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 more important to the family nor society than any of the other Younger's.
             Much of Beneatha's egotistic ideas stem from her belief that she is independent. Beneatha believes that she can be successful because of her independence: that she can do well on her own. 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. Each member of the family reacts differently to the news, and Beneatha falters. Beneatha's reaction indicates that she is not independent but rather dependent on the death of her father. Without the money, Beneatha agrees with this theory stating that...