Did the money affect mama, walter, and beneatha in a positive or negative way and how?

The money, which actually came from an insurance policy affected the three characters in very different ways. That's not to say that the effects were negative, because they weren't. Mama saw security, a new neighborhood, and a different lifestyle. She wanted to give her children the one thing she'd always dreamed of, but her dreams weren't theirs. Walter dreamed of being his own boss and owning his own business. The insurance money meant opportunity and the chance to make a better life for his family financially. Beneatha's desires were also positive, as she longed for an education that would afford her oportunities as well. None of the characters wanted to use the money in a negative fashion. They each had their own dreams, but those dreams weren't selfish dreams.... they were collective dreams.