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Beneatha Character Analysis

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Concerning the Characterization of the characters, it is obvious that the majority of the characters are women. The characters of "Mama, Ruth, and Beneatha represent three generations and kinds of attitude" (stewart11). Beneatha 's characterization is somehow related to her name. Her name comes from the word 'beneath '. Her family treatment to her matches with her name so much. As her name gives one an indirect characterization that she is considered to be lower than the other adults. She is partly based on herself. She holds the modern views. She dreams to become a doctor; there is no women doctors at her time. She is a strong character. She does not fear to talk about her perspective of life. She tells them that she isn’t concerned about …show more content…

Some critics see that Beneatha is different from her creator, Lorraine Hansberry. Beneatha fights against the rest of her family and she lives in poverty. She was afraid to move into an all-white neighborhood. On the contrary, Lorraine Hansberry did move into an all-white neighborhood and experienced difficulties along with her family. Hansberry did not live the lifestyle that Beneatha did; she did not live in utter poverty. Hansberry had family support for her desires; While Beneatha wants to live in a world where she can pursue her dreams. Though her brother Walter thinks she is ridiculous, Beneatha insists on being a doctor. Beneatha has two main struggles to overcome; she was black and she was a woman (James 42).
Mama is a sensitive and proud black woman who strives to improve her family. She is an old-fashioned character with conservative views. She is an optimistic and caring character. Ruth is somehow like Mama. She is a soft character. "Ruth is easily embarrassed and tries too hard to please others" (James 44). She is not an aggressive character; she just lets life happen to her. She is the worn-out wife with a routine lifestyle. Ruth is the name of a famous woman in the bible. Her only simple dream is to live in peace and see all her family members happy (James …show more content…

Asagai is Proud of being African and he hopes to return to Nigeria to make positive changes there. He tries to teach her about her heritage. He is absolutely different from George Murchison, her other suitor, who is a proud African-American guy. He has succeeded in life by being absorbed in the whites ' world. Asagai persuades Beneatha to cut her straightened hair to have a more African look. He opens her eyes to the necessity of having her own existence and identity. Finally, Beneatha intends to accept his proposal of marriage and move with him to

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She was not like other young women that would be housewives or maids at her age but instead is independent. Looking after herself and making more of a life for herself, she attends school, tries to play guitar, and looks for a love interest. This breaks the stereotype of a “normal” woman who is a housewife or maid and shows Beneatha is different. Therefore, Beneatha overcomes this criticism of her “unnatural ways”, and proceeds to make her life successful.

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Hansberry makes the characters have a tough life so when they achieve what they want, it’s a greater reward than someone who had an easy life. The main reason Beneatha changed so much during this play because of how people treated her. Beneath goes through major changes in the play. One of the main reason she does is because of Asagia. Asagia is a friend of Beneatha and is from Nigeria.

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Hassenberry wrote her play about a poor African American family by the name of the Yongers. Mrs. Younger, Walter Lee, and Beneatha all have there own individual dreams. , But are consistently being differed. Lena Younger, otherwise known as, “Mama” is Walter and Beneatha’s mother and the head of the household. With her deceased husbands ten thousand dollar insurance check Lena bought a three thousand-dollar house with a garden where her family would be happy and hopes to save the rest of the money for Beneatha’s medical school.

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Miniver Cheevy, in “Miniver Cheevy,” has a few character traits that show his true personality. The reader sees his traits as being single, of a low social status, a drunk, and being lazy. The author shows many other traits in the short story, but these three are what make his personality. His overall personality as being an underachiever is seen in the character traits.

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Walter uses his male privilege to put Beneatha down. Beneatha battles being underprivileged at home and in society by defying odds and choosing her own path. According to the matrix of domination, Beneatha being an African American woman shows that in order for her to have full privilege she has to deal with both the isms. The social construction of difference has produced racism and sexism and connected them and society has used them to justify

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Beneatha wants to study to become a doctor, but instead Walter Lee wants to spend his family’s insurance money so he can open a liquor store with Willy and Bobo his friends and be a man. Since Walter Lee and his family were in a bad position and were very poor it was Walter Younger’s responsibility to keep the family together and he saw this a very big responsibility. He frequently complained about being a chauffeur and ridding rich people, every day when he woke up in the morning. He would always fight with his wife Ruth, Mama and his sister Beneatha. For instance (Hansberry 32-34) he says to Ruth his wife “You tired, ain’t you?

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The 1950s were oppressive and degrading towards the culture and identity of African Americans. This principle is especially personified through the drama, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry. As a black female author in this time period, she was easily able to capture the racism and forced stereotypes poignant within the lives of the minorities. Beneatha, a fictional character in the play, represents the ambitious and suppressed black female intellectual who is stripped of her identity at every turn. The men in her life are as different as black and white, and in essence that is what they are.

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”(Hansberry 96 ). Beneatha is often confronted by Asagi, about how she is assimilating to an oppressive culture. Asagi tells her to stop trying to fit in, to be proud of her African roots, to embrace them, “White-black in this you are all the same.” (Hansberry 64) Beneatha desires to be different from those in her generation.

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She puts a lot of effort and time in trying to get an education for herself and learn how to be her own person. Beneatha does not want to be with George because she feels that she will not be able to fulfill her dream of being a doctor. For example, “But if the Younger’s are sitting around waiting to see if their little Bennie is going to tie up the family with the Murchisons, they are wasting their time” (Hansberry31).Beneatha wants to be a hardworking woman and this connects to the American Dream because hard work is a big component of achieving what you want. Also, she does not want George Murchison stopping her from being a hard-working woman. She does everything by herself and puts her hard work into everything she does.

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Stephen King, a famous writer once said, “Books and movies are like apples and oranges. They are both fruit, but they taste completely different.” Truly, this applies to all movies and books. This quote is effective describing the novel and the movie, A Raisin in the Sun. Although the two share similar scenes and acts, the movie shows a lot more details which make it better.

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Yet, at home, she devotes love and curiosity to her family. This contrasts to multiple other characters, as the relationship between Ruth and her single mother is inspiring. Accordingly, she respects her mother, who provides encouragements like, “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” With pure gratitude, Ruth seeks to apply her mother’s words. When bullies trouble Philip, Ruth can empathise with him.

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She defies the ideal life for a woman and expresses her opinion loud and clear. Beneatha throughout the play finds herself and her African American roots. Walter does not approve of Beneatha’s hopes to become a doctor he tells her, “If you so crazy ‘bout messing ‘round with sick people---then go be a nurse like other women---or just get married and be quiet. . .” (1.1.125) These social issues that the characters faced in their lives made them out to be the people that they were meant to be.

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1502 Words | 7 Pages

Beneatha dreams to be a doctor, which is a male-dominated profession. She says, “I am going to be a doctor and everybody around here better understand that!” (Hansberry 33). This shows her feminist attitude in the play when Beneatha takes a largely optimistic stance when facing troubles of entering a male-dominated profession, implying that she is a ‘non-conformist’. Additionally, Beneatha refuses to “just get married and be quiet” (Hansberry 22), as her chauvinistic brother, Walter Lee, expects her to be.

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779 Words | 4 Pages

His sister, Beneatha, wants to become a doctor and Walter isn't very supportive of her decision. Walter's wife, Ruth, is the recipient of the majority of Walter's anger and sexist remarks. In Act 1 Scene 1, the audience learns that Beneatha, a colored woman, wants to become a doctor and attends medical school. Beneatha and Walter begin to banter with each other about Mama’s money.

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In Act 1, Beneatha’s quest to find her personal identity is seen in the way she expresses herself, her ambitions, her roots and the way she deviates from what is acceptable in her family. She tries to find ways to express herself such as trying different hobbies. In the past, Beneatha has been a part of a play-acting group, horseback-riding club, and in Act 1 starts guitar lessons (47). She also has the ambition to become a doctor which is looked down upon by her brother, Walter Lee (38). Additionally, her African roots are important to her search for identity.

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