Simile. After moving to a house in an all-white neighborhood, Hansberrys family endured legal battles and physical threats not unlike the bombs that Walter, Ruth, and Mrs. Johnson reference in the play. Mama gets named for cultural icons: She is selfless "Mrs. Miniver" or woebegone "Scarlett O'Hara." When he heard about Hampton Institute in Virginia, a school for blacks, he enrolled in order to study brick masonry, paying for his education by working as the janitor. About thirty years old, Ruth was once "exceptionally" pretty, although an air of "disappointment has already begun to hang in her face.". Willy would never have entrusted his life savings with either of them. Extremely hard working, he attended school at night. -Graham S. In the 1920s and 30s the discriminatory Jim Crow laws in the South prompted many African Americans to relocate to Northern cities, a movement called the Great Migration. and any corresponding bookmarks? Although Lindner is a representative of racist ideas, he is not the only force that is bearing down on Walter, crushing him with its weight. Five years later, in 1935, after Selassie had offered his people a written constitution and educational and administrative reforms, Mussolini invaded Ethiopia and occupied the country until 1941, when the British forced the Italians out, and Haile Selassie returned to his throne. Luke 14:34-35 "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? Washington's long-time opponent, W. E. B. Beneatha is so relentlessly unforgiving toward Walter Lee that Mama is forced to defend him. In the same vein as Garvey, Hansberry explores the idea of Africa as a home for African Americans, a view most clearly articulated by Joseph Asagai, a Nigerian student. Tradition states that around 1170, the Oba (king) commissioned the finest bronze/brass-smith, a man who was so excellent in his craft that to this day, his name is worshipped as a god by the bronze/brass-smiths of Benin. I want you to believe me when I tell you that race prejudice simply doesnt enter into it. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. These creatures heavily reinforce the Younger family's undesirable living situation. An interesting aspect of this particular "Jim Crow" law was that a black person might be permitted to sit in the front of the bus if there were no white person on the bus who needed that seat. In his "Atlanta speech," Booker T. Washington urged blacks to cultivate friendly relations with white men. In 1954 the Supreme Court ruled in, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Nonetheless, while the North did not have laws demanding policies of segregation be followed, discrimination persisted also in the North, leading to segregated housing, education, and employment. Walter is married to Ruth and is Travis' father. some Middle Eastern traders settled there, Ethiopian history cites Queen Makeda of Ethiopia and King Solomon as being the parents of Menelik I who, during his reign, founded the kingdom of Ethiopia in 10 B.C. Or fester like a sore And then run? Cite this page as follows: "In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, when characters quote from or reference the Bible do they tend to allude to a consistent theme?"eNotes Editorial, 10 Oct . Didactic literature demonstrates or dramatically presents a thesis or doctrine in a persuasive form. A round character is more complex and, therefore, more difficult to describe. Nature, or Character vs. Technology. She says that everyone around her used to laugh at her; they would say, "That Lena Eggleston is a high-minded thing. In 1949 the United States Congress passed the National Housing Act to address substandard housing and to provide adequate and more integrated housing options for minorities. In 1938 Hansberrys family moved to an all-white neighborhood in Chicago and suffered violent attacks from neighbors, who had signed a restrictive covenant to exclude black families from the community. Open hostility, however, between the numerous rival factions within the country bred chaos, with several attempts to overthrow the government, civil war, and finally mass starvation. Many factors contributed to the downfall of the aforementioned empires, including weakening from within by internal strife, invasions by outsiders and the beginnings of trade along the West Coast with European merchants. Suspense is created by our not knowing exactly what Walter will do with it. On the other hand, the local people send their representation, Mr. Lindner with an offer for them to stay away from the area by giving them money. Irony underlines all: Mama's family will lose their money, despite her selflessness, just as Garbo and Scarlett also went broke. Although it is documented that as early as the first century B.C. Choose ONE topic of inquiry from the chart below. . mistakenly more like Butterfly than any Nigerian This stage direction refers to Beneatha's exuberance after receiving the gift of the Nigerian robes and headdress from Asagai. a figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by 'like' or 'as'. Because this art received such worldwide attention, few wanted to believe that such magnificent artwork had been created by the Africans. In Timbuktu, men and boys (only) studied at its great university, utilizing to great advantage its many active libraries and books on history, medicine, astronomy, and poetry. Didactic works attempt to teach a lesson. Ashanti Beneatha's reference to the Ashanti people, along with George Murchison's references to the Songhay Empire, Benin, and the Bantu language, shows that Hansberry herself had some knowledge of the African continent and its culture. -Graham S. Below you will find the important quotes in, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. 3. Character, Character vs. Self, Character vs. Society, Character vs. But all the time / Ise been a-climbin on., Instant downloads of all 1725 LitChart PDFs Monsieur le petit bourgeois noir Beneatha is so angry at Walter Lee for having entrusted their family's money to the unscrupulous Willy that she mockingly derides Walter Lee for having shown such mercantile naivete. " Mother to Son " by Langston Hughes. She speaks mostly for her own emotional benefit, for she knows that Walter has no knowledge of the meaning of her words in French, just as he barely understands the meaning of the insults she hurls at him in English. The poem uses the metaphor of a deferred dream to convey a sense of loss and disappointment, as well as the potential dangers of ignoring one's dreams. Mama says this to Travis as she tells him about the house that she is planning to buy. Contained in an early sixties song, subtitled "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," the word was made popular by Pete Seeger and the Weavers. After Lindner leaves, we learn through Ruth's dialogue that the family is about to make the move they have spoken of throughout the play in spite of their sudden financial reversal; Beneatha tells Mama about the marriage proposal that she has received earlier in the day, and Walter and Beneatha's previously troubled familial relationship appears to have been healed. By the 1470s, Songhai had become the largest and richest country in Africa, boasting the city of Timbuktu, which was the center of learning and trade for the Muslim world. We aint never been that poor. On our Great West African Heritage! We aint never been that dead inside. This house is located in Clybourne Park, an entirely white neighborhood. The reference was somewhat unsettling to colonial rulers of that day because of the suggested imagery of the fates of those caught in the presence of an awakening, ferocious lion. That is just what is wrong with the colored women in this world . She was self-centered at the beginning of the playmaking the family sacrifices their desires to accommodate her expensive hobbies, which keep changing from time to time. She used the dialect of the African American community that is not only distinct but also pure. To Beneatha, it is apparent that Walter Lee's financial folly was due to his total lack of knowledge about the workings of the business world; she taunts him by referring to him as "Monsieur le petit bourgeois noir," meaning "Mister [black] small businessman." 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. Washington felt that having a trade was more logical for black people than painting or poetry. The Ashanti, originally a part of present-day Ghana, were people within the Ghana Empire whose ascendancy was based on the iron and gold found within this wealthy country. Nigeria finally became independent and a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and, in 1963, it became a republic. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Refine any search. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1725 titles we cover. Walter arouses our pity when he asks Bobo, "There ain't nothin' wrong, is there?" a short, pithy statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance. Mr. Lindner is a flat character, while Walter is a round character; there is no need for the character of Mr. Lindner to be as developed or as detailed as Walter's. In the south, whites rode in the front of buses, blacks in the back. The phrase used by Beneatha is taken from three places in the Bible: Matthew 5:13 "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour wherewith shall it be salted? Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Use guidance from the next lesson to identify any additional language or background support students may need while independently engaging with the text. It was performed for the first time in 1959. (One of Washington's first staff appointments was Dr. George Washington Carver, whose brilliance in the field of agriculture is not as well documented as his "peanut" discoveries.) Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Prometheus' suffering lasted for thousands of years until Hercules killed the eagle and freed Prometheus. She realizes now, she says, in her moment of defeat, that she was foolish to set her sights so high. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.". Mama reminisces about her youth and how she had always wanted more than what had been offered to her. Mark 9:50 "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Benin's theocracy dictated the production of art for religious purposes. In Raisin, one might erroneously assume that the antagonist is Karl Lindner, but that is merely a simplistic view. When they done good and made things easy for everybody? if the salt loses its savor When Ruth says that Beneatha is fresh and then adds that Beneatha is as "fresh as salt" Beneatha counters with a pedantic response, a phrase from the Bible, just to show off her knowledge. LitCharts Teacher Editions. The coastal people who had once been ruled by empires in the interior soon began to trade slaves and gold for firearms and ammunition since lances, spears, and arrows were no match against the rifles and cannons of the Arabs and Europeans. See disclaimer. line . Mr. Lindner's visit to the Younger house is an example of dramatic and situational irony in A Raisin in the Sun. . "Dream Deferred" is a poem by Langston Hughes that explores the consequences of unfulfilled aspirations. Thus, the art of Benin was, at first, attributed to the Portuguese; then someone suggested that the bronzes had been washed ashore from the lost city of Atlantis or had been created by its descendants or survivors; others said that some lost and wandering Europeans had found themselves in Benin and had produced the bronze wonders; others said that nomadic Greeks had produced these works while journeying through Africa. Mama's generation worked hard so that their children could have a "better life," which, to her, meant a life without segregation. Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in A Raisin in the Sun. But youve got to admit that a man, right or wrong, has the right to want to have a neighborhood he lives in a certain kind of way. Menelik II is also responsible for relocating the capital at Addis Ababa and for modernizing the operation of government. Walter's motivation to obtain the insurance money for his business scheme makes all of his subsequent actions believable, even if we feel that they are foolish. The traditional denouement, or unraveling of the plot, is the explanation of all the previous events of the drama. . The apartment has a small kitchen, attached to it is a living room which must also serve as a dinning room and a small window. Complete your free account to request a guide. Partly written by the Lorraine Hansberry's ex-husband Robert Nemiroff, after her death, Raisin added song and dance to the Youngers' story, winning the 1973 Tony Award for Best Musical. diction. . allusion. Scarlett O'Hara When Travis gives Mama his gift, of which he is enormously proud, everyone laughs because it is an oversized gardening hat worn, as he says, by [rich] ladies "who always have it on when they work in their gardens." Does it stink like rotten meat? Racial Injustice in A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry and Sonny's Blues, by James Baldwin. . Merely going through the motions of life is not enough for a person like Beneatha; she has to question every philosophy for herself. Yet, when Walter decides on his own to regain his self-esteem in his dialogue with Lindner, not only does he maintain his own pride, but he also restores the dignity of the entire Younger family. Willy . Attesting to Hansberry's preoccupation with the demise of such great African civilizations and her deep regret that there was a universal lack of knowledge of these ancient black kingdoms are her constant references to Africa in Raisin. Mama implies that perhaps her misfortune now is the "due" that her detractors warned her of. . . You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Essays for A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film) A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film) essays are academic essays for citation. For instance, Mama, the protagonist, must decide to use her husband's life insurance policy to buy a home in an all-white neighborhood or let her son, Walter, invest in a "godless" liquor store; she naively allows Walter access to the money, courting disaster. More loosely based on the original story, the play Clybourne Park tells the story of the white family that sells its house to the Youngers. A Raisin in the Sun. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. The theme of racial injustice is prevalent in both "A . In ''A Raisin in the Sun'' Hansberry utilizes Walter to demonstrate the development of an individual. For much of its history, Ethiopia was known as Abyssinia. He was a presumptuous, fearless, childish and not a generally amazing . Lorraine Hansberry's father was a successful real estate businessman; apparently, the Murchison family of Raisin is equally successful, for Walter refers to the Murchisons' purchase of a big hotel on the "Drive." You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. However, Walter Lee, the male member of the family has his own plans; he wants to make an investment in the liquor business with the partnership of his friend Bobo and Willy, the street-smarts. Mama doesn't want to hurt Travis' feelings, so she tells him how much she likes it even though she probably knows better than the others how ridiculous she looks in the hat. His woman say: eat your eggs." Hansberry was raised in an African-American middle-class family with activist foundations. He suggested that blacks devote themselves to agriculture, mechanics, domestic service, and the professions placing more value on acquiring an industrial skill than on attaining a seat in Congress. Black writers tend to side with W. E. B. I might've jumped and died. Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Disclaimer Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. Gimme some sugar then a southern expression that means "Give me a hug, a kiss." With its first act set in 1959 and its second act set in 2009, Clybourne Park tracks the development of the neighborhood and its residents over fifty years. Nicknamed "Bennie," Beneatha is Mama's daughter and Walter Lee's younger sister. (It is the word "foe" in the nonsense language of Pig Latin, in which the first letter of a word is placed at the end with the addition of the long "A" sound. We've all got acute ghetto-itis Beneatha says this when Asagai drops by to visit, immediately after the Younger family has had a depressing conversation about their financial station in life and Ruth's possible pregnancy. Regardless of how old we are, we never stop learning. LitCharts Teacher Editions. She'll get her due one day." The way the content is organized, A concise biography of Lorraine Hansberry plus historical and literary context for, In-depth summary and analysis of every scene of, Explanations, analysis, and visualizations of. Also, it can't be personification because then it would be describing something that's not a human as one. Oh, dear, dear, dear! Didactic literaturedemonstrates or dramatically presents a thesis or doctrine in a persuasive form. This preview shows page 2 - 3 out of 5 pages. from your Reading List will also remove any Albeit, the family learns that they lost the money to Willy they refuse to take money from Mr. Linder. The play centers on the Youngers, a working-class family that lives in Chicago's South Side during the mid-twentieth century. A form of hamartia is the term hubris, which means the pride or overconfidence that leads a man to overlook a divine warning or to break a moral law. Partly written by the Lorraine Hansberrys ex-husband Robert Nemiroff, after her death, Raisin added song and dance to the Youngers story, winning the 1973 Tony Award for Best Musical. Even though the cleaning woman was around thirty, as Ruth is, she was still called a "girl." This phrase also refers to the Lion of Judah. The "Drive" to which Walter refers is an expressway along a scenic stretch of land a large sprawling park or a river view; in whatever city, this would be expensive property. The person whom Walter Lee describes as having a "conked head" is a part of the entertainment world; he is a musician at the Green Hat, a bar that Walter Lee frequents. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions. Then, as if it were an afterthought, Ruth says that she's "never been 'fraid of no crackers" even though her previous dialogue says otherwise. Beneatha, declaring that she hate[s] assimilationist Negroes, condemns George as ashamed of his heritage when he initially scoffs at her close-cut, natural hair. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred") by Langston Hughes.The story tells of a black family's experiences in south Chicago, as they attempt to improve their financial circumstances with an insurance payout following the death of the father, and deals with matters of housing . Well then, you aint through learning because that aint the time at all. 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most? Bantu is the largest language family and Swahili (which consists of Bantu and Arabic) is the most widely spoken. We dont want your money. However, Walter knows that his mother has been opposed to his idea of selling liquor because of her religious convictions. What about all the crooks and thieves and just plain idiots who will come into power and steal and plunder the same as before only now they will be black and do it in the name of the new Independence WHAT ABOUT THEM?! The next line of the poem continues the alliteration: "Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" Here, the repeated "d" and "r" sounds create a musical quality to the poem, which makes it easier to remember and recite. Nigeria The most populated nation in Africa with more than 250 different ethnic groups. It is a matter of the people of Clybourne Park believing, rightly or wrongly, as I say, that for the happiness of all concerned that our Negro families are happier when they live in their own communities. ", Irony is defined as a "twist of fate," which means that the very last thing we would expect to happen, actually does happen. He hopes someday that injustice, the view that African Americans are inferior will go away, and they will be treated equally like a full human being. A Raisin in the Sun is written by Lorraine Hansberry. A Raisin In The Sun. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Mother to Son Hansberry originally titled the play, The Crystal Stair, a name that, like A Raisin in the Sun, comes from a Langston Hughes poem. Under his reign, roads were constructed, formal education and social services were instituted, and electricity was introduced. Walter breaks a moral law when he uses his mother's money for his "get-rich-quick" scheme without telling her; he is not aware of his immorality, for he naively believes that he will get rich and be able to pay her back. Bobo uses the expression casually, as though it were conversationally correct. Objects placed on top of the bureau often landed behind it, which, because of its size and weight, was often a difficult piece of furniture to move. Mama: No . that big hotel on the Drive Walter refers to "that big hotel on the Drive" in a conversation with George Murchison as he asks George about the Murchison family's prospective real estate ventures. Poetry Foundation: Jabberwocky BY LEWIS CARROLL. (Even in the northern cities, vestiges of segregation were apparent.) repetition of the beginning consonant sound in a phrase or line foreshadowing a reference to another piece of literature or art in a story hints that predict future events in the story alliteration allusion metaphor comparison of two unlike objects, not using the words "like" or Teachers and parents! Harlem BY LANGSTON HUGHES What happens to a dream deferred? Clearly, we can see by the way Walter talks about them that he appreciates their music very much. . Walter what you aint never understood is that I aint got nothing, dont own nothing, aint never really wanted nothing that wasnt for you. Alliteration appears in: a) line 2 b) line 7 (correct) c) line 6. my girl didn't come in today Ruth works as a domestic, a cleaning woman, for wealthy whites who have traditionally referred to these cleaning women as "girls" a term that the domestics found degrading but never complained openly about for fear of losing their jobs. During this period in history, some black men (especially those connected with show business) would have their hair straightened through a chemical process that was both demeaning and extremely painful. Critical Essays Applying Literary Terms to. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Hansberrys family fought the covenant all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the Hansberrys in 1940. was in the vein of the American dream. Although she is dressed like a Nigerian woman, she begins to dramatically fan herself in order to accentuate her outfit, but she inadvertently loses the African look and appears more Asian, looking as though she's Madame Butterfly instead of African royalty. Here we go! I Watch People In The World by Taigu Ryonkan I watch people in the world Throw away their lives lusting after things . One for Whom Bread Food Is Not Enough Asagai gives Beneatha the Nigerian name "Alaiyo," which he translates roughly as: "One for whom bread food is not enough," meaning that his perception of Beneatha is that she is a totally developed person, both intellectually and spiritually, and that she demands answers to all of life's questions. Songhai (Songhay) The Sunni dynastry of Songbai conquered Mali after Mali had progressively grown weaker with its line of ineffective kings. Beneatha made this statement to Asagai when they first met, a remark he had found amusing. Mama, you know its all divided up. Washington believed strongly that artistic endeavors and intellectual pursuits were not in the best interest of black people trying to emerge from a long period of slavery. Although the family moves to the new house, the future is not safe but they are optimistic about staying united to win success and live a better life. (including. Michael Stratford is a National Board-certified and Single Subject Credentialed teacher with a Master of Science in educational rehabilitation (University of Montana, 1995). a settled woman a woman who looks older than her actual years mainly because she has resigned herself to her "lot in life.". This A Raisin in the Sun lesson plan asks students to apply their mastery of literary symbolism to unfamiliar poetry. She named this child Ibn-alHakim, which means "son of the wise man," but he was popularly known as Menelik. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Im telling you to be the head of this family from now on like you supposed to be.
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