A Raisin In The Sun Literary Analysis

“I always thought it was the one concrete thing in the world that a human being could do. Fix up the sick, you know – and make them whole again [...] It used to be so important to me. I wanted to cure. It used to matter. I used to care. I mean about people and how their bodies hurt” sheds light into Beneatha’s passion. Her zeal is to be a doctor and cure others. When she first meets a college classmate from Africa, Beneatha's enthusiasm for the medical field shifts to her ancestors. “You came up to me and you said… "Mr. Asagai – I want very much to talk with you. About Africa. You see, Mr. Asagai, I am looking for my identity!" is her first interaction with the acquaintance, Asagai. Rather than solely caring about her dream, Beneatha shows more interest in learning about her African roots. Throughout the play, she is tied between two opposing sides: being a doctor and recognizing her African roots. Being a doctor allows her to assimilate in American culture, but

     As Walter's dreams become bigger and bigger, he seems to neglect the 'smaller' things such as his family. "Here I am a giant surrounded by ants! Ants who can't even understand what the giant is talking about,? (Hansberry 85). Walter has big ideals, but his methods of achieving his goals and ideals are somewhat irrational. Walter can be regarded as more concerned with becoming self-employed without really thinking about the consequences, which may be imposed on his family. Later in play, Walter learns that he needs to set his dreams aside for the sake of the

According to writer Gerald Weales, "The play is concerned primarily with his [Walter's] recognition that, as a man he must begin from, not discard, himself, that dignity is a quality of men, not bank acounts." (Gunton 183) Walter was very impulsive, not lending enough thought to his actions. He faced so much humiliation that he was willing to sacrifice his dignity in order to climb the socio-economic ladder. A problem that Walter had was that he focused to heavily on his dream and neglected more precious things in life, such as his family's emotions. Sadly though, Walter did not understand or evaluate his dream of success. Weales stated, "Walter Lee's difficulty, however, is that he has accepted the American myth of success at its face value, that he is trapped...by a false dream." (Gunton 183) Many black Americans chased false dreams as they tried to assimilate into a system that worked differently for them. Julius Lester, who thought that Walter blindly pursued his dream wrote, "Walter was castrated by the blade of the American dream, but...blamed the

Beneatha is chasing her dream by her wanting to become a doctor. Beneatha was a very pretty, nice, and a thoughtful person. She didn’t care about others and what they thought of her. Beneatha try's everything she can to be a doctor. "I am going to be a doctor, I'm not worried about anything else" (Hansberry 50). She values her family's views but her desire is to become a doctor first and live happy. Although, she is trying to chase her dreams she try's new things. She also shows how understanding she is when

As Walter's dreams become bigger and bigger, he seems to neglect the 'smaller' things such as his family. "Here I am a giant surrounded by ants! Ants who can't even understand what the giant is

In Act one Beneatha scaracallisy pleads to her brother, “ Well – I do – all right? – thank everybody! And forgive me for ever wanting to be anything at all! (Pursuing him on her knees across the floor) FORGIVE ME, FORGIVE ME, FORGIVE ME”. In this section Beneatha is letting her brother know in a very sarcastic way that he should be encouraging her to pursue her dreams of becoming a doctor. To Walter, her fantasy appears to be somewhat unrealistic.

Walter's frustration festers and his anger turns inward towards his family who, in Walters eyes, do not understand him. Walter's family members do understand him and they also want to amass material dreams, but Walter's family members know that it is going to take work to get there.

     Beneatha is an intellectual. Twenty years old, she attends college and is better educated than the rest of the Younger family. Some of her personal beliefs and views have distanced her from conservative Mama. She dreams of being a doctor and struggles to determine her identity as a well-educated black woman. She realizes her brother, Walter, dislikes the idea of spending the insurance money on the college tuition but is determined to be successful in her life: “BENEATHA: What are you talking about Ruth? Listen, I’m going to be a doctor … first I’m going to be a doctor! (I.i pg. 50)” Beneatha builds her frustration upon the doubts of her brother. When Walter

Not only is she black but she’s a woman so in the 1950s the whole world was against her. “I know―because that’s what it says in all the novels that men write. But it isn’t. Go ahead and laugh―but I’m not interested in being someone’s little episode in America[...] (page 64)” Beneatha is a feminist and a resilient character but every male figure in her life treats her dream like a joke and a phase. She is belittled by her own brother who tells her to just be a nurse. She is belittled by George Murchinson her boyfriend who tells her that she’s too pretty for thoughts and that her dream is just a girlish fantasy. Even Asagai treats her as lower to himself. But Beneatha has dreams. After seeing a child named Rufus get his face split open and thinking he’d never be put back together, she saw him later all fixed up by doctors. This was a life changing moment. From then on Beneatha wanted to be a doctor and she is working as hard as she can to get there. This money is crucial for Beneatha. In order to become a doctor she needs to go to medical school but in order to go to medical school she needs money. Half of the insurance money was supposed to go towards her college education but instead her brother lost it

Additionally, Walter’s sister Beneatha, is another woman in the house who also affects Walter’s decision because of their negative relationship. She is aiming to be a doctor. Walter thinks that is not a good idea when he tells her "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..." (Hansberry 38). Likewise, she does not respect Walter at all, that

Beneatha wanted to help people. She was the only one in the family to go to college. She had a dream to become a doctor. Beneatha felt like she wanted to help people when they were the most vulnerable. She also wanted to travel to Africa and learn about her background. Beneatha demonstrates her passion to help people when she said this, “That was what one person could do for another, fix him up – sew up the problem, make him all right again. That was the most marvelous thing in the world…I wanted to do that. I always thought it was the one concrete thing in the world that a human being could do. Fix up the sick, you know – and make them whole again. This was truly being God…I wanted to cure. It used to be so important to me. I wanted to cure. It used to matter. I used to care. I mean about people and how their bodies hurt…” Beneatha wants to be able to help people when they can not help themselves. . That is her dream. She wants to be there for the people who do not have many people there. She wants to put in the extra work in school in order to do this. She wants to be able to make a difference in her family. She also wants to be a successful black doctor. There were some successful black doctors during this time, but not many. None that the Younger family actually new. Beneatha is a strong willed woman whose intention in no way disappeared no matter what was going

As we see from her first entrance, Beneatha is a loud and outspoken character. She is a single young female living in a home with Ruth and Mama. Quite similar as characters, they share traditional values and believe women should care for the wellbeing of their family. Ruth and Mama take pride in doing domestic service work as their source of income and are continuously seen putting their children’s needs before theirs. Hansberry uses Beneatha’s character to contradict these values and introduce a character with modern feminist views. Beneatha fiercely fires back to anyone who questions her life goals. She is constantly found bickering with Walter about her dream of becoming a doctor. She is reminded by him that “girls” shouldn’t be doctors. Beneatha voices her feelings on male dependency when she mentions 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”, and they respond with a shocked “if!”(50). The idea of a woman not wanting to get married was shocking to Mama and Ruth. Beneatha feels that she does not need to be dependent on a man; she has one goal, to become a doctor. She does not need a man in her life, she feels perfectly

He is envious of the people in the establishment who can afford a higher standard of life, while he is stuck in a two room kitchen apartment, where they must share one bathroom with rest of the floormates. Walter hate seeing man around his age or even younger than him having such a lavish lifestyle because he believes that he would gotten the same type of opportunity if it was not for the color of his skin. Seeing his conversations with his mom, the readers can see that Walter feels that he is hopeless in the American

Beneatha, being somewhat of an outcast, understands that she does not have to follow the status quo of her society by becoming a housewife, so she decides to work hard in order to become a doctor. Beneatha wants to fulfill this dream because she realizes that she enjoys helping people, as she explains to Asagai after the money is stolen, “That was what one person could do for another, fix him up — sew up the problem, make him right again” (III.i.900). Beneatha wishes to help people by taking care of them and ridding them of their problems. She does not want to become the typical, by standing woman that is not able to help if there is a dilemma. Even after Willy runs off with all of the money, Asagai offers Beneatha a way to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. Beneatha reveals this wonderful opportunity to Mama as they exit their apartment, “To go to Africa, Mama -- be a doctor in Africa”

Walter struggles in understanding who he needs to be for his family. He wants to take his place as the patriarch of the family, but he feels incapable of providing them with the lifestyle they deserve. This concern is always at the forefront of his mind, and it affects his attitude and outlook. The anxiety that Walter is dealing with creates confrontation with his sister. He fears that her dream will interfere with his own agenda of making a better life for his family. The severity of the tension becomes more and more apparent with Walter’s unwise investment. Walter is dealing with the burden that he has let his family down, while Beneatha is flabbergasted by the reality that her future has been snatched away from her, and she had no control over it. While reflecting on the situation, Beneatha remarks, “ I sound like a human who just had her future taken right out of my hands! While I was sleeping….things were happening in this world that directly concerned me and nobody consulted me—they just went out and did things—and changed my life” (Hansberry 3.15). Walter and Beneatha’s individual issues with the outcome of the situation cause them to find fault with one another during a time when their family needs to pull together to get through such a financial hardship. Walter is in an emotional pit; his turning to alcohol and music instead of his family for support expands the