An African student, Joseph Asagai courts the attentions of Beneatha. In trying to win her affections, he is persistent but never overbearing. He flatters her with gifts (something that George Murchison has not done); in addition, Asagai's gifts are not meaningless trinkets but are things that are both useful to and desired by Beneatha — such as the Nigerian robes he clearly has gone to a lot of trouble to obtain. Asagai's compliments to Beneatha are sincere and therefore believable. His peaceful ways and calm manner give Beneatha an appreciation of his views even when they disagree. Contrasted with George Murchison's abrasive put-downs of Beneatha and George's insistence on retaining his narrow-minded views, Asagai appears as Beneatha's savior from the potential tragedy of her eventually becoming George's wife.
Asagai is charming, mannerly, personable, and quite intelligent; in spite of the cultural differences between him and the Younger family, he appears to "fit in" more with them than does George Murchison, who argues with Beneatha in front of her family and then clashes with Walter as he leaves.
Asagai is zealously idealistic about the future of his country and has even expressed his willingness to sacrifice his own life for the independence of his country. And, although Asagai has been afforded a Western education, his basic beliefs are grounded in his own African culture, which was, as of 1959, somewhat chauvinistic and old-fashioned. This creates an undercurrent of tension in his relationship with Beneatha, but it is something that Hansberry hints that might be overcome.
