, not wanting any part of her words, replies to her claim, saying, “No-it was always money, Mama. We just didn’t know about it.” (74) In order to receive money fast, and be able to escape the ghettos of Chicago, Walter sets out to invest in and own a liquor store with his friends, Willy and Bobo. Walter believes that the liquor store would be him and his family’s ticket out of their small apartment and into a much larger, more luxurious residency. Walter’s ambition to have his own liquor store pertains to be as intense as the desire of a cheetah to chase down a
... buy the family a new house so that Travis would have a better place to grow up. Mama could have spent that money on something she wanted, but instead bought something that would make the whole family happy. After she buys their new house, Mama gives Beneatha $3000 dollars towards college and gives Walter $3500 dollars to better his future. Mama has given all of the insurance money to the people she cares about, and kept none of it for herself. She thought about her children’s future and decided to invest the money towards a better life for them. This is a very unselfish act on Mama’s part, a perfect example of putting family before oneself.
The values of the New World have caused Walter to become materialistic, emotionally insensitive, and frustrated. The first example of where this can be seen is during Walter’s argument with Mama. Mama and Walter both have different meanings on what it means to be alive. Walter, due to having become materialistic, views the meaning of life as money. Mama views the ...
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 Sr. was Walter and Beneathas father he died and his wife mama received ten thousand dollar for life insurance. Walter wants the whole ten thousand dollars for himself and put it down on the liquor store. But Beneatha wants to go to medical school and be a doctor. Walter thinks that it is selfish of Beneatha that she wants to attend medical school because he then wouldn't get all of the money for the liquor store. Beneatha "that money belongs to Mama, Walter, and its for her to decide how she wants to use it. I don't care if she wants to buy a house or a rocket ship or just nail it up somewhere and look at it. It's hers. Not ours hers." Mamas getting all the money and it is up to her if she wants the money for herself give it to Beneatha for school or give it to Walter for the liquor store. Now that it is getting closer to the date in which the money will arrive. Walter is acting more and more desperate for that money.
Similar to present day, the Younger family in the play “Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry centers the struggles and expectations of the patriarch. Lorraine Hansberry depicts the life of the Youngers living on the south side of Chicago who when the play opens is frantically waiting for an insurance check. Walter Younger is the patriarch of the Younger Family, and his ambitions with the check is eventually prioritized above the women of the family. Walter Younger is centered in the family with his expectation of manhood on Travis, unhealthy expressions of love to Ruth, and failure as a son to Lena Younger (Mama). The centering of a black men’s experiences and desires is toxic and is paired with the subordination of black women and children in the family.
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
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.
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 ...
“A man’s success is measured by what his wife and kids say about him. Money and accomplishments mean nothing if you let your home fail.” This quote by Tony Gaskins perfectly portrays the lesson Walter learned in the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. The play takes place in 1950’s south-side Chicago over the span of a little over a week. It features an African-American family of five faced with constant arguments and conflicts over the opportunity provided by the insurance money of a dead family member, Walter’s father.
Walter Younger is passionate and ambitious about his dreams. However, as the play progresses he becomes more desperate because he is desperate to escape poverty, and he feels that his business idea will solve all their economic and social problems. After receiving the $10,000 life insurance check, he has the dream of opening a liquor store with the money. However, Mama’s objects the idea of investing in liquor because of her religious objections, and refuses to give them the money. His dream becomes A Raisin in the Sun when he decides to trust Willy Harris with part of the insurance money, but he takes his money and runs.
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.
He is working as a chauffeur for a rich white man and he has no room for advancement in his current career. Walter represents the typical man who wants to provide for his family, but he spends his days sucking up to his boss and not able to provide for his family. Mama Younger will receive 10,000 from her husband’s passing and the entire family has their dreams set upon what to do with it. Walter plans to use the money to invest in a liquor store with his buddy, Willy Harris. Walter’s entire family is against him opening up a liquor store and Mama Younger takes a down-payment on a house in a white neighborhood. A white man named Mr. Linder tries to get Walter to take money in exchange for not moving into the white neighborhood, Walter, the hero at this point, declines to take the money because he is not set on bowing down to the white man. When Mama Younger does this, Walter goes into a three-day drinking binge and decides to not go back to work. Walter eventually receives 6,500 dollars from Mama and she tells him to put 3,000 of the money for Beneatha’s education. Walter keeps the 3,500 to plan out his dream of opening a liquor store. When Walter believes that his dreams are finally accomplished, he turns into a kinder man towards his family. Walter becomes friendlier with his sister, hugs his mother and takes his wife for dates. The Walter Younger, who now believes that his family will acquire The American Dream, is a
Walter has a steady, but low paying job and wishes that he could do more for his family. The money he makes hardly provides enough for his family to survive. He is constantly thinking about get rich quick schemes to insure a better life. He doesn’t want to be a poor back man all of his life and wishes that he could fit in with rich whites. He doesn’t realize that people won’t give him the same opportunities, as they would if he were white (Decker). Walter feels that he needs to provide more for his family and starts to ask around on how to make some money. He gets the idea of opening up a liquor store and has his heart set on it. Because he wants to please everybody he loses his better judgment and acts without thinking of the long-term effects. He is ready for a change and feels the store will bring his family a better life (Hyzak). “Mama, a job? I open and close car doors all day long. I drive a man around in his Limousine and say, Yes, sir; no, sir; very good sir; shall I take the drive, sir? Mama, that ain’t no kind of job ... that ain’t nothing at all” ( Hansberry 1755).
Instead of arguing against his wife to keep the baby, Walter agrees that she should get an abortion. Within the text, Mama says, “I’m waiting to hear how you be your father’s son. Be the man he was…” (1535). In this quote, one can see that there is a conflict between Walter and his wife and mother because he is not being the man they desperately want him to be. Ultimately, the issue that lies between Walter and his family is that he felt that that money makes a happy home while his family members would argue that a happy family is what makes a happy home.