Beneatha's Facade
Although Beneatha seems to be determined and driven toward her goals and dreams, she is actually indecisive about her future and is the weakest link in the family. Beneatha seems to be superior, independent, in control, individualistic, driven and optimistic in a seemingly inopportune life, but her true characteristics are the opposite of her facade. Beneatha seems to have an egocentric attitude towards her family. Within the text, Beneatha gives the impression that she is more important; she will be prosperous and the rest of the family will continue living their poverty stricken lives. An example of such an attitude is when Beneatha speaks to her brother Walter as if he were insignificant, telling him that she "dissected something that looked just like [him] yesterday", suggesting that in her mind Walter is as unimportant as a dead animal awaiting dissection (1.1). While Beneatha appears to have qualities that the rest of the family does not, but this is untrue. In reality Beneatha is a twenty year old black woman who resides at her mother's house in the ghetto of Chicago. She is attending college in hopes of becoming a doctor, but she is not yet a doctor. In essence, she possesses no superior skills, and she is no m
Because Beneatha no longer has funds at her disposal she feels that she may not be able to become a doctor as easily as she thought and therefore begins to accept the idea of relying on Asagai for support and assistance. In addition to lack of drive, Beneatha lacks individuality. Each member of the family reacts differently to the news, and Beneatha falters. She disputes the idea of marriage every time that it is brought up. She wants to be a doctor, but as soon as it becomes difficult she gives up. As soon as she finds out that the money is gone and that her family is faltering individually, she asks God "Where is the bottom! Where is the honest-to-God bottom" because she feels that her family cannot lose much more at this point (3. Much of Beneatha's egotistic ideas stem from her belief that she is independent. Beneatha is not willing to rely on anyone, especially not on a husband, yet both of these ideas are disproved as the Youngers discover that the money had been stolen. Beneatha feels that "there isn't any real progress [. Upon first look, Beneatha seems to be an individual. Beneatha is able to capture the dreams of African Americans during the nineteen fifties at face value, yet the characteristics that she encompasses are not what they seem. Beneatha is from African American, but she is not from Africa as Asagai is.
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