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Diversity In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

1585 Words7 Pages

Suitor Diversity Beneatha Younger has caught the eye of two suitors, Joseph Asagai and George Murchison. Each having vastly different views of education, their African heritage, and women. George is a very wealthy man, who perceives education with little pride or integrity. Nor does he respect Beneatha’s commitment to her education as he asserts to her “ [that] You read books - to learn facts - to get grades - to pass the course - to get a degree. That’s all - it has nothing to do with thoughts.” (97), conveying his noninterest in Beneatha’s opinion or devotion to her education. In several instances as well, he degrades Beneatha for how she acts and dresses, particularly of her choices correlating to the African heritage. He displays great churlish and lack of knowledge of his heritage and expresses crude comments to Beneatha for her interest and exploration of the African culture. George’s views on women are close in …show more content…

From the start of the play he is more than determined to invest the insurance money in opening a bar with his business “friends” and is positive it is only going to benefit the Younger’s. A narcissistic attitude comes through more and more as Mama, Ruth, and Beneatha demolish his dream. They don’t view the money the same way he does. Walter believes that “[money is] life!’ (74) and thinks very little of the true meaning of what it is meant for, what his father did to ensure that money for the entire Younger family’s well-being and future. He believes that if he can ensure his dream now, he will make enough money from the business to pursue Beneatha, Ruth, and Mama’s dreams later. Walter turns to drinking and becomes easily agitated whenever around the family, losing all sight of his self-respect and values of his family and

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A Raisin In The Sun Walter's Dream Analysis

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Despite the fact that dreaming of a liquor store is shallow, Walter’s motivation to be able to support his family helps reconcile his somewhat immoral hopes. Later, Walter shows the idiocy of his plan to own a liquor store when he gets drunk. In act 2, scene 2, Walter borrows Willy Harris’s car and drives around Chicago for two days, then “just walked”, and finally “went to the Green Hat” (2.2 105). Through his actions, Walter shows that he is immature and cares more about pretending to be rich than his job that would allow him to provide for his family.

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As a result she is expecting him to follow her wishes to put some away for Beneatha’s school funding. Walter betrayed Mama by investing all of the money into his liquor store business he proves this by telling his son Travis “You wouldn’t understand it yet, son, but your daddy’s gonna make a transaction...a business transaction that’s going to change our lives…”(Hansberry 108). He tells his son Travis his good news, and yet he still does not realize the act of selfishness he has committed.

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The reader can see how desperate he is to, in his view, do something with his life that can live up to his father. This makes him believe the best way to do that is to make lots of money. Walter wants to become one of those influential business owners that don't have to worry about making or losing money. He wants to flaunt himself and his family with the wealth that he has gained. Consequently, this desire causes Walter to take every chance he can to become a businessman, even if it's at the cost of his family or his morals.

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857 Words | 4 Pages

Beneatha dislikes people who are assimilationists, an example being her rich boyfriend. George is a black American, but contrary to Beneatha, sees no reason to admire their African heritage. He views himself as an American first and considers not to be worth it to study their ancestor’s culture. After he does not take kindly when Beneatha cut her hair short before they were about to go on a date, she chooses not to see him anymore due to his assimilationist attitudes, even it it goes against her mother and brother’s hopes of watching her marry a rich

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Walter along with the rest of the family are waiting for a check with $10,000 on it and that’s what Walter believes he is going to buy the liquor store with. Walter’s want for this money causes him to be insulting towards others and becomes very irritable. With the family getting money Mama decides to buy a new house causing Walter to become enraged because he doesn’t get what he wants and it doesn’t go the way he planned but what he planned didn’t really have much benefit to the people around him unless the liquor store was a hit right off the

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850 Words | 4 Pages

When Beneatha is talking about studying to become a doctor, Walter says, “Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? [...] go be a nurse like other women – or just get married and be quiet” (1,1). Walter thinks that Beneatha is strange for doing something that mainly men do, like becoming a doctor. He thinks that she should become a nurse, like other women, or just get married “be quiet”. Later in the play, George tells how he feels to Beneatha, “You’re [...] nice-looking [...]

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George thinks men should be smarter than women. George also makes fun of Beneatha’s heritage, by saying “ Let's face it, baby, your heritage is nothing but a bunch of raggedy-assed spirituals and some grass huts!” (1571). Even though George is also this heritage, he thinks he’s better than them because he is rich. Thi changes Beneatha by showing that George is wrong and Asgia is the guy for her.

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He wants to be a businessman and own a liquor store. He wants to be able to provide for his family and give them what they have never had. Walter also wants to take his mother’s position as the head of the house and make the financial decisions for the family. Walter can be seen as selfish as instead of putting the money for him and his sister in the bank he uses it all and loses it trying to fulfill his own dreams with no regard to his sister’s dreams or the rest of the family’s.

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Dreams help to regulate, analyze, explain and remember recent moments in our everyday life. His dream was to use Mama’s money to open a liquor store with his friends Willie and Bobo, which could have provided income for his entire family. Walter tells Ruth “See there, that just goes to show you what women understand about the world. Baby, don’t nothing happen for you in this world ‘less you pay somebody off.” This quote is sexist and Walter talks about how believes that money is a man’s domain nether women can be able to comprehend.

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He thinks that if he can own a business it will show everyone that he is successful and he will be respected and treated like a man. Walter’s mother receives a $10,000.00 life insurance payment for the death of her husband, Walter tries to convince her to give him all of the money to invest in a liquor store. Mama wants to use the money to make a down payment on a new house in a white neighborhood. Mama puts some of the money towards the new house and Walter continues to harass Mama until eventually he wears her down. Mama decides to give him $6,500.00.

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923 Words | 4 Pages

This could be for a variety of reason such as the way walter acted once mama received the money. He was always upset about not being the complete “breadwinner” and he technically wasn't the head of the house because mama was. Walter tries to make more money by investing in the liquor store. He loses the money because the man runs off with and mama warned him before so of course she becomes disappointed. “THAT MONEY IS MADE OUT OF MY FATHER’S FLESH!”

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941 Words | 4 Pages

George’s negative outlook is something that he received from his upbringing. When George puts down Beneatha’s interests and tells her that thinking is not required of her, he simultaneously shows that he is unhealthy in his relationship with Beneatha and that his unhealthiness comes from his upbringing. The unhealthiness comes from his upbringing because George, taught as a higher class, learned that it wasn’t necessary for his happiness, therefore he thinks that Beneatha does not need it

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Why Is A Dream Deferred In Raisin In The Sun

1123 Words | 5 Pages

He has a wife, Ruth, a sister, Beneatha, a mama, Lena, and a son, Travis. His ultimate dream is to illegally sell liquor with a couple of his friends so he can become the main provider for his family and give them a better life. Walter’s father has recently passed away and the family is waiting on an insurance check of ten thousand dollars. Walter says, “Yeah. You see, this liquor store we got in mind cost seventy-five thousand

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1093 Words | 5 Pages

George looks past the process of life and focuses on the end result and how it will push him forward in life. This is the very opposite of how Beneatha sees the world. Beneatha is studying to become a doctor, a very ambitious position, but she is not doing it for the money she will earn, she is doing it because she loves medicine and wants to help others. This need to help others is a similar trait she shares with her other beau, Asagai. While the Younger’s are moving to their new house, Asagai comes to console Beneatha about the money Walter lost.

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809 Words | 4 Pages

Being the man of the household, Walter dreams of owning a liquor store and plans on using Lena’s money to do so. Walter is always after money and believes that the only way to succeed in life is with money. For example, when Walter is talking about the check, he says, “Mama, sometimes when I’m downtown and I pass them cool, quiet-looking restaurants where them white boys are sitting back and talking about things, turning deals worth millions of dollars, sometimes I see guys don’t look much older than me” (992).This shows how Walter wanted something more out of life and not just be a poor black man. Everyone in this family had dreams but no one supported each other dreams.

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