Character Analysis Of Walter Younger In A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry

The experiences that Walter Younger faces make him the person he is and by the end of the play he seems to be progressing as a person and is changing. In the beginning he is being consumed by his own dreams and in the end he is putting his family first. Money is changing Walter as well as his family and in the end he is trying to be a man and a better person for them. Where the play takes place is also greatly impacting Walter Lee, for example if he lives somewhere else he probably won’t have the missed opportunity with Charlie Atkins. “When he wanted me to go in the dry-cleaning business with him. And now- he’s grossing a hundred thousand a year.” (Hansberry 493) this shows how upset Walter is that he isn’t in the business with Charlie.

The other characters in the play are changing him, sometimes it’s for the better and sometimes the worst comes out in Walter. Ruth and Mama want Walter’s dreams to come true, but they also just want to move and get out of their apartment. This makes Walter angry and upset because he wants to have a better income than what he has.
The whole story he is focusing too much on his dreams and making his family’s lives better, but what he doesn’t realize is that he is actually making their lives worse. But, when he loses the money that Mama gives him, it is a sign that he needs to change because he realizes that he needs to be a man for his family and teach his son right. The problem is actually caused by the death of Walter’s father. Maybe that is why he feels the need to accomplish his goals, because now he is the one taking care of the family, his dad isn’t anymore. “...but the insurance money belongs to Mama. Picking on me is not going to make her give it to you to invest in any liquor stores…”(Hansberry 498) this explains how mad Beneatha is at Walter because he is trying to make her feel bad so she will say he can have the