In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Joseph Asagai is a minor character. The play revolves around mostly the Younger family and Asagai is a friend of Beneatha who wants to be more than friends. Asagai articulates many ideals and things that take place during the play. Although his role is a minor one and he is not in the play much, his presence is felt. Joseph Asagai provides a humanitarian feeling to the play; he is an idealist, a romantic, an intellectual, and therefore the perfect man for Beneatha.
             Joseph Asagai is introduced in Act One, scene two. Beneatha is on the phone with him and tells him to come over. She appears to be happy to talk to him and excited, "Beneatha: (At the phone) Hay-lo ... (Pause and a moment of recognition) .... Well of course I missed you" (56). Beneatha appears to be the type of person who does not go crazy over guys, but with Asagai it is different because he is different. When Beneatha gets off the phone with him she tells Mama that he will not care what the house looks like because he is an intellectual, "Asagai doesn't care how houses look, Mama – he's an intellectual" (56). The fact that Beneatha describes him as an intellectual who will not care about what their house looks like makes Asagai look like the perfect match for her. By her description and way of talking to him he is a grand person who knows too much about the world to have petty concerns over than the messiness of the Younger household. It is later in that same scene that Asagai comes over. Before he does Bennie warns Mama not to embarrass her by asking dumb questions about Africa. Once he enters, Bennie practically swoons, she goes on to tell him that she missed him and then he proceeds to tell her basically that he loves her, "How much time must there be before one knows what one feels?" (61). This statement proves that not only is Asagai an intellectual,...