Finding Out What is Beneatha's Dream in "A Raisin in the Sun"
In her play, A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry masterfully creates a seemingly paradoxical character, Beneatha. Benethea dreams of being a doctor but is rarely taken seriously. This stems from her gender-defying aspirations, a multitude of extracurricular activities, and her history of relationships. Beneatha’s highly focused career path primitively contrasts with her affinity to experience a myriad of activities. However, Beneatha’s struggles, relationships, and activities point to the same conclusion: she allows herself to experience in an effort to enrich herself, hoping it will make her a better doctor. Her outwardly appearing flighty nature conveys a deeper desire to accomplish her dreams.
Analysis of Beneatha's Personality, Motifs and Dreams
In order to understand her actions, one must consider the things Beneatha has to endure and her motives. Beneatha has dreamed of working in medicine since she was a child. Near the end of the play, she tells Asagai about the first time she saw an ambulance in action: “I never got over that...That that was what one person could do for another, fix him up...I wanted to do that”. This excerpt allows the readers to understand the motivations that drive Beneatha. She has held onto her dream of becoming a doctor for twenty years, allowing it to propel her success in college. In fact, she believes her life’s purpose is to work in medicine. Continuing to examine her conversation with Asagai, Beneatha further illuminates the depth of her dream. She explains, “I always thought it was the one concrete thing in the world that a human being could do. Fix up the sick, you know-and make them whole again. This was truly being God”. She then clarifies that it was not 'being God' that makes medicine appealing. She uses this metaphor to emphasize the spiritual stronghold medicine has on her life. By making this connection, she describes medicine as a higher, concrete force that is centered in her core self. This is extremely important because the readers learn to understand that this view on medicine will shape her relationships and actions. In spite of her overpowering ambition, she experiences criticism and backlash for her career choice. According to the Yale University Library, during the time of the play, a mere six percent of doctors were female and forty percent of those women were of color. Not only are the statistics daunting, but the people in her life did little to feed her confidence. Her brother, Walter, asks 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…”. Walter is only one example of the criticism she faces. Accumulation of this backlash is demoralizing but inspires Beneatha to continue working. In addition to defying gender normalities, she has to worry about maintaining good grades and paying for college in a financially strained setting. Her responsibilities force Beneatha to be a serious character. Her stage description’s diction describes her as having an “intellectual face”, emphasizes how “education has permeated her sense of English”, and is “as intense as her brother”, further conveying the seriousness of her character. However, roadblocks on the path to becoming a doctor continue to mount and it is inevitable for Beneatha to stumble and doubt. The intensity of her dreams in combination with the backlash she endures will heavily impact her relationships and actions.
Beneatha is well aware of the difficulty her dream requires and therefore, only allows relationships that fuel her ambition. It is important to first analyze her romantic relationships. An early boyfriend, George, is introduced at the beginning of the play. Benethea points out to her family that, “...George, for one, still thinks that’s [being a doctor] pretty funny”. Already in the early stages of her relationship with George, Beneatha identifies him as an enemy, not a supporter, of her dream. On her next date, George tells Beneatha, “I want you to cut it out, see-The moody stuff, I mean. I don’t like it. You’re a nice-looking girl...all over. That’s all you need, honey, forget the atmosphere. Guys aren’t going to go for the atmosphere-they’re going to go for what they see...I want a nice-(Groping)-simple (Thoughtfully)- sophisticated girl… not a poet-O.K?”. This is the breaking point in their relationship. This confirmation of Benethea’s suspicions serves as sufficient evidence to expel George from her life. She is well aware of the difficulty her dream presents and therefore will not accept any derailing relationships in her life. Her family expresses confusion when hearing about her breakup because George has money. In their minds, money and stability are deciding factors in a relationship. The couple’s separation slightly confirms their impression of Beneatha’s impulsive nature because it seems irrational. However, her spiritualistic view on medicine allows Beneatha to look past the materialism of a relationship and search for a beneficial, intellectual one. Beneatha finds a relationship like this with Asagai. When reflecting, she explains, “Asagai doesn’t care how houses look, Mama-he’s an intellectual”. This excerpt shows how Beneatha values her relationship because it is not materialistic and shallow. It is evident in the couple’s conversations that they view each other as intellectual equals. The two are not afraid to challenge each other’s thinking, offer meaningful advice, and share dreams. Asagai gives Beneatha a name, Alaiyo, which means One for Whom Bread is Not Enough. This clearly shows that Asagai recognizes Beneatha’s intense ambition and supports it. It is Asagi that motivates Beneatha to not give up on her dream of being a doctor when her financial system narrows. She finds a relationship that collaborates with her dream and therefore, allows it to exist.
With Beneatha’s ambition established, it is easy to view her character as straightforward. Therefore, her myriad of extracurricular activities appears paradoxical. Mama comments on this, “Lord, child, don’t you know what to do with yourself? How long it going to be before you get tired of this now-like you got tired of that little play-acting group you joined last year?... I just wonders sometimes why you has to flit from one thing to another all the time'. However, this is not Beneatha flitting from one extracurricular activity to another. One can argue her variety of experiences is intended to enrich herself as a person. As explained before, her career path can be daunting and it is understandable for one to feel discouraged. Surely, the thought ‘what if I am not good enough?’ most likely circulates in her mind. This opens the possibility that the vastness of activities serves as a defense to that question. The more experiences she has, the more she learns and grows. This enrichment has the power to shut down not only her doubt but the doubts of the people around her. However, this in-depth reasoning is not seen by the people in her life. Therefore, her myriad of activities is viewed as an example of her seemingly flighty nature to those around her. In reference to medical school, Walter comments, “I just wondered if you’ve made up your mind and everything'. He uses this assumption-based aspect of her nature as grounds for criticism. However, Beneatha knows that her activities fuel her happiness, enrich her as a person, and will eventually help her become a better doctor. At first glance, Beneatha can be viewed as impulsive but further analysis of her motivations and relationships clearly rebut this.
Final Thoughts
Her seemingly flighty nature allows some to view Beneatha’s dream of becoming a doctor as half-hearted. However, her impulsive nature is a fallacy and an effect of the enrichment she undergoes. This enrichment, in addition to her relationships, is driven by her desire to work in medicine. Asagai challenges and encourages Benethea and her extracurriculars are an attempt to enrich herself. These relationships and actions will continue to push Benethea to be the best doctor she can become. Beneatha’s character is perhaps the most driven and focused character in the book, her ambition being the center of her accomplishments. Her extremely powerful work ethic and determination allows her to make many achievements in her life, develop beneficial relationships, and continue to enrich herself.
