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Examples Of Sexism In A Raisin In The Sun

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Beneatha’s Experience With Sexism Women and Men are the two genders that society measures on what they should do and how they should behave. Women, particularly, have faced discrimination for the majority of the years including the present day. In the book, A Raisin in the Sun, Beneatha is described as a diligent and devoted college student, on the path to becoming a physician. Lorraine Hansberry portrays the sexism Beneatha encounters for wanting to become a doctor through her peers' disparaging comments. Hansberry addresses Beneatha's struggles with discrimination for wanting to become a doctor by getting told it's just a phase. Beneatha always loves to share her dreams with the whole family, as she wants everyone to hear her and know that …show more content…

This holds back Beneatha because she needs all the motivation she could get. People telling her she won't actually become a doctor only makes her feel even less confident about it, particularly coming from her family, who should be her biggest supporters with something like this. Beneatha overcomes this towards the end of the play by simply ignoring them and focusing on herself. Furthermore, Walter displayed sexism towards Beneatha when he explained that girls do not become doctors. Beneatha reminds Walter almost daily that she still wants to be a doctor. Walter discourages it and proceeds with, “Ain’t many girls want to be a doctor” (Hansberry 38). In this section, Walter recalls that the fundamental standard for women in their society is that women cannot become doctors. This is simply because it is not the norm for them. This challenges Beneatha to keep pursuing this dream because she may feel unaccepted in society if she chooses this career. Barely any women aspire to become doctors, and Beneatha could feel incapable of doing so. Beneatha could be considered an “other” for trying to go against the stereotypical way for women, which could give her complications throughout her career. Lastly, Beneatha endures inequality by facing the fact that there are very few Black

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A Raisin In The Sun Beneatha Quotes

882 Words | 4 Pages

The main issue is that no one believes that that will happen. They want her to follow the norm, but that is not who Beneatha is. GEORGE (Exasperated; rising) I know it and I don’t mind it sometimes ...

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Beneatha Identity Quotes

779 Words | 4 Pages

Beneatha wants to become a doctor but Walter and the rest of her family wonder why she just does not become a nurse instead. The fact that her family questions her dream of helping people in the way she wants too can really put her down. A quote that can explain this is when Beneatha is ranting to Asagai about her struggle, “And where does it end? […] An end to misery! To stupidity!

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A Raisin In The Sun Sexism Analysis

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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919 Words | 4 Pages

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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Langston Hughes's A Raisin In The Sun

600 Words | 3 Pages

Beneatha is the most educated person in the family. Her dream is to medical school and become a doctor. Beneatha almost gives up her dream of becoming a doctor when Walter lose her money but Asagai offers for her to go be a doctor in Africa. Another dream she has is to have her cultural identity and be a part of the African heritage. Much of her desire to express her African heritage comes from Asagai who says she is assimilated and acts white.

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Examples Of Deferred Dreams In A Raisin In The Sun

934 Words | 4 Pages

Walter, believes Beneatha should give up on her dream of becoming a doctor. In the story, he states, ¨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...¨(Hansberry 38). Her attitude towards his response was very fitting for the situation. She is tired of his attitude toward his dream and lets him know by telling him to give up. It seems as if Walter was the reason for Beneatha 's dream to become deferred.

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Sexism In A Raisin In The Sun

921 Words | 4 Pages

The racism and sexism being shown in the Raisin in The Sun demonstrates that the matrix of domination is in play. In the book, Beneatha is an African-American woman who is battling not only racism, but also sexism. She battles racism by attending medical school during the civil right movement era and she battles sexism at home with her brother Walter, and being told to marry George Murchison. In the text Walter says “We one group of men are tied to a race of women with small minds” (Hansberry, 35). In this quote he not only degrades the woman, but he degrades the African American woman.

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Beneatha's Dream

910 Words | 4 Pages

She wants to become a doctor and get the education she needs to become one. Throughout the play she proves that her independence means a lot to her. Beneatha wants to be free and have her own life, just like the American Dream. In the play she says to Mama and Ruth, “Listen, I’m going to be a doctor. I’m not worried about who I’m going to marry yet-if I ever get married” (Hansberry32).

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A Raisin In The Sun American Dream Essay

699 Words | 3 Pages

Beneatha’s dream of becoming a doctor, is often affected by some of her family members’ decisions. She begins to lose hope, thus enabling her to become a realist.

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Hardships In A Raisin In The Sun

1127 Words | 5 Pages

Beneatha also faced a hardship in her life, but herr 's was different from the rest. She face problems with education. Her family did not fully support her decision of wanting to become a doctor. Beneatha wants to become a doctor but her family is not that wealthy.

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Inconsistent Delusions In 'Death Of A Salesman'

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After undergoing the obstacles of being a Black woman trying to attain higher education, her dream is squandered because her brother, Walter, gives the money meant for her education to a con man. Beneatha thus loses her one shot to create the future she has dreamed up for herself; unlike Biff, she does not have additional money to fall back on to ensure the fulfillment of her dream. Therefore, her dream is only brought to near fruition, because it is uncertain if she will ever have the resources to attempt to enroll in medical school. Hansberry is depicting that even those with a plan to seek higher ways of life may be unable to accomplish

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Personal Identity In A Raisin In The Sun

825 Words | 4 Pages

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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Social Issues In A Raisin In The Sun

816 Words | 4 Pages

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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Theme Of Feminism In A Raisin In The Sun

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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Patriarchy In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

679 Words | 3 Pages

Whereas Ruth adheres to patriarchal standards, Beneatha rebels against them. Hansberry contrasts Ruth and Beneatha to study how their adherence affects their personal and social well-beings. Through her play, she suggests that opposing the patriarchy leads to a more positive mindset and more stable relationships. In conforming to patriarchal norms, Ruth fulfills the roles of homemaker and wife. In the first scene of the play, Ruth makes breakfast and tells her son Travis, “Sit down and have your breakfast,” signifying that she has embraced her role as mother (Hansberry 490).

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