Walter Younger's impact on his family

Walter made many mistakes and bad decisions that had a negative impact on him and his family. He never deliberately tried to harm anyone in his family, but his selfishness got in the way and he ended up doing things he regretted later. For instance, when Walter is telling Mama what happened to the money he says, "Mama...I never...went to the bank" (129). Walter was supposed to put the money straight in the bank but instead he mistrusted it with a friend. He made a decision to not be as cautious as he could be with the money, and that resulted in the entire family losing everything. In addition, when Travis notices that Walter is in a good mood he says, "What's the matter Daddy? You drunk?" (107). Travis is so used to seeing his dad upset and stressed about money, that when he sees him in a good mood he automatically assumes that he is drunk. Walter's decisions to act the way he does and to do the things he does causes his family to feel like they have to tip-toe around him to make sure they don't get on his bad side. Walter never thought that anything he could do would negatively impact his family, but in the end he is the head of the house and every decision he makes leads back to his family somehow.