"Ah- Oh-pay-gay-day, oh-gbah-mu-shay. (A Yoruba exclamation for admiration)"-- Asagai, I.ii
The two most foiled characters in this play are Joseph Asagai and George Murchison. Asagai is straight from Africa, and is retaining that culture even in America. He brings Beneatha a set of robes from his tribe to wear. On the contrary, George is trying to assimilate into white culture. He is rich, and he brings Beneatha to nice places, pays for her dinner, and is all around proper. Beneatha is caught between the two, facing to the choice to assimilate or retain her heritage, and her conflict bleeds out to the rest of the family. Mama and Walter are both trying to assimilate. Mama wants to move into a white neighborhood and Walter wants to be a big business man just like the white people. This is one of the central points of the play, and it is ironic that the two foil characters are both trying to get the same girl.
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