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The Use Of Dignity In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

567 Words3 Pages

Throughout “A Raisin in the Sun,” Lorraine Hansberry uses pride and dignity as a way to illustrate the characters’ beliefs and what they struggle with. One character that embodies this is Beneatha, who holds immense pride in her identity, throughout the story she tackles her issues, ones about her role in society and how others react to her actions. Through this, Hansberry wishes to send the message that one should stay true to oneself and take pride in knowing what one wants in life, even if it is idealized. When first introduced to Beneatha, it is immediately known that she is headstrong and stubborn. She has clear motivations and dreams which are usually far from the status quo, such as her dream to be a doctor. She emphasizes that she will become a …show more content…

306) George doesn’t respect Beneatha’s interests or passions, only seeing her as eye candy. When Beneatha expresses her desire to break the status quo, it upsets George because it ruins his idea of what women are meant to do. Throughout the story, we see Beneatha having to stick up for her passions as people will make fun of her for trying to pursue them, they see her dreams as a phase and that she’ll naturally fall out of it. From this, Beneatha takes pride in pursuing her own path in life, constantly pushing against the norms of the times as a way to define herself and make her opinions known. As Beneatha progresses through her story, readers will be able to see her journey of self-discovery on full display. She plunges into her roots and desires to discover more about her culture, much to the dismay and humor of those surrounding her. In the second act of “A Raisin in the Sun,” Beneatha shows off her new hair to Ruth and George, sporting a new short and natural style. She is met with horror and surprise. From this, Hansberry shows the societal norms of this era, where wearing your natural, curly hair was seen as taboo in a way. It also shows how people were looked down upon for wearing their hair like

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