A Raisin in the Sun (pages 492-519)

The climax has finally taken place in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Question twelve asks about a situation where a "point of no return" is reached and how that causes a character’s life to never be the same. Walter makes multiple decisions throughout the entire play that result in such high collateral damage that there is no way to return to his normal life. The biggest decision Walter makes is when he lends Willy all of his father’s left over legacy money. Willy ends up skipping town and Walter is devastated when he claims, “Man… Don’t let it be true… Man… I trusted you… Man, I put my life in your hands” (Hansberry, 517). Walter made the choice to give all the money he has to the antagonistic Willy and figures out it was the worst decision he could have possibly made. There is now no way to pay for Beneatha’s college funds or his business ideas. Walter’s life will never be the same because this money that his mother gave to him was his last chance at making something of himself. Furthermore, this was the last opportunity Walter had to pull his family out of poverty. Walter made such a poor choice that he will have to live without getting the opportunity to completely turn his life in a positive direction.