A raisin in the sun – Act I – Flashcards
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Why did Walter ask Ruth what was wrong with her?
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She was kind-of crabby and tired-looking.
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Why was Ruth upset when Walter gave Travis the money?
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They didn't have money to spare. Also, Walter didn't back her up; he undermined her authority as a parent.
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Who are Willy and Bobo?
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They are two "friends" of Walter who want him to go in partners with them in a liquor store.
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Walter said, "Damn my eggs . . . damn all the eggs that ever was!" Why?
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He has been telling Ruth about his dream and she tells him to eat his eggs. He wants to talk and dream of a better life; she wants him to face reality and deal with his present world. This makes him frustrated, makes him feel like she doesn't support him.
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Who is Beneatha?
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She is Walter's sister who wants to become a doctor.
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Why was Mama getting a check for $10,000?
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It was money coming from her husband's life insurance policy.
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Why did Beneatha say she wouldn't marry George?
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She admitted that he was rich, but she thought he was shallow. She liked him well enough to go out with him, but she didn't love him.
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What was Beneatha's attitude towards God?
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She said she did not accept the idea of God -- "there is only man and it is he who makes miracles."
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What happened to Ruth at the end of Act I Scene One?
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She fainted.
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Why did Mama call Walter a disgrace to his father's memory?
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He had become overly concerned with money and had lost his traditional family values, so much so that he didn't try to convince Ruth not to have an abortion.
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Where did Ruth actually go instead of the doctor's office?
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She went to see a woman about having an abortion.
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What does Mama say is "dangerous"?
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She says it is dangerous "when a man goes outside his home to look for peace."
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Why is Asagai's present to Beneatha appropriate?
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He gave her clothing from Nigeria. She literally gets wrapped up in her current fad. It also foreshadows her putting on a new life.
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What did Ruth find out at the doctor's office?
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She was pregnant.
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Why is Asagai's nickname appropriate?
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It means "One for Whom Bread - Food - Is Not Enough." It is appropriate because he as well as Beneatha and Walter want more from life than just survival. They want a better quality of life.
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Who is Joseph Asagai?
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He is a school friend of Beneatha and an African intellectual.
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Why is Walter upset with his wife's reaction to the plan?
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He says that Ruth ignores him and his dreams and pays little attention to what he says.
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Why does Beneatha really not want to marry George Murchison?
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He does not believe in her dream of becoming a doctor.
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What does Walter want from Ruth?
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He wants her to support him and his dreams, listen to him, encourage him, and make him feel like a man.
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Beneatha thinks deeply and is frustrated with her life. What does she say she wants to do that makes her mother and Ruth laugh loudly?
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Express herself; Share her feelings
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What does Walter mean when he says, "We one group of men tied to a race of women with small minds"?
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African-American women do little to stand up for and support African-American men.
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How does Ruth say Mama should spend the money? How does Mama intend to use it? What does this say about the differences in their characters?
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Ruth says Mama should take a trip to Europe or South America. Mama wants to use some money for Beneatha's tuition and some for a payment on a house.
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What is Walter's job?
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Chauffeur
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Why is Walter upset with Beneatha's plan to go to medical school?
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He is afraid that his mother will use the $10,000 check to pay for Beneatha's tuition.
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According to his mother, why is Travis getting so little sleep?
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Travis' room is the living room and Walter is hanging out all night with his friends.
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Two references are made to a check early on in the play, one by Walter and one by Travis. How does Ruth react to each of these references?
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Ruth is annoyed and tells Walter that it is not supposed to come until the next day. She does not want them to talk about money that isn't really theirs.
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The living room setting seems overtaken by weariness. Name two details that suggest this. -
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Carpet is dull
- One small window allows in the only light in the small apartment
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Where does the story take place?
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The southside of Chicago
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What has happened to change Ruth's beauty?
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She has worked very hard for a long time, and she is still very disappointed about how her life has turned out.
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What are Walter and Ruth's attitudes about money?
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Walter is a dreamer, Ruth is practical
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Why does Ruth tell Walter she does not want to know about what he has been thinking about? What has Walter been thinking about?
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She knows the liquor store is a risky investment
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why does Walter return to the apartment? What does he have to get?
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He has to come back and ask Ruth for carfare money
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what does Mama retrieve when she opens the window? What It unique about this plant? Mama compares her plant to her children? How are they alike?
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her plant; because it has survived with little light. they are both surviving even under harsh conditions
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How does Mama interfere with Ruth's life?
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She picks up after Travis; questions the breakfast she gives Travis; tells Ruth she needs to eat and rest more
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How much does Mama value her Faith or religion? How doe she react to Beneatha's denial of god?
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She values her faith very much; She is a devout Christian. She slaps Beneatha—Mama tells Beneatha "in my house there is God."
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What happens to Ruth at the end of this scene?
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she faints, passes out
