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Coat Of Arms In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

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I chose to create a coat of arms for Walter Lee Younger in Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun. He is such an interesting character because of how he grows throughout the course of the play. Hansberry wants the reader to grow frustrated with his opinionated beliefs at the beginning, but then wants the audience to realize that he is a caring father for Travis. The changes to Walter’s personality over the course of the play are illustrated in the coat of arms, through symbols, including: an American flag, a sword, a declining graph, an iron beam, and a family holding a house.
The American flag symbolizes Walter’s desire to achieve his perception of the “American dream”. Walter realizes that he is a failure and a disgrace to his family. He feels that if he can make his family rich, they will be happier with him. His dream of making a large amount of money is quickly refined to focus instead on doing what is morally right to create a close, tight-knit family.
The many disagreements that Walter has with the rest of the Younger family is symbolizes signified with the image of the sword. His selfish wishes cause him to have a one-track mind and to not listen to the rest of his family. The constant conflicts and arguments between Walter and Beneatha, Ruth, and Mama are the result of his stubborn …show more content…

The family holding up the roof represents that his ultimate goal is to do what is best for his family. Towards the end of the play, he has an epiphany that he cannot continue to raise a family that is in constant conflict. This moment also shows him that his family, as a whole, cares more about moving out of their poor neighborhood than becoming wealthy. Walter’s only choice is to listen, care for, and unite his family by moving to Clybourne Park. Although this goes against society’s wish to continue segregation, Walter shows his family, and most importantly his son, that he is morally

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