Bobo is, as his name suggests, somewhat dimwitted, but he is basically honest and appears to be a loyal friend. When he comes to Walter’s apartment to deliver the bad news about the insurance money, he is so mannerly and polite to the women in the Younger household that he […]
Read more Character Analysis BoboCharacter Analysis Mrs. Johnson (Mrs. Wilhelmina Othella Johnson)
The character of Mrs. Johnson appears mostly for comic relief. She is a flat caricature of the nosy, jealous neighbor. However, Hansberry employs the Mrs. Johnson character in order to point out the explosive realities that await the Youngers for being the first blacks to move into Clybourne Park. Mrs. […]
Read more Character Analysis Mrs. Johnson (Mrs. Wilhelmina Othella Johnson)Character Analysis Karl Lindner
The Lindner character, although basically a “flat character,” is still developed by Hansberry as a human being and not simply a stereotype of a bigot. For example, when Mr. Lindner arrives at the Younger household, he is extremely shy and timid, not threatening or abrasive or loud. He is polite […]
Read more Character Analysis Karl LindnerCharacter Analysis George Murchison
In this play, the educated and wealthy George Murchison represents the black person whose own self-hatred manifests itself as contempt for other blacks. George is pedantic — an academic show-off — constantly making literary allusions even when he knows that this information is lost upon his audience. When Ruth asks […]
Read more Character Analysis George MurchisonCharacter Analysis Joseph Asagai
An African student, Joseph Asagai courts the attentions of Beneatha. In trying to win her affections, he is persistent but never overbearing. He flatters her with gifts (something that George Murchison has not done); in addition, Asagai’s gifts are not meaningless trinkets but are things that are both useful to […]
Read more Character Analysis Joseph AsagaiCharacter Analysis Beneatha Younger
Because Beneatha is the most educated of the Youngers, she sometimes seems to be obnoxious and self-centered; especially in the early scenes, she freely verbalizes her views in a household that has difficulty understanding her perspectives. She favors her African suitor over her rich boyfriend, much to the puzzlement of […]
Read more Character Analysis Beneatha YoungerCharacter Analysis Walter Lee Younger (“Brother”)
Essentially, this play is the story of Walter Lee Younger, sometimes called “Brother.” Passionate, ambitious, and bursting with the energy of his dreams, Walter Lee is a desperate man, shackled by poverty and prejudice, and obsessed with a business idea that he thinks will solve all of his economic and […]
Read more Character Analysis Walter Lee Younger (“Brother”)Character Analysis Mama (Lena Younger)
Although Mama is a strong motivational force in this drama, she is not its focal point, as many earlier critics assumed. Raisin actually tells the story of Walter Lee — granted that his is a story greatly influenced by Mama. A proud woman, Lena Younger does not have much material […]
Read more Character Analysis Mama (Lena Younger)Character Analysis Travis Younger
Clearly, Travis is spoiled. In the first scene of the play, we watch him cleverly get what he wants (the fifty cents his teacher has told him to bring to school) from his father after his mother has emphatically stated that they just don’t have fifty cents. Earlier, Travis said […]
Read more Character Analysis Travis YoungerCharacter Analysis Ruth Younger
Ruth’s close relationship with her mother-in-law and with her new family is comparable to the biblical Ruth, who tells her mother-in-law, Naomi, that she will travel with her wherever she goes and that “your people shall be my people.” Unlike the biblical story, though, no mention is ever made of […]
Read more Character Analysis Ruth Younger