Walter Lee In A Raisin In The Sun
In the play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the struggles of an African-American family are seen through their suffering due to prevailing racism and the lack of education and opportunities that were accessible to them. There weren’t many opportunities that were available for families, especially black families in the 1950’s, to help them survive and live comfortably. There weren’t many black families that were rich and well-off. Walter Lee Younger is a man, a father, a husband, a son and a brother who wants the best possible life for his family and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it. He seems to think that success is measured by the amount of money that a person possesses. Unfortunately, he isn’t well educated and …show more content…
The play focuses on the fact that the family is going to get a check for ten thousand dollars as reimbursement for the father’s life insurance policy due to his death. Walter Lee wants to use that money and invest in a liquor store with two of his friends. He believes that if he does this, he’ll be the man that he wants to be and be able to provide for his family. Walter Lee just wants to be successful and live his dream. He wants to provide everything that his family could ever need and want. He wants to live a life where they don’t have to struggle every day and wonder if they are going to have enough money. He doesn’t want to share a bathroom with all the neighbors, or have his mom and wife working day in and day out to help other people. Most importantly, he wants his son to be proud of him and have the ability to live out his dreams and become someone. “This morning, I was lookin’ in the mirror and thinking about it…I’m thirty-five years old; I been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the living room- all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live…” Walter wants his son to be proud of him and look up to him as an example. He wants his son to know that there’s more to living than working for someone else and struggling to live a meager life. He wants his son to know …show more content…
'cause an executive's life is hell, man… And I'll pull the car up on the driveway…just a plain black Chrysler, I think, with white walls—no —black tires... I'll have to get something a little sportier for Ruth—maybe a Cadillac convertible to do her shopping in… we'll go up to your room to see you sitting on the floor with the catalogues of all the great schools in America around you… All the great schools in the world! … Just tell me where you want to go to school and you'll go. Just tell me, what it is you want to be—and you'll be it… Whatever you want to
Richard Rodriguez American Dream
705 Words | 3 PagesIt appears as though his mother is the opposite of his father as his father likely encourages them to keep following their own path and working hand. While on the other hand, his mother reminisces about the past when her children didn’t have to worry or stress about any of that. Rodriguez shows how the idea of the American dream affected the quality family traditions. He does this by describing an experience while using language and details about different family members and even himself. Although different
The Glass Menagerie And A Raisin In The Sun
866 Words | 4 Pages(...) A man needs for a woman to back him up…” This shows that Walter feels that it’s his full responsibility to provide for his family and give them the money without being the “man” (head) of the family and make decisions about the money or take it and achieve his dream which collapsed in the end after the money was stolen by his best friend Willy Harris. Walter Lee wanted to achieve his dream by buying the liquor store with his family insurance money and prove that he is a man to his family after
Walter Lee Younger In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
778 Words | 4 Pages(Hansberry 495). Some argue that his attitude isn’t solely because he’s choosing to be pessimistic, perhaps he is also tired of living the life he’s living. Walter works as a chauffeur for a rich white man and feels that
Hansberry And The Great Depression
333 Words | 2 PagesWhen Walter Lee’s father, Big Walter dies, the family receives a $10,000 life insurance check and with that money the Younger’s move into Clybourne Park, a white neighborhood, Lorraine Hansberry’s family also moved into a white neighborhood, Washington Park, on 6140 S. Rhodes Avenue; Hansberry could have possibly had this in mind while writing this story. Lorraine Hansberry was well off financially for African Americans at the time, let alone all races during the great depression, so she never really got a feel for what living poor was like but Hansberry did see many poor children and this could be a factor for writing the play about the Younger family with their many financial struggles, like not even being able to have their own shower ; she
A Raisin In The Sun Analysis
809 Words | 4 PagesBeing the man of the household, Walter dreams of owning a liquor store and plans on using Lena’s money to do so. Walter is always after money and believes that the only way to succeed in life is with money. For example, when Walter is talking about the check, he says, “Mama, sometimes when I’m downtown and I pass them cool, quiet-looking restaurants where them white boys are sitting back and talking about things, turning deals worth millions of dollars, sometimes I see guys don’t look much older than me” (992).This shows how Walter wanted something more out of life and not just be a poor black man. Everyone in this family had dreams but no one supported each other dreams.
Compare And Contrast The Movie A Raisin In The Sun
1449 Words | 6 PagesThe play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry debuted on Broadway in 1959, and the movie was made in 2008. “A Raisin in the Sun” is about the Younger family, the fifth generation of lower-class African-Americans living in Chicago’s Southside. They are faced with problems such as racial discrimination, poverty, and conflicting dreams. As the family decides on how to spend the insurance check of $10,000 from Walter’s father’s death, these problems cause many conflicts to rise. Reading the 1959 play and the 2008 movie, I have realized certain similarities and differences in how the story plays out.
Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis
1500 Words | 6 PagesIn the play Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry takes place on the southside of Chicago where Walter and his family are racially profiled and show us how the survive throughout their struggles. The central struggles for the younger family in their search for the American dream is mostly poverty and being racially profiled against for their actions. Hansberry challenges the traditional gender roles and issues of dominance throughout the play when Mama gives Walter lee the rest of the money at the end of the play. He becomes all excited and was supposed to save some for himself and put the rest of the money to Beneatha 's education. Instead, he gave all that money to Willy another character in the play which later on that he stole from him.
Pride In A Raisin In The Sun
1487 Words | 6 PagesWalter further shows his false pride when he flaunts his newfound sense of power when Mr.Lindner, one of the Younger’s soon-to-be neighbors, offers him an unjust deal. Now that Walter has control over the family 's money, he considers himself the head of the family and decision maker; this plays an important role towards how Walter treats others now that he holds himself to a higher standard. This theme applies to Walter when the chairman of the “welcoming committee” (115) named Mr.Lindner pays a visit to the family a couple weeks before they 're supposed to move into their new home in Clybourne Park. During this visit, Mr.Lindner makes the offer of the Clybourne Park community “buy[ing] the house from [them] at a financial gain to [the] family” (118). Mr.Lindner’s offer represents the racial oppression and how the white community looks down upon and doesn’t want African american people dirtying their communities.
A Raisin In The Sun Mama Character Analysis
612 Words | 3 PagesMama has a difficult decision on whom to give the money to when she receives $10,000 from her husband's death. There is a problem that Mama has come across, it is the decision either to give the money to Walter for his liquor store, or to give Beneatha the money for college. Mama also has her own idea to buy a house to solve their living situation. In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, Walter should get the money to buy the liquor store. This is because it will benefit him and the family.
Theme Of Greed In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
1393 Words | 6 PagesWhen people are poor, they often have a lot of problems in their life. They struggle through every day, but they learn to appreciate everything that they have. However, when people are going through tough times, they often think that money will solve all of their problems. In “A Raisin In The Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, she guides the audience through a black family -- impacted by the need for money -- living on the south side of Chicago. The Younger family gets Lena Younger’s dead husband’s insurance check and buys a house in a white neighborhood, and they save the remainder of the money for Beneatha’s medical degree and for starting a liquor store.
Examples Of Heroism In A Raisin In The Sun
1130 Words | 5 PagesIn Lorraine Hansberry’s “Raisin in the Sun” Act 3 Walter has seized the hero role and he displays a lot of pride. Walter is starting to understand that he has to stand up for what he believes in and not everything is about money. “And we have decided to move into our house because my father-my father-he earned it for us brick by brick”(1933). Walter turns down the Clybourne Park Association 's offer only after he remembers the roots his family has in America, and the rights that they deserve. He wants to set a strong example for his son, Travis, just like his father did for him.
The Importance Of Money In A Raisin In The Sun
826 Words | 4 PagesThe way that Walter thinks is that if he had lots of money he would be better and act different, but sometimes people with too much don’t really act like they enjoy and also money never solves big problems but walter thinks it will. I believe that if you have too much money you think that everything is going so well at the moment and you don't care about spending money, but one day something could occur and you will lose all of so this just shows that no one should rely on money. In life you need to make sacrifices that could be should i spend money on an investment that could be helpful and help out my family in the future or if that I should buy something so I could help out my family instead of later. I believe that you should always help out the family when they are in need because something could happen and it could all go away. Having money should never define the person you are because you could be rich you could just be rude and not help anyone and be selfish and if you are wealthy you could have the nicest heart and be very helpful to people that are in need.
Hardships In A Raisin In The Sun
1127 Words | 5 PagesAll Walter wanted was to have money and open his own liquor store but it was not possible. Walter’s dream was unfortle not able to come true
Social Issues In A Raisin In The Sun
816 Words | 4 PagesA Raisin in the Sun addresses major social issues such as racism and feminism which were common in the twentieth century. The author, Lorraine Hansberry, was the first playwright to produce a play that portrayed problematic social issues. Racism and gender equality are heavily addressed throughout the play. Even though we still have these issues today, in the 1950’s and 60’s the issues had a greater part in society. Racism and gender have always been an issue in society, A Raisin in the Sun is an important piece of American history during that time period.
Race And Dreams In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
1138 Words | 5 PagesWalter has a dream to own a liquor store so that he makes money from that business and is then is able to financially provide things for his family like he believes a man should, but him being blacks affects his dream. (add more words b4)Walter brings
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