A Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis - 1592 Words

Money and acquisitiveness have always had the ability to turn people into someone they are not. Greed can tear apart families and friendships when a person neglects others for their own benefit. This is depicted perfectly in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun which follows the lives of the Youngers, an African-American family living in 1950’s South Side Chicago. The focus is on a man named Walter Younger, who has the difficult decision of choosing between his personal dream and the progression of his family, which would require him to give up his dream. Walter’s personal dream is to open up a liquor store with his buddies, but in order for his family to make real progress in the world and escape the hole that is poverty, they†¦show more content†¦In this scene, there is a profound statement made about Walter’s behavior. He is certainly prideful, but maybe his pride isnt in the right place. He seems to have more pride about money than an ything else, including his own family. In the opening scenes of the play, Walter makes it clear that to him, money matters more than most things, if not all. This is quite odd, with the fact being that he has very little of it. He treats his wife poorly, argues with her, and deliberately defies what she is doing to prove that he’s got money. He doesnt want Travis to feel like they have money problems, even though they very much do. Ultimately, up to this point, Walter has portrayed himself as a self-centered person who cares more about his own pride and how hes perceived than his family’s well being. If he continues with this careless behavior, his family may never progress. Much later, Walter has a dramatic shift in his character, with him now having a false sense of pride instead of a misplaced sense of pride. When he finally receives what he has always wanted, wealth, it changes the way he acts. However, it does not change him for the better, or allow him to improve his family’s situation. When Mama gives him the large sum of money from Walter Sr’s insurance check, she sincerely tells him, â€Å"I ain’t never stop trusting you. Like IShow MoreRelatedCharacter Analysis Of A Raisin Of The Sun Essay845 Words   |  4 PagesWriting Assignment 4: Character Analysis of â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† The male protagonist of this story is Walter Lee Younger, an African American, who plays the roles of a son, husband, father, and brother. The story is set in a Chicago Southside apartment, â€Å"sometime between World War II and the present [1959]† (Hansberry 919). Walter is physically described as â€Å"a lean, intense young man in his middle thirties, inclined to quick nervous movements and erratic speech habits—and always in his voiceRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1322 Words   |  6 PagesIn the play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† written by Lorraine Hansberry, she is able to take us to place to see what it was like for an African American family to survive in the mid-twentieth century. The play details how the main characters are going through an evolving social and economic position, as well as the evolving gender roles. Hansberry uses the characterization of Beneatha, Ruth, and Walter in order to show the expectations and assigned gender roles for the characters in the story. In shortRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis902 Words   |  4 PagesGordon: Segregation vs. Southern Pride Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† touches on many issues African Americans faced in the early to mid-twentieth century. One can analyze Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† from many angles, and come away with different meanings. While Michelle Gordon focuses more on segregation and housing discrimination that plagued African Americans on Chicago’s Southside in Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, William Murray emphasizes on Southern Pride and heritage. ThisRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis917 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry the Younger family faces many conflicts. This is mainly because they are living in Chicago in the 1950’s. This was a time where many African Americans were discriminated, which caused the family to have many issues with money, jobs, and family. Two characters from the pay that help influence the plot would be Mama and Ruth. This i s because of the roles they play, their conflicts, and their actions towards other character. Without the roles ofRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1026 Words   |  5 PagesIn A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, one of the featured characters is outgoing and ambitious Beneatha Younger, sister of Walter and daughter of Mama. Beneatha, commonly referred to as Bennie by her family, is an aspiring doctor and currently in medical school. In addition to these desires, she also acquires relationships with Asagai and George Murchinson, two prominent male characters, throughout the course of the play. Although her career choice and relations with these men are completelyRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Beneatha In A Raisin In The Sun1487 Words   |  6 PagesCharacter Analysis â€Å" A Raisin in the Sun† is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry about the life of an African American family during the era of segregation. The play starts off with the Younger family receiving a 10,000 dollar check from Mr. Younger’s insurance policy. The family argues over what they are going to do with it. Mama wants to buy a house with it, Walter wants to invest in a liquor store, and Beneatha wants to use the money to go to medical school. The contrast of the characters’ personalitiesRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1052 Words   |  5 PagesName Instructor Name Class Date Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, tells the story of the Younger family, an African-American family living in poverty in 1950s Chicago. The family patriarch, Walter, is a limousine driver struggling to make ends meet and desperate to find a way to propel his family toward wealth. With his father’s death comes an insurance check for $10,000 and each member of the family has different ideas on what to do withRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1322 Words   |  6 Pages Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, depicts the lives of the Younger family, an African American family living in the Southside of Chicago during the 1950s. The play takes place in their cramped apartment offering the reader insight into the arguments, discussions, and conversations that take place between the characters. In one scene, Hansberry specifically offers the reader a conversation between Asagai, an influential companion, and Beneatha to show us how disparate the Younger siblingsRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Raisin In The Sun798 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play a Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee Younger is an African American man who portrays the role of a father, son, and husband. He has a dream to invest the incoming inherence into something that may help his family in the future. Once this idea comes to him it takes over his mind, and he cannot stop thinking about it. It acts as though its a drug, he addicted to talking about it. Also, when it is broug ht up in a conversation and someone disagrees he become very defensive. In addition, he isRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of A Raisin In The Sun1299 Words   |  6 Pagessoul longs for the satisfaction of meeting a goal? The obstacles along the way may cause one trouble, but one still strives for that personal satisfaction of knowing something grand was accomplished. A Raisin In The Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, gives off many aspects of the story’s characters wanting the reward of being able to say, â€Å"I did it†. Beneatha Younger, a passionate, strong-willed woman will do whatever it takes to pursue her dream of attending medical school. Along the way of wanting