When discussing oppression in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, the most obvious example is the racism and discrimination that is experienced by the Younger family. However, the play also more covertly tackles the issue of misogyny, specifically through the character of Walter Lee. Walter is an ambitious man with big dreams, but he is also egotistical, chauvinistic, and dismissive of the people (especially the women) around him. Walter fears that his future is “a big, looming blank space—full of nothing” (37), a thought that leaves him feeling trapped and helpless. Walter Lee constantly belittles and asserts his dominance over the women in his life, especially his wife, because it makes him feel more in control and allows him to escape the emasculation of being unable to provide for his family.
The first example of this behavior from Walter takes place when his son, Travis, asks for 50 cents to take to school. After Ruth says that they don’t have any money to give, Walter feels ashamed and offers Travis the 50 cents anyway, even going so far as to throw in extra to prove to Travis that the family has nothing to worry about financially. As Walter hands Travis the money, the stage directions say that he does so “without even looking at his son, still staring hard at his wife” (8). These very intentional directions show that Walter is doing this to assert his dominance over Ruth. He is clearly telling Ruth not to embarrass him in front of his son and that he does not care what Ruth thinks about their money (even though Ruth is the one who handles the finances and actually knows how much money they have). Walter does all of this for show because Ruth emasculated him in front of Travis, which is further proven when he sheepishly has to ask her for money at the end of the scene.
After Travis leaves, Walter attempts to convince Ruth that his investments are a good idea, naming three different men who agree with him and want to do the same thing. When she says a single word in question of his decisions, he immediately bites back with “see there, that just goes to show you what women understand about the world” (9). This shows that Walter does not value the opinions of the women in his life and would much rather take advice from random men over his own wife. Walter also blames Ruth (and black women in general) for his shortcomings by accusing her/them of being unsupportive. He laments that this is “just what is wrong with the colored woman in this world . . . don’t understand about building their men up and making ’em feel like they somebody. Like they can do something” (10). When Ruth argues that there are successful black men, he responds “no thanks to the colored woman” (10). It is much easier for Walter to blame women for not being encouraging or nurturing enough than it is for him to face his own failures, so he is comfortable making Ruth the scapegoat for what his life has become. This exchange reveals Walter’s negative views towards women in general, not just the ones around him, and his unwillingness to take accountability for his own mistakes.
Later in the scene, Beneatha enters and Walter shows his unique distaste towards her. Beneatha is ambitious and well-educated, traits that Walter does not associate with femininity, and thus he is both intimidated and disgusted by her. They start to argue about Mama’s incoming money and Walter implies several times that Beneatha does not deserve it. Eventually, the argument comes to a head and Walter blurts out “who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ’bout messing ’round with sick people—then go be a nurse like other women—or just get married and be quiet” (13). This exclamation reveals Walter’s true feelings: he feels more entitled to the money than Beneatha because she is a woman attempting to have a career. Because Walter sees women as inferior, he resents that Beneatha might humiliate him by making something of herself before he does.
Walter feels that simply because he is a man, he deserves respect and submission from the women in his family, even his own mother. In scene two, Walter comes home ravenous for the newly received check, and he is furious when Mama wants him to instead discuss a serious matter with Ruth. In a rage, he shouts “WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE LISTEN TO ME TODAY!” (35), which indicates that he takes out the stresses of his day on his female family members when he arrives home. Walter does not feel seen or heard in his life outside of the house, so it makes him feel stronger when he forces his wife, mother, and sister to cater to him. Ruth, distraught by her husband, tells Walter he makes her sick to her stomach and leaves. Walter, never one to miss an opportunity to make his wife feel small, calls after her “and you turn mine too, baby!” (36). Walter takes every chance he gets to insult and belittle Ruth in order to keep her subservient to him.
Walter’s attitude towards women is consistently condescending, rude, and dismissive. He, by his own admission, believes that men are superior to women, and yet he relies intrinsically on the women around him to feed his ego and protect his masculinity. Walter Lee’s character is an excellent example of a misogynist who makes himself feel better and more worthy by putting women down.
- Do you sympathize with Walter because of his unfortunate circumstances, or do you feel that his behavior is irredeemable?
- If you were Ruth, considering everything about the position that she is in, would you stay with Walter?
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun: A Drama in Three Acts.
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