A Raisin in the Sun and Related Readings

Test Answer Key Pg 58

Essay
Answers to essay questions will vary, but opinions should be stated clearly and supported by details from the text. Suggestions for points to look for are given below.

1. Walter believes that money is how people get respect and love in the world, he is a materialist. Beneatha, who has gone to college, is the intellectual who rejects her mother’s strong religious beliefs. In the end, Mama instills into Beneatha the value of love for family even after what Walter has done to them. She teaches Walter to live up to his father’s legacy and not to sacrifice his dignity to money and prejudice.
2. Some students may say Walter changes the most. They might say he goes from being self-centered and greedy to taking a stand and preserving his and his family’s self-respect. Some may say Mama, because her eyes are opened to the various types of strengths and weaknesses within her children. Some may say Beneatha, because she grows up from being a child filtering from one activity to another, to an adult with a mission.
3. Those students who think Walter vindicated himself at the end might note that he renewed his mother’s faith in him and stood up courageously to prejudice. He also expressed the legacy of his father, whose life provided them with this opportunity and gave Travis a positive role model to look up to and emulate. Others might see Walter’s stand as a noble but one that was originally brought about by his own greed and anger after Willy conned him out of the money. Because of Walter’s thoughtlessness, the family will have to work twice as hard to keep their new house, and Beneatha will have a harder time getting into medical school.
4. Students who agree might say that one universal theme deals with a family struggling to succeed in a cold, materialistic world cut off from tradition, faith, enduring values. Also, the idea of “selling out” to make money is one most people today can identify with. The circumstances may be different, but the basic situation is a common one. The themes of sibling rivalry, arguing couples, and parent/child rifts are also universal.
5. a. Walter and Elijah both have dreams of adventure and fortune, although Elijah’s are more modest than Walter’s. Elijah wants to be the big man on the beach while Walter wants to be a big player in Chicago’s business world. Both betray family members in trying to realize their dreams-Walter, his mother, and Elijah, his son. Elijah grows disillusioned with his dream and settles for the higher earning power of a factory job, while Walter rises above his shortcomings and becomes a bigger man in the process.

b. Beneatha and Julian are both college-educated young people who believe that they are superior to their mothers. They both share a certain naivete and lack of real experience in life. Beneatha, however, is not as self-deluded as Julian, whose “love” of African Americans is largely a reaction against his mother’s prejudice against them. Only after his mother is stricken does Julian realize his mistake, a fate that Beneatha does not face.

Test Answer Key
A Raisin in the Sun and Related Readings

c. The Youngers and the Longs are both hardworking and loving African-Americans families who face racism in their neighborhoods. The Longs, who are far better off financially, are able to sell their house and move to another neighborhood to escape danger. The Youngers, however plunge into that of the “American dream.” Students may express indignation that, although these two families are separated by more than 30 years, their similar predicaments shows how little race relations have improved, despite great strides in the struggle for civil rights.

Short Answer
Answers will vary but should reflect the following ideas.

1. It represents her husband’s flesh and blood and is his last legacy to his family, or it represents the last chance to prevent her family from tearing itself apart.
2. Choices might include intense, moody, frustrated, discontent, or other adjectives that show Walter’s desire to better himself in the world. Students should explain their choice.
3. Many students will say Asagai is a better match because he is a caring person who loves his country unselfishly, cares more about people than money, and understands Beneatha. Some may choose George because he can take her out of poverty.
4. The house is something she can share with all her family. It is also the fulfillment of the dream she shared with her husband.
5. Some students will say that Ruth doesn’t share his dream of getting rich quick or that Walter doesn’t appreciate Ruth’s need for a more conventional approach to life. Other students may mention poor communication or lack of compromise.
6. The plant might represent perserverance in the face of adversity, or it might represent the garden she has never had.
7. Some students will say Beneatha because she is pursuing her dream through education; some will say Mama because she has suffered and lost her husband; some will say Walter because he wants a shot at becoming his own boss.
8. After Walteer loses the money, he is ashamed and angry, and wants to get some of it back by being as ruthless as Willy.
9. Walter rejects losing his honor and dignity for money and reaffirms his father’s example while setting a good example for his son.
10. As in the poem, all the major characters have “dreams deferred.” Also, Walter does “explode.” Unlike the poem, the dreams are fulfilled through the characters’ own efforts.