A Raisin in the Sun Test

A Raisin In The Sun
M. Brian
Friday, March 28, 2008 Name ________________________

Act I, Scene 1
1. Why does Ruth scramble Walter’s eggs, even though he says he does not want them scrambled? What does this indicate about their relationship and about whether or not they try to listen to one another?
2. Why does Ruth tell Travis to get his mind off the money that is coming the next day? What does this indicate about Travis?
3. Why does Walter give his son more money than he needs for school? How does this leave Walter, in terms of money he himself needs in order to get to work? What does this indicate about Walter’s personality?
Act I, Scene 2:
1. Which theme that has been raised before is referred to in the reference to roaches “marching…like Napoleon”? Who was Napoleon? What relevance might references to him have for this play?
2. What issue in particular is alluded to when Beneatha says, “All everyone seems to know about when it comes to Africa is ‘Tarzan’”?
3. What recurring theme is alluded to when Beneatha says, while talking about how missionaries save people, “I’m afraid they need more salvation from the British and the French”?
Act II, Scene 1
1. What significance for their continued relationship do you think it has that Beneatha prepares to go out to a play with George Murchison in the dress that Joseph Asagai got for her?
2. What do you think has prompted Beneatha to cut her hair short and into an “Afro” hairstyle?
3. Do you think politics is the only reason Beneatha declares she hates assimilationists? If not, what could another factor be?
4. What does it show about Ruth’s awareness of racial tensions that in a casual chat with George Murchison she refers to bombings?


Act II, Scene 2
1. What qualities do we see in George Murchison at the beginning of the scene that Beneatha might not like?
2. Why does Beneatha refer to him as a fool, when speaking of him to her mother? In what ways would she consider him foolish?
3. When Mrs. Johnson says, “I’m just soooooo happy for y’all,” do you think she is being honest or hypocritical? What later actions or words of hers either confirm or deny that she is speaking honestly here?
4. Why do Mama and Ruth roll their eyes before offering Mrs. Johnson the coffee?
Act II, Scene 3
1. Why does Walter say, “Even the N double A C P takes a holiday sometimes…?” What is the NAACP, and what does his referring to it show about his changing attitude?
2. When Beneatha answers him, “Sticks and stones may break my bones…” what are we reminded of?
3. Why do you think Karl Lindner goes to such lengths to talk about everybody getting along before he gets to his reason for talking to them?
4. Who catches on first to what his purpose in talking to them is about? How do you know?
Act III
1.What do you think accounts for Beneatha’s deep pessimism at the beginning of the act? Do you think it is all because of the lost money?
2. What qualities do we see in Joseph Asagai which enables him to break through Beneatha’s mood to consider her own self-pity?
3. Reading between the lines, so to speak, what does it say about whether or not Beneatha has really given up on medical school, when she refers, even mockingly, to curing “the great sore of Colonialism…with the Penicillin of Independence”?

Complete the test and turn in your written answers by 8:30 a.m. on Monday, March 31, 2008.