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 kind of person is Walter in a raisin in the sun?

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 does Walter represent in a raisin in the sun?

In ”A Raisin in the Sun” Hansberry uses Walter Lee Younger to represent the ambitious but, uninformed African American family. Walter’s main role in ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ is to personify the African American families that make many gambles, which eventually lead to complete failure.

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 kind of person is Walter?

Walter is a greedy, uncaring person. He wants to do more for his family but his dream of the liquor store in impairing that view. Walter also has good intentions, but his pacing is too fast.

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.

Why is Walter Lee the protagonist?

More than any of the other characters, Walter most clearly serves as the main protagonist, since his dreams and his struggle to fulfill them drive much of the play’s action. Now that his father has died, Walter must take on more responsibility for the family’s well-being.

Is Walter Lee a hero?

In A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee is not a tragic hero. … His refusal of Lindner’s offer, which would have meant staying out of a White neighborhood, makes him a hero precisely because he will not allow the lack of money to become a tragedy by harming and humiliating his family.

What does Walter Lee symbolize?

Many of the characters hold a strong symbolic meaning, and Walter Lee Younger is no exception. He is the symbol of hope and ambition, dreams and desires, passion and fury. When taken at face value, all of those characteristics are applied towards his own success and the well-being of the family.

What was Big 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.

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How did Walter change in a raisin in the sun?

Walter changes by losing his selfish and arrogant attitude and finding pride in himself to refuse a bribe. He realizes living in the house his mother…

How is Walter selfish in a raisin in the sun?

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.

Why does Mama call Walter a disgrace?

Why did Mama call Walter a disgrace to his father’s memory? He had turned his back on God and become an alcoholic. He beat his wife and disgraced his mother. He had become too concerned with money and had lost traditional family values.

What happens to Walter's dream?

As the man of the house, Walter fights against the demons of poverty and racial/social injustice that plagued his father and now seem to have a tight grip upon him. As the play climaxes, it is Walter’s dream that explodes out of control and delivers a devastating blow to the Younger family.

Is Walter Mama's son?

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.

How does mama feel about Walter?

Mama is the most nurturing character in the play, and she constantly reminds Walter that all she has ever wanted is to make her children happy and provide for them. She cares deeply for Walter and shows this care by giving him the remaining insurance money.

What does Mama Walter do with the money?

She gives him the remaining $6,500 of the insurance money, telling him to deposit $3,000 for Beneatha’s education and to keep the last $3,500. With this money, Mama says, Walter should become—and should act like he has become—the head of the family.

Why does Mama give Walter the money?

She believed the realization of her dream could eventually open the door for other family member’s dreams. When she realizes she was doing to Walter what the rest of the world was doing, not giving him a chance to be a man, she corrected her actions by giving Walter part of the money to open a personal bank account.

How is Walter like Prometheus?

Walter is like Prometheus in his attitude, and consequently, their fates are similar. Prometheus challenged the rules of the gods and stole fire for mankind. Walter believes that his ideas are better than any one else and that he needs to be an angry black man against the world to make his way.

What is George's attitude toward Walter?

What is George’s attitude toward Walter? Condescending – he looks down on Walter (Page 83-85).

What is your first impression of Walter Lee What does Hansberry's beginning description tell you about him?

What is your first impression of Walter Lee? What does Hansberry’s beginning description tell you about him? (i.e., she describes him as “…a lean, intense young man in his middle thirties, inclined to quick nervous movements and erratic speech habits – and always in his voice there is a quality of indictment.”)

What does eat your eggs symbolize?

“Eat Your Eggs” Being quiet and eating one’s eggs represents an acceptance of the adversity that Walter and the rest of the Youngers face in life. Walter believes that Ruth, who is making his eggs, keeps him from achieving his dream, and he argues that she should be more supportive of him.

How are Joseph and George different?

How are Joseph and George different? Joseph represents the African identity of African Americans while George represents the assimilation into the American culture.

What are 3 symbols in a raisin in the sun?

• Mama’s Plant. Mama’s feeble plant represents her family’s deferred dreams for a better future, which have struggled to survive under the strain of life in Chicago’s South Side. …
• Beneatha’s Hair. …
• The Insurance Payment.

What is Walter's occupation?

The man of the family as the play unfolds is Walter Younger, who works as a chauffeur – a job that pays minimal bills but never allows the family to…

Does Mama work in a raisin in the sun?

Lesson Summary Mama, also known as Lena Younger, is the proud, religious, hard-working leader of the Younger family in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun.

What is Walter's tragic flaw a raisin in the sun?

Walter is obsessed with money and has dreams of opening his own business and being wealthy and respected, instead of being a chauffer to someone who is wealthy and respected. This greed of Walter Lee’s leads him to his downfall.

What killed Big Walter?

Big Walter can be killed by FRANK in the mission, Do the World a Favour. It takes quite a lot of bullets to kill him. Despite his death, no one from the Bethnal Green Mob seems to notice that he is missing or dead. This indicates that he was not very popular, nor important in the gang.

Who is Walter Youngers dad?

Lena Younger’s recently deceased husband and the father of Walter Lee and Beneatha. Big Walter’s death provides the family with an insurance payment of $10,000, part of which serves as the down payment on the Youngers’ new home.

What are mama's dreams for Walter?

Mama, Walter, and Beneatha have different interpretations of the American Dream: Mama’s perspective is family, Walter’s dream is material success , and Beneatha’s values independence. Mama’s dream is to attain a satisfying life for her family, own a house, and have Walter be the head of the household.

What caused this rebellious attitude in Walter?

Ruth finds out that Walter has not been reporting to his job as a chauffeur. What caused this rebellious attitude in Walter? Lena has a change of heart and turns over to Walter the $6,500 she has left after making a deposit on a house.