Word Study and Subject
Lit Terms Definitions
Theme
A Raisin in the Sun Questions
Author's Purpose
100
What NOUN is the SUBJECT of the sentence? Break it into syllables and identify any closed syllables: "The dog barked at the raccoon up the tree."
dog; 1 syllable; "dog" is closed
100
Which literary term means: a story written as a script to be performed in a play or movie?
drama
100
What THEME is shown when BENEATHA says: "Oh--Mama--they don’t do it like that any more. He talked Brotherhood. He said everybody ought to learn how to sit down and hate each other with good Christian fellowship."
racism/ faith
100
List each character's dream: Walter, Beneatha, Ruth, Mama?
Walter: Open a liquor store; Beneatha: Become a Doctor; Ruth: Move out of the apartment; Mama: Own a home.
100
What does the author want to say about FAITH when BENEATHA says: "Oh--Mama--they don’t do it like that any more. He talked Brotherhood. He said everybody ought to learn how to sit down and hate each other with good Christian fellowship."
People can twist their faith to mean what they want; Racist people aren't considering how their religion says they should act.
200
What NOUN is the SUBJECT of the sentence? Break it into syllables and identify any closed syllables: "My sister collects dolls for her dollhouse."
sister; sis-ter; "sis-" is closed/ "-ter" is not
200
Which literary term means: an underlying meaning of a text?
theme
200
What THEME is shown when WALTER says: " I’m thirty-five years old; I been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the living room--and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live…"
classism/ dreams
200
How does each character's dream turn out: Walter, Beneatha, Ruth, Mama?
Walter: Willie takes the money and he can't start the business; Beneatha: She doesn't have money for medical school, and Joseph Agasai has asked her to marry him, but she still talks about being a doctor and is still in school; Ruth: She gets her dream since they're moving to the house; Mama: She gets her dream.
200
What does the author want to say about CLASSISM or DREAMS when WALTER says: "I’m thirty-five years old; I been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the living room--and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live…"
You can feel like you're not living up to your possibilities if you don't reach what other people have. You may even feel like you've failed your family.
300
What NOUN is the SUBJECT of the sentence? Break it into syllables and identify any closed syllables: "Cartoons played in the bedroom all night."
cartoons; car-toons; No closed syllables
300
Which literary term means: the “why” of a text. The reason the author made a choice?
author's purpose
300
What THEME is shown when WALTER says: "Man say to his woman: I got me a dream. His woman say: Eat your eggs. Man say: I got to take hold of this here world, baby! And a woman say: Eat your eggs and go to work. Man say: I got to change my life, I’m choking to death, baby! And his woman say--Your eggs is getting cold!"
dreams
300
Describe Walter with 3 CHARACTER TRAITS.
quick temper, proud, ambitious
300
What does the author want us to learn about DREAMS when WALTER says: "Man say to his woman: I got me a dream. His woman say: Eat your eggs. Man say: I got to take hold of this here world, baby! And a woman say: Eat your eggs and go to work. Man say: I got to change my life, I’m choking to death, baby! And his woman say--Your eggs is getting cold!"
When you can't reach your dreams and don't feel supported, it can crush you and make you feel worthless.
400
What NOUN is the SUBJECT of the sentence? Break it into syllables and identify any closed syllables: "A deflated basketball fell from the third story window."
basketball; bas-ket-ball; "bas-" is closed, "-ket-" is not closed, "-ball" is not closed.
400
Which literary term means: the people the story is about. You learn about them in a variety of ways?
characters
400
What THEME is shown when MAMA says: "There ain’t nothing as precious to me… There ain’t nothing worth holding on to, money, dreams, nothing else--if it means--if it means it’s going to destroy my boy."
family
400
Tell one example from the story that shows Beneatha speaks her mind, but sometimes says hurtful things without thinking.
She blurts out asking if the baby is going to sleep on the roof. She uses the Lord's name in vain with Mama. She keeps getting on Walter when he lost the money.
400
What does the author want us to learn about FAMILY from when MAMA says: "There ain’t nothing as precious to me… There ain’t nothing worth holding on to, money, dreams, nothing else--if it means--if it means it’s going to destroy my boy."
Family should come first.
500
What NOUN is the SUBJECT of the sentence? Break it into syllables and identify any closed syllables: "At 6 pm, the sun set behind the mountains."
sun; 1 syllable; "sun" is closed
500
Which literary term means: The written conversation between characters in a text?
dialogue
500
What THEME is shown when BENEATHA says, "The only people who are more snobbish than rich white people are rich colored people"?
classism
500
Give one example of how MAMA holds the family together.
She makes a compromise with Walter over the money so he can go after his dream. She tells Beneatha to think about how Walter feels even after he's lost the money for everyone. She tells Walter to explain what he's doing to Travis at the end so Walter realizes he can't take Mr. Lindner's money.
500
What does the author want us to learn about CLASSISM when BENEATHA says: "The only people who are more snobbish than rich white people are rich colored people"? (author's purpose)"
all races can be classist; being anxious about racism and how your race is perceived can make you even more judgmental of the poor