1. RAISIN IN THE SUN Act 2

2. Characters:  Act 2, Scene 1 Narrator Ruth Beneatha George Mama Walter Travis

3. Vocabulary:  Use context clues to determine the meaning of the following terms. Justify your answer.  Coquettishly: “She is coquettishly fanning herself with an ornate oriental fan” (Hansberry 579).  Coquettishly: (adverb) flirtatiously  enrapture: “The music comes up, a lovely Nigerian melody. Beneatha listens, enraptured, her eyes far away—’back to the past.’ She begins to dance” (Hansberry 579).  Enrapture: (verb) to fill with great pleasure or delight

4. Vocabulary  scrutinize: “He scrutinizes Murchison again, drinks his beer, squints his eyes and leans in close, confidential, man to man” (Hansberry 583).  Scrutinize: (verb) to give a lengthy, searching look  Remember that an allusion is a reference to a historical event, name, or place  Track the allusions in Act 2—What is the allusion, what does it refer to, and what purpose does it play in the drama?  Track examples of figurative language: what is the example, what type of figurative language is it, and how does it add to the play?

5. Analysis Questions: Homework: Read Pages 579-584 and answer the following questions. 1. Pg. 579-581: Contrast the mood at the beginning of Act 2 with the mood at the end of Act 1. 2. Pg. 582: Based on the first few pages of Act 2, compare and contrast the attitudes and dreams of: Ruth, Walter, George, and Beneatha. 3. Page 584: Explain Walter’s treatment of George. How does he treat him, and what are his motives? 4. Explain Walter’s treatment of Ruth and Ruth’s treatment of Walter. 5. Pg. 584 When Walter says, “Who’s fighting you? Why even cares about you?” it is cruel, but it is also a truth. What is this truth? Who or what is Walter fighting against?

6. Assimilation Vs. African Heritage  Assimilation- joining the dominant (white) culture  Given what we learned about the Jim Crow laws and your knowledge of American history, what would be the value of assimilating into the dominant culture?  Which characters would you characterize as assimilationists?  How do different characters reject the dominant culture? What is the value in this action?

7. Prometheus  A Titan in Greek mythology.  Known for his love of mankind (he created man out of clay)  Known for his intelligence (he stole fire from Zeus and gave it to humans)  Zeus punished him for his crime by having him bound to a rock while a giant eagle ate his liver every day only to have it grow back to be eaten again the next day. Forever.

8. Analysis Questions: Answer the following questions as you read  What new conflicts in the Younger family are developed in this scene?  Explain whether or not you think Mama did the right thing when she bought the house.  Is Walter’s bitterness justified? Why, or why not?