A Raisin In The Sun Reading Questions i5347

A Raisin in the Sun Reading Questions to pg. 46 1. What is the SETTING of the story (year and place)? 2. The following is stated about the Younger family: “Not indolence, not indifference, and certainly not the lack of ambition imprisons them…” (pg. 5). A. What do ‘indolence’ and ‘indifference’ mean? B. What does this quote tell us about the family? Why do they live in this tiny apartment; why don’t they move out to a nicer place? 3. “It is here that Mama has chosen to hopefully grow a small and miserable-looking plant, in which her imagination…has invested a spirit of heroism” (pg. 7). What might this plant SYMBOLIZE? 4. How many people are currently living in this apartment? 5. In what state is Walter and Ruth’s marriage? How do we know? 6. Is Walter Lee chauvinistic (look up this word in a dictionary if you don’t know what it means)? How can you tell? 7. What does Walter Lee want to do with the money the family is talking about? 8. What is Beneatha, Lena’s youngest child and Walter’s sister, going to school for? 9. What type of woman does Lena Younger (Mama) seem to be? Include a QUOTE from the play that describes her character and physical attributes (we meet Mama on pg. 29):

10. Mama is a central character in the play who has control over much of the conflict (the money). Why do you think Hansberry waits to introduce Mama until a few pages into the play? 11. How has Mama gotten the $10,000? How much is that roughly worth now, with inflation? 12. What did Mama do her entire life? Why did she have this job—find a QUOTE (see pg. 41)! 13.

Why does Mama quit her job?

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What does Walter Lee do for a living?

A Raisin in the Sun Reading Questions pg. 46-80 1. Who is Asagai? 2. How is Mama treated when she goes to buy apples at the store? 3. What attitude do most men seem to have towards women in this play (as exhibited by Walter Lee and Asagai)? 4. What advice does Herman, the liquor store owner, give Walter Lee? 5. What illness does Lena claim “always sounds so respectable to white people?” 6. What does Lena want to do with the money? There are TWO things: 1. 2. 7. What is Big Walter’s quote about black men and dreams (pg. 70)? Write it below:

8. What seems to be George Mutchinson’s main good quality—the reason why Ruth and Lena want Beneatha to marry him? 9. Beneatha says, “…the only people in the world who are more snobbish than rich white people are…” (pg. 74) who? 10. Beneatha has some pretty strong opinions that Lena does not agree with. Which opinion makes Lena slap Beneatha? 11.

To what—or whom—does Lena compare her plant (pg. 78)?

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Why is Ruth worried about Walter?

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What happens to Ruth at the end of pg. 80?

A Raisin in the Sun Reading Questions pg. 80-110 1. What has Walter decided to do with his buddies Willy and Bobo? 2. What do we find out about Ruth? Is she happy about this news? 3. Why did Beneatha approach Asagai at school the very first time (pg. 90)? 4. What does ‘assimilation’ mean (use a dictionary to look up the definition if you don’t know)? Why does this term greatly offend Beneatha? 5. How does Asagai feel about Beneatha? How does she feel about Asagai? 6. What is Agasai’s nickname for Beneatha? What does it literally mean? How might it apply to Beneatha? 7. What does Lena say is ‘dangerous’ (pg. 106)? 8. What does Walter say is ‘life’ (pg. 107)? 9. What is Ruth considering regarding this pregnancy? 10.

What does Lena say she is ‘waiting’ for Walter to do (pg. 109)?

11. What is Lena’s final quote to Walter on pg. 110 (not the part about getting her hat)?

A Raisin in the Sun Reading Questions pg. 110-156 1. What kind of person does George seem to be—is he nice, proper, mean, etc? 2. The stage directions state that as Walter talks to George, he has a “chip on his shoulder” (pg. 115). What does that phrase mean? Why might Walter have a ‘chip on his shoulder’ towards George? 3. George tells Walter, “You’re all whacked up bitterness, man” (pg. 118). What does Walter have to be bitter about? Include a QUOTE below: 4. Who is Prometheus? Why does George use this to insult Walter? 5. What has Mama done with the money? How do Ruth and Walter react? 6. Where is the house Mama bought located? Why is this is big deal? 7. Why did Lena decide to buy the house instead of giving Walter Lee the money? Why does she say she needed to do it (pg. 127)? 8. What does Walter do after finding out Mama bought a house? 9. Where does Lena find Walter after he disappears? What does she do upon finding him? 10.

How much money does Lena finally give Walter?

11. What does Beneatha say is “all I want” (pg. 145)? Include a QUOTE: 12.

How does George react to what Beneatha wants?

13. What does George say is the purpose of reading books and going to school (pg. 146)? 14. What two gifts does the family give Lena when they go to see the new house? 15. Who is watching the Younger family as they inspect their new house? What attitude do these people have toward the Younger family? 16. What does Beneatha do when she sees people watching the family?

A Raisin in the Sun Reading Questions pg. 156-206 1. Who is Mr. Karl Linder and why does he meet with the Younger family? 2. What does Mr. Linder offer the Younger family? 3. Why does Ruth say the neighborhood is afraid of black people—what do the neighbors think black people are going to do (pg. 169)? 4. What does Lena carefully pack away to move to the new house? Why does she tell Beneatha she wants to bring it? 5. What news does Bobo bring Walter—what has Willy done? 6. What does Walter state the money was “made out of” (pg. 177)? 7. What was Walter supposed to do with the money? What did he do instead? 8. How does Lena react when she finds out what Walter did with the money? 9. Why does Asagai love the look of packing crates (pg. 180)?

10. Beneatha isn’t completely mad at Walter—who does she blame for the recent turn of events and why (pg. 182)? 11. Why does Beneatha state that she wanted to be a doctor (pg. 183)? 12.

What does Beneatha see life as (pg.184)?

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How does Asagai see life (pg. 185)?

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What does Asagai say is ‘wrong’ (pg. 186)?

15. Why does Asagai tell Beneatha that Lena is full of ‘greatness’ (pg.187)? 16. Asagai plans on returning to Nigeria, and what does he want Beneatha to do? 17. Lena has given up on the dream of their own home, and WHY has she given up (pg. 193)? Include a QUOTE: 18. Why does Walter state that most of the world is ‘mixed up’ (pg. 194)? 19.

Why does Beneatha state that Walter ‘is no brother of mine’?

20. Lena says the right time to love somebody the most is when (pg. 198)? 21. What makes Walter change his mind about selling the house to Mr. Lindner? 22.

What has Beneatha decided to do with her life?

23. What simile does Lena use to talk about Walter becoming a man (pg. 205)? 24.

What one last thing does Lena carry out of the apartment?

25. As they leave the apartment, what are Walter and Lena talking about? 26.

Do you think they play ends on a hopeful note? Why or why not?

27. What do you think might happen in the future for the Younger family?