Finals Study Guide
What happens in the falling action?
-Walter calls Mr. Linder and almost gives up dignity to get money from the white ppl so colored ppl don't move into the neighborhood -Asagai asks Beneatha to marry him and move to Africa
What is the climax of the story?
-Walter loses all the money in business deal -Family gets in huge fight and might not move
What happens in the rising action?
-mama gets check -ruth finds out she's pregnant and wants an abortion -beneatha has to decide between asagai and george -mama buys house which angers walter -walter starts going to bar and skipping work
Simile
A comparison of two things using like or as Ex: As brave as a lion
Metaphor
A comparison without using like or as Ex: the snow is a white blanket
Synecdoche
A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole Ex: hand for a sailor, sail for a boat
Metonymy
A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it
Satire
A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.
Allusion
A reference to another work of literature, person, or event
Tone
Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character
Theme
Central idea of a work of literature
Who is Travis?
He is Ruth and Walter's son.
Who is Walter Lee?
He is Ruth's husband and he has a dream to open a liquor store and become rich(a little selfish at times)
Who is Langston Hughes?
He is a poet who said the quote,"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore—And then run?"
Who is Asagai?
He is one of beneatha's love interest and is from nigeria.
Who is Lena?
Lena is also known as Mama. She keeps the house in order and everyone looks to her for direction.
Who is Ruth?
Ruth is Walter's wife. She is about thirty and is pretty, but she is beginning to look worn from hard work and disappointment. Pregnant with second child.
What is exposition of the story?
Takes place in Chicago in 50s or 60s. Scenes place in small dirty apartment where Ruth, Walter, Travis, and Beneatha live. Name character traits/descriptions of the characters.
What is the resolution?
The family resolves conflicts and moves into new house
Identify quote: "wear[s] it well . . . very well . . . mutilated hair and all,"
The speaker is Asagai. He bring Beneatha gifts from Africa and is making fun of her because she straightens her hair to fit in with society.
Identify quote: "Yes . . . we've all got acute ghetto-itis,"
The speaker is Beneatha. Asagai comes over to the family's house, which is messy. When asagai asks whats wrong she responds with this quote.
Identify quote: "I mean it! I'm just tired of hearing about God all the time. What has He got to do with anything? Does He pay tuition"?
The speaker is Beneatha. Mama is lecturing her about God(mamma is very christian) and Beneatha is telling mama how she doesn't believe in god.
Identify quote: "That is not a man. That is nothing but a toothless rat"
The speaker is Beneatha. She says this after she Walter not only lost all the insurance money, but he then agrees to let the white man pay them to not live in the white neighborhood because they are colored. This is disgraceful to everyone in the family.
Identify quote: "If you a son of mine, tell her! You . . . you are a disgrace to your father's memory. Somebody get me my hat"
The speaker is Mama. The context is that Walter is upset because no one likes his liquor store idea, so he wants to go out drinking. Mama then tells Walter that Ruth is thinking of getting an abortion and Mama wants Walter to talk Ruth out of it. Walter doesn't know what to say so then Mama says this quote.
Identify quote: . "Oh, let him go on out and drink himself to death! He makes me sick to my stomach!"
The speaker is Ruth. She is upset because she is trying to tell Walter she is pregnant but he won't listen because he is upset and wants to go out and drink.
Identify quote: . "I can't make up my mind. Sometimes Mama asks me that too. And sometimes when I tell her I just want to be like you, she says she don't want me to be like that and sometimes she says she does. . . ."
The speaker is Travis. Walter is asking Travis what he wants to be when he grows up and this is Travis's response.
Identify quote:"So you butchered up a dream of mine-you-who always talking 'bout your children's dreams.."
The speaker is Walter Lee. He is upset because he just found out that Mama spent almost all the insurance money on the new house instead of investing in Walter's dream of owning a liquor store.
Identify quote: . "THAT MONEY IS MADE OUT OF MY FATHER'S FLESH,"
The speaker is Walter. He screams this because Bobo tells him that Willy Harris took all his money and left.
Identify quote: "Bitter? Man, I'm a volcano. Bitter? Here I am a giant surrounded by ants!"
The speaker is Walter. In this scene Walter is kind of making fun of George for being rich. George calls Walter bitter and this is how he responds.
Who is Willy Harris?
Walter's "business partner" who takes all of the families money instead and invests it for himself
Who is Beneatha?
Walter's sister who is very opinionated, intelligent, and stubborn. She wants to become a doctor and is in college.
Who is Mr. Lindner?
a representative of the Clybourne Park Improvement Association who tries to buy the house from the Youngers
Who is Rufus?
he was the boy in beneatha's story who slid down the hill on a sled and cracked his head open.
Who is Lorraine Hansberry?
is the author of raisin in the sun
Symbolism
the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities