A Raisin in the Sun

How could you describe Ruth and Walter’s relationship at the beginning of the play?

• lighthearted and full of love 
• tense; they’re easily frustrated by each other
• full of pity for one another   
• easy going; they joke with each other

Ruth’s big news to the family is that…

• She lost her job.

• She is pregnant.

• She got a better job.

• She filed for divorce.

What gifts does Joseph bring for Beneatha?

• Records and clothes from Nigeria

• A telephone and elbow-length gloves

• Flowers and chocolates

• A camera and film

Why does the family have a hectic (rushed and confused) schedule every morning?

• The bus is unpredictable.

• They must share a bathroom.

• They never know when Walter will be called to work.

• Mama needs constant attention and/or help.

The relationship between Ruth and Walter could be described as…

• Tense

• Calm

• Loving

• Violent

What does Mama's old plant symbolize?

• the fleeting nature of love

• the power of money

• hope for the future

• the oppressive force of racism

Which of these best describes Travis' character in the play?

• Travis is a flat character who contributes mainly through the way he intensifies the conflicts of the play, including his role in Walter's loss of the $6500.

• Though not a dynamic character, Travis provides moments of comic relief in otherwise serious scenes and emphasizes the poor condition of life for the Younger family in their Southside apartment. Likewise, he symbolizes the future of the family.

• Travis is a dynamic character, and through his process of maturity in the play we are better able to understand the Younger family's desires for economic advancement and social mobility.

• Travis is a character modeled from Hansberry's own younger brother whose innocence shines a spotlight on the issues of poverty that her own family endured.

Which of these lines from Hughes' poem best reflects this moment in the play about Walter's dream? WALTER: (Violently) "No! Cause ain't nobody with me! Not even my own mother!" (85).

• Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?

• Or fester like a sore and then run?

• Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.

• Or does it explode?

Which of these best describes what the life insurance money symbolizes for Walter vs. Mama?

• For Walter the money symbolizes freedom, while for Mama the money symbolizes hope.

• For Walter the money symbolizes economic opportunity and advancement, while for Mama it symbolizes the opportunity to provide for her family.

• For Walter the money symbolizes racial oppression, while for Mama the money symbolizes comfort.

• For Walter the money symbolizes providing a future for his son, while for Mama the money symbolizes educational opportunity.

Beneatha is not serious about dating George because…

• He is too shallow (not a deep thinker).

• He is too ugly.

• He is too poor.

• He is too old.