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Examples Of Betrayal In A Raisin In The Sun

576 Words3 Pages

Taylor Jemison

Bayan Founas

English 1st hour

March 19, 2023

How might one navigate betrayal from someone they have trusted?

Betrayal is a common theme in literature, and it plays a significant role in “A Raisin in the Sun” as it is a recurring theme that shapes the actions and motivations of the characters. But how might one navigate betrayal from someone they have trusted? For further context, Lorraine Hansberry’s “A raisin in the sun” revolves around the life of an African American family living in poverty on the southside of Chicago and their attempt to fulfill their dreams with a $10,000 insurance check. However, their dreams are shattered when Walter Lee, the male protagonist, is betrayed by his business partner and loses all their money. This event causes tension and mistrust within the family. …show more content…

This is proven when he tells 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.) This leads to Walter being betrayed by his business partner, Willy Harris, who takes off with all the investment money. The family was already living in cramped conditions and struggling to make ends meet, so the loss of $6,500 left them in a dire situation. Walter's dream of investing in a liquor store seemed like the answer to their financial woes, but it turned out to be a fraud, leaving the family with

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These are all traits that would describe Walter Lee and his actions. Walter Lee is a character from the play A Raisin in the Sun in which a black family tries to get out of poverty and go against stereotypes by trying to start over with their Grandpa’s life insurance money. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry explores the concept that greed leads to being blinded by money and forgetting about one’s loved ones as shown by the climax of the play, the character of Walter Lee, and the effect that his actions have on the rest of his family. The Character of Walter Lee shows that greed blinding a person can cause him to forget about the ones he loves.

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(Hansberry 561). On page 561, Walter finally admits to his mother that he never went to the bank and instead, invested the money in the liquor business. This has a lot of impact on Benetha because she lost $3,000 for schooling as well as Travis. It affects Travis because previously on page 547, Walter says to Travis, "Just tell me where you want to go, and you'll go". Walter promises Travis that the money Mama gave Walter will change their lives forever.

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