A Raisin In The Sun Walter Lee Essay

476 Words2 Pages

Walter Lee in “A Raisin in the Sun,” was one of the main characters in the play, with his role as the father of the Younger family. He’s 35 years old and wants something better than what he has now. He’s a heavy drinker, which causes many problems throughout the play. The further into the play we go, the more change we see happen and develop as a character. He was simply a man trying to have a better future and life. At the beginning of the play, the Younger family lives in Chicago, Illinois in a rundown apartment. They were struggling financially, patiently waiting for their father's money after his untimely passing. Walter Lee absolutely hates his life and always argues with Ruth about anything there is to argue about. This is where his drinking problem …show more content…

Walter Lee is an avid believer in saying, “money is life,” and that if you want to live you need the money. With his idea of purchasing a liquor store to gain financial stability and more. The liquor store idea will create issues which are later solved with a couple mistakes. Near the end of the play, everything is going great because they now have a new home in a nicer, safer neighborhood that’s not in Chicago. Mr. Linder, the head of the neighborhood Welcome Committee, tells the Younger family they want to buy their new house so they didn’t have to live in an all-white neighborhood, but Walter Lee refuses and decides to stay there. After this happens, Bobo goes to their house and tells Walter Lee that he lost all of his money that he’d invested in the liquor store. Walter is obviously devastated by this news and reconsiders Mr. Linders deal just to support his family. In the end, he doesn’t take the deal and with that decision, his Mama starts to see him become a real man. At the beginning of the play, Walter Lee only cared about money and how it’s the only reason they’re even alive