Beneatha's Facade

A detailed Summary of Beneatha's Facade

Although Beneatha seems to be determined and driven toward her goals and dreams, she is actually indecisive about her future and is the weakest link in the family. Beneatha seems to be superior, independent, in control, individualistic, driven and optimistic in a seemingly inopportune life, but her true characteristics are the opposite of her facade.

Beneatha seems to have an egocentric attitude towards her family. Within the text, Beneatha gives the impression that she is more important; she will be prosperous and the rest of the family will continue living their poverty stricken lives. An example of such an attitude is when Beneatha speaks to her brother Walter as if he were insignificant, telling him that she "dissected something that looked just like [him] yesterday", suggesting that in her mind Walter is as unimportant as a dead animal awaiting dissection (1.1). While Beneatha appears to have qualities that the rest of the family does not, but this is untrue. In reality Beneatha is a twenty year old black woman who resides at her mother's house in the ghetto of Chicago. She is attending college in hopes of becoming a doctor, but she is not yet a doctor. In essence, she possesses no superior skills, and she is no m

In addition to lack of drive, Beneatha lacks individuality. Upon first look, Beneatha seems to be an individual. She wants to be a doctor, she is interested in her African culture, and she is taking up guitar lessons in order to express herself. These interests are facades. Beneatha wanted to be a doctor because she saw a child who was severely injured and a doctor who "fixed" him. Beneatha "wanted to do that" (3.1). She did not decide on her own that medicine was important to her; she merely wanted to be like the doctor that helped her friend.

The majority of Beneatha's aforementioned faults stemmed from her loss of control of her situation. Beneatha knew that Mama was going to put some of the money towards her education because Beneatha had potential to do well and help the family. Beneatha had control of her schooling because of her father's death, she had control over her future because the money made it possible for her to go to medical school, and she had control over who she was going to marry because Mama was going to help her until she was able to live on her own. Money was a necessity for all of the aforementioned, yet as Beneatha was sleeping "people went out and took the future right out of [her] hands" (3.1). Beneatha's control was feigned, she did not control her future; the money controlled her future. Beneatha believed that "God hasn't anything to do with" her future (1.1). Yet she soon found that she had nothing to do with it either.

Her dependence rests on more than the money. She also resides with her mother, without whom she would not have shelter or means of attending school. Beneatha also goes as far as to depend on "crooks and thieves and just plain idiots who will come into power and steal and plunder" and ruin her future (3.1). If a crook could diminish her dreams by stealing the money, all of her dreams could be stolen in the blink of an eye. If Beneatha were independent, she would not fear the actions of "crooks and thieves," but would

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Approximate Word count = 1347
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English