What central concern about dreams does Beneatha raise in relation to death?

• A. That dreams should not depend on death
• B. That dreams depend on money
• C. That dreams depend on luck
• D. That dreams require social status

Answer: (A)

Dreams should not depend on death. Beneatha pushes back against the idea that a future is secured only through the death of a relative or the inheritance that comes with it. Her pursuit of becoming a doctor embodies the belief that a person’s aspirations must be actively pursued in the living world—through study, hard work, and personal choice—not handed to the family because someone has died. The life insurance money and the family’s financial pressures surface in the story, but Beneatha’s stance centers on maintaining agency over one’s dreams rather than letting mortality dictate their viability. In this light, the concern about death is really about ensuring dreams aren’t contingent on someone else’s death, status, or fortune.