The Younger family had many struggles in their time with money and getting along. Set in the 1950’s in the black belt of South Chicago this family thrived in their small apartment. They were receiving a check though, a life insurance check. Walter Sr. had died and the check they were getting was for $10,000 and all of the family had different ideas of what they wanted it to be used for. Mama makes the decision that she will buy them a house. Things spiral out of control after this, but with the love and care this family has for each other they are brought back together. Beneatha Younger was the daughter of Mama and changed quite a bit during this story. She learns a lot and this shapes her to be who she is by the end of the story.
Beneatha
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She was still trying to identify herself and find out who she really was. Also though she was confused about what she wanted and why people did certain things. Beneatha tried to “express herself” as she says when Mama asks her what is it that she wants to express Beneatha exclaims “Me!”. (48). Beneatha just really wanted to know who she was. Another thing she just quite didn’t understands is that people go to school only to get their degree. Not to gain knowledge, but just to gain the degree. She finds out this because George Murchison thinks this way. Beneatha is shocked by this and asks him why do you read the books or go to school. George explains to her that he goes to school to pass the course and get his degree and that is it, there are no thoughts involved in his process. (97). What really confuses Beneatha though is what she wants for herself. She doesn’t quite know how she feels about Asagai, and especially now that he asked her to marry him. “…too many things have happened today. I must sit down and think. I don’t know how I feel about anything right this minute.” (137). Beneatha, at this point, is still trying to figure out wat is going on, what she thinks, and most importantly, wat she is going to …show more content…
She begins to appreciate her family and friends more and really shows her love for them. Beneatha and Mama have a conversation about how Beneatha really doesn’t like George Murchison and Mama is very understanding about it. Beneatha thanks Mama for understanding her this time. (98). Mama took a lot of meaning to this because Beneatha is being appreciative and caring which isn’t very usual. Asagai helps Beneatha realize that family is more important than money too. When Beneatha is mad at Walter for losing the money Asagai asks her who the money really belonged to and Beneatha says that It was all of the family’s money. Asagai then asks if she earned the money and if she would still have it if her father was still alive, to which she replies no. (135) This led to Beneatha realize that she wouldn’t have the money in the first place if she still had her dad around, which she would rather have than money. Then Mama helps her learn about loving people. Beneatha tells Mama that there is nothing left to love about Walter but Mama explains to her that there is always something to left to love about a person. (145). Mama helps Beneatha realize that she can always love someone no matter what, and that she still loved her brother even though what he did was wrong. Beneatha has really showed that she truly cares about and loves her
Lena Younger, Walter and Beneatha's mother, was a widow in her early sixties who devoted her life to her children after her husband's death. Retired from working for the Holiday's family, she was waiting for her husband's insurance money to arrive. With the ten tho...
Beneatha is a college student and is the best educated member in the family. Her education is very important to her and she hopes to one day become a doctor. Beneatha believes that education is a means to understanding and self-fulfillment. It was unheard of at this time for a poor well-educated black woman to have such high ambitions and dreams. Beneatha took a lot pride in this fact and often waved her intelligence around in her families faces. Mama, knowing how much her education meant to her, told Walter to save $3000 for Beneatha's medical schooling. When it was discovered that Walter had invested the money in his liquor store scheme and Willy had run off with all the money, Beneatha was devastated. She had lost all hope and even though her spirits may have been lifted after her talk with Asagai in act III and the chance to move into a new house, it seems that Beneatha will never realize this
She’s considering having an abortion. On the other hand the daughter wants to get merry to her African boyfriend he wants her to move with him to Africa. Momma is very excited to own her first home and they also refuse to take the money from Mr. Linden, they are tired of living in the apartment, momma thinks a house is the best investment. The son is going through some extremely hard times after losing all that money trying to open a liquor store. In the story the son faces more problems the son has the most problems for example he’s in charged of the house after his father die he took over all the responsibility he’s father had. During the 1950s after the father die the son usually took over the family and all its
She speaks whatever comes to her mind without a filter. While in a fight with Mama, Beneatha states, “Well - neither is God. I get sick of hearing about God.”, this was a big mistake. Mama, not amused by Beneatha’s comment about God, slaps Beneatha, Beneatha should have thought of who she was talking to before she said those offensive words. Additionally, Beneatha tends to respond defensively when someone makes a comment about her personal life. For example, Ruth and Mama tease Beneatha about going on a date with George Murchison, a rich black man. Beneatha responds indignantly with how shallow George is, concluding that maybe she will never marry anybody. Beneatha shows constant negative interactions with other
Beneatha Younger’s dreams to be a doctor often contradict what other people think is best for her, showing that she is willing to take risks. Her relationship with George becomes tense when he discovers that she aspires to become a doctor. This is shown when he says “As for myself I, want a nice... simple... sophisticated girl... not a poet, OK?” George does not like the change that Beneatha advocates for. Another instance, when he says “It’s simple. You read books, to learn facts, to get grades, to pass the course, to get a degree. That’s all,
...llow." Ruth replies by saying, "He’s rich!" That is exactly Beneatha's point. She does not want to be in a relationship with George (boyfriend) simply because he can support her financially. That is how Beneatha proves her point about looking beyond the surface. He seems her obstacle in fulfilling her dream of becoming a doctor. She is a strong woman who faces the negative attitude of people with great patience. For example, when Mrs. Johnson (neighbor) says, “I know--- but sometimes she act like ain’t got time to pass the time of day with no body ain’t been to college. It’s just--- you know how some of our young people get when they get a little education” (Hansberry 527).
Walter and Beneatha’s relationship is very complex. The spiraling tension between the two siblings causes confrontation to form and creep into the Younger household. Walter needs his family to respect him as the man of the family, but his sister is constantly belittling him in front of his mother, wife, and son. This denigrating treatment taints Walter’s view of himself as a man, which carries into his decisions and actions. Beneatha also subconsciously deals with the dysfunctional relationship with her brother. She desires to have her brother’s support for her dream of becoming a doctor, yet Walter tends to taunt her aspiration and condemns her for having such a selfish dream. Mama as the head of the family is heartbroken by the juvenile hostility of her adult children, so in hopes to keep her family together she makes the brave move of purchasing a house. Mama’s reasoning for the bold purchase was,“ I—I just seen my family falling apart….just falling to pieces in front of my eyes…We couldn’t have gone on like we was today. We was going backwards ‘stead of forw...
When Walter loses his "sister's school money," the consequences are widespread and Beneatha sees that dream diminish before her eyes. She sees her slipping through Walter's fingers and finds her lifelong goals changing. From the days of her childhood, she has longed "to be a doctor" and "fix up the sick." While her family and friends do not understand Beneatha's dream, she continues longing for the education she needs to create a successful life she desires rather than one where she is waiting "to get married.
Walter Sr. was Walter and Beneathas father he died and his wife mama received ten thousand dollar for life insurance. Walter wants the whole ten thousand dollars for himself and put it down on the liquor store. But Beneatha wants to go to medical school and be a doctor. Walter thinks that it is selfish of Beneatha that she wants to attend medical school because he then wouldn't get all of the money for the liquor store. Beneatha "that money belongs to Mama, Walter, and its for her to decide how she wants to use it. I don't care if she wants to buy a house or a rocket ship or just nail it up somewhere and look at it. It's hers. Not ours hers." Mamas getting all the money and it is up to her if she wants the money for herself give it to Beneatha for school or give it to Walter for the liquor store. Now that it is getting closer to the date in which the money will arrive. Walter is acting more and more desperate for that money.
Asagai, Beneatha’s friend and lover throughout the book pressures her into making immense decisions about spending their lives together in Africa. Asagai implements that she doesn’t need a job to fill her desires. When Beneatha not only wants him to support her, he discourages her dreams and aspirations. If Asagai demands the head of their relationship, her penultimate sacrifice is her dream of becoming a doctor. If Beneatha doesn't have a job then she'll be forced to use his income. This issue adds to Beneatha’s lack of confidence and financially not being able to support herself on her own. Scholar Charles Washington discusses the perception and ideology of women. He quotes, “Generally, these standards differ concording to the sex of the individual: A good man, for instance, is strong, aggressive-masculine-, where as a good woman is sweet, gentle-feminine” (Washington 111). Charles only adds to the stereotypes in society that focuses on exploiting and defining women as they aren't. In disagreement with Charles, his views lack discernment. Benny represents the constant struggle of women throughout her time period. She is determined to find her fulfillers as an individual and not be defined or dependent on the man she
Beneatha believes that education is the way to understanding and self-fulfillment through knowledge and wisdom. It was rare at this time to find a poor well-educated black woman with such high ambitions. Her Mama knowing how much her education meant to her, told Walter to save $3000 for Beneatha's medical school. When they discovered that Walter had invested the money in his liquor store scheme and Willy had run off with all the money, Beneatha was devastated. Her dream according to Langston Hughes poem Harlem”Or does it explode?” She had lost all hope and even though her spirits may have been lifted after her talk with Asagai and the chance to move into a new house, it seems that Beneatha will never realize her
When talking to Mama and Ruth in a scene about marriage, Beneatha’s opinion on this topic shocks the two other women. When she is asked about her thoughts on who she will marry, Beneatha responds by saying, “I’m not worried who I’m going to marry yet—if I ever get married” (Hansberry 50). Beneatha is not concerned about marriage at the moment because she is studying to become a doctor. Her motivation to become a doctor stems from her want to change the world. Beneatha’s motivation is parallel to her generation’s, the Baby Boomers, drive to improve the world. As the conversation leads towards the topic of religion, Beneatha tells Mama and Ruth that “God is just one of the ideas I don’t accept” (Hansberry 51). Being the youngest of the three women, Beneatha is not as religious as Mama. Instead, she believes that it is wrong that He gets all the credit of humankind. Beneatha not believing in God lines up with how the Baby Boomers are less devout than the GI Generation. Beneatha’s beliefs show how she incorporates more modern values into her
Beneatha’s dream is revealed because nearly everything Beneatha does is because she wants to be a doctor. Beneatha’s barrier is that she is dependent on others to fulfill her dream. In act 3, Asagai says: “But did you earn it? Would you have had it at all if your father had not died?” (135). Beneatha begins to understand that the money was never hers. Asagai declares in act 3: “Then isn’t there something wrong in a house – in a world – where all dreams, good or bad, must depend on the death on the death of a man?” (135). After Asagai says this, Beneatha realizes she can’t depend on her father’s life insurance to become a doctor. Ruth and Beneatha both have major barriers keeping them from their
Beneatha is Mama’s daughter. She wants to become a doctor when she gets out of college. She also wants to save her race from ignorance.
Beneatha is Mama's youngest child. She aspires to become a doctor. Mama wants Beneatha to become what she wants so she decided to put aside some of the insurance money for Beneatha's schooling. Beneatha struggles as a young independent woman who has yet to find her identity. She finds herself trying new hobbies and dating two very different men. During a conversation with one of those men, Asagai, Beneatha is forced by Asagai to realize that she is not very independent at all. In fact she has been depending on the insurance money to get her through school. After this realization, Beneatha gains thoughts on how to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor (Kohorn). She presents her mother with her decision of getting married and how she "plans to find her roots in Africa" with Asagai (Silver).