Insight into Walter

The Harlem Renaissance was a major black cultural movement in which many African American citizens were able to raise their positions in society. Their fights were no longer for freedom, they were to higher their positions in society. However, this shift in ideals was not a smooth transition. In the poem "The Weary Blues" Langston Hughes describes the feeling of black musician. This musician says that "[He] ain't happy no mo'" and that he wished "that [he] had died", showing that he is no longer satisfied with the life that he lives. His case is similar to that of Walter Lee in the book A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Walter is also dissatisfied by his families conditions and his job. As his mom always says, being a servant is never the right job for a man. He should be creating something for the world. Walter wishes to become as close to a Gatsby-like person he can, and just like Gatsby, he has become too absorbed in materialistic possessions. Unlike Gatsby though, Walter has to battle with society to achieve his goal, something we as readers think will most likely not happen. Personally, I see Walter as a combination of Rex Walls, from The Glass Castle, and Gatsby, from The Great Gatsby. He keeps telling his family of the plans he has to get rich quick and is also an alcoholic like Rex, however he is more absorbed in the perks of wealth than Rex, similar to Gatsby.**SPOILER ALERT**(if you still haven't done your homework) After reading Act II, we find that Walter truly is empty with his promises and is just as reckless with money as Rex Walls. How he will react to this defeat though may set him apart. That remains to be read...