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Trait: Miserable

“I have been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the livingroom -- and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live…” (p.34)

This quote portrays Walter's life as miserable because he knows himself that he is unsuccessful, and doesn't live the lift he deserves. He wants to be big, and he wants to have dreams but all that is holding him back is the money. He has to go home every night as a black man and tell stories on how great the white people he drives around lives are. While he comes home every night to his apartment that is smaller than him, to a son who sleeps on the couch, and a bathroom that is shared with his neighbors. All around Walter perceives his life as a disgrace and believes he deserves better.

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Trait- Greedy

"Mama: “Son, how come you talk so much ‘bout money?” Walter: “Because, it is life, Mama!” Mama: “Oh—so now its life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom use to be life—now its money. I guess the world really do change…” Walter: “No—it was always money, Mama. We just didn’t know about it.” (p. 74)

This quote portrays Walter to the reader as greedy because he is showing us he doesn't care about anyone. He says life isn't about love, or family it is about money. He is telling his mother the reason he wants the security check his because that check equals his life, it could change his life for the better an they can not. In the end he doesn't care about his family, or friends, he cares about the number in his bank account.

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I feel as if Walter is a very sympathetic character not because he is raised poor, and lives his life in poverty, but because of his moral views and values that he portrays throughout the story. He grew up believing that he couldn't be who he wanted to be due to the fact that he was poor. He valued money as care and respect. He believed if you brought money home to your family that you were showing them love, when all of that is false. Walter could have made it, it might have taken a little bit of money, and it might not have but in the end i sympathize him because he doesn't know the true values of love, family, and friends.

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I feel as if this painting represents Walter completely.  This painting is full of dull colors splashed aimlessly on a canvas making this whole painting a mess.  Just like Walters life, values, and morals.  Walter puts money before anyone or anything, he perceives it as the high almighty and without it you cant live.  He lives in a small cluttered apartment that cant even fit all of its residents, and when he is given the chance to change that he doesn't take it.  He decided his best bet is to invest in a liquor store, with not only his money, but his sisters college money too, which results in getting scammed and losing it all.  to get rid of any problems he has, he goes to the bar and drinks because he is an alcoholic, thus all concluding in his life being chaos

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Greed
By Irwin Mercer
"When we were born with no possession.
The love received was our concession.
No worries, no fears, no troubles, no fuss.
In mother's arms we put our trust.

But as we grew, we looked and craved,
and all too soon became enslaved.
The more we saw, the more we wanted.
Our quest for more became undaunted.

Our thirst for more could not be quenched.
The more we grasped, the tighter we clenched.
We scampered and gathered and gathered to hoard.
Possessions became our master and lord.

And when we're old with our treasures all heaped,
a sad example of what greed has reaped.
Our fists still clenched in a grasping motion,
till at our death, when our hands are opened."

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/greed-and-money

I believe that this poem relates to Walter because it is all about the greed of possessions. Walter values possessions above everything, and that results in this growth of greed. The poem states "possessions became our masters and lord." I think this line truly relates to Walter because he made money and this liqor store the only thing in his life with any worth, he made it his "god" and valued it more than he valued people.

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Drinkin' Problem- Midland

"One more night, one more down
One more, one more round
First one in, last one out
Giving this town lots to talk about
They don't know what they don't know
People say I've got a drinkin' problem
That ain't no reason to stop
People sayin' that I've hit rock bottom
Just 'cause I'm living on the rocks
It's a broken hearted thinkin' problem
So pull that bottle off the wall
People say I got a drinkin' problem
But I got no problem drinkin' at all
They keep on talkin'
Drawing conclusions
They call it a problem, I call it a solution
Last call gets later and later
I come in here so I don't have to hate her
Same old folks, same old songs
Same old, same old blue neon
The same old buzz, just because
People say I've got a drinkin' problem
That ain't no reason to stop
People sayin' that I've hit rock bottom
Just 'cause I'm living on the rocks
It's a broken hearted thinkin' problem
So pull that bottle off the wall
People say I got a drinkin' problem
But I got no problem drinkin' at all
They keep on talkin'
Drawing conclusions
They call it a problem, I call it a solution
Just sitting here in all my grand illusions
They call it a problem, I call it a solution
Just a solution
It's a broken hearted thinkin' problem
So pull that bottle off the wall
People say I got a drinkin' problem
But I got no problems drinkin' at all
They keep on talkin'
Drawing conclusions
They call it a problem, I call it a solution
Just sitting here in all my grand illusions
They call it a problem, I call it a solution"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7f6HiQ2LuU&ibss=1

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I believe that the song Drinkin' Problem by midland relates to Walter because the lyrics talk about drinking your problems away and not realizing you're causing more. It says "They call it a problem, I call it a solution" which i feel really shows Walters side of alcoholism because he uses the bottle as an escape from all of his problems and that itself is a problem but he doesn't see that. He only sees it as a safe haven and doesn't realize he truly has a drinking problem.

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I believe that one theme that represents both stories, Fences, and ARTIS is Family should come first. I believe this is the theme across all because in both stories, the father puts his material wants before his family. In Fences Troy puts his wants of a new woman before his wife and kids. While in ARTIS Walter puts his wants of money and a liquor store before his family. Both of these incidents result in tearing a family apart, and something small bringing it back together. These two stories are well constructed in making the reader feel the emotional distress between the characters, while watching and feeling the tearing apart of the families.