Walter as Tragic Hero - Article Review

In the article "Walter as tragic hero", Charles Washington tells readers that Walters's character was not selfish in a way, but rather a smart man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Readers are to acknowledge that Washington is letting us know about the younger family life. The author uses strong words such as intellectual, balance, and restricted. These are just some of the words the author uses to talk about the black hard-working family. The family has been through a lot of discrimination in their time and is looking forward to a "new beginning" or rather a "fresh start". Walter in Mr., Washington words is described from being completely different from mama. In his article Washington tells us that Walter has dodged objects and observes the dos and don'ts (94). In A Raisin in the Sun chapter 6 about Walter the author Pamela Loos quotes "he is a lean, intense young man in his middle thirties, inclined to quick nervous movements and erratic speech habits-and always in his voice there is a quality of indictment.". Indeed, what makes Walter stand out in the play is his intensity, his big dreams, and his great frustration in not getting what he wants.

Walter fells as if he is not being understood, by any means in his family as well as his own race. Ironically while Walter is being held back in life by prejudice acts, he doesn't recognize that he has his own prejudices. In the play "A Raisin in the Sun" Walter tells Ruth she is like other African- American women, who has small minds and just can't seem to build their man up. Walter says African-American people only know how to moan, pray, and have babies. When Walter is angry he fells overly frustrated. When George Murchison (someone Beneatha associates with) arrives, and Walter first talks to him about his father's business then gets angry and make negative comments about what he is wearing, and then when George is not listening Walter becomes outraged.

While Walter takes no time into seeing what others interests are, he is not completely self-centered. This is proven when Walter says "why can't I be the one to put pearls on my wife neck.... Aren't she too good to be wearing some pearls". One critic describes Walter this way:

Strong, aggressive, ambitious, ruthless even, like the men he imitates; Walter reaches for the complete American dream. It is natural that he would, for America grants an individual holds the possibility of unlimited riches, both spiritual and economic. What Walter dream of and aggressively pursues is the power that money brings, power being the essence of the only kind of manhood he is willing to accept.... However, Walters's personal stake in his dream must be balanced by the primary purpose for which he seeks it-a radical change in his family's living conditions. This change

...