Posted by Lourdes Hernandez (66.242.166.23) on June 23, 2005 at 7:51:28 p.m.:
Lourdes Hernandez
English 301
Jeanne Guerin
Rought draft Essay 2
06/24/05
Big Walter and his Dreams
P1 The main characters in the drama in the, A Raisin in the Sun, were Mama Lena her son Walter and his wife Ruth and their son Travis,and Beneatha Lena’s daughter. Walter dreams to become a business man investing in a liquor store. Beneatha dream is to become a doctor, mama wants to buy a house for the family and to have a garden. Ruth’s dream is to get out of the small apartment and live in a decent house. The Younger family is living in a small apartment in Chicago’s Southside. Another main character that comes to the drama is Lena’s husband “Big Walter” who recently has passed a way, leaving behind his dreams and his wife in charge of the house and waiting for his life insurance a check so they can fulfilled their dreams. Mama and Big Walter had being married for more than thirty-five years. She has her small apartment full of memories with her lovely husband. She remember when they just have come to live in the small apartment, they had plan to live for a short period of time supposedly. Walter was full of dreams they had plan to buy a house soon in the future. Big Walter was a dreamer. Mama said of him, “ Big Walter used to say, he’ get right wet in the eyes sometimes, lean his head back with the water standing in his eyes and say, “ Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams.”( 1383). Still big Walter’s dreams show importance as a character because his widow, Mama keeps his dream alive, and his children also dare to have dreams.
P2 The drama takes place in a small apartment in Chicago’s Southside, Mama is a little bit nervous waiting for the ten thousands dollars check and is planning things with the money. Mama Lena and Ruth have very similar dreams. Mama wants a house because she want to have a garden and the most imortant things a better house for all the family. Ruth’s dreams is to move out of the small apartment and to have a house.Lena is very close to her daughter in-law and when she talks about the money, Ruth advises that she needs to take a trip just like other people does. “Shoot-these here rich white woman do it all the time, they don’t think nothing of packing up they suitcases and piling on one of them big steamships and-swooh!-they gone child.” (1382) Mama couldn’t take a trip, her priority is to buy a house, so her grandson have a better place to play and to have a better home and saving money for Beneatha medical school.
Walter Lee and Ruth, had many dream and a poverty problems. Since they got marry they being living with his parents They wanted to have a house in their own. Walter thinks that since he got marry his life did not succeed. Ruth is a nice wife, she is having difficult times but she can’t talked to Walter he has being mean to Ruth. Walter blames his wife for not going into business before with a friend. His big dream is to become a business man. Ruth can’t tell Walter that she is pregnant she is afraid of his reaction Ruth thinks that Walter is having an affair.
P3 Beneatha and Walter discuss about the money. Beneatha says, “ Walter, give up, leave me alone it’s Mama money.” To what Walter replies, “ He was my father, too” ( 1379). This mean that they are both children inheret the hopes for a better future from their father, and also feel to a share of the money. They did mention that this money was coming from some insurance company. Big Walter worked very hard to save this money for his family. Walter and Beneatha argues a lot in many ways sometimes is the money another times Walter thinks that his sister has not make her mind up seriously for her future career to become a doctor.
P4.Lena and her daughter Beneatha dreams problems. She is a twenty years old girl that she has dream to become a doctor a Lena total supports her idea but Lena doesn’t like that Beneatha is experimenting things for example she was involve in drama group and she lefted then was taking horse back riding lessons and she did not finishes so Lena is not so happy about it. She discuss some gods themes and Lena doesn’t like daughter respond. Mama, “ you don’t understand. It ‘s matter of ideas, and God is just one idea I don’t accept.(1386) Mama, “ absorbs this speech ,studies her daughter, and rises slowly and crosses to Beneatha and slaps her powerfully across the face.” (1386) Lena will not tolerate to talk bad of God or to said dad words in her house.
P5 Walter and his desperation for money. Walter is a hard working man bu he wants to invest in a liqour store, he is not a business man to be sucessful. He is tired and so desperete that he wanst another kind of life he want to fit with society. He is always making plans with his friends using his mother’s money. He thinks that with the liqour store he will make a lot money. He is hoping to get some money from his mother’s insurange check. Mama has bad feeling if Walter invested in a liquor store. “Well-wheter they drinks it or not ain’t none of my business.”(1382) selling it to ‘em is. Mama doesn’t want let Walter invest in a liquor store she doesn’t think this is right unless not with her money. “ But wheter I go into business selling it to ‘em is, and I don’t want that on my ledger this late in life.” (1382) She wants a better future for him but not by selling alcohol. She thinks this is really bad idea. Mama went ahead and bought a house put a downpayment for the house left some money for Beneatha medical school and some for walter so can use his part of the money wisely. Lena trust Walter with the money so he can save it. He went ahead a makes some arranges in paper to invest in the liquor store and his lost all the money.
Conclusion
Walter had a big dream to become somebody like a busisness man he wanted to be but his dream did not happen but in way he accomplished his father dream, He is full of pride like Big Walter , “ My father –he earned it for us brick by brick.” (1432). Meaning that they must keep what his father left for them, his father work hard in life for them, leaving him being the head of the house. Beneatha had her mind set to be a doctor so she will make her dream come true. Lena and Ruth want a house so they have new house. Big Walter did not accomplished his dreams when he was alive. But Big Walter has fulfilled his dreams by leaving pride in his family and the insurance money.
Word Count 1192
Work Cited
Hansberry, Lorraine. “ A Raisin in the Sun.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. 6th Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s 2003. 1372-1433.