-Angelica Santiago
In Lorainne Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” we see many hardships, such as financial issues and discrimination, between a family that identifies as African American. Those hardships affected every family member in different ways. One of the family members who was deeply affected was Walter because his relationship with his sister and others within the household and the way they view him is affected throughout the story. Walter had a dream to someday open up his own liquor store business. Walter is full of pressure throughout the story because he feels he needs to live up to being the man of his house just like his father was. Through her portrayal of Walter, Hansberry helps us understand that masculinity during this time period was important to be head of household.
Walter has always wanted better for him, and his family, but he has faced many challenges. Walter constantly tries to seek support from Mama, and his sister Beneatha. After he lost the money Mama gave him Walter lost hope and decides that maybe his family shouldn’t move into the new house. Walter says, “I’m going to look that son-of-a bitch in the eyes and say all right, Mr.Lindner that’s your neighborhood out there! You got the right to keep it like you want! Just write the check and the house is yours.” (Hansberry, 144). This shows how Walter has lost hope after losing the money and believes that taking the money Lindner gives his family will better the situation. He feels it’s better not to move into a neighborhood where his family isn’t welcomed. Mama constantly compares him to his father leaving him with the impression that he has to put his foot down and be a man and do what is right for his family.
Beneatha is one of few people who want Walter to be the man of the house. Walter’s actions have affected his relationship with his sister Beneatha and the way she views him. Beneatha grew anger towards him because she believes there’s no way for her to go to college and become a nurse. Beneatha felt like Walter crushed her dream. Beneatha states, “Yes just look at what the New World hath wrought! … Just look! There he is! Monsieur le petite bourgeois noir – himself! There he is – Symbol of a Rising Class! Entrepreneur! Titan of the system! Did you dream of yachts on Lake Michigan, Brother? Did you see yourself on that Great Day sitting down at the conference table, surrounded by all the mighty bald-headed men in America? All halted, waiting, breathlessly, waiting for your pronouncements on industry? Waiting for you – Chairman of the Board.” (Hansberry, 138). Beneatha uses words like” Petite bourgeois noir”, which means small middle class black man, to insult him and make him feel bad about himself. Beneatha’s decision to use those words proves that she has high expectations of him being the masculine head of household figure, Beneatha mocks Walter and is angry with him over losing the money. Beneatha’s actions were childish in a way because when someone is at their lowest, it’s best to be there for them and support them to the best of your ability. I think this is one of the reasons why Walter lost hope because he didn’t have a support system. All Beneatha ever did was point out the negative Walter has done.
Mama is one of the main people who expect Walter to be the man of the house and own up to his actions. Walter changes his mind after he sees how Mama reacts. Mama said, “Son- I come from five generations of people who was slaves and sharecroppers- but ain’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay’em no money that was telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the earth. We ain’t never been that poor. We ain’t never been that- dead inside.” (Hansberry, 143). This proves that Mama felt hurt with Walter’s thoughts on moving. Walter explains “Hell, yes, I want me some yachts someday! Yes, I want to hang some real pearls ‘round my wife’s neck. Somebody tell me, who decides which women is supposed to wear pearls. I tell you I am a man- and I think my wife should wear some pearls in this world.” (Hansberry, 143). This shows that Walter came to the realization that maybe he should stop trying to get pity from others and put his foot down. Walter then wants to talk to Lindner and ends up calling him and telling him to come to the house. He explains to Lindner, “And we have decided to move into our house because my father- my father- he earned it for us brick by brick. We don’t want to make no trouble for nobody or fight no causes, and we will try to be good neighbors. And that’s all we got to say about that. We don’t want your money.” (Hansberry, 148). This shows how Walter finally reached his “manhood” and did what was right for his family. If he didn’t go through those challenges, he wouldn’t have realized how much his family deserves to move into a new house. Beneatha is happy with how Walter took action. Beneatha states, “That’s what the man said.” (Hansberry, 148). This proves that Beneatha’s view on Walter has changed. She went from seeing him as a “tooth less rat” (Hansberry, 144). to a “man” (Hansberry, 148). Throughout the story Walter’s actions has affected his relationship with Mama and Beneatha and their view of him as a man. Walter stands up to Lindner is an example of how “head of the household” should be when it comes to family.
Discussion questions:
- Did the challenges Walter face help him reach his “manhood”? Why or why not?
- Do you think Walter made the right decision for his family? Why or why not? What would you have done differently? Explain.
Works Cited
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print.
Hi Angelica! Throughout the play we have seen the ups and down in the Youngers family. Walter has played a key role in the play and has faced many obstacles to come to the realization that he needs to choose the more stable option. In this situation of building a liquor store with the money that is in fact, not his. He is distraught when Mama and Ruth don’t push him towards that goal. as a reader it was ultimately shocking how inconsiderate he was being. Yes he cares for his family but as you said, when was his “manhood” finally reached. When Linder basically told their family that they didn’t belong in that neighborhood and it would be best to live somewhere else, and he would even buy it from them, I was in awe. It took Walter a while to realize just how much this house means to Mama and the family. Mama gave Walter that extra push by saying “Son, I come from five generations of people who was slaves and sharecroppers- but ain’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay’em no money that was telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the earth. We ain’t never been that poor. We ain’t never been that- dead inside.” (Hansberry- 143). This statement gave Walter that nudge to tell Linder just how much this house means to them and basically go bother someone else because his family is moving in. Seeing that side of Walter was a good feeling.
Works cited
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print.
Hi, Angelica! I really liked the way you explained Walter’s character and all the evidence you used to support your claims. I feel like the challenges Walter face did help him reach his “manhood” because it is not until the end of the play that Walter is considered to reach it. Since it is not until the end of the play that means that after all he had gone through in the whole play led up to this moment and this includes all of the challenges he faced. One of the biggest challenges I think Walter has faced is when he finds out the money was stolen and he says to Bobo, “Man…(He starts to pound the floor with his fists, sobbing wildly) THAT MONEY IS MADE OUT OF MY FATHER’S FLESH-“ (Hansberry,128). I think at this moment he started to realize that things need to change especially for the respect of his father’s memory and that it is time he becomes a man. I feel like if Walter had never faced all the challenges that he had; he wouldn’t have reached “manhood”. I believe in the saying that everything happens for a reason and that sometimes the bad things can lead up to a good thing, so I think that can be seen in Walter’s life too.
Works Cited
Hansberry Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage, 1994.Print.
Hey Angelica! I really like your explantation on Walter’s personality, he is a complex character and definitely one deserving a post on. I find myself conflicted on whether or not Walter deciding to not sell the house is a good idea or not. On one hand he is allowing his family to grow and move on from their current lifestyle by moving in the house. On another hand by selling the house the family would no longer have to scrap and save as much because they would have the money that Mr. Lindner was going to give them. But then I recognized that this play wasn’t necessarily all about money but self respect and pride. “Yeah. Well—what I mean is that we come from people who had a lot of pride. I mean—we are very proud people. And that’s my sister over there and she’s going to be a doctor—and we are very proud—”. The ending of A Raisin in the Sun was not about money but the self respect that Walter and his family would gain by moving into a house dominated by white neighbors. They would not only show themselves that they deserved just as much as white people but also the people in their community. Walter was showing that what was left of his father’s back breaking work was something that they all could be proud of. Something that the future generations would gain from too.
Works cited
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print.
Hi Angelica! I liked how you touched on the idea that Walter faces many hardships throughout the story and how his relationships with his family and the pressure he faces affected him. Walter tries to do what’s right in his mind throughout the story and be the best man he can for his family, but he faces many challenges. As you said his masculinity during this time was important for him to be head of the household. Towards the end we see that Walter has hit rock bottom and in disagreement with the moving situation and both Mama and Beneatha feel he needs to step up to Linder and not be held back anymore. After Walter tells off Linder and reaches his “manhood” you can see that Mama and Beneatha’s view of him changes and now they back him up. Linder thinks by appealing to Mama she will give in, but she stands by Walter. “I am afraid you don’t understand. My son said we was going to move and there ain’t nothing left for me to say”. (Hansberry 148-149) I feel that Walter reaches his “manhood” and makes the right decision, and this also makes his family proud of him and view him as the man they desperately needed. This house means a lot to the family and it is good to see that Walter stepped up at the right time and made his family proud.
Works Cited
Hansberry Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print
Hi Angelica, great blog! I think the power dynamic between Mama and Walter was very interesting and being the man of the house provided the additional power struggle he faced through the play. In regards to your first question, I do not think they aided him in achieving manhood. When he was given the responsibility of not only the money but being the head of the house, he was too in his own head, naive and foolish. He entrusted a stranger with his father’s inheritance and is forced to learn a lesson the hard way, at the expense of him and all his family members. Blinded by the “American Dream” he believed the first person who told him he would be able to build himself up. This is shown throughout the play, that he has these big dreams, but we truly see it in the conversation he has with his son. “No– but after tonight. After what your daddy gonna do tonight, there’s going to be offices- a whole lot of offices…” (Hansberry 108) This is important because it shows how immediately after being given this power he already has his mind made up on what he plans to do with it, without consulting the rest of the family. Also his reaction to Mama doing what she thought was best for the family showed how immature he was and how he should not have been trusted with the responsibility of being the head of the household. Mama was responsible and reasonable, planning to set aside money, picking the best house for the best price, and took time to consider her decision. On the other hand, Walter heard about this deal, this idea and went 100% in, not even thinking about or considering anyone else. It was selfish and immature and irresponsible (Despite his intentions being to provide the family with a better life) It was selfish that he did not consult the others about the decision and selfish because some of that money was meant to be for Beneatha, not him.
Works Cited
Hansberry Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print
Hi Angelica! I really enjoyed your blog post and the points you made about the character of Walter. In regards to your second discussion question I think that Walter did make the right decision. I think when he heard Mama tell him that, “‘Ain’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay’em no money that was a way of telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the earth. We ain’t never been that poor’” (143) it opened his mind to the fact that money is not worth losing your dignity. For Walter, his whole objective in life has been to one day be rich. He wanted to get the insurance money so that he would not only help out his family, but also be able to give them anything they wanted. I think that not only me, but the characters in the play also thought that Walter made the right decision. On page 151 Mama says to Ruth, “‘He finally come into his manhood today, didn’t he? Kind of like a rainbow after the rain…’”. This quote shows that though Mama was mad at Walter for investing and then losing the money, she is proud of him for turning this bad situation into something enlightening. This idea of “manhood” that Mama says Walter has achieved is like a rite of passage for Walter. The word manhood reminds me of childhood. So, to me it means that Walter has transitioned out of his childhood dreams of becoming a rich person. Instead, he has become a man by realizing that “money can’t buy happiness”. He realized that by moving into a home that is in a conventionally white neighborhood means moving forward into a more diverse and promising future of equality and possibilities.
Hi Angelica! I thought you did a great job discussing the effects on Walter as the man of the house and thought you supported your claims with a lot of great evidence from the play! I think that Walter putting his foot down and having his family move into the house was the right decision. He not only carried on his father’s legacy but passed it on to his son as well. Walter talks to Mr. Lindner about how the Youngers “come from people who had a lot of pride” and teaches his son this same lesson when he says “Travis, come here” so that Travis can learn the same ways of his family (Hansberry, 148). This is a very important moment because Walter stops thinking just about money and sees that it just matters if his family is happy with their lives no matter what neighborhood they’re living in.
Works Cited
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print.
Hi Angelica! I enjoyed reading your blog post and explanation of Walter as a character. To answer your second question, I feel that Walter ultimately made the right decision for his family. Throughout the play, the importance of money to Walter seemed to be a reoccurring theme. A large reason for this is the fact that Walter associates manhood and happiness with wealth. In society being the “man of the house” means supporting and providing for your family. Disadvantages and obstacles cloud Walters’s ability to support his family which obstructs him from reaching his manhood. When Walter preceded to buy the house despite Mr. Lindner this decision ultimately led him to manhood because he stood his ground and made a decision in his family’s best interest. When Walter states, “And we have decided to move into our house because my father-my father-he earned it for us brick by brick. We don’t want to make no trouble for nobody or fight no causes, and we will try to be good neighbors. And that’s all we got to say about that. We don’t want your money” (Hansberry,148) this line shows how he reestablishes his manhood by doing what’s right for his family. Walter deciding on buying the house shows how he values putting his family first and wants to make his family proud.
Hello Angelica! I really enjoyed the way you explained your perspective of Walter and how he feels. Like you stated in your blog post, Walter was in need of a support system. It’s truly possible that if he received that support from his wife and sister Beneatha, his outcome in achieving a successful business in the liquor association would’ve been possible. From the start of the novel, “A Raisin in the Sun”, Walter complains about how they both didn’t show support for him at all. They didn’t believe in him and that could’ve been what he needed to push him to do better. In the beginning of the novel, we see Walter and his wife instantly start to fight bright and early in the morning due to her lack of support towards him. He called her out multiple time about it as well and she simply disagreed, but deep down we could see that she truly didn’t think positive about his hopes and dreams. Beneatha is Walter’s sister, and you can tell they always have tension between each other, especially when Mama is involved. I think Walter made the right decision for his family. I feel this way because he had the right intensions and wished for the positive. Unfortunately, he wasn’t successful, but if he had help from closer people in his life there is a possibility that the results could’ve turned out differently. I would’ve wanted to help Walter, so he had a better chance with this situation.
Hi Angelica, great post!
At the beginning of “A Raisin in the Sun” I was ready to write Walter off as nothing more than a sexist man with selfish ambition, but the more I read the more I found myself seeing him as a rather complex and interesting character (even though I still don’t necessarily like him). This “selfish” ambition of his was his way of proving himself as the man Mama so desperately wanted him to be, but he’s so blinded by this need to make Mama proud of him that he doesn’t see the other possibilities that are right in front of him. When Walter gives the money away he doesn’t even consider putting it into a bank, instead, he gave it all to Willie and Bobo including Beneatha’s share. But when it comes to whether or not the family should move, even after the money is gone, not only was it the right decision, it finally gave Mama something to be proud of. When she says, on pages 148 & 149, “I am afraid you don’t understand. My son said we was going to move and there ain’t nothing left for me to say” she signals to Walter that he did the right thing and that she is proud him for it. As the matriarch of the family, who has had to act as the head of the family since her husband’s passing, she finally, and truly hands over that title to Walter (I see the moment she gave him the money as a trial run that he failed, but this moment is the one where she actually hands the title over). She does this because he puts aside his desire for money on the back burner to make a decision that’s in the family’s best interest despite the uncertainty that comes with moving. And she only does this because she sees this moment as him stepping into his “manhood” and I agree. I agree because he makes a difficult choice that will benefit his family despite the fact that it will leave him practically penniless even though he’s been chasing money for years.
Works Cited
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print.
Hi Angelica! I loved how much you explained Walter’s role in the story in your blog post. I do think that Walter made the right decision for his family. He decided to not take the money from Lindner and to keep the house they purchased in the white neighborhood. He chose this for the sake of his family because he feels this will best benefit his family. Walter tells Lindner, “And we have decided to move into our house because my father– my father– he earned it for us brick by brick… we will try to be good neighbors. And that’s all we got to say about that. We don’t want your money” (Hansberry, 148). Walter could have taken the money and found another house and used the rest for his liquor store. However, he chose to think about what was best for his family. His family will have better chances of succeeding if they are in a better home in a better community. I believe that Walter made the best decision he could for his family.
Works Cited
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print.