Character Analysis Of 'Joseph Asagai'

The second character who mentions money is twenty year old Beneatha who is Mamas daughter. She is an intellectual young women studying “to be a doctor.” This is a very rare career to pursue back then and even more so for a black women but she wants to make something of herself and support herself. She is dating/seeing two very different men. ‘George Murchison’ who is a wealthy young black man who doesn’t respect the African culture. “Let’s face it, baby, your heritage is nothing but a bunch of raggedy-assed spirituals and some grass huts.” Ironically the heritage he speaks of, is his as well. At the other end of the spectrum is ‘Joseph Asagai’, who is a Nigerian and proud of his heritage, this is even in his name ‘Asagai’ is an African weapon.
She further states that “it’s for her to decide how she wants to use it. I don’t care if she buys a house or a rocket ship or just nail it up somewhere and look at it. It’s hers. Not ours – hers.” Walter snaps back “bitterly” saying that she “just go your mother’s interest at hear, ain’t you, girl?” This is where we see that Beneatha has a dream of getting some money and using it to “help her through school” but she won’t admit this, she denies it by replying “I never asked anyone around her for anything.” Beneatha is a great example of ‘money can’t happiness’ she demonstrates this by admitting to Ruth and Mama that “George looks good – he’s got a beautiful car and he takes me to nice places, as my sister-in-law says, he is probably the richest boy I will ever get to know.” Money to Beneatha is not important as she is “going to a doctor. I’m not worried about who I’m going to marry yet.” As for being a doctor ‘George, for one, thinks that’s pretty funny,” she doesn’t need a man to be rich but he must at least respect her as a women. On the other hand ‘Asagai’ he loves her for who she is, he brings her gifts of “records and the colourful robes of a Nigerian women”. ‘Asagai does make a few comments towards Beneatha, on her “mutilated hair” as it look like something white people would do. This is done because he wants to help her
She is the matriarch of this poverty stricken family, she is religious and often says “that’s not Christian like.” She continuously looks after a plant, and by attending to this plant it shows the hope she has, and that her family might have a chance to get out of the slump they in. She is a strong independent women who has just recently become a widow, due the passing of her husband. Some good to come out of this tragic story is that is soon going to receive her husband’s insurance policy. With this money she can get her family out of this hole they in. She doesn’t have a definite plan for the money. What she is thinking of doing is “put away for Beneatha and her schoolin’…” “Maybe she could meet the notes on a little old two-storey somewhere with a yard where Travis could play in the summer-time.” Mama does just that, she makes a down payment of “thirty-five hundred dollars” on a house in a white neighbourhood which is unheard of in those days. She tries to give Walter a chance of finally becoming man of the house and the man she hopes he will be one day. Therefore she gives him the rest of the money totalling “sixty-five hundred dollars.” Her terms are “put in a saving account for Beneatha’s medical schooling” and the rest in a “cheque account” in his name. Walter end ups disappointing Mama by investing it all in his liquor store idea. In the end of the play,