A Raisin in the Sun - trapped character

For most of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, Walter feels like he is trapped. Hansberry makes this clear even in the first scene when Walter says, "Nobody in this house is ever going to understand me (38)." The impression is made that Walter struggles with alcoholism. Anytime Walter feels trapped, he escapes to the Green Hat to become inebriated. When Walter discovers that Ruth is pregnant, Walter feels especially trapped. At this point in the novel, Mama upsets Walter by not considering his "business". To add on to this, he just discovered his wife wants to get an abortion, something he never would have though she would do. Walter just feels trapped in a difficult situation, so he turns to the easy solution of alcohol. Now enjoy this scene from the movie with P. Diddy just because!

This is one of the most emotional scene's of the play. The family is ten thousand dollars richer and they are all less happy. This check is a symbol to Walter. It is a symbol of a way out of his situation. Walter is so desperate to escape his trapped feeling that he eventually loses the money to Willy Harris.