Tennessee Williams and Lorraine Hansberry probably didn’t know that their plays, The Glass Menagerie and A Raisin in the Sun would end up being so similar to each other. With corresponding family conflicts as well as parallel characters, these two plays resemble each other in numerous ways. One of the most predominant examples of uniform between the plays is the resemblance of the daughter figures Beneatha Younger and Laura Wingfield. These young women are much the same in that they are both misunderstood by their families and they are both searching for their identities. However, while Bentatha and Laura are very alike, they do have one difference that is reflected by their opposite personality types. The comparison of Laura and Beneatha …show more content…
Her humble mother Lena supports her desire to become a doctor but doesn’t really understand why it is more necessary than settling down and following the social norm for women. This issue is displayed by a short exchange between mother and daughter. Lena asks, “What is it you want to express?” Beneatha answers by saying, “Me! Don’t worry – I don’t expect you to understand.” This conversation shows that Beneatha knows that her ambitions are to complex for her mother to grasp. Walter Lee is even less encouraging of Beneatha, and he shows it by exclaiming, “Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? 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.” This harsh statement by Walter Lee shows that he doesn’t understand his sister at all. He doesn’t realize that Beneatha wants to better herself through acquiring a mostly male position so that she can prove herself to the world. Beneatha seems to be trapped inside a home with people who are not only ignorant themselves, but also want her to be ignorant. On the other hand, Laura is also misunderstood by her family. Her mother Amanda obviously doesn’t comprehend the severity of Laura’s social anxiety. Laura’s defect also