Preview

walter

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
761 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
walter
Walter

In the play Raisin in the Sun by Lorrain Hansberry there are quite a few characters that I can relate to without difficulty. The character I can relate to easily is Walter. Walter is a poor man who dreams big and always wants more for himself and his family. By dreaming big it also makes Walter very selfish and negligent. While he acts this way it causes a lot of pressure on the things that mean the most to him, his family and marriage. Throughout the play Walter, like a lot us in the real world, took his mistakes and learned from them.
Walter is a big dreamer. Through out the play Walter showed great determination in opening a liquor store. By opening up a liquor store Walter thinks it will be his chance to finally step up as the man of the house and provide luxurious possessions for his wife and family. “Somebody tell me – tell me, who decides which women is suppose to wear pearls in the world. I tell you I am a man and I think my wife should wear some pearls in this world.” (III. I. 143) Since Walter doesn’t have the money to buy expensive things for his family, he feels like less of a man. As Walter continues to feel like less of a man, it makes him more bitter each passing day.
As Walter’s aspiration for the liquor store increases he starts to become more greedy and narcissistic, especially when his father’s ten thousand dollar insurance money check gets closer to arriving. As the family waits for the check to arrive there is anticipation on how the money is going to be divided. Walter is getting jealous of his sister Beneathea because, like Walter, she is a big dreamer and is becoming a doctor, and he knows his mother is going to put away money for her medical schooling. Walter and Beneathea were bickering about what Mama should do with the money and Walter got quite hot headed and said, “Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor?” (I.I .38) At this point in the play Walter was being very egotistical and didn’t realize that he and his

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Walter Lee is the head of the family and in the beginning of the play he seems to be extremely bitter. He works for a rich white man as a chauffeur. This easily makes him bitter on the inside because he sees everyday what it is like to be rich. You can tell this because he tells Mama that he sees the rich white boys sitting down to eat every day and he knows they are talking about business or something about closing a million dollar deal. Walter Lee has had many business ideas in the past but they all seem to flop to the ground in a hurry like humpty dumpty. When he comes up with the idea of going into partnership with some men to open a liquor store his Mama is upset with him. He eventually convinces her into giving him a cut of the money from the insurance company after she buys a house for them to move in to. When he gives the money to his partner for the business, his partner runs with the money and is not seen again. This makes Walter very upset and he goes off the deep end for a short amount of time. The need of money may be important but it is definitely not worth losing your family over. After the money is lost, Walter invites the white man back to the apartment to discuss his offer and plans to accept the bribe to his family for them not to move. When the man gets to the apartment, Walter changes his mind and tells the…

    • 519 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Walter Younger’s desires are complex and it gets to a point where his desires become a threat to him. “I want so many things that they are driving me kind of crazy…” (Hansberry 73). Walter apprises Mama this after he feels ignored when he attempts to explain the plan he has to open a liquor store with his friends, Willy and Bobo. Walter is beginning to understand how his dream deferred is affecting him. Walter not being able to achieve this goal not only affects him but it affects the ones around him as he changes the mood of the family when he has his temper tantrums when he doesn’t get it his…

    • 114 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Walter then realizes his mistakes and comes to the conclusion that his family comes before money. When Walter was talking to Linder at the end of the book when Linder thought that the Younger’s were going to take his money. Walter stated “And we have decided that we will move into our house because my father-my father earned it for us brick by brick. We don’t want to cause no trouble for nobody or fight no causes, and we will try and be good neighbors . And that’s all we got to say about it . We don’t want your money”(148) Considering this Walter at the beginning of the book would've had happily taken Linder's money because all he cared about is money. Furthermore, this accurately depicts Walters evolution as a character from being a boy who only cared about money to a man who has realized that money isn't the most important thing in the world. Moreover in the same conversation with Linder. Walter said, “And my sister over there she going to be a doctor and we are very proud.”(148) Furthermore, this depicts that Walter is no longer a selfish person and respects the dreams of his family members . In the beginning of the play Walter did not want Beneatha to go to medical school or become a doctor because it would take away money that would be available for his dream however now Walters supports his sister’s…

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At first, all Walter seems to care about is owning a liquor store with his two friends, Willy and Bobo. For example, one way he is trying to attempt his goal is by using Big Walter’s insurance money. He thinks that this is a good idea because it is an opportunity for him to make contributions for his family. In addition, Mama helps him out when she gives him $3500 to invest in a liquor store even…

    • 858 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Raisin in the Sun-English

    • 329 Words
    • 2 Pages

    “Mom we have to do something with the $10,000 what do you want to do with it”, I wish my family had $10,000 and needed my help to find out what to do with it. I probably would open up a family store or something. After viewing the movie and reading the play that was a good idea with what the mom planned to do but Walter should have never opened the liquor store after mom was undecided about getting one, but she let him do it anyway.…

    • 329 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although not broke, the Youngers are considered barely above poverty. With little income, and one young boy to care for, the household wealth does not hold up well. Even though Walter works as a chauffeur, he does what he can on his meager remuneration. Obviously, most people would hate being a chauffeur for many years and Walter is no exception. Later on in the play, Walter defies his work by staying out and going to the bar instead. This seeds the start of a long string of bad decisions that ultimately lead to Walter’s job being on the line. This defiance, developed within Walter at young age due to his fiery and explicit personality, will begin to greatly affect how he reacts to certain situations and his overall decision making process, furthering the risk on each choice Walter makes. Henceforth, Walter would rather drink his problems away than work through them. This will impact Walter’s goal of obtaining a middle income lifestyle for his…

    • 659 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the opening of the play we see Walter an ambitious man of thirty five years old, lacking in the knowledge of what it takes to become a businessman resulting in his childish demeanor. While the family prepares for the day ahead of them Walter gives his son, Travis, a quarter for school regardless of Ruth objecting “[ Ruth watches both of them…

    • 276 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lorraine Hansberry, author of the play Raisin in the Sun, creates and develops a clear hero in Raisin in the Sun. This hero is a main character named Walter, and he is the hero of this play because of his actions and characteristics. Hansberry also made various author decisions in which she created literary effects such as surprise. The central idea Walter aids in the development in throughout the entirety of the play are that family is important; this central idea is essential to the development of a hero in Raisin in the Sun.…

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Big Walter Masculinity

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Mama says that big Walter “worked himself to death” just so he can support his family. Walter has troubles supporting his family because he is trying to be the best man in his eyes which is hurting the family. Walter wants to be a rich successful man and can give whatever his family wants. Walter sets his mind on his liquor store and he will do whatever it takes for it. Walter wants to have this liquor really bad that the money Mama gave him and spent it all on his store and didn’t even get the store.…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At this point of the play Walter is coming to realization that he is doing a lousy job of supporting the family and he truly believes he can do better. He thinks that in order to do better though he needs money and because of this he believes "life is money." Lena replies to Walter shamefully, "You ain't satisfied or proud of nothing we done" (). Obviously, Walter, not being happy about where he is in life, upsets Mama greatly. Lena and Big Walter had worked really hard to provide a future for their children and now Walter is ashamed of their rundown apartment and lower-class lifestyle. Walter longs for a bigger and better future. Even though her children are losing pride of their lives, Lena continues to be proud of where she and her family have…

    • 611 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Walter Diemer

    • 385 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Walter E. Diemer (5 January 1904—9 January 1998) was an accountant and inventor of bubble gum.…

    • 385 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the novel Walter looks for ways to give the family what they want. He works on liquor store and he thinks that will provide him the financial security needed to boost them out of poverty, but sometimes he gets desperate and thinks none of this will help him. “Sometimes it’s like I can see the future stretched out in front of me – just plain as day. The future, Mama. Hanging over there at the edge of my days. Just waiting for me – a big, looming blank space – full of nothing.”(Hansberry 522). One can clearly see how Walter fears that his life will always be a life of nothing. He is overwhelmed by a sense of dread and fears that his suffering will continue on and on forever.…

    • 786 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The reality of being unable to achieve his dreams burdens Walter and eventually changes him into a greedy, selfish and cowardly young man who makes poor decisions and hurts those who love him. Walter’s obsession with money has caused his family a lot of trouble, especially when it comes to the discussion of the $10,000 insurance money they receive. He belittles Beneatha’s dreams of becoming a doctor and says, “Ain’t many girls who decide to be a doctor”(36). Walter even claims that spending money on Beneatha’s education is a waste, and that he and Ruth would have been richer and happier if Beneatha dropped school. Not only does he put down Beneatha’s dreams, he also selfishly wants all of the insurance money so that he can open a liquor store to make his own dream of being rich and successful come true. Ruth thought Walter was a dreamer and tells him to “eat your eggs” (34) every time he brings up his dreams. When he realizes that he none of his family supports his desire to opening a liquor store, he becomes a bitter and cowardly man. When Ruth tells him that she is pregnant and considering an abortion, he…

    • 763 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Walter in “A Raisin in the Sun” has a problem with his family. Since Walter’s family is going through a depression, the reader can expect the Water Lee family is facing internal conflicts. An internal conflict is a problem that deal’s with a person’s emotions. Walter Lee has a major internal conflict with money which leads to other problems with his family.At the beginning of the play Travis who is Walter’s son wanted an amount of money but Ruth kept refusing to give him that amount of money but Walter gave it to him anyway so he doesn’t find out they’re poor. Walter was a limousine driver for a rich person. Also, Walter’s mom has a check of 10,000 dollars. But she doesn’t want to use it for his dreams. immediately after it receives the check…

    • 265 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Two For The Money

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How you see him in the beginning of the movie is way different when you see him later on. Walter would take brandon to dinner with his wife and they would spend thousands on just wine. One scene I thought was kind of messed up was when Walter bet Brandon to walk up to that girl. At first it seemed promising to Brandon and he went for it but later found out that she was an escort and the whole time Walter just set it up for him. I can see why Walter would have done that because this young guy has never been to a major city like New York. He probably wanted to give Brandon an ego boost so he can think straight when choosing the winners of the football games. Walter turns out to lose it towards the end of the movie, he was addicted to gambling and goes back to it shortly after Brandon starts to lose. As for Toni she is played by Rene Russo and is Walter’s wife and as the movie progresses Brandon starts to fall for Toni. One scene that is a sign is when Brandon gives Toni a ride to work and another time is when Brandon kisses Toni and goes inside her home.…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics