Lindsay Roach Response Journals 9.3 Semester 2 Journal 1 Walter Lee Walter Lee is a dynamic character who changes several times throughout this story. At the beginning of the play, Walter is very ambitious and wants more out of his life. He says, “I got me a dream” (pg 33). He is motivated own the liquor store and to succeed. His first change in character happens when Mama refuses to help pay for the liquor store and his wife has another bun in the oven. His needs moved and he wound up plainly discouraged, going out, drinking too much alcohol, and missing shifts. His point of view changed again when Mama gave him some cash from the check and let him know, “I’m telling you to be the head of this family from now on like you supposed to be” (pg 107). From that moment on Walter became more responsible, loving, and took on a leadership position in his family. This change was apparent when his dreams returned while talking to Travis about driving a, “plain black Chrysler” (pg 108). Walters change in his perspective of life demonstrates that he is a dynamic, round character. Beneatha Beneatha is a round, dynamic character that evolves throughout the play. She comprehends herself and her general public better toward the finish of the play than toward the start. She learns to deal with the failures of the people around her. She learns that her views on African culture are based on her personal experiences not on a wholly African one. She also discovers that there are
In the play Walter Lee Younger Junior is a 35-year protagonist who can't provide or stand up to be the man to his family. Walter Lee Younger Junior suffered so hard and he was tired of they way him and his family were living in poverty and he's trying to take away poverty from his family and try to figure out a new, and better ways to secure its economic prosperity. Walter is going insane due to all
Walter Lee is the most troublesome person in the Young family. He harvests feelings of inadequacy as a man because he has not accomplished much with his life. Walter is the third generation born in the US. He’s 35 years old working as a chauffeur subject to only driving his white boss around town. As an African American living in the 1950’s the jobs that were available in industries or business were limited to the menial or subservient job positions. The windows of opportunities for a black African American in this country were limited to a small level of success. Walter’s dream of becoming a business man is was just that, a dream. He does not have the proper educated needed to be a successful business man. It is just an image he wants to fulfill
Walter Lee is stubborn, very ambitious, and filled with pride at the beginning of the story. He strives for success with the money “Mama,” also known as Lena got from the life insurance from her husband who recently passed away. Walter was so selfish all he wanted was to provide a better life for he and his family because he was not satisfied with their current standards of living. He wants more and wishes to become rich because he believes he never had enough growing up, but at the same time he wants to provide money and societal respect for his family. He put his trust with the money into a person who betrayed him and he ended up losing it all including his sisters schooling money. After this scene in the play Walter was at his lowest point,
The Younger family has not been able to experience the finer things in life, and Walter, being the authoritative male figure, feels he is at fault knows that a change is needed. Walter’s solution is to use his father’s life insurance money to fund the acquiring of a liquor license. The women of the household are always ordering around Walter. It’s Ruth, Mama, or Beneatha telling him how to run things, and when he gets a chance to take the initiative by using the money to invest in his liquor license, his friend betrays him, and his dreams are crushed.
Walter Lee is what I see as a character who believes in his vision, when no one else could. He was raised by a strict, hard working Christian mother, who has a very honest outlook on life. She once said, “Once upon a time freedom used to be life—now it’s money. I guess the world really do change.”(Sun, 74). Walter is growing
Beneatha is a well educated woman because she believes in herself when no one else does. “I mean it! I’m just tired of hearing about God all the time. What has he got to do with anything?
No matter how hard they try, there are some people who cannot get ahead in life. Walter Lee Younger is a man who is frustrated with his current position in life, and every disappointment he has encountered thus far. Although he tries to be a loving man, sometimes he does not know how to show the idea of love, 'Sometimes...sometimes...I don't even know how to try' (Hansberry 89). His position in life can be regarded as symbolic of every black male struggling to provide for his family by any means necessary. Although Walter has a job, it seems inadequate for his survival. As a result, he has become frustrated and lacks good judgement. Throughout this play Walter searches
No matter how hard they try, there are some people who cannot get ahead in life. Walter Lee Younger is a man who is frustrated with his current position in life, and every disappointment he has encountered thus far. Although he tries to be a loving man, sometimes he does not know how to show the idea of love, "Sometimes...sometimes...I don't even know how to try" (Hansberry 89). His position in life can be regarded as symbolic of every black male struggling to provide for his family by any means necessary. Although Walter has a job, it seems inadequate for his survival. As a result, he has become frustrated and lacks good judgement. Throughout this play Walter searches for the key ingredient that will make his life blissful. His
Walter begins to drink, stay away from home, and to constantly argue with his wife, Ruth. Walter's life is contrasted by the role of his recently widowed mother, who holds to more traditional values of acceptance of life's lot and of making the best of any situation. Walter Lee's "Mama" holds Walter's father up as an example of a man with pride and a man that, despite racial injustice in a dualistic society, worked hard to provide for his family. This adds to Walter's frustration. Walter now feels incapable and small in his mama's eyes.
Beneatha could best be described as the dawning of the modern woman in the 1950s. She’s educated and independent and aims very high for her ideal career choice as a doctor, but needs money for her schooling. And yet when it comes to her outlook on life Asagai summarizes her the best by bestowing upon her the name “Alaiyo.” Which means: One for whom bread-food-is not enough. Her attitude towards the money though could best be described as passive, unlike Walter who is constantly bringing up the topic she honestly could care less
Showing his frustration to his mother, Walter does not feel like he will ever acquire his dream because he feels like he never got the chance or opportunity to. The inability of not able to provide a better life for his household is causing him to stress, act out of character and clouding his decision making. With nowhere else to turn he thought he could use his father’s life insurance money to invest into a liquor store which turned into a scam. Walter feeling trapped from making advancements in life, he makes a huge mistake and learns from this error. In the play Walter is talking to mother describing his anger,
Beneatha is probably one of the most independent and individual characters in the play. She does not worry about the prejudice her community has about her. She is confident in herself, her abilities, and her intellect. She tries to be independent by not allowing anybody to help her. When she first hears about the insurance money she does not want any help from it. When Walter suggest that mama could use a little bit of the money to help Beneatha out with the cost of college, Beneatha responds by saying, “I have never asked anyone around here to do anything for me” ( Hansberry 281). Beneatha refuses help from others, because she feels that doing everything on her own will make her a stronger woman. She presumes that asking for assistance for anything in life will make her weaker. She does not understand how dependent she is on others until she starts dating George Murchison and joseph Asagai.
In the first act of the play Walter begins to talk about the arrival of the check. He tells his wife Ruth to talk to his mom about the liquor store he wants to start because she will listen more to her than him. In the story Walter says, “Mama would listen to you. You know she listen to you more than she do me and Bennie”. This quote from Walter states that he is using his mother’s loyalty and kindness to his wife to benefit him, he is only thinking about himself. In the play Walter says, “you just sip your coffee, see, and say easy like that you been thinking bout that deal Walter Lee is so interested in, bout the store and all.”
complex member of the Younger family. Walter Lee wishes he was the head of the family but unfortunately for him the title belongs to mama. All Walter seems to want on the outside is the liquor store, but in reality he wants to be somebody. Walter is driven by his emotions and ambitions. A great analogy for Walter is a raccoon from the book “Where the Red Fern Grows.” Walter may seem like a desperate alcoholic just wanting a way to free booze, but in reality he is driven to lead his family, gain their approval, and become the man he can only dream to be.
Beneatha is an independent woman with great ambition. She always stands up for her beliefs and ideas no matter how contradict others. Beneatha is a fox, she is clever and, a quick thinker, she stays true to herself. When talking about her future Beneatha states, “Listen, I’m going to be a doctor. I’m not worried about who I’m going to marry yet--if I ever get married… I couldn’t be bothered with that. I am going to be a doctor, and everybody around here better understand that” (Hansberry, page 32). Beneatha is already sure of herself and what she wants to be in life. This encounter between her family is a defining moment for her character it shows how serious she is about her future. She also is not afraid to speak about her beliefs no matter the consequence. For example, ”God is just one idea I don’t accept. It’s not important. I am not going out and be immoral or commit crimes