the morning to be talking about money. It ain’t Christian” Hansberry, 1994: 41. She thinks that it is not the way of Christian to talk about money in the morning. She also
rejects Beneatha’s opinion about God’s existence. Mama is really shocked when she heard Beneatha’s opinion about God and Christianity. Beneatha does not believe in
God, she prefers to be rational than being religious while Mama thinks that God is everything in life Hansberry, 1994: 51. Other parts that show Mama’s religious life
are when she disagrees with Walter’s idea to invest the insurance money to open a liquor store and Ruth’s plan to have an abortion. Mama explains that she does not
want her children to be involved in something which is un-Christian.
2. The Description of Walter Lee
Referring to the theory of character mentioned by Stanton 1965: 17, Walter is considered as the central or the major character because his character is relevant to
every event in the play. In the play, Hansberry describes Walter as a lean, intense young man in his middle thirties, incline to quick nervous movements and erratic
speech habits and always in his voice there is a quality of indictment 1994: 25. In Mama’s eyes, Walter is describes as “a good-looking boy with a god job, a nice wife,
a fine boy, etc” Hansberry, 1994: 73. One of Walter’s interesting characteristics is his ambition. Just like another Afro-American who comes from the oppressed
society, Walter grows up as a dreamer. He likes to imagine that someday he becomes a rich man that owns lots of money from his business. This dream of being rich that
actually turns him into an ambitious and money oriented person. 36
a. An Ambitious and Money Oriented Person
As Brockett in Benedetty, 1970: 129 stated, one way in analyzing a person characteristic is by using the social condition, which includes “character economic
status, profession, religion, family relationship, all those factors place the character in his environment”. In the play, one way in analyzing Walter’s characteristics is by
seeing his profession as a chauffeur. Walter works as a chauffeur since there is a limitation of job type for the colored people. He dreams to be a rich person but his job
does not support him in reaching it. Unfortunately, his dream of being rich has turned him into an ambitious man.
Walter : … Mama – Mama – I want so many things…
Mama : Yes, son –
Walter : I want so many things that they are driving me kind of crazy…
Mama – look at me. Mama
: I’m looking at you. You a good looking boy. You got a job, a nice wife, a fine boy and–
Walter : A job. Mama, a job? I open and close the car doors all day long.
I drive a man in his limousine… Mama, that ain’t no kind of job…that’s ain’t nothing at all… Hansberry, 1994: 73.
Walter feels that his job as a chauffer is nothing at all. He wants a change of fortune here. He wants so many things and one of them is to have his own business
which leads him to the idea of having a liquor store. By putting some money from the insurance money, Walter believes that he can get much money from the liquor store
in the future. His ambition in achieving his goal by having a liquor store has brought him into a money oriented person.
37
Mama : Son – how come you talk so much ‘bout money?
Walter : with immense passion Because it is life, Mama
Mama : Quietly Oh – Very quietly So now it’s life. Money is life.
Once upon a time freedom used to be life – now it’s money. I guess the world really do change…
Walter : No – it was always money, Mama. We just didn’t know about it
Hansberry, 1994: 74. Walter talks about money all the time. He even emphasizes on what money is
equal with. Walter believes that money is equal with life because money itself is life. Freedom that used to become life has been put aside by Walter. He states that it is just
about money. People never really know or understand how important money is. When Mama bought a house using the insurance money, Walter felt that he has lost
his dream along with the money that mama spent. “So you butchered up a dream of mine…” Hansberry, 1994: 95. Another point that shows how money oriented
Walter is when he is going to accept Mr. Lindner’s offer to buy the house back. “Don’t cry, Mama. Understand. That white man is going to walk in that door able to
write checks for more money than we ever had…” Hansberry, 1994: 143. It shows that Walter does not care about anything else but money, even he does not care to his
family condition. He feels that money is the only things that can bring pleasure to life.
b. An Uneducated person
Hansberry also describes Walter as an uneducated person. It can be seen through how this character’s ability in using English. Hansberry also portrays Walter
as an old-fashioned stereotype of men. He is considered being the type of men who 38
