Characterization of Walter in A Raisin in the Sun Essay Example

that this is a shame on the family, but he still puts the living standard of the family in the first place even when he is broke down by the great pain caused by Willy Harris.

In the end, he has two risks to choose from: one is to take the money and move somewhere else or move into that white neighborhood with great pressure. At last, he chooses to move into the white neighborhood to increase the living standards of his family although he may pay the cost of his and his family's lives. Second, he has most of his brain thinking about money. However, different from other people, he does not think how to earn money; he thinks about how to use money from his dead father's insurance. Although his starting point is good, he has neither a plan nor a proper way to make money out of money.

He is too focused on the business idea of investing on a liquor store that can bring him tons and tons of money. He thinks money can buy everything, but as proven in the story, he is too concentrated about buying pearls to let Ruth wear it than actually be soft and gentle and with more respect. It is somewhat like when a child cries when the parents do not give them a new toy or something. Walter is ambitious with his dreams and he wants his dreams to be put in first priority, but the reality is not like that.

First, his plan to invest in the liquor store is strongly opposed by Mama, which is the leader of the family. Therefore, when Mama gets the

check and does not mention about giving him money, he uses sarcasm and talks bitterly as he can: "What you need me to say you done right for? You the head of this family. You run our lives like you want to.... so you butchered up a dream of mine-you- who always talking 'bout your children dreams... " Moreover, Walter is angry over her sister's decision of going to medical school,he thinks this is just a waste of money.

When he asks Beneathea to stop being "holy", he means he wants her to stop fool around like a child and "try" everything; he wants her to settle down. In his opinion, Beneathea should quit school and be a nurse or something and get married with that rich man-George Murchison. When George Murchison told him "Good night Prometheus", he is talking about the deferred dreams of Walter caused by his family. Prometheus is the god who was punished by bringing fire to mortals. He was chained and everyday an eagle tore out his liver and at night, it grows back.

It was not until Hercules killed Prometheus did he was freed. In parallel, George is meaning that Walter is also chained to his dreams by her wife, sister and mom and he is suffering from this just like someone eating his liver every day. That is why in the story he always feel himself as the "misunderstood" one, as he said in Act two Scene one "'Cause ain't nobody with me! Not even my own mother! " This characteristic caused him to have bad temper at home when he does not get "his" money and his dream accomplished

Although

Walter mainly serves as an antagonist in the story, in the last part of the story, Walter becomes a hero of the family by refusing Lindner's money for buying the house from them and moving to other places. He is, at last the real head of the family. His characteristics show that he is an ambitious man that holds dreams tightly in his hands. He is the person that will take any risk for his family. I believe the Walter Family will live bravely under Walter Lee in the white neighborhood.