Beneatha Younger and the Role of Gender in “A Raisin in the Sun”

In Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, she immerses her audience in the story of the Younger family and how race, class, and gender affect their everyday lives.  Published in 1959, the play is set in the 50s as its noted that it takes place between World War II and the present. The 50s are a time associated with white picket fences and perfect nuclear families; the American dream of a perfect life.  This is in stark contrast to the lives that the Younger family is living; five people in a two-bedroom apartment, struggling to make meets’ end. It is also in contrast with the activism that rocked the nation in the 60s and 70s, leading to massive changes in legislation and social thought.  The play comments on many of these issues that are tackled in the 60s and 70s, making it ahead of its time, in a sense. While the play may be best known for its depiction of a family struggling against the oppression that segregation and class lines create, it is Hansberry’s commentary on gender within the character Beneatha that was incredibly forward-thinking for the time.  

Second-wave feminism was one of the many streams of activism that flowed through the country in the 60s.  In spite of this movement not becoming widespread until after the play was published and performed for the first time, Beneatha subscribes to many of the ideas that feminists would be lobbying for in the next decade.  In A Raisin in the Sun, Beneatha represents a modern woman.  First and foremost, she is pursuing an education to become a doctor.  This is an unorthodox career path for any women at the time, as highlighted by her brother, Walter Lee, stating “Ain’t many girls who decide [to be a doctor],” (I, i, 36).  The fact that Beneatha is able to finish Walter’s sentence shows that this is a conversation they have had before and one that she is exasperated by. As their argument escalates, Walter asks why she couldn’t “go be a nurse like other women — or just get married and be quiet…” (I, i, 38).  She clearly has been expecting a remark like this for some time, as she says it took Walter three years to say it. This illustrates how Beneatha knows what is expected of her as a woman but refutes it. This falls in line with feminist encouragement of women joining fields that aren’t considered “feminine” and would make them a primary breadwinner of their family.

In addition to her divergent career path, Beneatha also has some interesting views about marriage for the time.  In spite of being courted by a wealthy George Murchison, she doesn’t have too much interest in him. She criticizes him for being shallow and tells her mother and sister-in-law that they shouldn’t hold their breath in thinking she will marry him.  Often times, women would be expected by their families to marry up, in hopes of elevating their social status and/or bettering their economic situation. Beneatha says, she is “not worried about who [she is] going to marry yet — if [she] ever get[s] married,” (I, i, 50).  This comment is met by incredulity from the other women, and she calms them down but saying she “probably will.” The reaction she received shows how controversial her thoughts about marriage are. Women are expected to aspire to marriage (while men are not), and any deviation from that is considered odd.  This, once again, matches up to feminist rhetoric of the next two decades. Feminists would soon take up the idea that women need not place their value in when they get married or to whom they get married to.

In Act I scene ii, we’re introduced to Beneatha’s friend and apparent former flame, Asagai.  He calls her “Alaiyo”, a nickname in Yoruba that initially puzzles Beneatha and Mama. She prompts him to explain the meaning of the nickname, and he answers with “One for Whom Bread — Food — Is not Enough,” (I, ii, 65).  Without already having insight into Beneatha’s character, it may just seem like a way to tease her for having a big appetite. And in a sense, it is. But Hansberry’s intentions in including this nickname and exchange are less of a surface-level joke than a poignant commentary on Beneatha.  She is hungry, not for food or bread, but for success. She is highly ambitious, as seen by her career choice and the many hobbies she has picked up over the years, such as playing the guitar. This drive makes her the modern woman of the play; a woman who wants to be more than a home-maker that is quiet and demure.  Beneatha recognizes that those were Asagai’s intentions in calling her that, as it’s noted she understands as she replies, “Thank you,” (I, ii, 65). Beneatha appreciates this recognition of her tenacity and would likely be inclined to use the conversation as fuel to encourage her further growth. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does Beneatha subvert the expectations of a woman from the 50s? How does she compare to her mother and sister-in-law in meeting or failing to meet these expectations? How do Mama and Ruth compare to Beneatha in demeanor and actions?
  2. How do gender roles affect the interactions between A Raisin in the Sun characters? With Beneatha and other characters, in particular? What other examples are there of gender roles being subverted?

5 Replies to “Beneatha Younger and the Role of Gender in “A Raisin in the Sun””

  1. Discussion #2: Mama gives Ruth the ten thousand dollars because she is pregnant and mama wants Ruth to keep the baby. Walter wants the money badly. Mama says, “In my time we was worried about not being lynched and getting to the North if we could stay alive and still have a pinch of dignity too (58, Hansberry). Walter is a man, men are the breadwinners during this time period. Women just stay home and do the errands. Beneatha wants to break that chain, she wants to become a doctor. Beneatha likes Asagai better than George they have this great friendship from the first grade. Asagai gives Beneatha a present colorful robes for an Nigerian woman. Asagai really likes Beneatha, but she claims she has no time for a boyfriend and is hungry for success.

  2. Discussion 1 – In the 50s, women were supposed to get married, have children, and to do all the work in the house for her family. Mama and Ruth are the best examples for being the traditional women throughout the 50s. Ruth was literally working around the house so much that she fainted and had to be rushed to the doctor. She then finds out she is pregnant with another child and wants to get rid of the baby in order to be stable with money. Even though women were supposed to be housewives, women like Ruth became poor, overworked, and tired as the traditional housewife. Beneatha, on the other hand, argues with Mama and Ruth about how she doesn’t want to get marry since she wants to succeed on her own as a doctor. She becomes the opposite of a traditional housewife by refusing marriage, having children, and religion.

  3. Paragraph 2- I really like how you touched upon the difficulties she faced as a women and the judgement that is received if daring to veer from the “typical” jobs for a women. On page 50 in Act 1, her expression and interest in even learning to play the guitar gave the response of mama to be, “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 playacting group you joined last year?” assuming her interest in something new will die out and that her real interests should be the typical jobs of a women during the time. Something even as small as learning something outside of the house is looked down upon and not embraced properly by her mother for support.

  4. Dear Roisin,
    I completely agree with you on the grounds that Beneatha is a great example for the theme of gender roles throughout Act I in A Raisin in the Sun. Your examples of her being forward thinking for that time for going to school for being a doctor and for possibly not wanting to get married but I’d like to draw your attention to another matter as well to answer your second discussion question. In Act I, scene one, page 37 Beneatha and Walter are arguing about the life insurance check coming from their father and what to put the money toward and Walter says to her “Now ain’t that fine! You just got your mothers interest at heart, ain’t you, girl? You such a nice girl—but if Mama got that money she can always take a few thousand and help you through school too—can’t she?”. I find that quote to be representative of gender roles and the tension between Walter and his sister because Walter makes it seem like he deserves the money for his bar more than Beneatha trying to get an education for an honest career but of course that makes no sense to Walter and it makes him angry due to the fact he doesn’t understand why a woman could want to make it as a doctor. It’s just something to consider but I genuinely liked your blog post!

  5. Dear Roisin,
    I agree with your statement and I think it was perfectly explained. Your points about Beneatha opened my eyes to the bigger picture and lesson behind her character.
    Discussion #2- In the time period, gender roles are completely different than what they are now. Walter is the man of the house and thinks he is the one deserving of the insurance check because the men were supposed to be the working/successful ones. Walter argues with Beneath and Mama because to him, putting the check towards Beneatha’s education is absurd. The gender roles come out when Walter assumes he is worthy of the money because he is the man of the house. He thinks the liquor store will be successful, so everyone should trust him and let him be in charge of the money. Then, this behavior was completely acceptable, whereas now we know the roles of men and women were terribly unfair. I think its interesting how Mama automatically mentions giving money to Beneatha for school. I didn’t expect the family’s acceptance of Beneatha’s persistence and need for success, after Walter’s comments about it. I thoroughly enjoyed your blog post and it gave me a lot to think about.

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