Throughout the novel, A Raisin in the Sun, Beneatha Younger remains a strong woman with
fortified views. She looks at people for who they truly are, has intellectual pride for her studies,
questions everything including God, and she admirably cuts all her hair off for the sake of being
true to her roots. Beneatha's character represents a young, black woman's feminist and unique
outlook on life in the 1950's. For this profound character in the novel, Lorraine Hansberry should
be applauded. Even today, it is rare to see characters that are even remotely similar to Beneatha
Younger. Her character is by far, the one that reaches out from the story for being genuine and
Throughout the novel, Beneatha made a point of how she thinks what is inside a person that
counts. She felt that other people (especially Mrs. Younger) needed to understand that she looks
beneath the surface of people. On page 49 Beneatha wearily explains, "Oh , I just mean I
couldn't ever be serious about George. He's-he's so shallow." Ruth replies by saying, "He's
rich!" That is exactly Beneatha's point. She does not want to be in a relationship with George
simply because he can support her. However, Ruth and Mrs. Younger are having a difficult time
understanding this. Knowing where the Youngers come from it could seem a bit ridiculous to not
want to be seriously involved with a wealthy man. Beneatha's character is respectable for not
wanting to fall into this. Even in this day and age, many women marry men just for their money.
I also believe that people should be judged on what is on the inside oppose to the outside.
Beneatha doesn't listen when Ruth and Mama call her odd. Inside her, she knows that she
wouldn't be able to live with herself if she married George without feeling anything for him.
Beneatha Younger is a rare young lady in the 1
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