Question

a raisin in the sun discussion #1 (act i) name zarr adams

1. what overall impression/mood does hansberry create in describing the apartment?
2. what is the significance of walters anger at eggs? what is really going on? it symbolizes the clash between his dreams and the harsh
3. ruth has formed a portmanteau - the combining of two words into a new word. explain her portmanteau and think of some additional examples
4. what point is joseph asagai making about beneathas hair?
5. which character takes the most appropriate attitude regarding the insurance money?
6. what does beneatha argue regarding her mothers faith?

beneatha argues that her mothers faith is an old - fashioned way of dealing with lifes problems. she believes in relying on science and rational thinking rather than religious faith. mama on the other hand, holds firmly to her religious beliefs as a source of strength and hope.

1. analyze characterization in act i by describing the personality of one character and explaining how hansberry uses details to bring the character to life.

beneatha (younger) is an independent and piquant character. hansberry uses dialogue and details about her education and goals

1. how is the language of the stage directions different from the language of the dialogue? why is this important? stage directions describe emotions, setting and character. spoken dialogue cannot do it.
2. what conflicts develop in act i? which are the most important and why? the family struggles over the insurance money
3. food plays a role in developing hansberrys themes. explain the significance of food discussions in act i (hint: include thoughts on josephs nickname for beneatha )
4. what does beneatha mean when she says she is looking for her identity?
5. how does hansberry introduce the theme subject of hopes and dreams in act i?

Explanation:

1. Hansberry creates an impression of poverty and frustration through descriptions of the apartment's cramped and worn - out state.
2. Walter's anger at eggs symbolizes his unfulfilled dreams and the clash between his aspirations and the harsh reality.
3. Ruth's portmanteau combines two words to create a new one. For example, "brunch" (breakfast + lunch) and "smog" (smoke + fog).
4. Joseph Asagai sees Beneatha's hair as a symbol of her connection to her African heritage.
5. Mama takes a more responsible and family - oriented attitude towards the insurance money.
6. Beneatha argues that her mother's faith is an old - fashioned way of dealing with life's problems, preferring science and rational thinking.
7. For example, Beneatha is independent and idealistic. Hansberry uses her dialogue about her dreams and her interactions with others to bring her to life.
8. Stage directions describe emotions, setting, and character actions, while dialogue conveys what characters say directly. This distinction is important for a complete understanding of the play.
9. The main conflict is the family's struggle over the insurance money. It is important as it drives the plot and reveals character values.
10. Food discussions, like Joseph's nickname for Beneatha ("Alaiyo" - one for whom food is not enough), show the characters' desires and the themes of hunger for more than just physical sustenance.
11. Beneatha means she is trying to discover who she is outside of the expectations placed on her by society and her family, in terms of her identity as an African - American woman.
12. Hansberry introduces the theme of hopes and dreams through the characters' conversations about their aspirations, such as Walter's dream of a business and Beneatha's dream of medical school.

Answer:

1. An impression of poverty and frustration.
2. Symbolizes unfulfilled dreams and the clash between aspirations and reality.
3. Examples: "brunch", "smog".
4. A symbol of her African heritage.
5. Mama.
6. That it's an old - fashioned way, preferring science and rational thinking.
7. Beneatha is independent and idealistic, shown through dialogue and interactions.
8. Stage directions describe non - verbal aspects, dialogue is what characters say; important for a full understanding.
9. Family's struggle over insurance money; important as it drives the plot and reveals character values.
10. Shows characters' desires and themes of hunger for more than physical sustenance.
11. Discovering her identity outside of societal and family expectations as an African - American woman.
12. Through characters' conversations about their aspirations.