A Raisin In The Sun Analytical Essay

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In 1959, the average yearly income in a black household was roughly $3,329, with one working male (Wirtz). In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family gains a $10,000 insurance check after Mr. Younger passes. Mama, Mr Younger's wife, purchased a house in Clyborune Park and gave the rest of the money to her two children, Walter Lee and Beneatha. Walter Lee aspired to open a liquor store with his two friends, while Beneatha was in pursuit of becoming a doctor. Conflict arose after Walter Lee lost his and Beneatha's share of the money. Although circumstances affect people's lives heavily, personal choices have a greater impact on a person's life. Circumstances about race, gender, and class determine the lives of people. Beneatha, …show more content…

Throughout Act 3, Beneatha faces disorientation after her brother, Walter Lee, loses the family's money that was provided after their father's, Big Walter's, death. This causes conflict between Beneatha and Walter Lee. Beneatha is left to decide whether to give up her dream of becoming a doctor or continue schooling without her funds. Joseph Asagai came to the Younger’s home, insisting that Beneatha continue her pursuit of becoming a doctor. After Beneatha rejects all the options that Asagai gives her, he states, “Then isn't there something wrong in a house in a world where all dreams, good or bad, must depend on the death of a man?” (Hansberry 43). Asagai provides this perspective to show Beneatha that if her father were still alive, she would never have received money for school to begin with. Asagai insists that Beneatha find forgiveness because it's her choice to mend her family. Before the money was involved, Beneatha’s ambition to become a doctor was a significant motivation for her when she said, “I’m going to be a doctor. I’m not worried about who I’m going to marry yet—if I ever get married” (Hansberry Act 11). The thought of marriage wasn’t a priority for Beneatha, and she recognized it as a choice. Likewise, she found schooling a choice that she would rather follow. Beneatha's ambition to become a doctor showed her willingness to adjust and grow as an

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