Walter and his friends Willy and Bobo want to invest the insurance money in a liquor business. Walter sees this investment as a way to get out of his tedious and demanding work as a chauffeur. In other words, the booze store represents an opportunity for advancement. Walter’s desire to start his own company and advance in his career is tied to his desire to reclaim his male dignity. Walter communicates his experience of being emasculated and unable to live up to his father’s legacy throughout the play. His occupation in the service business contributes to his sense of emasculation.
Walter’s father, Mama explains, would not approve of his chauffeuring job: “My husband always believed being any kind of a servant wasn’t a fit thing for a man to have to be.” Walter laments the myriad ways in which the women in his family and society collude to keep him in a submissive position and deprive him of any sense of self-worth, in addition to his humiliating employment situation. As a result, Walter sees the insurance money as an opportunity to redeem himself as a son and a man.
What Is Walter going to do with the money?
Walter Younger is a difficult person to get along with. He’s unpleasant to almost every other character in the play for the most of the first act. Beneatha, his sister, is someone he starts fights with. He is cruel to Ruth, his wife, and even to his long-suffering mother, Lena.
All of this ugliness appears to stem from Walter’s dissatisfaction with his existence.
He is completely unsatisfied with his job as a driver for a wealthy white man. There’s no room for advancement, and he despises having to constantly suck up to his boss. Walter, in his forties, feels like a lesser man because he can still barely care for his family.
The only time Walter appears to become thrilled in the early stages of the play is when there’s talk of the $10,000 life insurance check that’s about to arrive in the mail (Walter’s father has died).
Walter intends to put the funds in a booze store with his “friend,” Willy Harris.
He sees this investment as a chance to be his own boss and provide for his family in the way he believes he should.
Everyone is trying to persuade Walter not to invest in the booze store.
Ruth warns her husband not to put his trust in Willy Harris.
And Lena, a devoted Christian, believes that selling liquor is a sin.
At first, Lena flatly refuses to transfer the money to Walter, despite the fact that the insurance policy is in her name and she has complete control over it.
Walter’s mother takes a portion of the money instead of giving it to her son for the liquor store and uses it to put a down payment on a property in a white neighborhood.
Walter is devastated as a result of this.
He refuses to go to work after a three-day drinking binge.
Lena eventually caves in and offers Walter a large portion of what’s left to invest as he sees fit. She also has faith in her son to deposit some of the funds into a bank account so that Beneatha might attend medical school. Walter, on the other hand, does not do this, instead handing everything over to Willy Harris for the booze store.
We get a glimpse of who Walter would be if he was happier at work at this point in the play.
He greets his sister with a smile, hugs his mother, and even takes his wife on a date where they kiss and hold hands.
The Walter we see here is a lovable, pleasant, and family-oriented individual.
“Wow, I guess he’s not such a jerk,” we think as we get to this portion.
Regrettably, this isn’t going to last.
When Willy disappears with all the money, everyone’s worries about the liquor business investment are confirmed. Things take a turn for the worst here. Mr. Lindner, a white man from the new area, had previously attempted to bribe the Youngers into not moving into their new home. When Walter was in charge, he triumphantly ejected Mr. Lindner and informed him that they didn’t require his funds.
Walter, on the other hand, is in a grave situation right now.
He reaches a new low when he phones Mr. Lindner back and says he’ll take the money.
Walter informs his family that in order to earn the money, he is willing to bow down to “The Man.” Walter is at his lowest point in the play at this point. For the money, he’s willing to completely humiliate himself.
Walter, on the other hand, is ultimately redeemable when he refuses to take the money from Mr. Lindner. Lena forces Walter to speak with the white man in front of Travis, Walter’s little son, when he returns. Walter simply cannot bring himself to behave in such a disgusting manner in front of Travis. Walter eventually regains his dignity and takes his family to their new home.
Walter makes the most egregious errors of any other character in the play, but he also undergoes the most significant development.
His transformation from a complete jerk concerned with get-rich-quick scams to a man worthy of respect is fascinating.
Lorraine Hansberry depicts how poverty and prejudice can twist and depress individuals, turning them against those they care about most in Walter Younger.
Of course, the dramatist also demonstrates how these social hurdles may be overcome with personal drive and adhering to one’s own principles with Walter.
What happens to Mama’s insurance money?
Beneatha and George return after a date a few weeks later on a Friday night. Moving boxes abound at the Youngers’ apartment. Beneatha does not want to kiss George, and George does not want to kiss her. Instead, she wants to have a talk with George about the suffering of African-Americans. George appears to desire to marry a woman “Nice… simple… smart girl,” says the narrator. Beneatha kicks him out as Mama enters. Mama inquires if she had a good time with George, to which Beneatha responds that George is a great guy “You are a fool.” Mama’s response is, “I think you shouldn’t waste your time with a bunch of knuckleheads.” Beneatha is grateful for her mother’s help.
Mrs. Johnson, the Youngers’ next-door neighbor, pays them a visit. Mama and Ruth offer her food and drink, which she accepts gratefully. She’s come to tell them about a Black family that was bombed out of their home in a predominantly white neighborhood. She is generally insensitive and incapable of civil discourse. She predicts that the Youngers will be frightened out of the all-white neighborhood once they move in, and she insults the family by calling them a scumbag “A proud-acting group of dark people.” She goes on to paraphrase Booker T. Washington, a well-known African-American thinker and assimilationist. Mama, irritated and enraged, retaliates by calling him a jerk “You are a stupid.” Mrs. Johnson exits the residence.
Ruth receives a call from Walter’s manager, who informs her that Walter has not attended to work in three days. Walter explains that he has been drinking all night and wandering all day (often into the countryside) (at a bar with a jazz duo that he loves). As the family’s male, he claims to be miserable, despondent, and useless. He considers his job to be no better than that of a slave. Mama feels bad about his dissatisfaction and assures him that she has never hurt her children. She gives him the remaining $6,500 from the insurance money, instructing him to put $3,000 in a savings account for Beneatha’s school and keep the rest $3,500.
Walter should becomeand act as if he has becomethe family’s head with this money, Mama urges. Walter gains confidence and vigor all of a sudden. He tells Travis about his plans and says he’ll be there “make a deal” that will make them wealthy Walter’s excitement grows as he talks about his vision for their future home and automobiles, as well as Travis’s college tuition.
Analysis: Act II, scene ii
Hansberry shows two sets of educational values in Beneatha and George’s talk. Beneatha sees education as a way to self-awareness and fulfillment, but George sees it as a means to a decent job. Their differing perspectives on education reveal a deeper divide between them, one of idealism vs. practicality. Beneatha believes that self-awareness, and consequently mindfulness and celebration of one’s heritage, are necessary for society to evolve. George and his family, on the other hand, think that they should grow wealthy and gain respect as a result of their economic status, which necessitates some kind of assimilation into the dominant, white society. Mama is initially impressed by George’s wealth and status, but she eventually agrees with Beneatha.
In fact, it becomes evident in the episode with Mrs. Johnson that Mama agrees with Beneatha far more than one might imagine. Both George Murchison and Booker T. Washington are shown as assimilationists in this moment, and Mama refers to them as such “Fools,” they say. Mama refers to George as a “Although she just called Booker T. Washington a “fool” in response to Beneatha’s remark, her use of such a derogatory term has significant historical and cultural ramifications. Many in the Black community regard Washington as a hero because he urged assimilation into mainstream America as the primary objective of Black Americans. Though he rose to prominence in the first part of the twentieth century, by the late 1950s, popular opinion had turned against him. By this time, many Black people had come to reject assimilationist beliefs, feeling that mainstream America will always mean white America, and that assimilating into this culture would always entail degrading themselves to fit white society’s perceptions of how Black people should be and act. They sought a separate identity that would allow them to embrace and express their origin and culture as a result of this.
Walter’s materialistic fantasy about the future is described to Travis at the end of the sceneWalter still wants to be a part of the culture that excludes him. If becoming wealthy is the answer to his family’s issues, he wants to be wealthy. Above all, he wishes for his son to have a better life than he has and to receive the education he deserves. His desire for Travis appears to be selfish as well; he urgently wants to feel like a man, and he believes that Travis’s success will reflect on his own as the man of the house.
Walter’s perspective on schooling appears to be somewhere in the middle between Beneatha’s and George’s. Because Travis is his child and Beneatha is a lady, Walter appears to be more concerned with Travis’ schooling than with Beneatha’s. Within the marginalized group of Black people, there is an even more disenfranchised group of Black women who face prejudice on both a racial and gender level. Walter is acting as if his and his son’s interests are more important than Beneatha’s, whether deliberately or unconsciously, despite the fact that Beneatha has demonstrated she is academically capable. Walter feels that the insurance money Mama gives him will help him achieve financial success and offer educational resources for his son, which he values more than his sister’s ambition to become a doctor.
What does Walter Lee want to do with the check?
Walter Lee wants to partner with two buddies to invest Mama’s $10,000 insurance cheque in a liquor store enterprise. Mama is uninterested in Walter’s proposal to get rich quick because of her religious beliefs against drinking alcoholic beverages.
What does Walter hope to do with the insurance money what has Mama thought of doing?
What dreams do you think he’ll have? Mama tells him to save some money for Beneatha’s college tuition and use the rest to open a booze store. Mama delegated the management of the remaining insurance funds to Walter Lee.
What is Mama’s reaction to Walter losing the money?
It’s moving day on Saturday, a week later. Ruth shows Beneatha the drapes she’s purchased for their new home and tells her that the first thing she’ll do when they move in is take a long bath in their own bathroom. Ruth mentions the change in the atmosphere in the house, recalling that she and Walter had even gone to the movies and held hands the night before. Walter enters the room and begins dancing with Ruth. Beneatha teases them for acting stereotypically, but she isn’t trying to hurt them. Ruth and Walter are amused by Beneatha’s mocking and join in, with Walter claiming that Beneatha only talks about race.
Karl Lindner, a middle-aged Caucasian man, knocks on the door. He’s a representative from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association, and he tells the Youngers that issues develop when individuals of different backgrounds don’t sit down and talk to one another. The Youngers agree, at least until he confesses that he and the neighborhood group fear the Youngers’ presence in Clybourne Park will damage the community. The existing residents are all white, working-class folks who do not want anything to jeopardize their community’s vision.
Mr. Lindner informs the Youngers that the association is willing to pay them more money than they are paying for the house in exchange for their refusal to relocate to Clybourne Park. Ruth, Beneatha, and Walter all feel enraged, but they manage to keep their rage under control. Mr. Lindner is told categorically that they will not accept the offer, and Walter pushes him to leave immediately.
Walter, Ruth, and Beneatha inform Mama about Mr. Lindner’s visit when she returns home. It astounds and concerns her, but she fully supports their decision to turn down the buyout offer. The rest of the family then surprises her with gifts of gardening equipment and a large gardening cap as she is making sure her plant is well packed for the trip. Mama has never gotten gifts outside of Christmas and is moved by her family’s kindness. Bobo, one of Walter’s buddies, arrives just as the whole family is getting ready to celebrate. After a bit of wobbling, he announces that Willy Harris has taken all of Walter’s money from the liquor store agreement. Walter had not only invested his $3,500, but also the $3,000 set aside for Beneatha’s schooling. Mama is furious and starts slapping Walter in the face. Beneatha separates them. Mama is struck by weakness as she recalls her husband’s arduous job in order to provide for them. She fervently prays for strength.
Analysis: Act II, scene iii
For the Youngers and their future, this scene provides two conflicts and concerns. First, the episode with Clybourne Park Improvement Association President Mr. Lindner demonstrates the power of both aspirations and racial prejudice. The members of the Younger family are not intimidated by Mr. Lindner’s remarks. Rather, they appear to be anticipating the fight. The Youngers are well aware that they are about to realize some of their ambitions, and they will not be deterred by bigotry. Mama’s careful packing of her plant after learning of the occurrence demonstrates her pride in her ability to hang on to her dream. She understands that she will need a symbol of the dream’s power to survive in the all-white neighborhood. The plant represents her desire to escape their impoverished lifestyle. It also symbolizes a goal for African-American equality and acceptance in society. Furthermore, this incident demonstrates that Mama’s commitment to her ambition is just as crucial as its realization.
The second issue, Walter’s shady insurance money investment and its tragic outcome, causes far more turmoil and discord. Walter shouts, “THAT MONEY IS MADE OUT OF MY FATHER’S FLESH,” illustrating his view that money is the lifeblood of human existence, when Bobo arrives and reports that the money is gone. Walter has little sympathy from the Youngers, and it appears that none of their aspirations will come true now. Ruth and Beneatha’s sadness and pessimism hit a new low. Mama argues at first, but as she talks about witnessing her husband wither from hard work, she seems to concur with their approach. Mama’s idealism about family shatters in the face of the loss of the money.
Mama’s sudden and heartbreaking understanding that her husband’s life is nothing more than a stack of paper bills drives her to turn on Walter as if he had murdered his father himself. Mama’s fury is unusual, and it’s significant because it shows that her compassion isn’t based on passivity. She is too concerned about her husband’s memories, their shared desire of owning a home, and her family to let Walter off the hook. The only way for her to force Walter to recognize his flaws and seek a solution is for her to beat him.
Willy Harris, the man who steals Walter’s and Bobo’s money, is mentioned by the other characters but never appears onstage. Willy remains a faceless metaphor for Walter’s carelessness and reckless money handling. Furthermore, Hansberry’s attention is not on the theft itself, but on the Younger family and its members’ reactions to adversity.
Does Walter get the liquor store?
Walter Lee Younger is one of Lorraine Hansberry’s award-winning play A Raisin in the Sun’s principal characters and the antihero, or unusual hero. Because he doesn’t make enough money to support his family, Walter feels worthless as a guy. He decides to invest a portion of his father’s life insurance payout in a booze store. He loses his family’s confidence and respect when the investment project fails. By the end of the play, he has regained the respect of his family by refusing to give up their ambition of purchasing a home.
Why does Mama decide to Walter in charge of the money?
Mama’s decision to put Walter in charge of the money is puzzling. He intended to put the money into a booze business. Why has Mr. Lindner been dispatched by the neighborhood organization to speak with the family?
What news does Bobo bring to Walter?
What kind of news did Bobo deliver to Walter? Willy grabbed all of the money and vanished without a trace, he tells Walter. Beneatha and Ruth are packing when Ruth tells Beneatha how pleased she is with Walter’s transformation.
What is Walter’s final decision for the family?
What is Walter’s ultimate plan for the family? What does this reveal about his character’s evolution? Since Willy took his money, he should stay in his new residence and wait for another opportunity. By focusing solely on money.
Should Walter be entitled to some of the insurance money Why or why not?
Should Walter be eligible for a portion of the insurance proceeds? No, Mama deserves all of the insurance money because she is the family’s decision-maker. She is concerned about the family’s well-being and knows what is best for them.