He's got a conked head A "conked head" refers to a hairstyle adopted by some black men during the forties and early fifties. Of course, something is wrong. The most important opponent of the protagonist is called the antagonist. -Graham S. Below you will find the important quotes in, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. There aint nothing worth holding on to, money, dreams, nothing else if it means if it means its going to destroy my boy. 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. A round character is more complex and, therefore, more difficult to describe. For much of its history, Ethiopia was known as Abyssinia. He was crowned Emperor in 1930. When they done good and made things easy for everybody? The inexcusable complicity of the Africans in the heinous slave trade, however miniscule it might have been, is often exaggerated perhaps in an attempt to assuage guilt over the grand scale involvement in the violation of human rights by all those connected with the Atlantic slave trade. 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. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. When he heard about Hampton Institute in Virginia, a school for blacks, he enrolled in order to study brick masonry, paying for his education by working as the janitor. a brief narrative often used to illustrate an idea or make a point. The rulers of Mali established the Muslim religion that had come out of Arabia and was sweeping throughout Africa. Mama: Oh So now its life. 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. 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. You don't have to ride to work on the back of nobody's streetcar Prior to the civil rights movement, which reached its peak in the sixties, segregated facilities, separating whites from blacks, were common in the south, where "Jim Crow" laws made it legal. These creatures heavily reinforce the Younger family's undesirable living situation. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most? 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. 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." 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." Beneatha made this statement to Asagai when they first met, a remark he had found amusing. Well then, you aint through learning because that aint the time at all. A Raisin in the Spotlight A Raisin in the Sun inspired several adaptations, including a Tony Award-winning musical. Because of Ruth's lack of formal education, she is not aware (but the audience is) that this is not a real word. Didactic literaturedemonstrates or dramatically presents a thesis or doctrine in a persuasive form. 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. Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in A Raisin in the Sun. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Hay-lo Beneatha answers the telephone with this greeting, a combination of "Hey" and "Hello.". Black writers tend to side with W. E. B. If those men were not a part of the entertainment industry, they were either denizens of the underworld or full-fledged or potential gangsters. Even the other characters on stage become aware of the impending doom long before Walter does. Complete your free account to request a guide. Walter's fear forces him to deny the true purpose of Bobo's visit. the repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables. Mama says this to Travis as she tells him about the house that she is planning to buy. Note that Asagai calmly accepts whatever his fate might be and even becomes an inadvertent peacemaker when he diffuses Beneatha's vitriolic reaction to Walter's loss of the family's money. fanning herself . sharecroppers Many blacks were sharecroppers in the south before the mass exodus of blacks to the northern cities. Introduction to A Raisin in The Sun. Copyright 2023 Literary Devices. 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 . Merely going through the motions of life is not enough for a person like Beneatha; she has to question every philosophy for herself. Metaphors pepper the text. hand-turned hems This refers to sewing that is done "by hand" and not in a factory on a machine. peckerwoods no-count riff-raff; poor, shiftless, racially prejudiced whites. . Between the takers and the tooken. Ive figured it out finally. Hansberry has the comical character of Mrs. Johnson act as the defender of Booker T. Washington's philosophy, as she says, "I always thinks like Booker T. Washington said that time 'Education has spoiled many a good plow hand.'" that big hotel on the Drive Walter refers to "that big hotel on the Drive" in a conversation with George Murchison as he asks George about the Murchison family's prospective real estate ventures. However, Walter knows that his mother has been opposed to his idea of selling liquor because of her religious convictions. Monsieur le petit bourgeois noir Beneatha is so angry at Walter Lee for having entrusted their family's money to the unscrupulous Willy that she mockingly derides Walter Lee for having shown such mercantile naivete. Beneatha: My hair whats wrong with my hair? Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Beneatha uses the quote with some pretentiousness to press the point that she knows the Bible from an intellectual point of view but that she does not believe in its religious messages. Instant PDF downloads. Albeit, the family learns that they lost the money to Willy they refuse to take money from Mr. Linder. In Raisin, it is ironic that Walter believes that graft and corruption dominate all successful business activities even before he is asked to do so, he prepares himself to pay the graft that he thinks will be requested of him; however, when he gives the money to his "friend" (who runs off with it), it is not the unscrupulous collector of graft who robs Walter of his dream; rather, it is his "friend.". Still others insisted that these works, found in Africa, had been the products of the European Renaissance. (Even in the northern cities, vestiges of segregation were apparent.) Hansberry has one of her characters call Booker T. Washington a "fool," which is an elitist comment since only the very well read of her audience would even have known of the political rivalry between the two men. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Or fester like a sore And then run? Ruth refers to the "slubborn" habits that Travis displays, combining "stubborn" and "sloppy." During this period in history, some black men (especially those connected with show business) would have their hair straightened through a chemical process that was both demeaning and extremely painful. . ", Irony is defined as a "twist of fate," which means that the very last thing we would expect to happen, actually does happen. I guess the world really do change . We dont want your money. He implies in his speech that men do not like aggressive, independent, liberated women, and that if she ever hopes to get married and have a family, she is going to have to "drop the Garbo routine," meaning she will have to stop studying and thinking so much, and start acting "like a [submissive] woman.". "Dream Deferred" is a poem by Langston Hughes that explores the consequences of unfulfilled aspirations. Despite his optimism, he is unable to convince even his own wife who conjoins his mother in having a house of their own. . ", Drop the Garbo routine When George Murchison admonishes Beneatha to "drop the Garbo routine," he is telling her to know her "place" as a woman. Tradition states that around 1170, the Oba (king) commissioned the finest bronze/brass-smith, a man who was so excellent in his craft that to this day, his name is worshipped as a god by the bronze/brass-smiths of Benin. As the money is expected to arrive, all the family members are presenting their individual ideas on how to spend the money carefully not to let it go wasted. A Raisin In The Sun. And thats all we got to say about that. that they will always be. . 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. Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages. Work Smart. The first thing Ruth asks about in Act Two, Scene One is whether or not the new house will have a lot of sunlight. Walter Lee's wife and Travis' mother. Im telling you to be the head of this family from now on like you supposed to be. His optimism about the success of his investment has made him gleeful so much so that he hoodwinks the family by giving the money to Willy for the liquor store investment in his hope to reveal it later when he succeeds. A rhetorical question is asked in order to force the audience or reader to think; one does not expect an answer to a rhetorical question. A Raisin in the Sun examines the effects of racial prejudice on the fulfillment of an African-American family's dreams. He was a presumptuous, fearless, childish and not a generally amazing . Partly written by the Lorraine Hansberrys ex-husband Robert Nemiroff, after her death, Raisin added song and dance to the Youngers story, winning the 1973 Tony Award for Best Musical. bookmarked pages associated with this title. The poem, called Mother to Son, speaks to the hardships that many African-American families have faced: Well, son, Ill tell you: / Life for me aint been no crystal stair / . Hansberry attended the University of Wisconsin for several years before dropping out and moving to New York in 1950 to pursue writing and social activism. 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. There are many languages and tribes among the Bantu people thus, the Bantu are one of the many native African groups who speak one of the Bantu languages. Willy would never have entrusted his life savings with either of them. Willy feels that the most realistic method of his ever escaping poverty is to take the money that Walter and Bobo are foolish enough to entrust to him. Walter's dialogue continues in this vein until Bobo "hits him over the head" with the truth. PDF downloads of all 1725 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. "Man say to his woman: I got me a dream. In my time we was worried about not being lynched and getting to the North if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch of dignity too . if the salt loses its savor When Ruth says that Beneatha is fresh and then adds that Beneatha is as "fresh as salt" Beneatha counters with a pedantic response, a phrase from the Bible, just to show off her knowledge. Antagonist. to Africa. Asagais suggestion that Beneatha move to Nigeria with him to explore her African roots reflected the surge in African studies that gained momentum in the late 1950s. Walter wants to own his own business. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. George retorts that the heritage in which Beneatha takes such pride is nothing but a bunch of raggedy-assed spirituals and some grass huts! With this argument, Hansberry gives voice to the varied opinions of African-American thinkers, such as Booker T. Washington (who argued in favor of gradual assimilation of African Americans) and Marcus Garvey (who championed pride in African heritage and called for African Americans to return to Africa). 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. During the following decades, Haile Selassie became a symbol of leadership to other African nations that eventually would demand their independence. She makes Beneatha consider this question: who is Beneatha to write his epitaph to write him off as though he no longer exists just because she is so angry at him? Mark 9:50 "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet? All events that do not relate to the plot are omitted, which distinguishes literary narrative from merely telling a story of events from real life. It was high! 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. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero will be more dramatically effective if he is an ordinary man, for then the effect of the tragedy will be enhanced as the audience identifies with his pain. However, irony is not the same as a surprise ending. 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. 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." His woman say: eat your eggs." Booker T. Washington Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was one of the most influential black leaders during the period immediately following Reconstruction (1865-77). Washington believed strongly that artistic endeavors and intellectual pursuits were not in the best interest of black people trying to emerge from a long period of slavery. Nicknamed "Bennie," Beneatha is Mama's daughter and Walter Lee's younger sister. Although she is dressed like a Nigerian woman, she begins to dramatically fan herself in order to accentuate her outfit, but she inadvertently loses the African look and appears more Asian, looking as though she's Madame Butterfly instead of African royalty. 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. 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. 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. We aint never been that poor. The irony lies in the fact that he was not killed during wartime, which might have been expected. In this play, Hansberry attempted, in her own small way, to educate the world about Africa through her drama about a poor black family living on Chicago's Southside. Manage Settings Didactic literature demonstrates or dramatically presents a thesis or doctrine in a persuasive form. Below you will find the important quotes in A Raisin in the Sun related to the theme of Race, Discrimination, and Assimilation. On our Great West African Heritage! a short, pithy statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance. In 1959, anyone, most especially a black person, who could afford to purchase a hotel especially a hotel on such expensive property would have been very wealthy. Following the loss of Walters investment Asagai suggests that a disheartened Beneatha come home with me . Hansberry has borrowed the title from a popular poem by Langston Hughes, "Harlem."The play revolves around an African American family living in Chicago who wants to bring improvement in its status through the insurance that their widowed mother, Lena . As the economy of Benin grew to depend upon the slave trade, internal strife once again claimed an empire as Benin declined and was eventually overwhelmed by the British. Her demeanor indicates that life has delivered "little that she expected," and, as Walter says, she is "tired" of . I say I been wrong, son. However, Walter Lee, the male member of the family has his own plans; he wants to make an investment in the liquor business with the partnership of his friend Bobo and Willy, the street-smarts. Her idea of having their own residence in Clybourne Park may help the family pull out of poverty. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Looking at old photographs of Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and other entertainers of that period, we see that they adopted this style. 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. The play centers on the Youngers, a working-class family that lives in Chicago's South Side during the mid-twentieth century. The bureau is the taller piece of bedroom furniture, containing only drawer space for clothing. We aint never been that dead inside. 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. some Middle Eastern traders settled there, Ethiopian history cites Queen Makeda of Ethiopia and King Solomon as being the parents of Menelik I who, during his reign, founded the kingdom of Ethiopia in 10 B.C. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. slubborness Ruth refers to Travis' habits as being "slubborn" when she really means both "sloppy" and "stubborn." At the same time, the image of a raisin drying up in the sun is vivid and evocative, and it helps to convey the . George proves to be as pedantic as Beneatha, peppering his arguments with literary allusions and oftentimes esoteric references for example, calling Walter "Prometheus." After Lindner leaves, we learn through Ruth's dialogue that the family is about to make the move they have spoken of throughout the play in spite of their sudden financial reversal; Beneatha tells Mama about the marriage proposal that she has received earlier in the day, and Walter and Beneatha's previously troubled familial relationship appears to have been healed. Its when hes at his lowest and cant believe in hisself cause the world done whipped him so! . Dont understand about building their men up and making em feel like they somebody. "Slubborn" also personifies Travis' thoughts, ideas and general outlook. I don't want that on my ledger A religious woman, Mama is referring to the book of checks and balances that she believes is kept in Heaven, listing all the good and all the bad that a person does while on earth. This house is located in Clybourne Park, an entirely white neighborhood. George is trying to persuade Beneatha to abandon her feminist principles when he utters this philosophical truth, but throughout the play, Hansherry shows that many of the characters in Raisin do indeed lead lives of quiet desperation: Mama, although outwardly strong, is consumed with anxiety over the various, disparate directions her children are going; Walter Lee is clearly a desperate man, trying to secure a dream that eludes him; Ruth is pregnant but afraid to have this child (one more mouth to feed), especially since it will be born into a marital relationship that is deteriorating from within; Beneatha is desperately seeking her own identity while simultaneously attempting to escape the stereotypical barriers of her class and gender; and last, even Karl Lindner is a desperate man, rationalizing his rigid beliefs in a rapidly changing world. But it was High up there! a figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by 'like' or 'as'. Don't understand about building their men up and . Thus, the art of Benin was, at first, attributed to the Portuguese; then someone suggested that the bronzes had been washed ashore from the lost city of Atlantis or had been created by its descendants or survivors; others said that some lost and wandering Europeans had found themselves in Benin and had produced the bronze wonders; others said that nomadic Greeks had produced these works while journeying through Africa. 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." Then, as if it were an afterthought, Ruth says that she's "never been 'fraid of no crackers" even though her previous dialogue says otherwise. . At this point, we should note that although Hansberry lauds the Ashanti empires specifically and speaks highly of the art of Benin through the dialogue of her character, Beneatha, Hansberry, herself, in other essays, refers specifically to the Ashanti as "those murderous, slave trading Ashanti." In 1949 the United States Congress passed the National Housing Act to address substandard housing and to provide adequate and more integrated housing options for minorities. something has changed. Hansberry expresses many political and sociological views in Raisin, ideas which attack racism and prejudice; the audience is moved to either take action after having seen the drama or to change previously held bigoted beliefs. Beneatha read analysis of Beneatha Younger. Race, Discrimination, and Assimilation Quotes in A Raisin in the Sun. PDF downloads of all 1725 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ for the same amount of money (30 pieces of silver) normally paid for a slave. Bantu is the largest language family and Swahili (which consists of Bantu and Arabic) is the most widely spoken. The alliteration creates a sense of the rapidity and frequency of the firing. In his "Atlanta speech," Booker T. Washington urged blacks to cultivate friendly relations with white men. If the character is real and lifelike, the work is enhanced. Allegory. Owen again personifies the guns, this time . The play contains many autobiographical elements. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. 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. as slavery died down, prejudices and segregation were tested. However, just as he is readying himself to join the reviewing stand of his parade, he slips in the shower on a bar of soap, falls, and is immediately and accidentally killed. . But when the British stormed the city, they were so impressed by the Benin bronzes that they took them back with them, giving the British Museum an incomparable collection of rare treasures of African art. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. They need more salvation from the British and the French Beneatha says this to Mama as she attempts to "educate" her mother to what Beneatha feels are political realities. Ashanti Beneatha's reference to the Ashanti people, along with George Murchison's references to the Songhay Empire, Benin, and the Bantu language, shows that Hansberry herself had some knowledge of the African continent and its culture. Harlem BY LANGSTON HUGHES What happens to a dream deferred? Although Walter's frustrations of establishing his own business appear to devour his hopes, his obsession with his dream restores his hope. Walter also overlooks a divine warning because both Ruth and Beneatha have, on separate occasions, expressed their feelings about Willy and Bobo. She is, to Asagai, a person for whom "bread food is not enough.". Thirty pieces and not a coin less Thirty pieces of silver was the standard price of a slave (Exodus 21:32). Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Disclaimer All of the events in Raisin are necessary to the development of the plot or to the development of the characters. 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. While Beneatha shows genuine interest in her African heritage, she does not answer Asagais proposal within the context of the play, hinting that she may not go so far as to think of Africa as her home.. Not Hard. Sadly, the people of Benin began to involve themselves in the lucrative Atlantic slave-trade selling captured rival prisoners to Europeans and Americans. mistakenly more like Butterfly than any Nigerian This stage direction refers to Beneatha's exuberance after receiving the gift of the Nigerian robes and headdress from Asagai. 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? He has written extensively in literary criticism, student writing syllabi and numerous classroom educational paradigms. George tells Beneatha, who is putting on movie-star affectations imagining her future, to "drop the Garbo routine." In addition, the word "ofay" was a slang word used in the black communities at that time to refer to a white person. When the character makes an innocent remark that refers to this "inside knowledge" that the audience has, the character's words contain dramatic irony For example, as soon as the audience sees Bobo, we are aware that something has gone wrong in Walter's plan. Bobo is apparently too intellectually dense to understand that this is a term that one does not use openly. Bantu The Bantu language is the tongue common to the peoples of Africa who live below the equator. Shaka Zulu incorporated into his own army the warriors from defeated tribes; he also established military towns in order to ensure that his armies were well provided for and excellently trained. That I been doing to you what the rest of the world been doing to you. The characters speak in their domestic setting and individual style as Beneatha and Asagai show their superior and formal education even in everyday conversation, while Mama, Mrs. Johnson, and Ruth demonstrate their crude language. Menelik II initiated the modern age of Ethiopian development by defeating the Italians, who were trying to establish a protectorate over Ethiopia. Mrs. Johnson (Mrs. Wilhelmina Othella Johnson). Shortly before the play begins, the head of the Younger family, Big Walter, dies, leaving the . Ruth Younger Character Analysis. Willy . line . "Pig" would become "Igpay"; in order to refer to a white person as a "foe," one would say "ofay.") Under his reign, roads were constructed, formal education and social services were instituted, and electricity was introduced. Here we go! The diction and tone of the play, too, suit the community, neighborhood as well as main audience.