Walter Younger In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

Walter Younger is a very complicated character in the play A Raisin in the Sun. He has a dream of opening up a liquor store, but doesn’t have the financial support. Luckily for him, due to the recent death of his father, a check in Walter’s father’s name is given to his mother, Lena “Mama” Younger. This check contains ten thousand dollars, which is more than enough money for Walter to open up his store and follow his dreams. Unfortunately, when he finds out that his mother had spent part of the money, he is devastated, so to make him feel better, Mama gives Walter 6,500 dollars to use for his own discretion. This decision, in turn, drastically changes Walter’s mood from negative, drunk, and rude to more positive, sober, and believing that his dream could actually become a reality. Previous to this decision, Walter’s emotional state would repeatedly change from angry to upset. He would constantly escalate a situation in order to create an argument. For example, after George Murchison’s departure from the Younger house, he calls Walter, “Prometheus” (86). This simple

To start, Walter’s emotions are more controlled towards the positive side after hearing this good news. For example, after Mama tells Walter the good news, he gets up from the couch in “mingled joy and desperation” (107). His behavioral state intensifies the extreme joy that Walter is feeling through talking positively towards his family. For example, in a reply to Travis, Water’s son, about his questionably drunken state, Walter promises, “Daddy ain’t never going to be drunk again” (107). To add, he says this reply in a sweet tone, unlike any other moment previously. As well as this, when Walter talks about the future for the Younger family, at the end of his hopeful speech, Walter’s voice joyfully rises in pitch as he lifts Travis off his