In the play, "A Raisin in the Sun," by Lorraine Hansberry, the protagonist Walter Lee Younger goes through a dramatic change in character from the start to the end. Walter is a middle aged man who wants to make more of his life than be a chauffeur by investing a lot of money to buy a liquor store with the consequence of sacrificing his family's happiness. One of the biggest factors in Walter's change in character from a selfish man to a selfless one is his mother. Walter, through the guilt he felt after hurting his mother, grew up and took responsibility for his family. .
Mama is a very strong character in this play. She is the keystone to the Younger family's metaphorical bridge. Being Walter's mother, she has authority over him, and uses it to her advantage in the play. For example, she often is the one to bring him to reality when he often fantasizes about the prospect of owning a liquor store. When Mama receives the check that contains the money that her late husband spend his life saving up, she takes a proactive stance against the dysfunction of her family and buys them a house. Walter, who believed that the money would go towards his dream to buy the liquor store, is crushed. Mama, seeing that Walter is depressed, tells him, "I'm telling you to be the head of this family from now on like you supposed to be" (Hansberry 107). Then, she gives him the remaining money. Walter, with the money, feels like he has some sort of worth in the world, but does not use it well. Walter's character did not change much because of Mama's trust in him. When she figures out about Walter deceiving her, she becomes enraged, and states, talking about Walter's father, "I seen him.night after night.killing himself.but you gave it all away in a day" (129). This spurs Walter to finally become a responsible man and do things for the good of his family, not just himself.
Before Mama was able to shock Walter into growing up and becoming a respectable man, he acted like a five year old, to provide an accurate description.