Why does Walter change in A Raisin in the Sun?
How Does Walter Change In A Raisin In The Sun
- Summary Of A Dream In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun. Walter takes a stand against racism and for his family to express his manhood. ...
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What is Walter's job in Raisin in the Sun?
In Lorraine Hansberry 's classic play A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee Younger is employed as Mr. Arnold's chauffeur . Walter is portrayed as a vibrant, enthusiastic man with massive dreams of one day becoming a successful businessman. Despite his huge dreams and motivation to climb the social ladder, he is employed as a lowly chauffeur.
Who did Walter call in A Raisin in the Sun?
Walter reenters and tells Mama, Ruth, and Beneatha that he made a phone call to “The Man.” Beneatha realizes that Walter is referring to Karl Lindner and questions Walter about the call. Walter states that the family is “going to do business with him.” Walter begins a speech about the divisions in life between “the takers and the ‘tooken.’”
Who are the characters in A Raisin in the Sun?
- Lena Younger (Mama)
- Walter Lee Younger
- Beneatha Younger
- Ruth Younger
- Joseph Asagai
- George Murchison
- Karl Lindner
- Mrs. Johnson
- Walter Younger (Big Walter)
- Willy Harris
What is Walter's role in a raisin in the sun?
As Mama's only son, Ruth's defiant husband, Travis's caring father, and Beneatha's belligerent brother, Walter serves as both protagonist and antagonist of the play. The plot revolves around him and the actions that he takes, and his character evolves the most during the course of the play.
What is Walter Lee's role in the family?
Walter Lee Younger In his middle thirties, he is the husband of Ruth, father of Travis, brother of Beneatha, and son of Lena (Mama) Younger. Walter works as a chauffeur and drinks a bit too much at times.
What type of character is Walter Lee?
Essentially, this play is the story of Walter Lee Younger, sometimes called "Brother." Passionate, ambitious, and bursting with the energy of his dreams, Walter Lee is a desperate man, shackled by poverty and prejudice, and obsessed with a business idea that he thinks will solve all of his economic and social problems.
What is Walter Lee's ambition?
Walter Lee wants to invest his mother's money into a liquor store and ultimately be able to provide for his family, while Beneatha hopes to spend her money on medical school to become a doctor, so that she can prove that women are capable of the same achievements as men.
What does Walter Lee represent?
Walter Lee represents the dilemma of African American males who inherited the pride and hopes of the civil rights movement but who are thwarted in their achievement of full manhood in the eyes of society.
What solution does Walter have?
What solution does Walter have? He thinks accepting the money from Lindner will solve their problem.
How does Walter Lee change in raisin in the sun?
In the end, Walter finds his self-respect and leads his family on to their new house. Although Walter makes the worst mistakes out of any other character in the play, he also undergoes the greatest transformation. His journey takes him from total jerk, obsessed with get-rich-quick schemes, to a man worthy of respect.
Is Walter Lee a sympathetic character?
According to Vocabulary.com, a sympathetic character in literature is a character who is likable or who evokes feelings of sympathy from the audience. A prime example of a sympathetic character is Walter Lee Younger from A Raisin in the Sun.
What is Walter's dream?
Walter dreams of becoming wealthy and providing for his family as the rich people he drives around do. He often frames this dream in terms of his family—he wants to give them what he has never had.
Did Walter achieve his dream?
Walter decided to sacrifice his dream of opening a liquor store, just to obtain respect from his family and his manhood again. For him it was a tough decision since he was already suffering, but at the end he ended up giving up on money and prove his family that he is proud and that he is not blinded by wealth.
How does Walter's dream explode?
As the play climaxes, it is Walter's dream that explodes out of control and delivers a devastating blow to the Younger family. In general terms, Walter wants to rise above his class status to gain dignity, pride, and respect.
How was Walter selfish?
Walter reasons that in a selfish world, only the takers succeed. At this point in the play, Walter has hit rock bottom. He has failed his family and, as a way to make things better, is considering taking Lindner's money. “He who takes most is smartest” equates to the ends justifying the means.
Who is Walter Lee?
Walter Lee is a man who is confused in the beginning and believes to some extent that money is everything and has all power.
Why does Walter Lee get mad at his family?
The family supports Walter Lee but at times get mad at him because they don’t understand why money has to be everything. Walter’s dream has been to have money and take care of his family. He finally understands in the end that his family is the most important thing there is, not money.
What does Walter tell the white guy after he loses the cash?
When the male gets to the home, Walter alters his mind and tells the man that they are going to move into your house in any case.
How much is Walter Lee's check?
There is a $10,000 check coming from the insurance provider for Walter Lee’s father’s death. He is the male of your house now and is identified to provide a much better life for him and his family. Which he determines at the end that cash is not whatever.
What is the play a Raisin in the Sun about?
The play a Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry. This story is about an African American family living in Southside Chicago. In the story, the family goes through many difficulties particularly when it comes to cash. The Younger household resides in an overcrowded home which has very little room for all of them. There is a $10,000 check coming from the insurance provider for Walter Lee’s father’s death. He is the male of your house now and is identified to provide a much better life for him and his family.
Who is the head of the family in the play?
Walter Lee is the head of the family and in the beginning of the play he appears to be very bitter. He works for an abundant white guy as a driver. This quickly makes him bitter on the inside since he sees everyday what it resembles to be abundant.
What is the plot of Walter the play?
The plot revolves around him and the actions that he takes, and his character evolves the most during the course of the play. Most of his actions and mistakes hurt the family greatly, but his belated rise to manhood makes him a sort of hero in the last scene. Throughout the play, Walter provides an everyman perspective of ...
Who does Walter fight with?
Walter often fights and argues with Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha. Far from being a good listener, he does not seem to understand that he must pay attention to his family members’ concerns in order to help them.
What is Walter's perspective in the play?
Throughout the play, Walter provides an everyman perspective of the mid-twentieth-century Black male. He is the typical man of the family who struggles to support it and who tries to discover new, better schemes to secure its economic prosperity.
What does the author realize when he begins to listen to Mama and Ruth?
Once he begins to listen to Mama and Ruth express their dreams of owning a house, he realizes that buying the house is more important for the family’s welfare than getting rich quickly.
What is Walter Lee's character?
Character Analysis Walter Lee Younger ("Brother") Character Analysis. Walter Lee Younger ("Brother") Essentially, this play is the story of Walter Lee Younger, sometimes called "Brother.". Passionate, ambitious, and bursting with the energy of his dreams, Walter Lee is a desperate man, shackled by poverty and prejudice, ...
Does Mama give Walter money?
Sadly, Walter never sees any way out of his economic distress other than the liquor store, which his mother opposes solely on moral grounds. Nowhere in the play does Mama indicate that she would not give Walter the money for some other business idea; it's just that she resists the idea of his selling liquor.
What is Walter in a Raisin in the Sun about?
Walter in A Raisin in the Sun is best described as an antihero, or an unconventional hero.
Who is Walter Lee Younger?
Walter Lee Younger is one of the main characters and the antihero, or unconventional hero, of Lorraine Hansberry's award-winning play A Raisin in the Sun. Walter feels useless as a man because he doesn't make enough money to provide for his family.
What is Walter's speech in the play?
In Scene Two of the play's second act, Walter delivers a short speech, also known as a monologue, explaining how Mama's decision not to give him the money for the liquor store has affected him.
What happens to Walter's father?
When Walter's father dies and leaves behind a $10,000 life insurance check, he sees it as his chance to invest in the liquor store. The entire family is against the liquor store for different reasons. Walter's mother is very religious and finds the idea of a liquor store to be sinful.
What is Walter's mother's religion?
Walter's mother is very religious and finds the idea of a liquor store to be sinful. His wife and sister simply don't believe his friend can be trusted. Since Walter's mother is in control of the insurance check, she initially refuses to give him the money to invest in the liquor store.
What is Walter's bright idea?
Walter's Bright Idea. Walter comes up with an idea to make his situation better. He dreams of opening a liquor store with one of his friends, because he feels it will allow him to make enough money to provide for the family and give him the power to be his own boss.
Why does Walter refuse to go to work?
This decision completely infuriates Walter. Feeling depressed because his family isn't supporting his dream, Walter refuses to go to work and even stays out drinking for three days straight.
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry. Debuting on Broadway in 1959, it details the experiences of a Black family living in a tiny apartment in Chicago, trying to better their financial situation in any way they can.
Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun
At the beginning of A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family has recently lost a family member. The father of Walter Lee Younger has just passed, and the family is awaiting a $10,000 life insurance payout.
Character Analysis of Walter
Walter, A Raisin in the Sun's main character, is a middle-aged Black man down on his luck. His life has been impacted greatly by racism and poverty, and all he desires is to be wealthy so he can support his family and achieve his dreams. He is ambitious, but with this strong ambition comes selfishness and desperation.
Questions for A Raisin in the Sun
1. Walter, his mother, and his sister Beneatha all have an idea about the best use of the insurance money the family receives. Why does Walter think his idea is best? Is he thinking only of himself, or is he planning for the family as well? Consider the pros and cons of each possible use of the money.
Who is Walter's wife in The Youngers?
Walter’s wife and Travis’s mother. Ruth takes care of the Youngers’ small apartment. Her marriage to Walter has problems, but she hopes to rekindle their love. She is about thirty, but her weariness makes her seem older. Constantly fighting poverty and domestic troubles, she continues to be an emotionally strong woman. Her almost pessimistic pragmatism helps her to survive.
What is Walter's dream?
Walter is a dreamer. He wants to be rich and devises plans to acquire wealth with his friends, particularly Willy Harris. When the play opens, he wants to invest his father’s insurance money in a new liquor store venture. He spends the rest of the play endlessly preoccupied with discovering a quick solution to his family’s various problems.
What does Beneatha dislike about George?
The Youngers approve of George, but Beneatha dislikes his willingness to submit to white culture and forget his African heritage. He challenges the thoughts and feelings of other Black people through his arrogance and flair for intellectual competition.
Who is the only white character in the play?
Mr. Karl Lindner. The only white character in the play. Mr. Lindner arrives at the Youngers’ apartment from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association. He offers the Youngers a deal to reconsider moving into his (all-white) neighborhood.
Who is Willy Harris?
Willy Harris. A friend of Walter and coordinator of the liquor store plan. Willy never appears onstage, which helps keep the focus of the story on the dynamics of the Younger family.
How old is Beneatha from Mama?
Mama’s daughter and Walter’s sister. Beneatha is an intellectual. Twenty years old, she attends college and is better educated than the rest of the Younger family. Some of her personal beliefs and views have distanced her from conservative Mama.
Who is Walter Lee?
Walter Lee is the only protagonist and antagonist at the same time in A Raising in the Sun. As the play opens, Walter comes out conspicuously due to his ideologies concerning the money the Youngers are about to receive from an insurance firm as life insurance policy for the deceased Mr. Youngers. Every person in the Youngers family has ...
What is Walter's role in the story?
From an irresponsible immature father, husband, brother and a son, he fights many fights to become his family’s foundation (Robert Para. 9). He made many mistakes like making unwise investment among others. However, as the story ends, he becomes a responsible person. He refuses Mr. Lindner’s money, a move that brings unity, joy, and peace in the family, hence becoming the cornerstone of the family.
How long does Walter go on a drinking spree?
After Mama announces that she has paid down payment on the family house, Walter cannot believe it and he accuses his mother of betraying him and thrashing his dream to own a business. He goes into drinking spree for three days until his boss calls Ruth to enquire what has happened.
What does Walter promise Willy?
He promises Willy; his friend and imminent business collaborate that he will take money to him immediately. This promise is immature; Walter knows very well that getting the money to invest in his business remains a point of contention, yet he promises Willy that he would take the money.
Why does Walter's wife want to buy a house?
Ruth, Walter’s wife, supports the idea of buying a house for the family because this would mean better future life for her son Travis. On the other hand, Walter seems to have a dream for the family. He wants to invest the money in a joint liquor store and co-own it with his acquaintances.
What is Walter's maturity?
Walter’s maturity comes out clearly, when he stands to defend his family. (CliffNotes Para. 6). When mama decides to reverse her decision of buying the family house, Walter stands his ground and reverses his decision to sign Mr. Lindner’s papers that would prevent them from moving to Clybourne Park.
Who is Walter Lee Younger's wife?
Ruth Younger The thirtyish wife of Walter Lee Younger and the mother of Travis, their ten-year-old son. Ruth acts as peacemaker in most of the explosive family situations. Very low-key, Ruth reveals her strongest emotions only when she learns of the possibility of their moving to a better neighborhood.
Who is Bobo in Walter Lee?
Bobo The somewhat dimwitted friend of Walter Lee who, along with another friend, Willy, plans to invest in Walter Lee's business scheme.
What is Walter's job?
Walter works as a chauffeur and drinks a bit too much at times. When he discovers that his mother will receive a $10,000 check from his father's insurance, he becomes obsessed with his dreams of a business venture which will give him financial independence and, in his mind, will make him a more valuable human being.
Who is Mama Beneatha's suitor?
Mama's selfless spirit is shown in her plans to use her $10,000 insurance check for the good of her family, part of which includes plans to purchase a house in a middle-class white neighborhood. Joseph Asagai An African college student from Nigeria, Asagai is one of Beneatha's suitors.
Who is Beneatha Younger?
Beneatha Younger The twentyish sister of Walter Lee and the daughter of Lena Younger. She is a college student planning to go to medical school. The only family member privileged to have the opportunity for a higher education, she is sometimes a little overbearing in the pride she takes in being an "intellectual.".
