A Raisin in the Sun Group

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mromgu
mromgu
Student
High School - 9th Grade

In A Raisin in the Sun, what are three actions taken by Beneatha so that she doesn't become an assimilationist?

 

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Posted by mromgu on Wednesday September 30, 2009 at 1:32 PM and tagged with a raisin in the sun, characters.

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  1. scarletpimpernel Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Undeniably, Asagai has a powerful influence over Beneatha and encourages her to go back to her African roots or her natural self.  Hansberry most likely includes the actions taken by Beneatha to pay tribute to the Back to Africa movement which became popular in the late 1920s and continued into Hansberry's day.  Beneatha's choices also stress the playwright's theme of the dangers of assimilationism.  Throughout the play, Beneatha--

    1. Cuts her hair in order to get rid of the smoothed, permed look that was stylish during the 50s but that also attempted to make African hair look Caucasian.  She is teased for her Afro by George and her brother Walter.

    2. Puts on African robes given to her by Asagai.

    3. Dances to African rhythms from a record also given to her by Asagai.

    4. Also, to avoid assimilating in the sense of doing what is expected of her, she dates an African instead of the "safe" George Murchison and refuses to marry young before getting an education like so many young black and white women did before her.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/raisin-in-the-sun/characters

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    Posted by scarletpimpernel on Friday October 2, 2009 at 5:48 PM