A Raisin in the Sun Key Facts
When was the play written
1950's in New York
When was Harlem: A Dream Deferred written
1951
How old is Beneatha
20
how old was Lorraine Hansberry when she died
34
What does Beneatha want her career to be
A doctor
Who is Lena Younger's husband
Big Walter
What is Lena's religion
Chrisitian
Where did the title of A Raisin in the Sun come from
From a poem written by Langston Hughes called "Harlem: A Dream Deferred"
Describe how Big Walter was
Hard-headed, mean, and wild with women
What is Walter Lee's job
He is a chauffeur
Who is Walter and Beneatha's mother and Travis's grandmother
Lena Younger
Who is the new head of the household
Lena Younger
Who wrote the play and book "A Raisin in the Sun"
Lorraine Hansberry
Who is Beneatha Younger
Mama's daughter and Walter's younger sister
What does Mama's plant represent
Mama's dream of owning a house with a garden someday
Who is Senior Walter Younger
Mama's husband who recently died.
Who is Walter Lee Younger
Mama's oldest child
How old is Walter Lee
Mid 30's
Who is Walter Lee Younger married to
Ruth and Travis his son
What does "eat your eggs" represent
Ruth not supporting Walter
What is Mama's only weakness
Spoiling her grandson Travis
What is the point of view
Third person objective
Who is the protagonist
Walter Lee Younger
Who is the antagonist
Walter's own inner conflicts and racial prejudice
What is the American Dream
a rags to riches idea for immigrants to come to America in search of a better life
What does the New House and Garden symbolize
courage, hope, and growth
What does Beneatha's hair represent
her embracing her African-American heritage, her identity and culture
What does Sunlight symbolize
hope and life
when was the first performance
in 1959 and ran on Broadway for 2 years
What are his dreams to do with the insurance money
invest in a liquor store so that he can become a business owner who can support his family
what is the genre
realistic drama
how much money did she get when her husband died and what does she want to do with it
she got 10,000 dollars of insurance money and wants to buy a new house with a yard for her family
what is the tone of the play
somber and glowy
What do both poems focus on
the effect of racism on African Americans-the psychological effect of racism in its victims
What is the meaning of the title
the frustration that African Americans experience when they cannot fulfill their dreams because of racism.
What does the play focus on
the play focuses on a few weeks in the life of the Youngers living in the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s.
What are the themes of A Raisin in the Sun
the power of dreams, racism, family relationships, and identity
setting
the south side of chicago in the 1950's.
What is Langston Hughes's poem about?
the tension between the ambition of achieving something and racism. It also discusses the social unrest of the late 1960s.