The protagonist of the play. Walter is a dreamer. He wants to be rich and devises plans to acquire
wealth with his friends, particularly Willy Harris.
Beneatha Younger
Mama’s daughter and Walter’s sister. Beneatha is an intellectual. Twenty years old, she attends
college and is better educated than the rest of the Younger family. Some of her personal beliefs and
views have distanced her from conservative Mama.
Mama
Walter and Beneatha’s mother. The matriarch of the family, Mama is religious, moral, and maternal.
She wants to use her husband’s insurance money as a down payment on a house with a backyard to
fulfill her dream for her family to move up in the world.
Ruth
Walter’s wife and Travis’s mother. Ruth takes care of the Youngers’ small apartment. Her marriage
to Walter has problems, but she hopes to rekindle their love.
Asagai
A Nigerian student in love with Beneatha. Asagai, as he is often called, is very proud of his African
heritage, and Beneatha hopes to learn about her African heritage from him.