Walter
As Mama’s only son, Ruth’s defiant husband, Travis’s caring father, and Beneatha’s belligerent brother, Walter
serves as both protagonist and antagonist of the play. The plot revolves around him and the actions that he
takes, and his character evolves the most during the course of the play. Most of his actions and mistakes hurt the
family greatly, but his belated rise to manhood makes him a sort of hero in the last scene.
Throughout the play, Walter provides an everyman perspective of the mid-twentieth-century African-American
male. He is the typical man of the family who struggles to support it and who tries to discover new, better
schemes to secure its economic prosperity. Difficulties and barriers that obstruct his and his family’s progress to
attain that prosperity constantly frustrate Walter. He believes that money will solve all of their problems, but he is
rarely successful with money.
Walter often fights and argues with Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha. Far from being a good listener, he does not
seem to understand that he must pay attention to his family members’ concerns in order to help them. Eventually,
he realizes that he cannot raise the family up from poverty alone, and he seeks strength in uniting with his family.
Once he begins to listen to Mama and Ruth express their dreams of owning a house, he realizes that buying the
house is more important for the family’s welfare than getting rich quickly. Walter finally becomes a man when he
stands up to Mr. Lindner and refuses the money that Mr. Lindner offers the family not to move in to its dream
house in a white neighborhood.
Mama
Mama is Walter and Beneatha’s sensitive mother and the head of the Younger household. She demands that
members of her family respect themselves and take pride in their dreams. Mama requires that the apartment in
which they live always be neat and polished. She stands up for her beliefs and provides perspective from an
older generation. She believes in striving to succeed while maintaining her moral boundaries; she rejects
Beneatha’s progressive and seemingly un-Christian sentiments about God, and Ruth’s consideration of an
abortion disappoints her. Similarly, when Walter comes to her with his idea to invest in the liquor store venture,
she condemns the idea and explains that she will not participate in such un-Christian business. Money is only a
means to an end for Mama; dreams are more important to her than material wealth, and her dream is to own a
house with a garden and yard in which Travis can play.
Mama is the most nurturing character in the play, and she constantly reminds Walter that all she has ever wanted
is to make her children happy and provide for them. She cares deeply for Walter and shows this care by giving
him the remaining insurance money. She cares deeply for Ruth as well, consoling her when Walter ignores her.
Mama respects Beneatha’s assessment of George Murchison as being arrogant and self-centered, telling her
daughter not to waste time with such a “fool.” Mama loves Travis, her grandchild, and hopes their new house will
have a big yard in which he can play. She is also very fond, though in a different way, of her plant, which she
tries to nurture throughout the play.
Beneatha
Beneatha is an attractive college student who provides a young, independent, feminist perspective, and her
desire to become a doctor demonstrates her great ambition. Throughout the play, she searches for her identity.
She dates two very different men: Joseph Asagai and George Murchison. She is at her happiest with Asagai, her
Nigerian boyfriend, who has nicknamed her “Alaiyo,” which means “One for Whom Bread—Food—Is Not
Enough.” She is at her most depressed and angry with George, her pompous, affluent African-American
As Mama’s only son, Ruth’s defiant husband, Travis’s caring father, and Beneatha’s belligerent brother, Walter
serves as both protagonist and antagonist of the play. The plot revolves around him and the actions that he
takes, and his character evolves the most during the course of the play. Most of his actions and mistakes hurt the
family greatly, but his belated rise to manhood makes him a sort of hero in the last scene.
Throughout the play, Walter provides an everyman perspective of the mid-twentieth-century African-American
male. He is the typical man of the family who struggles to support it and who tries to discover new, better
schemes to secure its economic prosperity. Difficulties and barriers that obstruct his and his family’s progress to
attain that prosperity constantly frustrate Walter. He believes that money will solve all of their problems, but he is
rarely successful with money.
Walter often fights and argues with Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha. Far from being a good listener, he does not
seem to understand that he must pay attention to his family members’ concerns in order to help them. Eventually,
he realizes that he cannot raise the family up from poverty alone, and he seeks strength in uniting with his family.
Once he begins to listen to Mama and Ruth express their dreams of owning a house, he realizes that buying the
house is more important for the family’s welfare than getting rich quickly. Walter finally becomes a man when he
stands up to Mr. Lindner and refuses the money that Mr. Lindner offers the family not to move in to its dream
house in a white neighborhood.
Mama
Mama is Walter and Beneatha’s sensitive mother and the head of the Younger household. She demands that
members of her family respect themselves and take pride in their dreams. Mama requires that the apartment in
which they live always be neat and polished. She stands up for her beliefs and provides perspective from an
older generation. She believes in striving to succeed while maintaining her moral boundaries; she rejects
Beneatha’s progressive and seemingly un-Christian sentiments about God, and Ruth’s consideration of an
abortion disappoints her. Similarly, when Walter comes to her with his idea to invest in the liquor store venture,
she condemns the idea and explains that she will not participate in such un-Christian business. Money is only a
means to an end for Mama; dreams are more important to her than material wealth, and her dream is to own a
house with a garden and yard in which Travis can play.
Mama is the most nurturing character in the play, and she constantly reminds Walter that all she has ever wanted
is to make her children happy and provide for them. She cares deeply for Walter and shows this care by giving
him the remaining insurance money. She cares deeply for Ruth as well, consoling her when Walter ignores her.
Mama respects Beneatha’s assessment of George Murchison as being arrogant and self-centered, telling her
daughter not to waste time with such a “fool.” Mama loves Travis, her grandchild, and hopes their new house will
have a big yard in which he can play. She is also very fond, though in a different way, of her plant, which she
tries to nurture throughout the play.
Beneatha
Beneatha is an attractive college student who provides a young, independent, feminist perspective, and her
desire to become a doctor demonstrates her great ambition. Throughout the play, she searches for her identity.
She dates two very different men: Joseph Asagai and George Murchison. She is at her happiest with Asagai, her
Nigerian boyfriend, who has nicknamed her “Alaiyo,” which means “One for Whom Bread—Food—Is Not
Enough.” She is at her most depressed and angry with George, her pompous, affluent African-American
