An Analysis of Beneatha in The Novel a Raisin in The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

In the 1950’s, women were expected to get married as soon as possible and be perfect wives, cooks, maids, and mothers. If a woman was not living like that, it was considered out of the ordinary and eccentric, and she was expected to conform to fit the description. However, in the play A Roisin In The Sun, Lorraine Hansberry portrays various gender dynamics through her characters. Beneatha Younger clashes with the stereotypes of 1950’s women by going to school, expressing herself, and questioning marriage.

To begin, Beneatha is enrolled in college, studying for a degree to become a doctor. Her family is a bit divided in terms of supporting her. When she and her brother Walter are arguing. 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…” (11.pg 23), Walter demonstrates the typical behavior of a 1950’s male when a woman would try to pursue anything outside the status quo. Mama on the other hand, supports Beneatha, When talking about how she’s going to use the insurance money, she makes a point in saying “Some of it got to be put away for Beneatha and her schoolin- and ain’t nothing going to touch that part of it…” (1.1.pg 29). Both of these examples show not only how Beneatha clashes with 1950’s stereotypes, but they also give us a taste of some other character dynamics that Hansberry puts in her play.

Next, Beneatha insists on expressing herself instead of molding herself to fit a specific image in society. Mama and Ruth question and poke fun at her “MAMA: … ‘I just wonders sometimes why you has to flit from one thing to another all the time…”BENEATHA: I don’t flit! I-I experiment with different forms of expression- … -People have to express themselves in one way or another.” MAMA: What is it you want to express?’ ‘BENEATHA: (Angrily) Me! (MAMA and RUTH look at each other and burst into raucous laughter) Don’t worry- I don’t expect you to understand'” (I.i.pg 32). This demonstrates how people back then- even other women- were unaccustomed to a woman wanting to express herself, and actually doing so. Later on, Beneatha is once again ridiculed by Ruth and George, who don’t seem to understand why she wants to embrace and express her culture.” “RUTH: … You expect this boy to go out with you with your head all nappy like that?” BENEATHA: (Looking at GEORGE) That’s up to George. If he’s ashamed of his heritage. GEORGE: Oh, don’t be so proud of yourself Bennie-just because you look eccentric’ ” (IL.i.pg 65). Beneatha simply changed her outfit and her hair in hopes to show off her pride in her roots, and was basically verbally attacked by her sister and law and boyfriend because they found it ridiculous and absurd. Beneatha stands out as one of the few women who broke gender barriers through forms of self-expression in the writing of Lorraine Hansberry.

Finally, Beneatha does something that was almost unheard of for women in the 1950’s. She questions marriage. While Ruth and Mama are talking to her, Ruth asks her ‘RUTH: You mean you wouldn’t marry George Murchison if he asked you someday?… BENEATHA: No would not marry him if all I felt for him was what I feel now…’… ‘BENEATHA: …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 ‘MAMA and RUTH: 1″ (L.i.pg 34). As you can see from Mama and Ruth’s reactions, it was practically insane to even think about not getting married. For Beneatha to question marriage this way, and make the proposal that she may never actually get married, shows just how much she clashes with the typical 1950’s woman. She considers rejecting the thing that was basically required of women to do back then. Even when Asagai, her Nigerian school-mate with whom she has quite the flirtationship, proposes marriage, she most definitely does not jump at the opportunity. “ASAGAI: … When it is all over… come home with me… to africa’… “BENEATHA: To-to Nigeria?… You’re getting me all mixed up… I don’t know what I feel about anything right this minute” (IILi.pg 118-119). A sagai is someone who Beneatha admires and cares about very much, and if she were any other woman in that time, she probably would have said yes in a heartbeat. However, Beneatha isn’t sure she wants to get married at all, regardless of who’s asking. This is something that sets her far apart from the stereotypical women of the 1950’s.

All in all, Lorraine Hansberry does a fantastic job representing an uncommon but still existent (and ever-growing) gender dynamic in the 1950’s through the character of Beneatha Younger in A Roisin In The Sun by making her go to school, express herself, and question marriage. Beneatha represents what many people have taken decades to become, and for that, she seems out of place in the time period she was written into.

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