A Raisin in the Sun is a film about the selfish pursuits of one man in a segregated and racist society to become something great. This is Walter Lee, and by great he means to have money. Walter Lee is seen sleeping in a close up at the start of the film and his wife, Ruth must yell at him to get up. She on the other hand wearily gets out of bed immediately. The contrast in the two is that she faces the reality of her day no matter how tired she is of living it while he wants to dream the day away. He shirks his responsibilities to his family as he believes his dreams are more important than anything, even the dreams of his wife, mother and sister. Walter Lee begins as a man who only cares about his own pursuits. He's so focused on himself that he does not see anyone around him.
It's not until the very end of the picture that he finally does what his mother has asked him to do, "Stand up." He has said nothing about his wife wanting to get an abortion, he finds his sister wanting to be a doctor foolish and stupid and he believes the insurance money from his father's death should supply the money to fulfill his dreams. Because to him it's not about becoming someone, it's about having money. Money is power and opportunity and status. These are the things that Walter Lee is after, loot. He has not the eyes to see that his father's life is tied to every cent of that insurance money. He sacrificed his entire life so that his children would have something when he left. Thus him losing his father's money to a hustler represents his lack of understanding that his father wanted more for him. He didn't need Walter Lee to earn a loot of money. He wanted him to have the freedom to not have to endure the life he and his wife endured in order to get by. Walter Lee didn't see that because he didn't have the character to do so.
In one of the final scenes Walter Lee finally stands. With his son in his arms and his wife, mother and sister surrounding him he speaks for once of his understanding of his father's life. That to sacrifice for the next generation was a giant task, and to stand on the shoulders of his father's life and give everything so that your family may live more free than you is what he finally grasps and delivers to Mr. Lindner. He has taken his place as the head of the family with his eyes opened, his character in line and his heart open to love his family the way his father loved him.
