George Murchison Character Analysis in A Raisin in the Sun

A wealthy young man who dates Beneatha. Raised in a well-to-do black family, George is somewhat shallow and conceited, taking great pride in his family’s social status and his ability to make highbrow cultural references. In addition to his wealth George is good-looking, and the Youngers approve of his relationship with Beneatha, although her interest in him is never strong and fades during the course of the play. Unlike Asagai, George does not pride himself on his African heritage and he isn’t interested in Beneatha’s intellect.

George Murchison Quotes in A Raisin in the Sun

The A Raisin in the Sun quotes below are all either spoken by George Murchison or refer to George Murchison. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

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Oh, dear, dear, dear! Here we go! A lecture on the African past! On our Great West African Heritage! In one second we will hear all about the great Ashanti empires; the great Songhay civilizations; and the great sculpture of Bénin – and then some poetry in the Bantu – and the whole monologue will end with the word heritage! Let’s face it, baby, your heritage is nothing but a bunch of raggedy-assed spirituals and some grass huts!

Related Characters: (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 81

Explanation and Analysis:

George: You’re all wacked up with bitterness, man.
Walter: And you – ain’t you bitter, man? Ain’t you just about had it yet? Don’t you see no stars gleaming that you can’t reach out and grab? You happy? – You contented son-of-a-bitch – you happy? You got it made? Bitter? Man, I’m a volcano. Bitter? Here I am a giant – surrounded by ants! Ants who can’t even understand what it is the giant is talking about.

Related Characters: (speaker), (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 85

Explanation and Analysis:

George Murchison Character Timeline in A Raisin in the Sun

The timeline below shows where the character George Murchison appears in A Raisin in the Sun. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...will go on a date with tomorrow night. “With displeasure,” Beneatha says it will be George Murchison, a “rich” young man whom she condemns as “shallow.” Ruth disagrees with Beneatha’s dismissal... (full context)

Race, Discrimination, and Assimilation Theme Icon

...subtly” to convey the intensity of Walter’s vision. Suddenly, Ruth turns off the music and George Murchison arrives at the apartment, putting an end to Walter’s fantasy. (full context)

Embarrassed, Ruth orders Walter off of the table. He exits. Looking at Beneatha’s African garb, George tells Beneatha to go dress properly for their date, snidely saying that they’re going to... (full context)

Ruth tries to make small talk with George while Beneatha dresses. George, fairly indifferent, ignores most of Ruth’s chitchat, only commenting in order... (full context)

Walter then launches into a critique of George’s college education, questioning whether his expensive schooling is “teaching you how to be a man?”... (full context)

After George exits, Ruth and Walter puzzle over the meaning of “Prometheus.” Ruth advises Walter to ignore... (full context)

On a Friday night a few weeks later, George and Beneatha enter the apartment after a date. Packing crates, signifying the family’s upcoming move,... (full context)

Mama asks Beneatha about her date, and Beneatha responds by telling her mother that, “George is a fool.” Mama replies matter-of-factly by saying that Beneatha shouldn’t waste her time “with... (full context)

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George Murchison Character Analysis

George Murchison Quotes in A Raisin in the Sun

George Murchison Character Timeline in A Raisin in the Sun

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