Walter Lee Younger's Characteristics
Walter Lee Youngers’ Characteristics In the 1920’s, many African-American families had left the southern states and migrated north to Chicago’s South Side in search of the “American Dream”, dreaming of freedom, equality, and the opportunity that was supposed to be available to every American. This “American Dream” was sought by many African Americans in the U.S. Written by Lorraine Hansberry and produced in 1959, The play: A Raisin in the Sun, gave readers a strong meaning about the values of dreams and the struggles in fulfilling them. Unlike other plays that contain one main character, A Raisin in the Sun consisted of having two main characters: Walter and Mama. The audience may find that one of the main characters from the play, Walter, showed a hard time in understanding the values of dreams. The audience may also find Walter’s character to be portrayed as both: a sympathetic and an unsympathetic representation of African-American men in Chicago’s Southside during the 1950-1960’s. The play takes place between 1945 and 1959 in Chicago’s South Side during , and begins with the Younger family waiting to receive an insurance check for the death of Mama’s husband Walter Sr. Each of the family members has their own dream and plan on how the check should be used. The character of the Younger family include: Lena Younger “Mama” who is in her 60’s and is the matriarch of the family, her son Walter Lee Younger a 35-year old chauffeur, his wife Ruth, their son Travis and Beneatha Younger, Walter’s 20-year old sister that is attending college and studying to become a doctor. The Younger’s each disagree with each other, resulting in the entire family arguing and fighting over how to spend the $10,000 check. Mama wants to use the money to buy a house and fulfill the dreams her and her husband shared. Ruth agrees with Mama and also wants a house and better opportunities for Travis. Beneatha needs the money to pay her tuition for medical school. Throughout the