In Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Beneatha states, “Enough of this assimilationist junk!” (Hansberry 524). Beneatha says this due to the fact that she is tired of trying to blend in with white society. She wants to customize herself and represent her culture. She is tired of attempting to style her hair, dress in conservative clothing, and being what she is not. Now, she is ready to proudly display her African-American heritage.
Beneatha then provides her own definition of “assimilationism”: She says that “assimilation” means giving up your culture and heritage in order to submerge oneself within the dominant culture (Hansberry 527). This definition presents conflict for Beneatha because she feels that to do so is to become oppressed and held back by that dominant culture. At the …show more content…
Younger ironically claims, “This, friends, is a Welcoming Committee!” (Hansberry 553). The irony is that although Mr. Lindner represents a welcoming committee, his purpose is actually to deter the Youngers from staying in the neighborhood.
Later, Mr. Lindner proclaims, “People can get awful worked up when they feel that their whole way of life and everything they’ve ever worked for is threated” (Hansberry 554). He congratulates the Youngers for being hard-working, honest people the same way he describes the people in his neighborhood. Yet, he feels threatened by their move and is making a subtle threat to the Younger family. Meticulous significance and symbolism resides in the wording that Mama chooses when she says the following quote regarding her plant: “It expresses me” (Hansberry 556). Mama uses the word “expresses” because she knows that Beneatha uses that word to show what she is searching for in her life. The plant represents the move to the white neighborhood and the danger they face. The Youngers are fragile too, and Mama is always the one who “fixes” what goes on in the family. She stands as the nurturer, and she cares for the plant as she cares for her
Beneatha then provides her own definition of “assimilationism”: She says that “assimilation” means giving up your culture and heritage in order to submerge oneself within the dominant culture (Hansberry 527). This definition presents conflict for Beneatha because she feels that to do so is to become oppressed and held back by that dominant culture. At the …show more content…
Younger ironically claims, “This, friends, is a Welcoming Committee!” (Hansberry 553). The irony is that although Mr. Lindner represents a welcoming committee, his purpose is actually to deter the Youngers from staying in the neighborhood.
Later, Mr. Lindner proclaims, “People can get awful worked up when they feel that their whole way of life and everything they’ve ever worked for is threated” (Hansberry 554). He congratulates the Youngers for being hard-working, honest people the same way he describes the people in his neighborhood. Yet, he feels threatened by their move and is making a subtle threat to the Younger family. Meticulous significance and symbolism resides in the wording that Mama chooses when she says the following quote regarding her plant: “It expresses me” (Hansberry 556). Mama uses the word “expresses” because she knows that Beneatha uses that word to show what she is searching for in her life. The plant represents the move to the white neighborhood and the danger they face. The Youngers are fragile too, and Mama is always the one who “fixes” what goes on in the family. She stands as the nurturer, and she cares for the plant as she cares for her