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A Raisin in the Sun Study Guide

Pre-Reading

Respond to the slideshow. Freewrite the feelings, emotions, and scenes that
depict that time period/setting of 1950-60’s... What was happening? Describe
the conflict and how you feel about it.
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Pre-Reading
Martin Luther King, Jr.

1. Find the Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech audio online

2. Read below/ Listen at home to the speech and highlight and margin note
effective literary devices/techniques

3. Give five detailed reasons why it is one of The Great American Speeches of
all time. Make sure you support your assertion/opinion with specific
references to the text.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”

speech
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the
greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we

stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous
decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves
who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a
joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred
years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles
of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years
later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a
vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro
is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself
an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a
shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When

the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the
Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a
promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note
was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men,
would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted
on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned.
Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the
Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked
"insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse

to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of
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opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a
check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the
security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the

fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of
cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the
time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise
from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of
racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of
racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to
make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment.
This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not
pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.
Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who
hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content
will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.
And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro
is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue
to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice
emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the
warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of
gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let
us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of
bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the
high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative
protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must
rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community
must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white
brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to
realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have
come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our
freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march
ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will
you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the
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victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be
satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot
gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.
We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a
smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our
children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by
signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a
Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he
has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will
not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness
like a mighty stream."¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials
and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells.
And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for
freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered
by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative
suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is
redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to
South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to
the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow
this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my

friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I

still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the
true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of
former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit
down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state
sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of
oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the
content of their character.

I have a dream today!

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I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists,
with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of
"interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little
black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white
boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every
hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made
plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of
the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together." 2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a
stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling
discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With
this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to
struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom
together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children
will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

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Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it
ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every
city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children,
black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and
Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old
Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!3

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Name: Date: Adams’ English
Martin Luther King Jr.: “I Have a Dream” speech analysis (Raisin in the Sun)

Directions: Sharpen your evaluative and analytical skills.

1 -Familiarize yourself with the following questions.
2 -Read & margin note any evidences of answer to each question.
3 -Analyze the document by answering the following questions with as many details as possible.

1. What are some evidences that this speech is effective? Provide proof from speech.
a. Logical Order

b. Reliable & Valid References to Facts

c. Emotional Appeal

d. Reasonable Request

2. How does the language use & literary devices used enhance the effectiveness of this speech?
a. Motifs (leitmotifs) –major themes/ images/ general ideas
 Seasons:

 Nature:

 Business

b. Figurative Language used –(imagery, symbolism, metaphors, contrasts, repetition)

 Imagery:

 Symbolism:

 Metaphors:

 Contrasts:
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 Repetition:

3. Why is King’s skill in persuasion and argumentations effective? (Refer to question #1 again)
a. Organization

b. Tone

(more on back)

4. What is King’s definition(s) of FREEDOM? What is his DREAM?

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

5. Did you notice anything else that enhances the effectiveness of this speech?

6. What are other ways this speech can be enhanced?

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Name: Date: Adams - English 10H
A Raisin in the Sun –extra credit Mini Background Research Due:

Directions: Directions below must be followed to the letter for credit.

 Sign up for & Research one of the following choices relating to A Raisin in the
Sun.
 Cite your sources (or print hard copies of sources)
 Type up your findings and comments and comment on the relationship and
connection of findings to the textual play (100 words minimum)
 Present it to class when prompted

Choices:
1. Look up monetary value during the 1950’s and compare & contrast it to now. What were the
prices of essential items then vs. now? I.e. Items such as gas, milk, housing (prices of
apartment rentals vs. buying a house), educational tuition (undergraduate vs. graduate
school), Salary (blue collar vs. white collar jobs), and other interesting items.

2. Look up Brown vs. Board of Education decision in the 1954 & explain gist of ruling & effects on
American society.

3. Look up Jim Crow “laws” during the 1950’s-60’s & explain gist & effects on society.

4. Research & Summarize a news event or story of a violation of an individual’s or family’s civil
rights during the 1950-60’s.

5. *Research & Summarize a current news event or story of a violation of an individual’s or a

family’s civil rights.

6. Who is Miss Miniver Driver? Who is Scarlet O’ Hara? Compare & Contrast each character. (Act
II Scene 3)

7. Who is Greta Garbo? What were her roles, what do they have in common & why is she
important?

8. Who is Langston Hughes? Why is he important to African-American/ Black Literature?

9. Research Nigeria in the 1960’s? What were some conflicts the country faced?

10. Who is Jomo Kenyatta? Why is he an important black leader?

11. What is the NAACP? What importance does it have in the 1960’s and now?

12. Look up music, popular lyrics and reflections on the times. Bring analysis and music to class.

13. Look up fashion trends during the 1960’s. How did items of clothing reflect one’s financial or
social status, outlook, education, or generation?

14. Research conditions of tenements in Chicago’s Southside. Report your findings to class.

15. Research segregation in America immediately before and after the Civil Rights Movement.
Describe some major conditions that gave the movement impetus.

16. *Analyze 3 major events during the Civil Rights Movement and explain why these were most
important.
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17. Research opportunities, jobs and employment rates and percentages limited to blacks during
the 50-60’s.

***All works must be written in your own words. If plagiarism is an issue, you will not only receive
zero credit but appropriate actions will be taken. Your work will be treated like a formal assignment
so please make it presentable and appropriate.

Pre-Reading
Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes is particularly known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of

black life in America from the twenties through the sixties. He wrote novels, short
stories and plays, as well as poetry. He wanted to tell the stories of his people in
ways that reflected their actual culture, including both their suffering and their
love of music, laughter, and language itself. The title of this play is taken from a
line in Langston Hughes’ poem “What Happens to a Dream Deferred?” which is
printed at the beginning of the play. Read the poem to yourself and consider its
meaning.

Dream Deferred
By Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

Why do you think Hansberry chose this poem as her preface?

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What central question does the poem ask?

Rather than present his audience with the answer to the central question, Hughes
develops the poem using a series of questions. What similes can you find in the
poem? What about examples of personification?

Similes: Personification:

What does the poet believe happens to frustrated dreams? Do you agree?

What do you predict this play will be about?

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Act I, Scene One

Vocabulary: Look up the following words in the dictionary and write the parts of
speech and definitions in the space provided.

Part of Speech: Definition:

Accommodate

Dusky

Erratic

Furtively

Futile

Raucous

Tyranny

Unobtrusively
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Indictment

Self-righteous

Vindicated
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Act I, Scene One –Comprehension Questions

1. Describe the Younger’s home.

2. Where does this play take place?

3. Who are the Johnsons?

4. What is everybody waiting for?

5. What does Travis ask his mother for?

6. Describe Ruth and Walter’s relationship. Be sure to use supports from the
text.

7. What conflicts are there in the house? What subject(s) do they revolve
around?
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8. Why does Walter give Beneatha a hard time about wanting to be a doctor?

9. Who is Willy Harris?

Literary Elements

Mood, or atmosphere, is the feeling created for the reader by a literary work. In
A Raisin in the Sun, the setting and feelings and interactions of the characters
establish the mood of the drama.

Use the chart below to analyze the mood created in the opening scene. As you
list your ideas, think about the impact the setting has on the individual
characters.

Mood established by the setting Mood established by feelings and

interactions
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Theme – A theme in literature is a central idea or the author’s message. The
negative consequences of a dream deferred is a major theme in this play. Several
dreams are mentioned in Act I, Scene one. List them in the chart below.

Characters: Dreams:
Mama

Walter

Ruth

Beneatha

Characterization – Lorraine Hansberry introduces her major characters in the first scene. Use
the chart below to analyze each character.
Character Characteristic Evidence from the play
Walter

Ruth

Mama

Beneatha

Travis
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Act I, Scene Two

Vocabulary
Part of Speech: Definition:
Bastion

Commotion

Forlorn

Incredulity

Insinuate

Mutilated

Quizzical

Beseech

Suppress

Accommodate

Evade
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Act I, Scene Two –Comprehension Questions

1. What “errand” did Ruth run?

2. Why does Walter want to know if Willy got the papers from the lawyer?
What are they for?

3. Why is everyone waiting eagerly for the postman?

4. Why does Beneatha want Mama to talk to Asagai? What is strange about
this?

5. Describe Beneatha and Asagai’s relationship. Use details from the text to
support your answer.
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6. What gifts does Asagai bring Beneatha? Why are they significant?

7. How does Asagai feel about Beneatha’s hair? Why does he feel this way?

8. Explain assimilation.

9. What does Walter ask Mama?

10. Why is Walter so upset when Mama did not want to hear what he has to
say?

11. Why isn’t Walter happy with his job?

12. Why is Mama so upset by Walter’s response to finding out about Ruth’s
plans?
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13. Beneatha leaves the apartment shortly after Asagai’s visit. Where do you
think she is going? What makes you think so?
Act II, Scene One
Vocabulary
Part of Speech: Definition:
Coquettishly

Dumbfounded

Eccentric

Primly

Scrutinizing

Exuberant

Ornate

Plaintive
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Passionate
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Act II, Scene One - Comprehension Questions

1. What day does this scene take place? What significant event happened earlier
on this day?

2. Where does Walter return from? Why was he there?

3. Describe the interaction between Beneatha and Walter.

4. How does George treat Beneatha when he first arrives at the apartment? What
does this tell us about George? Cite specific examples for support.

5. Compare/contrast George and Asagai.

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6. Pride is a major theme of this play; which parts of this scene contribute to this
theme?

7. What special news does Mama share with the family?

8. How does the family respond to this news?

9. Why was Mama hesitant to reveal the location?

10. What is your opinion of what Mama has revealed?

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Literary Elements

Conflict - As you read a dramatic work, you become wrapped up in the

characters’ conflicts. You long to discover how the conflicts will be resolved.
Analyze the conflicts in the play by completing the chart with one character in
mind. Think about which conflicts you think will be resolved by the end of the
play.

Inner Conflicts

Conflicts Between Characters

Conflicts Between Characters and Outside Forces

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Allusion is a reference to a famous historical, mythological, or literary person or
event. There are several allusions in this scene. Use the chart below to list each
allusion and explain its significance.

Allusion Significance

Symbolism – What are the literal and symbolic meanings of Ruth’s question
about the sunlight and Mama’s reply?

Ruth: Is there – is there a whole lot of sunlight?

Mama: Yes, child, there’s a whole lof of sunlight.

What other symbols can you find?

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Act II, Scene Two

Vocabulary
Part of Speech: Definition:
Decisive

Rebuff

Desperation

Mingled

Revelation

Sophisticated

Ludicrous

Artificial

Oblivious

Sophisticated

Sensuous
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Act II, Scene Two –Comprehension Questions

1. What is the nature of George and Beneatha’s argument?

2. What is the result of their argument?

3. Beneatha says, “Thanks for understanding me this time.” to Mama; what is

the other time when Mama didn’t understand?

4. Who is Mrs. Johnson? Describe her.

5. How does Mama feel about Mrs. Johnson? How do you know?
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6. Mama listens to many of the comments that Mrs. Johnson has to say, but
what finally puts her over the edge causing her to stand up to Mrs. Johnson
is when she suggests that Walter’s job of a chauffeur is a good job. Why
does this cause Mama to finally react?

7. Mrs. Johnson does not appear in all versions of the play. What do you think
about this? Is her role valuable and should it be included? Do you think her
role is dispensable? Why? Why not?

8. What startling news does Ruth find out about Walter?

9. What causes Mama to make her shocking decision?

10. How does Walter respond?

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Dramatic Devices

Comic Relief – A humorous scene played between serious or tragic scenes is

called “comic relief.” This device allows a playwright to lighten the tone of a play
and to heighten the seriousness of the theme by contrast with the comic relief.
Explain how the scene with Mrs. Johnson serves a comic relief. Why do you think
Hansberry incorporated comic relief at this point in the play?

Analysis of Mrs. Johnson –In the first Broadway version of this play, this scene
was cut out. Given the time period of the 1950-60’s, do you think this was
necessary? What are some reasons that may justify this decision?
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Act II, Scene Three

Vocabulary
Part of Speech: Definition:
Affirmation

Agitation

Amiably

Deplore

Exuberant

Maliciously

Residential

Strident

Surge

Testify
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Triumphant
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Act II, Scene Three Comprehension Questions

1. What is going on as the scene opens?

2. Compare/contrast the mood of this scene to the mood in the opening scene
in the play.

3. How has Ruth and Walter’s relationship changed?

4. What caused this change in their relationship?

5. What differences do you notice concerning the relationship between

Beneatha and Walter?

6. Who is Mr. Lindner? Where is he from?

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7. Mr. Linder speaks nicely to the family. What words or phrases does he use
that subtly give away his feelings towards the family?

8. Each family member reacts a little differently to Mr. Lindner; explain how
each member reacts.

9. Who is Bobo? What news does he tell Walter?

10. Mama had trusted Walter to deposit the family’s money, but Bobo tells a
different story. What did Walter do with the money?

11. Mama says, “I seen him… night after night….come in…” who is she
talking about? What makes Mama bring him up?
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Literary Elements

Dramatic Irony is the contrast between what a character says and a deeper
significance grasped by the audience or by other characters. Describe the
dramatic irony when Mr. Linder explains that represents a “welcoming
committee.”

Mood – A playwright uses setting and dialogue to create mood. What is the
prevailing mood at the beginning of this scene? How has Hansberry created
this mood? How was the mood changed by the end of the scene? When does
this change occur?
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Act III
Vocabulary
Part of Speech: Definition:
Esteemed

Illiteracy

Outmoded

Precariously

Profound

Replenish

Retrogression

Nobility

Urgency
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Mirage

Reverie

Consciousness

Act III –Comprehension Questions

1. Compare/contrast the mood from this scene with the last one.

2. What caused the change?

3. Why is Beneatha upset? What did this money mean for her?

4. Explain Asagai’s response to Beneatha’s anger.

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5. How has Walter’s decision affected their plans?

6. Why did Walter call up Mr. Lindner?

7. Explain why Mama is upset by Walter’s plan.

8. Why did Mama make Travis stay in the room during Mr. Lindner’s visit after
Walter asked him to leave?

9. What happens during Walter’s meeting with Mr. Lindner?

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10. How do you feel about Walter’s decision?

Literary Elements

Theme - The theme is the author’s message to the reader, the central idea in a
literary work. Analyze the theme of A Raisin in the Sun in the space below. State
what you think the theme is. Then discuss how the theme became evident to you
by referring to key dramatic scenes, particularly aspects of character
development and symbolism.

Symbolism – Trace the symbolic role of Mama’s plant during the course of the
play. Where was it found? Was it moved? How did each of the characters feel
about the plant? Did their attitudes change toward it? What did it symbolize at
different stages of the play?
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Plot Structure
The structure of a play can be represented graphically in this way:

In the rising action, the conflict is explained and developed. The struggle reaches
the point of greatest suspense at the climax or turning point. The falling action –
which is usually much shorter than the rising action – leads to the resolution,
where the conflict is resolved.

Think about the events in A Raisin in the Sun. Then complete this chart by adding
the labels rising action, climax, falling action, or resolution, to the second
column. This first one has been done for you.

Summary of Events Plot Structure

The family discusses the long-anticipated arrival of the
insurance check; Beneatha argues with Mama about Rising action
the existence of God; Ruth looks ill and faints.
Ruth returns from the doctor; Asagai brings Beneatha a
gift; the check arrives; Walter and Mama argue about
the money.
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Beneatha dances in Nigerian robes; Ruth and Walter
argue about his going into business with Willy Harris;
Mama buys a house in a white neighborhood.
Mrs. Johnson visits to gossip and snoop; Ruth discovers
that Walter has been skipping work; Mama entrusts
Walter with the rest of the money.
Mr. Linder comes to “welcome” the new neighbors;
Walter orders Linder out of the apartment; the children
give Mama a gift of new gardening tools; Walter learns
that Willy has run off with the money.
Walter decides to take Mr. Linder up on his offer; Mama
insists that Walter speak in front of Travis.

Walter finds the courage to tell Mrs. Linder that his

family will live where they want to live.

Mr. Linder appeals to mama; mama replies that the

family will do as Walter says; the movers arrive.

The family leaves the apartment; Mama returns for her

plant and a final look at the old home.