A raisin in the sun analysis essay 1078 words 4 pages quests not dreamsa raisin in the sun by lorraine hansberry is the story of black family living in the south side of chicago. Extended character analysis walter lee younger, lena younger s 35yearold son, lives at home and works as a chauffeur. Analysis and discussion of walter younger in lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun. Walter lee younger character timeline in a raisin in the sun the timeline below shows where the character walter lee younger appears in a raisin in the sun. Character analysis of walter lee younger in a raisin in. Character analysis for walter lee from the book raisin in the. The character of walter lee younger in a raisin in the sun. Complete list of characters in lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun. Walter lee younger character analysis you name it son and i hand you the world said walter 678. Detailed analysis of characters in lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun. Lena younger mama the 60something matriarch of the family.
As mamas only son, ruths defiant husband, traviss caring father, and beneathas belligerent brother, walter serves as both protagonist and antagonist of the play. The matriarch of the family, mama is religious, moral, and maternal. The character of walter younger big walter in a raisin in. The a raisin in the sun quotes below are all either spoken by walter younger big walter or refer to walter younger big walter. A raisin in the sun essays are academic essays for citation. Big walter character map lorraine hansberry biography critical essays applying literary terms to a raisin in the sun. Professor kristen over of northeastern illinois university provides an. To write this essay for my english class, i both read the script for a raisin in the sun, and watched the madefortv movie. Detailed analysis of main character walter younger key quotes, opportunities for analysis of literary and linguistic features and a range of questions to develop understanding of the character and the whole play. This was walter youngers way of sharing his dreams with his son, travis. They are given an opportunity to do so when the grandfathers inheritance is the sent in the mail. Walter is the main character of the raisin in the sun, being mamas only son.
Read our extended character analysis of walter lee younger. Passionate, ambitious, and bursting with the energy of his dreams, walter. Lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun provides a compelling and honest look into one familys aspirations to move to another chicago neighborhood and the thunderous crash of a reality that raises questions about for whom the american dream is accessible. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this a raisin in the sun study guide and get instant access to the. Character analysis of walter lee younger in a raisin in the sun by. Walter lee is the only protagonist and antagonist at the same time in a raising in the sun. The genre of realism captures ordinary life, and a raisin in the sun definitely fits this description. In lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun a constant theme of hoping for better and a new. In the end, walter finds his selfrespect and leads his family on to their new house. Character analysis ruth younger a raisin in the sun. As mama s only son, ruths defiant husband, traviss caring father, and beneathas belligerent brother, walter serves as both protagonist and antagonist of the play. For those who have never heard or seen a raisin in the sun, it is a play. 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.
Each member of the family has a dream, a dream that has been put off for some reason. Learn all about how the characters in a raisin in the sun such as walter and mama. Walter is more selfish and stubborn in the beginning of the story. Character analysis a raisin in the sun 898 words bartleby. The character of walter lee younger in a raisin in the sun from. Although walter makes the worst mistakes out of any other character in the play, he also undergoes the greatest transformation. Character analysis of 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 plot revolves around him and the actions that he takes, and his character evolves the most during the course of the play. A raisin in the sun character analysis essay example for. May 23, 2019 lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun explained with scene summaries in just a few minutes. Dreams of buying a house, making some money in business, and going to medical school are dreams shared by millions of working. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. Character analysis of a raisin of the sun essay 845 words 4 pages.
Character analysis for walter lee from a raisin in the sun. A raisin in the sun character analysis by carol disla on prezi. Walter s 20yearold sister, a college student who invades. Thats pretty much the best way to describe walter lee younger, one of the main characters from a raisin in the sun. In lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun, the characters of beneatha and walter younger share the traits of. Walter has been drinking, so when he comes in and sees her dancing around, he playfully joins in the fun. Rasin in the sun walter character analysis, sample of essays. Walter lee, in a misguided vision of money as the answer to all of lifes tests, forgets traditional family values and instead chases only materialistic aspirations. A raisin in the sun is a play about an african american family on the south side of chicago that is striving to fulfill the american dream. Unlike the biblical story, though, no mention is ever made of. The a raisin in the sun characters covered include. Characterization of walter younger a raisin in the sun. Character analysis of walter lee younger in a raisin in the sun by hansberry character analysis of lorraine hansberry s a raisin.
A raisin in the sun is a play by lorraine hansberry that debuted on broadway in 1959, which was the first play written by a black woman to be produced on broadway. Essentially, this play is the story of walter lee younger, sometimes called brother. Walter just cant bring himself to act so shamefully in front of travis. Setting, characters, style, and theme renegotiate the african american dream in 1959, the dream of equality was more elusive than ever for most african americans. A raisin in the sun act ii scene i summary and analysis. Walters 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. He is the character that moves between the antagonist and the protagonist, which makes the story live and natural. A raisin in the sun character analysis course hero. The story is based upon the family getting an insurance check.
Comparing themes of to kill a mockingbird and a raisin in the sun. In lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun a constant theme of hoping for better and a new life kept coming into play. In lorraine hansberry s a raisin in the sun a constant theme of hoping for better and a new life kept coming into play. He always tried to take the easy route out of things but he started to change after he lost all of his money after his friends betrayal. Character analysis for walter lee from the book raisin in the sun. A 35yearold chauffeur who has a young son, travis, with his wife, ruth. He is a complex character, with mixed feelings with his home. Oct 01, 2019 this essay analyses walter lee from a raisin in the sun by lorraine hansberry.
In addition to serving as these roles to his family, he is also an entrepreneur struggling to improve the living conditions of his family and prove himself as a man. As the play opens, walter comes out conspicuously due to his ideologies concerning the money the youngers are about to receive from an insurance firm as life insurance policy for the deceased mr. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of a raisin in the sun by lorraine hansberry. This essay analyses walter lee from a raisin in the sun by lorraine hansberry. A raisin in the sun character list walter lee younger.
Lena younger mama asagai ruth younger lena commonly referred to as mama is the matriarch of this bold family. Oct 17, 20 in the play, a raisin in the sun, author lorraine hansberry, uses character walter lee younger to demonstrate a misguided, materialistic alteration of the traditional american dream. Get everything you need to know about walter lee younger in a raisin in the sun. Characterization of walter in a raisin in the sun essay. A list of all the characters in a raisin in the sun. Walter lee younger, beneatha younger bennie, lena younger mama, ruth younger, travis younger, joseph asagai, george murchison, mr. Compare and contrast the characters of walter and beneatha in a raisin in the sun.
It concludes that walter is a man with many faces in this story. Walter is deeply unhappy with his life and his job. For most of the first act, hes nasty to just about every other character in the play. You name it son and i hand you the world a raisin in the sun analysis lorraine hansberry. Mama lena younger walter lee younger brother beneatha younger. Rasin in the sun walter character analysis essay 844 words. In the play, a raisin in the sun, author lorraine hansberry, uses character walter lee younger to demonstrate a misguided, materialistic alteration of the traditional american dream. Lorraine hansberrys a raisin in the sun explained with scene summaries in just a few minutes. Professor kristen over of northeastern illinois university provides an in depth analysis of the plot. Mama is the one that has noticeably suffered the most due to her husbands death, and all the years she has been tied to that miserable apartment. 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. Walter younger is a 35 year old africanamerican man who serves as a husband, father, brother and son. In trying to reajust his nature in order to harmonize his. African americans faced many forms of inequality, including segregation of housing, education, restaurants, drinking fountains, and public transportation.
In addition, he makes most of the conflict at home. Learn all about how the characters in a raisin in the sun such as walter and mama contribute to the story and how they fit into the plot. From an irresponsible immature father, husband, brother and a son, he fights many fights to become. Character analysis for walter lee from a raisin in the. Learn everything you need to know about walter, mama, and more in a raisin in the sun. Characterization of walter younger a raisin in the sun analysis. A raisin in the sun character analysis walter younger ks5 a. As the man of the house, walter fights against the demons of poverty and racialsocial injustice that plagued his father and now seem to have a tight grip upon him. Analysis of the poem a raisin of the sun 844 words 4 pages.
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