A2S2 Why does Beneatha tell Mama that George is a fool? Mama, though, feels morally repulsed by the idea of getting into the liquor business. To honor her African identity, Beneatha realizes that she must allow her hair to display its natural, unassimilated form. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. - There is a mix of happy, excited, and curious to see what's next. WebWhile waiting for Travis, Mama asks Ruth about her visit to the doctor, and Ruths use of the pronoun she to refer to the doctor makes Mama immediately suspicious. Travis Walter then leaves for his job as a chauffeurhe has to ask Ruth for money to get to work because the money he gave Travis was his car fare. Travis asks them for moneyhe is supposed to bring fifty cents to schooland Ruth says that they do not have it. Ruth brings herself closer to her child, while Walter isolates himself in the other roomliterally and figuratively shutting his mother out. WebEarlier in the play, Ruth was stressed about the knowledge that she was pregnant. Why does Lindner try to convince the Younger family not to move? What does the following statement by Beneatha's foreshadow? behind the bureau A bureau is a piece of furniture that was usually kept in the bedroom and used for storing clothing. What subtle glimpse into Beneatha's soul does this conversation provide? A2S3 What does Travis get for Mama? What might Beneatha represent? Mamas recitation shows that she, while perhaps not as interested in her African heritage as Beneatha, is willing to make an effort in order to make her guest feel at home. Why does Mama buy a house in an all-white neighborhood? A3S1 How does Asagai answer Beneatha? Read an essay about how A Raisin in the Sun debuted at the start of the volatile 1960s. Travis sleeps on the couch in the living room. Struggling with distance learning? Walter scans the front page of the newspaper and reads that another bomb was set off, and Ruth responds with indifference. What does Mama's confusion show? The bureau is the taller piece of bedroom furniture, containing only drawer space for clothing. 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. From his perspective, he enters the apartment excited about the money, and is dismissed and treated like a child. Beneatha gives Mama some facts about Africa which Mama later parrots for Asagai's acceptance and Beneatha's approval. - Because she tries to make an intellectual comment about many African Americans ignorance A2S1 How does Travis get into trouble? 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. Note what he says to Mama in his anger: What you need me to say you done right for? -Punishment is a whipping Rather, they live in a world in which being middle class is also a dream. Why do you think Hansberry selected the name "Beneatha" for this character? -Visits to tell them that they do not want colored people in their neighborhood and offers to buy them out. Mama also imagines a garden that she can tend along with her dream house. -Asa makes a better argument and just wants Bennie to be who she really is. BENEATHA: It is my businesswhere is he going to live, on the roof? A1S2 How do Ruth and the other family members react to the news of her pregnancy? Luego contesta las preguntas. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. A3S1 How do you feel right after Lindner leaves? What is wrong with reporter Susan Raff's arm on WFSB news? 20% A1S1 Why is Mama about to get a large sum of money? Instant downloads of all 1725 LitChart PDFs A1S2 What goes on during house cleaning at the Youngers? -Based on where there are in life now, that will most likely never happen. What does she mean? A1S2 What is "assimilationism"? She reminds the family of the importance of family and history, and she holds the power to make economic decisions. Mama implores Walter to honor his fathers memory and take pride in his own manhood by convincing Ruth to not have an abortion. -That she comes to Africa with him when he goes back She simply wants to do the best for the family that she already has. 20% Meanwhile Ruth, who is usually quieter, laughs out loud. Which one do you think is more compatible with Beneatha? The fact that he explains the issue softly and gently shows his gentle, yet strong nature. Although they are poor, still their house is clean; although the furniture is old, there is still the ritualistic weekly polishing. A3S1 What does Mama mean when she observes that Walter has finally "come into his manhood"? to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. The fact that Travis is so intrigued by a rat, rather than being afraid, seems to emphasize his life of poverty. Subscribe now. Read more about the value and purpose of dreams as a theme. A Raisin in the Sun Act I, Scene i Summary & Analysis This kept Ruth emotionally wound up and worried. The fact that she later gets her hair cut shows that she recognizes that she had indeed been conforming to the ideas around her. 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. After Asagai gives her this nickname, however, the name Beneatha could also point to the character's spiritual, "Alaiyo" nature, which dwells beneath the physical exterior. Mama's generation worked hard so that their children could have a "better life," which, to her, meant a life without segregation. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Actresses seem to portray the character of Mama in two primary ways: either as a folksy relic of an earlier time, a woman who hopes one day to have a garden in the sun, or more recently, as a hardworking, powerful, all-knowing matriarch. -Walter comes in drunk and starts to sing and dance (being really rude and loud). Ruth does not want to have an abortion, but she considers it because she sees it as the only way to keep the family together. A2S1 Is Walter right when he accuses his mother of trying to run her children's lives? -She trusts him for the most part, but based on his past, she should not. Beneatha represents the beginning of the postcolonial view of Africans as people who are only in need of the freedom to be themselves. bookmarked pages associated with this title. A Raisin in the Sun: Act 1, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis For him, Mamas news does not represent a hopeful future, but betrayal. A2S1 What does George mean when he calls Walter "Prometheus"? Tudo Sobre Ansiedade - Home What does the allusion "this here can is empty as Jacob's kettle" mean? he ringing of the doorbell signifies that the check has finally arrived. Why? for a group? How much is a biblical shekel of silver worth in us dollars? With whom do you side in their argument? 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. What does the plant represent in the play A Raisin in the Sun? The original production of this play, as well as the original movie screenplay, does not contain the incident involving Travis' chasing a huge rat while he is downstairs playing with his friends in the street. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. How does Walter feel about her plans? Does Ruth agree? George, on the one hand, represents total assimilation into white culture. She reveals this information to Mama and Beneatha. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. creating and saving your own notes as you read. Completa la siguiente frase de una manera original. Mama tries to help her relax. Read more about Mamas plant as a symbol. In contrast, Walters body language embodies his disappointment. The issue of abortion, which Ruth considers and Mama implicitly rejects, highlights the generational differences between the women. Why would Hansberry include these? A2S2 What does Travis want to be when he grows up? Yet while she wants to break free of conforming to the white ideal, she still wants to acclimate herself to an educated American life. Once upon a time freedom used to be lifenow its money. Usa tu imaginacin y expresa lo que ellos dijeron. Putnam admits that she sent Ruth to Tituba. He teases her a bit about being very serious about finding her identity, particularly her African identity, through him. Before Asagai's arrival at the Younger apartment, Beneatha sternly admonishes her mother not to say anything embarrassingly naive or patronizing about Africa. How do you form that impression? From a dramatic standpoint, the check's arrival instigates the point of crisis in the play. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. sentence 1 (subject of a question): 2 (subject of a subordinate clause): 3 (direct object of a verb); 4 What is Beneatha's reaction? "Explain the different reactions of Ruth and Walter to Mama's announcement that she has bought a house in A Raisin in the Sun." She believes that Tituba knows how to speak to the dead, and she wished to learn who murdered her seven children Beneatha makes the mistake of using the Lords name in vain in front of Mama, which sparks another conversation about the extent of Gods providence. She is at the center of her familys life, and she controls many of the interactions of the members of her household. -Asagai is more compatible. Teachers and parents! Furthermore, seeing themselves as Americans, some African Americans questioned why it was necessary to have extensive knowledge of Africa. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Similarly, it is difficult for her to care for her family as much as she wants and to have her family members grow as much as she wants. For her, their present abode is a source of oppression for them and is a great stress. 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. Asagai hints at what is to come by telling Beneatha that by straightening her hair she is mutilating it. Refine any search. She and Mama discuss Beneathas worries about her familys ignorance about Africa and African people. Mama comes into the room, and Beneatha introduces her to Asagai. It is possible that Hansberry is attempting to make a bold feminist statement with this plot twist. He brings her some Nigerian clothing and music as gifts. Mama's look is a warning to Beneatha; Mama does not want Travis to know that Ruth is pregnant and is at the doctor's office because this would only worry the boy. Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# In her desires to express herself and to become a doctor, Beneatha proves an early feminist who radically views her role as self-oriented and not family-oriented. Why would Hansberry include this small exchange in the play when it does not seem to develop any of the themes? Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1725 titles we cover. Eventually, Beneatha chooses Asagai, and, thus, her African heritage, over the assimilationist viewpoint embodied by George. The fact that Ruth considers an abortion, an illegal practice at the time, shows the lengths to which she would go to protect her family from further financial strain. A1S1 How do you feel as the curtain closes? Also, Mama is asking Walter to save his unborn child from a death inflicted by poverty, but Walters obsession with material wealth prevents him from taking such a stand because the baby will only make that poverty worse and make his dreams even less achievable. How do they react? 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. A2S1 How does Beneatha's Nigerian dress and music affect Walter? Beneatha easily gets worked up into a fury, and when angry, says things she does not actually mean, just as she did in Scene 1 with the comment about salt losing its savor. A3S1 What choices do the Youngers have, now that the money is gone? -When Walter says "who even cares about you" to Ruth Beneathas spraying of the apartment seems symbolic of her dissatisfaction with her surroundings. The frustration Walter Lee exhibits in this scene is recognizable by everyone who has ever felt ignored in spite of loud cries to be heard. Why is Ruth upset by Travis's talk of the rat? Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Do you think she will agree to his offer? -He comes home later than he was supposed to They do not seem happy, yet they engage in some light humor. After Asagai leaves, Beneatha tries on her new identity. -Because in his mind, he thought he was going to get that money to invest in one of his many dumb ideas. What is the significance of the last exchange between Ruth, Walter, and Mama about the abortion? Her relentless care for the plant represents her protection of her dream. Beneatha wants to know everything about Africa and is more than pleased when Asagai gives her authentic Nigerian robes, along with some recordings of African music. Want 100 or more? Feminism had not fully emerged into the American cultural landscape when Hansberry wrote A Raisin in the Sun, and Beneatha seems a prototype for the more enthusiastic feminism of the 1960s and 1970s. When she gets her hair cut, she also cuts herself loose from her former assimilationist ideas, and begins to accept her African heritage. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. While the play takes place entirely within the Youngers apartment, Hansberry takes care to introduce external influences. Ace your assignments with our guide to A Raisin in the Sun! Hansberry may have selected the name Beneatha to represent the oppression of African-American women, drawing on the word 'beneath.' Walterreceives a phone call from his friend Willy Harris, who is coordinating the potential liquor store venture. The stage directions indicate that the furniture, though apparently once chosen with care, is now very worn and faded. Beneatha contends that, for that very reason, any further relationship is pointless, as Georges family wouldnt approve of her anyway. This scene also reveals Walters growing restlessness, as well as the desperation with which Ruth is trying to hold her family together. Purchasing -Graham S. Asagais comments about Beneathas hair make her question whether she is an Africanist or an assimilationist. A1S1 When family members argue, the reasons may be more complex than they at first appear. -Ruth is annoyed and keeps on telling him to stop When Asagai calls her Alaiyo, he is supporting her notion of her independence and her desire to do more with her life than remain beneath the rest of the world. A1S2 How do the various family members use humor to reduce the stressfulness of their situation? of the pronoun in parentheses. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. Which one? Beneatha claims that she is trying to express herself, an idea at which Ruth and Mama have a laugh. Finally, the check arrives. The Youngers also seem to want to live this dream, though their struggle to attain any semblance of it is dramatically different from the struggle a similar suburban family might encounter, because the Youngers are not a stereotypical middle-class family. How does his visit change the family's mood? Beneatha struggles against any reference to being subservient, which is often the cause of her conflict with the rest of the family. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. from your Reading List will also remove any -When he says their neighbors have offered to buy their house How is Mama's reaction to the gift different from the way the others react? Why does Beneatha want to become a doctor? Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. -Yes, he seems like he wants Bennie to be happy. 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.
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