Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. personification. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. The competing dreams of the Younger family members make them unable to reconcile with each other. He felt that they should develop manual skills and improve their craft at the building trades and that blacks should become experts in farming. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. When she is asked if she considered whether these curtains will even fit the windows of the new house, Ruth says, "Oh well, they bound to fit something." In ''A Raisin in the Sun'' Hansberry utilizes Walter to demonstrate the development of an individual. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in A Raisin in the Sun. 3. Because of what was defined as "self hatred" by psychologists who studied the phenomenon, oftentimes a group that believes itself to be oppressed will mimic the life-style and, sometimes, even mimic the appearance of the "dominant group." and any corresponding bookmarks? Walter Lee Younger. Mama reminisces about her youth and how she had always wanted more than what had been offered to her. This is somewhat of a testament to the racial climate of the country in 1959, when fears of reprisals often had blacks concealing their negative feelings in the code words of slang. Walter arouses our pity when he asks Bobo, "There ain't nothin' wrong, is there?" Lorraine mostly turns to irony, sarcasm, and other devices of figurative language to make her dialogs effective. 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." They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. 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. 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. Set in de facto segregated Chicago, Hansberrys play draws on stories from the authors own life, such as her familys experience with housing discrimination in 1930s Chicago. a short, pithy statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance. allusion. 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 . 2 bedrooms one of which is shared by Ruth and Walter, the other by Mama and Beneatha, Travis sleeps on the couch (page 24). Mama gets named for cultural icons: She is selfless "Mrs. Miniver" or woebegone "Scarlett O'Hara." a brief narrative often used to illustrate an idea or make a point. A Raisin in the Sun is widely considered a literary classic, and there are several good reasons for this. Oh, dear, dear, dear! Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. If a white person boarded the bus and a black person was seated in the front, the black person knew, almost instinctively, that he had to get up in deference to the white person who needed that seat. That is just what is wrong with the colored women in this world . Bobo uses the expression casually, as though it were conversationally correct. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Struggling with distance learning? He was a presumptuous, fearless, childish and not a generally amazing . I say I been wrong, son. Gimme some sugar then a southern expression that means "Give me a hug, a kiss." Following the loss of Walters investment Asagai suggests that a disheartened Beneatha come home with me . A Raisin in the Sun examines the effects of racial prejudice on the fulfillment of an African-American family's dreams. Because this art received such worldwide attention, few wanted to believe that such magnificent artwork had been created by the Africans. A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. . Still others insisted that these works, found in Africa, had been the products of the European Renaissance. A Raisin in the Sun includes figurative language like simile, metaphor, and personification.For example, Mama uses a simile when she says that Walter came into his manhood "like a rainbow after . This preview shows page 2 - 3 out of 5 pages. The bureau is the taller piece of bedroom furniture, containing only drawer space for clothing. . Walter: No it was always money, Mama. With classical simplicity, Lorraine Hansberry personifies the struggles not only of the characters in her play "A Raisin in the Sun," but also of disadvantaged groups everywhere. Beneatha made this statement to Asagai when they first met, a remark he had found amusing. A portmanteau word is the fusion of two meanings packed into one word, as in Lewis Carroll's poem "Jabberwocky," where "slithy" is the combination of "lithe" and "slimy." You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. In the south, whites rode in the front of buses, blacks in the back. This is an excerpt from "Harlem [Dream Deferred]" by African-American poet Langston Hughes (line numbers added): line 1 Does it dry up line 2 Like a raisin in the sun? Didactic literaturedemonstrates or dramatically presents a thesis or doctrine in a persuasive form. 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 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. never been 'fraid of no crackers After Mama has announced her plans to buy a house in an all-white neighborhood, Ruth at first expresses fear. bookmarked pages associated with this title. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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. By calling Walter Lee "Monsieur le petit bourgeois noir," Beneatha gives us proof that she is oppressively pedantic since she is clearly showing off her learning and is bragging (once again) about her college student status. Symbol Poems. Prometheus, the god who was punished for having brought fire to mortals, was chained to Mt. always in his voice there is a quality of indictment a description of Walter, who has grown increasingly accusatory about the bleakness of his financial future. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Hansberry does not mention the slave trading aspect of West African history in this play; possibly she believed that this fact would be intentionally misinterpreted. In the first scene of the play, we watch him cleverly get what he wants (the fifty cents his teacher has told him to bring to school) from his father after his mother has emphatically stated that they just don't have fifty cents. Walter has conflict with Lindner because of what he represents, but Walter's greatest conflict is with all the circumstances that stand between himself and the goal that he is obsessively trying to reach. spread some money 'round Walter Lee had previously explained to Bobo that the only way to make "big" money was through the payment of required graft, which Walter Lee refers to as having to "spread some money 'round." It is neither for the land, nor yet for the dunghill, but men cast it out. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. 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. 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. mutilated hair and all. . After Walter has been duped by Willy, Beneatha explains to Asagai that Walter has given away the family's money to a man that ten-year-old "Travis would not have trusted with his most worn out marbles." Between the takers and the tooken. Ive figured it out finally. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Because her uncle, Leo Hansberry, was a professor of African history at Howard University and, perhaps, because one of his students was Kwame Nkrumah, who led Ghana to independence, Hansberry's major geographical focus here appears to be on the history of Ghana, known prior to its independence as "The Gold Coast." Lorraine Hansberry. 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. Because Mama's housewarming gift is a set of gardening tools, the card reads, "To our own Mrs. Miniver Mama's strength and her survival in a nation divided by racial struggle makes her an appropriate parallel to Mrs. Miniver. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of A Raisin in the Sun (1961 Film), directed by Daniel Petrie. This phrase also refers to the Lion of Judah. Hay-lo Beneatha answers the telephone with this greeting, a combination of "Hey" and "Hello.". Bobo is apparently too intellectually dense to understand that this is a term that one does not use openly. I want you to believe me when I tell you that race prejudice simply doesnt enter into it. slubborness Ruth refers to Travis' habits as being "slubborn" when she really means both "sloppy" and "stubborn." Using their new weapons to fight their rulers, they eventually created their own kingdoms in the coastal forests of West Africa, the most powerful of which was that of Benin (present-day Nigeria). The first thing Ruth asks about in Act Two, Scene One is whether or not the new house will have a lot of sunlight. Dramatic irony refers to the audience's knowledge of something that the character who is speaking does not know. Walter is a "lean, intense young man" in his mid-thirties and "nervous movements and erratic speech habits" characterize his behavior. Kind of like a rainbow after the rain.". Ruth "affects" or "puts on" atea partyvoice, purposely sounding pretentious in order to make Walter leave her alone. The play starts with the Youngers discussing how to spend the money they are going to receive from an insurance company after the death of their patriarch. Foreshadowing. 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. and any corresponding bookmarks? Menelik II is also responsible for relocating the capital at Addis Ababa and for modernizing the operation of government. However, instead of looking like a rich "lady" in her garden, in this hat, Mama looks more like a slave who is about to pick cotton, which makes everyone laugh. . Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. 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. a settled woman a woman who looks older than her actual years mainly because she has resigned herself to her "lot in life.". The new Mali Empire, larger and more wealthy that the former empire of Ghana, reached from the Atlantic Ocean to the Niger River and north to the Sahara Desert. 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. The founding of the Organization of African Unity, under Haile Selassie, and the headquartering of the OAU in Addis Ababa attest to the respect that Selassie received from the people of Africa. 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. . the nature of quiet desperation The complete quotation to which George refers is "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation," a line from Thoreau's Walden. 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. One requirement of good literature is that a character's motivation that is, the reasons for his actions must be consistent with his moral nature and personality. George proves to be as pedantic as Beneatha, peppering his arguments with literary allusions and oftentimes esoteric references for example, calling Walter "Prometheus." The lion is waking This phrase refers to all of the African countries that were beginning to demand their independence of colonial rule. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. His woman say: eat your eggs." Also called adage or maxim. For perfect unity, all of the action must be significant action. Here we go! 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. The termpropagandais a sub-division of didactic literature; a work of propaganda undertakes to move the reader to take a position or to take action on a particular moral or political issue of the moment. hand-turned hems This refers to sewing that is done "by hand" and not in a factory on a machine. All of the events in Raisin are necessary to the development of the plot or to the development of the characters. Choose ONE topic of inquiry from the chart below. 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. Mr. Asagai, I am looking for my identity Asagai repeats Beneatha's words to her, poking fun at her desperation to connect with her African heritage. Asagai: You wear it well . behind the bureau A bureau is a piece of furniture that was usually kept in the bedroom and used for storing clothing. More loosely based on the original story, the play Clybourne Park tells the story of the . Ruth has purchased some curtains for the new house, proof of her exuberance over the possibility of their moving away from the ghetto, for Ruth did not even measure the windows before rushing out and buying curtains. The play centers on the Youngers, a working-class family that lives in Chicago's South Side during the mid-twentieth century. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Bantu is the largest language family and Swahili (which consists of Bantu and Arabic) is the most widely spoken. "Dry up like a raisin in the sun". a descendant of Chaka Chaka, also known as Shaka, or Shaka Zulu, was an early nineteenth century African warrior-king who implemented warfare techniques and weaponry which have been studied and adopted by military leaders and personnel worldwide ever since Shaka's time. LitCharts Teacher Editions. If what happens in the drama goes against the expectations of the audience, it is known as surprise. Washington felt that having a trade was more logical for black people than painting or poetry. Company Contact Us All Texts The Blog. During the following decades, Haile Selassie became a symbol of leadership to other African nations that eventually would demand their independence. And we have decided to move into our house because my father my father he earned it for us brick by brick. Instant PDF downloads. Because of Ruth's lack of formal education, she is not aware (but the audience is) that this is not a real word. She is, to Asagai, a person for whom "bread food is not enough.". A twenty-year-old college student with dreams of becoming a doctor, Beneatha is "as slim and intense as her brother," with an "intellectual face.". Like her name, everyone is beneath her. Thematic Structure of A Raisin In The Sun. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. I mean for him: what he been through and what it done to him. We just didnt know about it. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ for the same amount of money (30 pieces of silver) normally paid for a slave. Nicknamed "Bennie," Beneatha is Mama's daughter and Walter Lee's younger sister. . Because Beneatha is not accustomed to African dress, she does not "wear" it properly. Didactic works attempt to teach a lesson. He has written extensively in literary criticism, student writing syllabi and numerous classroom educational paradigms. Although it is documented that as early as the first century B.C. Dream Deferred "Summary". Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Nigeria finally became independent and a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and, in 1963, it became a republic. Sadly, the people of Benin began to involve themselves in the lucrative Atlantic slave-trade selling captured rival prisoners to Europeans and Americans. Mr. Lindner's visit to the Younger house is an example of dramatic and situational irony in A Raisin in the Sun. Mama, Lena, the mother of the Youngers, knows the importance of a house, the reason that she insists that they must purchase a house in some good neighborhood. "Man say to his woman: I got me a dream. Walter hopes to use the insurance money as an investment in a liquor store, which . The most important opponent of the protagonist is called the antagonist. "Who decides," he explodes, "which women should wear pearls in this world? Refine any search. 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. He was crowned Emperor in 1930. In his "Atlanta speech," Booker T. Washington urged blacks to cultivate friendly relations with white men. When they done good and made things easy for everybody? (Even in the northern cities, vestiges of segregation were apparent.) 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. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. He has taught English at the 6-12 level for more than 20 years. We participate in the Amazon Associate program. Or fester like a sore And then run? Alliteration appears in: a) line 2 b) line 7 (correct) c) line 6. In Act One, Beneatha, Walter's sister, mentions "salt losing its savor," a reference to Jesus' warning about rebellious natures; Hansberry foreshadows Walter's stealing Mama's money for a disastrous investment. The traditional denouement, or unraveling of the plot, is the explanation of all the previous events of the drama. Don't understand about building their men up and . Shaka Zulu initiated the idea of complex battle formations in order to outflank and confuse his enemies, not unlike those strategies used in football formations. 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." "Stink like rotten meat". Its a metaphor! Lena Eggleston is a high-minded thing Mama is so distraught over Walter's having lost the family's remaining money that, at first, she decides against moving into Clyboume Park and tries to make herself satisfied with the thought of remaining in her cramped Southside apartment. George tells Beneatha, who is putting on movie-star affectations imagining her future, to "drop the Garbo routine."

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