Raisin In the Sun Study Guide- Act I Scene Two Flashcards A3S1 What does Mama mean when she observes that Walter has finally "come into his manhood"? Beneathas request that her mother refrain from asking ignorant questions about Africa underscores the fact that many mid-century African Americans knew little about African life and culture. -Blending in with white culture How does this contrast with her mother's feelings? She does so literally in this scene by holding the insurance check. She knew there was no real room for another person in the apartment and that finances were From his perspective, he enters the apartment excited about the money, and is dismissed and treated like a child. It was your money and you did what you wanted with it. Hansberry includes these in order to give the characters a sense of roundness. -starts out in a worn-out, older, small, crowded living room. 1. in secticide 2. in tellectual 3. missionary 4. dejection 5. suppress 6. mutilate 7. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. When he asks why his wife cannot wear pearls, he is asking why he has to resign himself to poverty, being ever grateful that he no longer has to ride at the back of a bus. Ruth gets up first and after some noticeable difficulty, rouses Travis and Walter as she makes breakfast. Do you think she is being fair? Ruth calls the doctor she, which arouses Mamas suspicion because their family doctor is a man. Ruth feels ill and anxious about her pregnancy. Mama tries to help her relax. Asagai visits Beneatha, and they spend some time together by themselves. He brings her some Nigerian clothing and music as gifts. -Graham S. Asagais comments about Beneathas hair make her question whether she is an Africanist or an assimilationist. (object of a preposition). -By giving him more responsibility and trusting him more The conflicts of Ruth's pregnancy and Beneatha's assimilation would have arisen without the introduction of the check. -That she comes to Africa with him when he goes back Cuando te sacan fotos, qu ropa te gusta llevar? A1S1 Why do you think Mama likes the plant so much? Read more about why Mama wants to own property. What do you think some of the deeper reasons for the conflict might be? You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. A dresser, in contrast, is a short piece of bedroom furniture that has drawer space, a large mirror, and a small stool or chair where one might sit in order to put on makeup. Walter, however, gives Travis an entire dollar while staring at Ruth. -She buys curtains Why does Mama buy a house in an all-white neighborhood? Walter exclaims at one point, "Will somebody please listen to me today?" -Because she believes that dreaming will take you nowhere in life and it's point less. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Why does he visit? - Attitude is very kind and sweet towards Mama -Now worthy to be head of the family You run our lives like you want to. She wants to rid herself and her family of what she later refers to as acute ghetto-itis. It is obvious that Beneatha is not proud of her familys economic and social situation and is a bit embarrassed by it when Asagai visits. Log in here. Walter does not believe that Ruth would do such a thing until Ruth comes out of the bedroom to confirm that she has made a down payment on the service. To honor her African identity, Beneatha realizes that she must allow her hair to display its natural, unassimilated form. How do the others think she should spend the money? Renews May 7, 2023 -Others says it looks like she should be in the fields. This scene significantly dramatizes the lack of understanding between parent and child. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. -$6500 gone. Answered by Aslan on 7/25/2017 10:26 PM Ruth Beneatha, of course, reacts angrily to Asagai's criticism and judgment. Please identify examples of figurative language in A Raisin in the Sun. How do they react? So you butchered up a dream of mine--you--who always talking 'bout your children's dreams. Her relentless care for the plant represents her protection of her dream. Yet while she wants to break free of conforming to the white ideal, she still wants to acclimate herself to an educated American life. Because of this exclusion, Walters dreams of money and success in business become inextricably linked to his image of himself as a man. of the pronoun in parentheses. She thinks that if Mama gives him some of the money he might regain his happiness and confidence, which are two things Ruth feels she can no longer provide for Walter. A2S2 What is Walter's dream for the future? Why? Nigeria was ruled by the Portuguese at the end of the fifteenth century, followed by the Dutch, the Danes, the Spaniards, and the Swedes. Walter, in contrast, and others of his generation, take that particular "freedom" for granted. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Mama is clearly suggesting that Beneatha is not really interested in Africa, but is pretending to be so in order to make Asagai like her. -Asa makes a better argument and just wants Bennie to be who she really is. Walter wants the larger freedom of being totally independent of everyone; he wants to be able to earn his living without having a "boss"; more important, he wants to be able to generate his own income without being dependent on a salary as a chauffeur. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Mama cannot understand why Walter Lee wants more from life than to sit anywhere he wants on public transportation. Their small dwelling on the South Side of Chicago has two bedroomsone for Mama and Beneatha, and one for Ruth and Walter Lee. - To take the money the white people offered An intellectual gap, however, also compounds the generational difference between Mama and her daughter Beneatha. Central Idea Essay: Why Does Mama Want to Own Property? All of the characters in A Raisin in the Sun have unfulfilled dreams. The fact that Beneatha leaves in a "blaze of glory" may suggest Hansberry's approval of Beneatha's new mindset. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. What are the surface reasons for the arguments between Walter and Ruth? Beneatha struggles against any reference to being subservient, which is often the cause of her conflict with the rest of the family. -surface: been married a long time and are struggling to be happy together. Ruth and Mama get along the best Ruth is a strong , independent woman who wants to steer away form what is Why does Beneatha want to become a doctor? Walter's? But now, all of a sudden all of those concerns are obsolete. Earlier in the play, Ruth was stressed about the knowledge that she was pregnant. Putnam admits that she sent Ruth to Tituba. Ruths pregnancy is immediately coupled with economic concerns. The reader may wonder how these situations might have festered in the minds of the characters if these conflicts had not been brought to the forefront. How does Hansberry use it in this scene? How does Walter plan to use the insurance money? She sees herself as a non-conformist, but Asagai makes her face the fact that she is not living up to her own ideal. Share your findings with the class. Ruth, however, has reached a point of despair. Complete your free account to request a guide. WebMama, however, can see into Ruth's mind and heart and knows what she intends. It is infested with cockroaches and there is not enough room for them all. -Go to the bank and put some money in for Bennie's schooling and the rest he can decide what to do with it Choosing the Correct Form and Use of Who and Whom. How is that money beginning to cause conflict within the family? From a dramatic standpoint, the check's arrival instigates the point of crisis in the play. When she gets her hair cut, she also cuts herself loose from her former assimilationist ideas, and begins to accept her African heritage. | During the thirties and forties, the mass exodus of blacks from the south to the northern cities was an attempt to flee segregation injustices, including being forced to ride at the back of buses. The interaction between Beneatha and Asagai reveals how serious Beneatha is about finding her identity. While the play takes place entirely within the Youngers apartment, Hansberry takes care to introduce external influences. What subtle glimpse into Beneatha's soul does this conversation provide? There is an issue that needs to be discussedRuth's pregnancybut Walter does not know that there is an issue. Mama, though, feels morally repulsed by the idea of getting into the liquor business. If everything simply revolved around the money, the play would seem somewhat coincidental and shallow. Walter and Beneatha have never know the problems Mama and her husband faced, but they are aware of the social and financial inequalities that still exist, and which that they would like to eradicate. Sometimes it can end up there. SparkNotes PLUS Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! -Visits to tell them that they do not want colored people in their neighborhood and offers to buy them out. Though Walter and Ruth harbor materialistic dreams, they desire wealth not solely for self-serving purposes but rather as a means to provide for their family and escape the South Side ghetto in which they live. Might Beneatha's anger hide another emotion, and if so, how is this significant? A2S1 Is Walter right when he accuses his mother of trying to run her children's lives? -Walter's jealous of the way he grew up Some commentators believe that Naomi was instructing Ruth to be What is significant about the exchange between Beneatha and Asagai about Beneatha's hair? The scene is included in the PBS presentation, however. Latest answer posted February 28, 2021 at 2:55:14 PM. Act I Scene 2, Mrs. Johnson (Mrs. Wilhelmina Othella Johnson). What does the allusion "this here can is empty as Jacob's kettle" mean? Instead, she wants to move to a house with a lawn on which Travis can play. The Book of Ruth Character Analysis | SuperSummary What are the qualities of an accurate map? We also learn that Walter is "restless," dissatisfied with his current life, and feeling as if the people he loves, and who are supposed to love him, do not understand him, rarely even giving him the chance to speak. Mama has acted as the head of the household, which has slighted Walter as the eldest male of his family. A2S1 How does George's reaction to Beneatha's costume compare with Asagai's reaction to her hair? John was the person (who, whom) they sent to California. A2S2 What does Travis want to be when he grows up? It appears that their plan is moving smoothly. The only window is in their small kitchen, and they share a bathroom in the hall with their neighbors. A2S3 What does Ruth buy for the new house? -I think Walter will only fall deeper into his hole and not try and stop Ruth from killing their baby. Especially given her condition, as she is expecting again, she was despairing of how to bring up another child in such a location but also provide for it. The tantalizing arrival of the insurance check creates an expectant atmosphere. (Even in the northern cities, vestiges of segregation were apparent.) Why does Lindner try to convince the Younger family not to move? Beneathas dream differs from Mamas in that it is, in many ways, self-serving. She and Mama discuss Beneathas worries about her familys ignorance about Africa and African people. Explain the different reactions of Ruth and Walter to This important part of the play comes at the end of Act Two Scene 1 and we can clearly see the various hopes of dreams of the characters involved. Asagai, on the other hand, represents Black Pride and African heritage. -Walter gets upset because he wants Travis to have/be something more in life. (one code per order). By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. This scene also reveals Walters growing restlessness, as well as the desperation with which Ruth is trying to hold her family together. -He comes home later than he was supposed to Hansberry uses these two men to show the issues with which Beneatha is struggling. Ruth never had a Completa la siguiente frase de una manera original. In Mamas mind, dignity and freedom are virtues far more precious than material wealth. Did Billy Graham speak to Marilyn Monroe about Jesus? Mama's generation worked hard so that their children could have a "better life," which, to her, meant a life without segregation. Asagai obviously cares for Beneatha very much, and he wonders why Beneatha does not have the same feeling for him. Not until Rosa Parks dramatically refused to sit at the back of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1954, an act which accelerated the civil rights movement, did most blacks in the south even think about the absurdity of the "Jim Crow" laws. He implies that her hairstyle is too American and unnatural, and he wonders how it got that way. A1S2 What goes on during house cleaning at the Youngers? How does Ruth behave when she learns about the rat That Beneathas attitude toward him differs from Ruths or Mamas may result from the age difference among the three women. In his opinion, her hair should look as it does naturally: she should stop straightening it to look like white hair and instead wear an afro. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. A1S1 Why is Mama about to get a large sum of money? -Bennie is going on about she doesn't believe in God. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% 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. -She trusts him for the most part, but based on his past, she should not. SparkNotes PLUS -Comes to tell Walter that Willy took all their money Walter's power struggles with Ruth and Mama would still simmer and Beneatha would still be willful and spoiled. As a playwright, Hansberry must develop characters through dialogue because there is no narration that can do it for her. How does this fit Walter's character? Walters statements show how racial discrimination regarding job opportunities curbed many African Americans dreams for social advancement, and locked them into the role, essentially, of servants. They clearly do not communicate, and Ruth's pregnancy is an important issue for them to talk about. This is a biblical allusion to John 4:6, in which Jesus is sitting at Jacob's well and talks with a Samaritan woman who has come to fill her water bucket (kettle). You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. George, on the one hand, represents total assimilation into white culture. Central Idea Essay: Why Does Mama Want to Own Property? Why do you think she is so upset? Previous Beneatha made this statement to Asagai when they first met, a remark he had found amusing. How does the mood of the play change when the postman rings the doorbell? Why does Walter get so upset with Ruth and Mama? Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. How does Ruth try to handle his rudeness? Beneathas hair is also tied to her identity as a woman and traditional i.e., white notions of feminine beauty. How do you form that impression? Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! The scene is included in the PBS presentation, however. Hansberry wrote the "rat scene" to dramatically point out the graphic terrors that daily confront the children of the poor and also to show that these children must learn to incorporate such horrific realities into their playtime activities. Glossary How does Ruth behave when she learns about the rat In raisin in the sun? -Makes the mad, sad, and fearful How does Ruth behave when she learns What significance does the scene with Travis and the A+ Student Essay: The Role of Money in the Play, Lorraine Hansberry and A Raisin in the Sun Background, Read more about the nuanced use of dialect by each character in. He teases her a bit about being very serious about finding her identity, particularly her African identity, through him. Ruth brings herself closer to her child, while Walter isolates himself in the other roomliterally and figuratively shutting his mother out. How does Walter lose the insurance money? Removing #book# Through these reactions, it can be gathered that Beneatha is spoiled: she has no qualms about hurting her family's feelings when she is angry. What this means is that Asagai sees Beneatha as someone who has a longing that will not be filled by material possessions alone. A3S1 What does Asagai propose that Beneatha do? - Mama and Ruth are standing next to each other thinking the same thing, A-level Law: Intoxication (Paper 1: Section B, The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Literature and Composition: Reading, Writing,Thinking, Carol Jago, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Diagnostic Tests for Identification of Bacter. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Is it realistic? Mama, a traditionalist, senses from the fact that Ruth saw a woman doctor that Ruth may be thinking of doing something that perhaps a male, traditional doctor would not supportget an abortion. When Asagai telephones for permission to drop by, Beneatha consents reluctantly because she knows that her mother would not want company to see the house in disarray. A2S3 What effect does Mr. Lindner's visit have on the family's mood? A+ Student Essay: The Role of Money in the Play, Lorraine Hansberry and A Raisin in the Sun Background. The four major groups are the Hausa and Falani people in the north, the Yoruba people in the southwest, and the Ibo people in the southeast. She knows something is wrong, but does not know what, and essentially accuses Walter of having an affair when he is not. Mama tries to help her relax. Mama tries to help her relax. Why? What do you think will happen to Ruth? CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. What Rat Empathy May Reveal About Human Compassion | WIRED -Ruth talks happily about him and how they have been holding hands What are the duties of a sanitary prefect in a school? Asagai scorns her wish, much to Beneathas disappointment. A2S1 What does George mean when he calls Walter "Prometheus"? She is at the center of her familys life, and she controls many of the interactions of the members of her household. Why do Asagai and Beneatha argue about assimilationism? Read more about what Walter plans to do with the insurance money. Luego contesta las preguntas. Will he try to stop Ruth? What do you think Walter will do now? to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. She reveals this information to Mama and Beneatha. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Ruth feels ill and anxious about her pregnancy. -Shows that she cares about the little things. How is Mama and Walter's conflict generational, as well as a clash of ideals? What are the physical traits of Lena, Walter, Beneatha, Ruth, George, and Joseph? -She would've had a similar reaction to Walter and gotten very upset, -Gardening Tools from Ruth, Walter, and Bennie. behind the bureau A bureau is a piece of furniture that was usually kept in the bedroom and used for storing clothing. Mama then recites Beneathas views on Africa and African people as best she can. Although they are poor, still their house is clean; although the furniture is old, there is still the ritualistic weekly polishing. The fact that she later gets her hair cut shows that she recognizes that she had indeed been conforming to the ideas around her. Finally, while she seems to understand Ruth's despair, she does not condone her action. Why? This scene focuses on the fierce Younger pride that Mama is constantly trying to instill in her children. Normally, kids would be disgusted and frightened by rats, especially one that is bleeding and dying; the fact that it intrigues Travis shows that he is inured to the effects of poverty: what Beneatha will refer to later on as "acute ghetto-itis." Asagai sees Beneatha's haircut as an example of assimilationisman acceptance of white oppression and a rejection of her African heritage. Wed love to have you back! During the 1950s, abortion was illegal, but Ruth has valid reasons for not wanting her pregnancy. A3S1 What childhood winter memory does Beneatha share with Asagai? After hanging up, Beneatha explains to Mama that the man she has spoken to on the phone is Joseph Asagai, an African intellectual whom Beneatha has met at school. Kind of like a rainbow after the rain." Consider her body language upon hearing the news: She laughs joyously, having practically destroyed the apartment, and flings her arms up and lets them come down happily, slowly, reflectively, over her abdomen, aware for the first time perhaps that the life therein pulses with happiness and not despair. Macclesfield Express Deaths Today, Everton Youth Academy, Articles H
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