The quote from the play A Raisin in the Sun represents the culmination of the piece’s main idea. The play depicts a Black family struggling to find a place in the White-dominated middle class. Walter, whose words are contained in the quote, is the household’s father and main protagonist. He represents ambition, hope, and dreams, which is perfect for the play that centers around the concept of class and social climbing. The main idea and themes of the play revolve around his journey of realizing what is truly important for him and his family. The culmination of this journey and Walter’s final conclusion are contained in the quote’s words.
Walter’s journey culminated in the quote is the movement from one side of understanding ambition to another. He manages to represent both sides in the context of the Black family entering the middle class. At first, he isolates himself in the struggle to support his family financially, ensuring its economic well-being despite racial discrimination. These racial barriers constantly prevent him from succeeding and frustrate him immensely. This belief that he needs to support his family alone and consequent emotional drain leads him to have arguments with his family. He focuses so much on acquiring money that he ignores the concerns and issues of his family members. However, over the course of the play, he realizes his mistakes, changing his thinking about money and ambition. This realization makes him utter the words depicted in the quote.
The words in the quote represent the change in Walter’s attitude towards the concept of ambition, money, and family. He concludes that he cannot continue ignoring his family’s concerns and cannot raise them from poverty to the middle class alone. The main dream of the family of owning a house contradicts Walter’s desire to acquire money quickly. He understands that he needs to consider his family’s needs and unite them to achieve their shared goal of prosperity. Thus, Walter refuses the quick money from Mr. Lindner that would prevent them from moving into a White neighborhood. The words he says to Mr. Lindner are depicted in the quote, showing his resolve and growth of his mindset concerning ambition, money, and family. In other words, the deeper meaning of the quote is the culmination of Walter’s character growth and his changed views.