Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

He thinks about Ruth, his wife, and treating her better when he thinks about becoming wealthy from the liquor store business. He talks about his dream to his son and tells him that he would buy Ruth a good car, “Rich people don’t have to be flashy…though I’ll have to get something a little sportier for Ruth—maybe a Cadillac convertible to do her shopping in…” (109). Walter is not a selfish person; he does not want to get rich only to make his own life better and buy himself a yacht, but he also cares deeply about his family. Moreover, Walter wants to improve Ruth’s job, and it is seen when Mama does not want to invest in his liquor store, he mentions Ruth: “Yeah—and tell it to my wife, Mama, tomorrow when she has to go out of here to look after somebody else’s kids” (71). His heart aches seeing his wife work to take care of others’ kids when she should be looking after her own, and he blames it on himself and his inability. After losing the check money, he calls Lindner, a white man, to pay them money for not moving into an all-white neighborhood. Again, his behavior seems irresponsible to other people in his family, but he just wants to get as much money back as possible to make up for the money he wastes. He says that Lindner would get in their house and he would be, “able to write checks for more than [they] ever had” (143). He is not trying to be selfish after all; he just wants to put pearls around his wife’s neck: “Yes, I want to hang some real pearls ‘round my wife’s neck. Ain’t she supposed to wear no pearls?” (143). His intentions are all for a good purpose, and it is very simple, just the rest of his family does not support him and does not agree with his

In the first act of the play Walter begins to talk about the arrival of the check. He tells his wife Ruth to talk to his mom about the liquor store he wants to start because she will listen more to her than him. In the story Walter says, “Mama would listen to you. You know she listen to you more than she do me and Bennie”. This quote from Walter states that he is using his mother’s loyalty and kindness to his wife to benefit him, he is only thinking about himself. In the play Walter says, “you just sip your coffee, see, and say easy like that you been thinking bout that deal Walter Lee is so interested in, bout the store and all.”

Walter Younger wants to invest his money, and is tired of the white man stopping his desires. His dreams are to have money, so he can live the American dream just like the fellow white men. Also to provide for his family, and most importantly his children. He works as a chauffeur opening door, and driving the white man around. Walter in the story struggles with his living, and the poverty that his family are in. In the story, Walter tries to invest his money into opening a liquor business. After losing his money in the investment. Towards the end of the movie, he starts to realize that his dreams are already there. This was a major inciting incident in the story. To repeat, Walter and his family dreams are crushed by Walters poor choices.

Many people go through different moralities in there life some that they believe can change their life for the better but don’t know the consequences. This ties in with issues involving money. Many people believe that money is the way to happiness and do what they can to get money even if it means to hurt your loved ones. In the play “Raisin in the Sun” Walter Lee Younger is man that lives in South Side Chicago and at point in life that he’s in, he wants to do something in his life and make a difference for colored people. The way he believes he can accomplish that is by opening a bar to make money for his family while believing money is the only source of happiness. Walters ideal morality was to make sure he got his hands on the insurance money so he could open up the bar even if it meant his family would suffer when things went wrong.

Walter asserting his manhood against his mother’s matriarchal dominance can be seen as the principal conflict in Hansberry’s work. Walter’s mother in settled in her traditional and old schools ways and views masculinity as a life-affirming Black tradition, whereas Walter equates manhood and masculinity with how much money one has and being his family’s sole provider. When Walter’s father died his mother received $10,000 in life insurance payments. She takes a portion of the money and uses it to purchase a house in a well-established suburban white neighborhood. In terms of the remaining money, Walter wanted to invest in a liquor store. After much persuading, Mama finally gives in and gives Walter the rest of the money. When the investment goes belly up Walter loses all the money. His attempt to establish his manhood ironically made him

The Younger family has not been able to experience the finer things in life, and Walter, being the authoritative male figure, feels he is at fault knows that a change is needed. Walter’s solution is to use his father’s life insurance money to fund the acquiring of a liquor license. The women of the household are always ordering around Walter. It’s Ruth, Mama, or Beneatha telling him how to run things, and when he gets a chance to take the initiative by using the money to invest in his liquor license, his friend betrays him, and his dreams are crushed.

Walter’s believes in the beginning, of the book to be a man you have to be career oriented and making enough money to provide for your family. In the beginning of the book, Ruth is making eggs for Walter as they discuss what to do with the money from the life insurance. Ruth is focused on making breakfast while Walter is focused on how a man would respond as, “I got to change my life, I’m choking to death, baby!.” (37) The fact that it’s choking walter to death that he can not provide for his family and be successful without the life insurance money shows that his mainfocus is achieving for his family . Walter believes his family should not only have enough money to get by, but thinks they should have a surplus of material objects. Walter tells Mama, “sometimes when I’m downtown and I pass them cool, quiet-looking restaurants where them white boys are sitting back and talking ’bout things … sitting there turning deals worth millions of dollars …”sometimes I see guys don’t look much older than me.” (76) As Walter sees his opportunity start to pass he starts to see he need to start focusing on his career.

Walter is constantly dreams of getting a great job and making lots of money, but Mama does not apprehend why and asks, “Son-how come you talk so much about money?” (Hansberry 74). Walter states, “Because it is life, Mama!” (74); as a result, Mama replies saying, “Oh- So now it’s life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life-now it’s money. I guess the world really do change …” (74). This exhibits that Walter believes that if he could produce lots of money his whole life would be great although Mama believes that freedom makes life great. Walter feels that his future is “a big, looming blank space-full of nothing….But it don’t have to be.” (73-74). This shows that the dispute

Walter does not have control over his own responsibilities. Therefore, if he was given all the resources needed to provide his family his poor judgement and lack of business sense would create further stress on the family. Ruth, Mama, and his sister Beanetha attack him from every angle about his doubtful ideals. Ironically, those ideals are what Walter needs to shape and justify his manhood. Without ideals and proper resources to obtain them, a man's existence can be regarded as insignificant. There are many obstacles in the way of Walter?s dream of opening a liquor store, as he tries to explain to his wife, Ruth, about what he has to do, ?Baby, don?t nothing happen for you in this world ?less you pay somebody off!?(Hansberry 33) Walter's determination to open the liquor store can be viewed as means to an end to his family?s hardships.

He wants to do what he thinks is right and what will be best for his family. Walter’s dream is to start a business – his own liquor store. Walter wants to succeed and wants a different job other than being a chauffeur. Walter argues, “I want so many things that they are driving me kind of crazy … Mama – look at me” (Hansberry 522). Walter wants more than a minimum salary and a crammed apartment. Walter is frustrated about how he is providing for his family. He wants more for himself and for his family. According to Walter, a successful business would result in more money and better housing for the Youngers.

Then when he does fail he blames his failures on other people who are close to him, this is shown when he makes the remark of, "No thanks to the colored women." (Hansberry 35). Walter fails to understand that his wife gives him continual support, which ties into one of his "harmatias" which is his ability to make rash decisions. Ruth, is a very important character in this story for the fact that she has the opportunity to do something amazing, that is go to medical school. But in Walters' everlasting foolishness invests in a liquor store instead of her college funds. It is this rash decision made by him that causes feuds within the family.

“So money is life... things have changed”- Mama Pg. 75. In the quote Mama is surprised that money has the power to make or break the world; and more importantly that it has such a strong grip on her son Walter. I can see Walters’s displeasure when he is denied the money needed to fund his liquor store by Mama. The economic status of most Blacks in the 1950’s was poor; most had jobs in the service

In the play A Raisin in the Sun Walter has hopes and dreams but can’t succeed them because the racist society.Walter works as a drive for a white person and he doesn’t really like his job. Also he has a dream and that is to open a liquor store but can’t

Showing his frustration to his mother, Walter does not feel like he will ever acquire his dream because he feels like he never got the chance or opportunity to. The inability of not able to provide a better life for his household is causing him to stress, act out of character and clouding his decision making. With nowhere else to turn he thought he could use his father’s life insurance money to invest into a liquor store which turned into a scam. Walter feeling trapped from making advancements in life, he makes a huge mistake and learns from this error. In the play Walter is talking to mother describing his anger,

Additionally, Walter’s sister Beneatha, is another woman in the house who also affects Walter’s decision because of their negative relationship. She is aiming to be a doctor. Walter thinks that is not a good idea when he tells her "Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy 'bout messing 'round with sick people--then go be a nurse like other women--or just get married and be quiet..." (Hansberry 38). Likewise, she does not respect Walter at all, that