Characters
Who is Beneatha?
Walter's sister/Mama's daughter/Travis's aunt
Where does Travis sleep?
He sleeps on the living room couch.
How does the imagery used to describe the Younger family’s apartment help the reader understand their living conditions and struggles?
Hansberry used detailed imagery of the Younger family’s apartment to physically manifest their poverty, exhaustion, and resilience.
What is the reason Ruth faints at the end of Scene 1?
She is pregnant.
What decade does the Raisin in the Sun take place?
1950s
Who is George Murchison?
George is a man who Beneatha is casually seeing.
Describe the apartment in which the Younger family lives.
-Tiny, closet-like kitchen
-Combined living and dining room
-One small window, which lets in very little natural light
-Communal bathroom
-Everything is worn out and cramped
What is the meaning of the metaphor “seemingly takes a lifetime to get to work” when Walter talks about the train? What does it reveal about his feelings?
The metaphor captures Walter Lee Younger’s deep frustration with the endless, exhausting cycle of poverty and unrewarding labor,
Why does Mama oppose the liquor store investment?
It conflicts with her moral/religious values.
This woman is the playwright of A Raisin in the Sun.
Lorraine Hansberry is the playwright of A Raisin in the Sun.
What is the difference between Bennie's relationship with George and her friendship with Joseph?
Bennie hangs out with George but shows no real interest. Bennie is more eager to spend time with Joseph (teasing, gifts).
How does the small size and condition of the Younger family’s apartment affect the characters?
The small, worn-out apartment traps the Younger family in a cycle of stress, exhaustion, and daily frustration.
When Walter says, “That money is made out of dreams,” what figurative language is being used, and what does Walter mean by it?
Walter is using a metaphor to say that the insurance check represents the family's deepest hopes and futures, rather than just physical dollar bills.
What does Mama want to do with the money? (two things--must name both)
Put some away for Beneatha's schooling and the rest as a down payment on a home.
A Raisin in the Sun was named after a poem by this author.
Langston Hughes
Beneatha claims that she is trying to express herself by recently teaching herself to do what?
play guitar
Why is the neighborhood where the Younger family lives important to the story?
The cramped apartment and the proposed white neighborhood in A Raisin in the Sun highlight the harsh impact of racial segregation and poverty on the Younger family's dreams.
What does Mama mean when she says that Walter is “a little boy” who needs to learn to understand things?
Walter has an obsession that money can fix all their problems, he lacks responsibility because he wants to risk opening a liquor store, and he's showing a self-centered perspective by blaming others.
What does Walter argue is the problem with Afircan American women/wives? (there are two things-must answer at least one)
They don't support their husbands, and they are small minded.
A Raisin in the Sun was the first play produced on Broadway by a _________ ___________.
Black/African American woman
What was Walter's definition/view about life?
Money is life.
How does the setting of 1950s Chicago influence the family’s experiences and choices?
The setting of 1950s segregated South Side Chicago traps the Younger family in cramped, substandard housing, which fuels their internal conflicts and drives Mama’s risky choice to buy a home in a white neighborhood
DAILY DOUBLE!
The first thing Mama picks up when she walks into the room. Mama compares this item to the spirit of her children.
a plant
How much money did Ruth pay the doctor as down payment to terminate her pregnancy?
$5.00
Hansberry portrayed these controversial issues in "A Raisin in the Sun".
Generational clashes; civil rights; women's movements; Pro-Choice