A Raisin in the Sun

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A Raisin in the Sun

1. Symbols in the Sun (presentation)

2. Hansberry’s Themes

3. Historical Context (research report)

4. Primary Source Gallery

5. Characters and Points of View

6. Author’s Style: Word Choice

7. Setting the Stage (design contest)

8. An Unfamiliar Symbol

9. “It’s Life, Mama!” (personality test)

10. 1961 Film (viewing guide and critique)

11. The American Dream (debate)

12. Feminist Perspective (debate)

13. Comparing Literature (presentation)

14. One Scene for Stage or Screen (performance)

15. The Lost Scene (creative writing)

16. Forms of Racism

17. Cutting a Character (argument)

18. Original Artwork

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A RAISIN IN THE SUN Name: _____________________________

(presentation)

RL2 Key Ideas and Details: Theme Development

SL4 Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: Organizing

Hansberry uses symbolism in developing her themes.

Choose ONE symbolic element in A Raisin in the Sun and

compose a presentation that demonstrates how the

symbol is used in developing one or more themes.

You will be graded on your explanation of the symbol and

how it develops the theme(s). You will also be graded on

how well you organize the ideas of your presentation.

)

• Mama’s plant

• Light

• The check

• Beneatha’s hair

• Food

• Rugs / furnishings

• Mrs. Johnson

• Fire

• Mr. Lindner

• Joseph Asagai

• George Murchison

• The Green Hat Club

• Music (Nigerian, jazz, blues, and hymns)

• Clybourne Park

) : ANALYZING TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

Make sure to seek out associated words and synonyms. (Tip: You can “cheat” by using the

Google Chrome “Find” feature and a searchable copy of A Raisin in the Sun.

• Plants – Window, sun, raisin, light, Mama, yard, garden…

• Light – Window, sun, plant, yard, garden…

• The check – Big Walter, flesh, insurance, money, Willie Harris, ledger…

• Beneatha’s hair – Natural style, unstraightened, heritage, mutilation, assimilation…

• Food – Bread, eggs, Alaiyo, coffee, milk…

• Fire – Flaming Spear, volcano, sun, light, Prometheus…

• Rugs / furnishings – Doilies, cleaned, worn places, carpet, apartment…

• Mrs. Johnson – Newspaper, Ku Klux Klan, Booker T. Washington, Kitchen cleanser…

Claudia McNeil as Lena Younger (Public Domain)

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A RAISIN IN THE SUN Name: __________________________________

(research project)

W7 Research: Inquiry Project

W2B Informative Writing: Relevant Details

W8 Research: Sources and Citation

To fully understand A Raisin in the Sun, the

reader or viewer must understand the historical

context – the events, issues, and realities of life

in Chicago (and America) in 1959.

Choose ONE topic of inquiry from the chart

below. Form open-ended research questions and

complete a formal research project.

You will be graded on how well you conduct and record research, use relevant details

from your findings, and cite your sources in the MLA format. Make clear connections

between your research and the content of A Raisin in the Sun in your report.

) .

)

Open-ended questions cannot be answered simply.

NO: Which African nation first de-colonized successfully?

YES: What methods were most effective in gaining national independence?

His

tori

calC

on

text

The Great Migration

Feminism (Second Wave)

Decolonization in Africa

Civil Rights Movement:

Chicago

Voting

Housing

Employment

Education

Segregation

Backlash / violence

Lorrain Hansberry’s life

The Atomic Age / post-war era

The Cold War

Gay Rights Movement (and Hansberry's contributions)

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Name: __________________________________

:

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Topic introduction or interest grabber:

Main idea, thesis, claim, or topic statement:

Preview of essay body (supporting ideas and/or subtopics):

LEAVE BLANK FOR NOW.

What are the important sub-topics to address in this essay? In other words, you cannot fully

understand this topic with learning about…

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Identify the key details (quotes, facts, examples, statistics, anecdotes, etc.) that you might

include in your essay body.

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(Organize your sections / paragraphs.)

Supporting idea / sub-topic #1



Details in this section: ▢

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Restate the main idea of the essay:

Review essay body (summarize your supporting ideas and/or subtopics):

Closing thought: What did the reader learn? Why does it matter? How does this information connect to the reader’s world?

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1943 poster - US War Manpower Commission School integration in Little Rock - Common Sense News

1962 speech manuscript - Martin Luther King Jr.

Cicero Race Riot of 1951 - Chicago Tribune photo

Ghana gains independence (film) – Universal International First Edition by Betty Friedan - 1963, Norton Publishing

• Archives and manuscripts

• Photographs and recordings

• Journals, letters, and diaries

• Speeches

• Published books, newspapers and

magazines published at the time

• Government publications

• Memoirs / witness accounts

• Records of organizations

• Printed ephemera

• Artifacts, clothing, furniture, etc.

• Research data

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W2D Explanatory Writing: Domain-specific Vocabulary

RL3 Key Ideas and Details: Interacting Elements

SL5 Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: Integrating Media

Imagine that your company enters a competition to design the set for a new production of

A Raisin in the Sun. The challenge is to stay true to the play while adding new and interesting

elements for an audience that may be familiar with the play. You can make changes to the

original stage directions if you stay true to the spirit of the play and justify your decisions.

● Design an engaging set (layout, textures, colors, lighting, and so on).

● Include a new symbolic element.

● Explain your creative choices using illustrative media (images, charts, diagrams…)

and support from the original script.

• Explain your symbolism and how it relates to other elements.

• Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, or interactive

elements) to enhance understanding and add interest.

• Use drama vocabulary correctly:

Movement Character point of view Symbolism

Stage directions Motivation Mood

Staging Setting Property (props)

CC Photo by The Huntington

Theatre Co.

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“That was a long time ago. Now the once loved pattern of the couch upholstery has to fight to

show itself from under acres of crocheted doilies and couch covers which have themselves

finally come to be more important than the upholstery.” (23)

“The sole natural light the family may enjoy in the course of a day is only that which fights its

way through this little window.” (24)

“She crosses through the room, goes to the window, opens it, and brings in a feeble little plant

growing doggedly in a small pot on the windowsill...” (39)

( )

▢ Furniture

▢ Souvenirs / mementos

▢ Clothing

▢ The window / lighting

▢ Food

▢ Big Walter’s picture

▢ The check / mailbox

▢ Beneatha’s items

▢ Big Walter’s items

▢ Walter Lee’s items

▢ Ruth’s items

▢ Travis’ items

▢ Mama’s items

▢ Religious items

▢ ________________

(Think different. What if Big Walter’s picture was actually an actor in a frame who changed his

pose and expression throughout the play?)

Main idea and overview (for introduction and conclusion):

Section #1 Topic Section #2 Topic Section #3 Topic

Details in this section:



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(Personality Test and Essay)

Lorraine Hansberry’s effective characterization enables the audience to quickly understand

her characters’ values and points of view. Which character’s values most closely resemble

your own? Are you a Ruth, a Mama, a Walter Lee, a Beneatha, a George, or an Asagai?

) (See next page.)

)

The quiz is completely unscientific, inaccurate, and a bit silly. However, it may have started

you reflecting on your true personality traits what you value in life.

)

What is life to you? What is most important? What do you care about?

)

Write a personal essay explaining your personal values. A personal essay is, well, personal,

but it should always be organized and polished. You will be graded on…

W2 Text Types and Purposes: Explanatory Writing

W2F Explanatory Writing: Conclusions

• Organize your ideas using the ESSAY ORGANIZER.

• Develop your ideas with illustrative details.

• Connect ideas with transition words and phrases.

• Use precise language. Stretch your vocabulary.

• Keep an appropriate style and tone.

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Fill in the bubble for your choice. (Ignore the symbols following the choices for now.)

1) If I had to pick an analogy, I would say that

life is like…

◯ An ocean full of sharks. Eat them before

they eat you. (% &)

◯ A flowing river weaving and winding its

way toward a better future. ($ @)

◯ An all-you-can eat buffet of awesomeness.

(# &)

◯ A garden that requires your constant care

and attention. ($)

2) When it comes to food, I…

◯ Eat only what I kill. (?)

◯ Stick to my favorites. (% $ &)

◯ Seek out new (even unusual) tastes and

textures. (@ #)

3) What other people think of me is…

◯ Very important. (& %)

◯ Somewhat important. ($)

◯ Unimportant to me. (# @)

4) I would feel most rewarded by a career

that enabled me to…

◯ Afford the finer things in life and win the

admiration of others. (% &)

◯ Help my community and make a positive

impact. (@ #)

◯ See the world and experience different

lifestyles and cultures. (#)

◯ Spend a great deal of quality time with my

loved ones. ($)

◯ Steal office supplies. (?)

5) Honesty, dignity, and integrity are…

◯ Just a bunch of nonsense words to keep

losers in their place. (% @)

◯ Important to me some of the time (%)

◯ More important than fame or riches. ($ #)

6) When I go shopping for clothes, I am most

likely to pick something…

◯ Inexpensive and practical. ($)

◯ That looks professional, successful, and

expensive. (& %)

◯ Unusual, interesting, and creative. (#)

◯ That makes a statement about my politics

or identity. (@)

◯ Flame-retardant, reflective, and reinforced

with steel bumpers. (?)

7) If I won a free course at a local university, I

would probably…

◯ Pick something that seemed like fun. (#)

◯ Pick something that would help my future

career. (% &)

◯ Give the course to someone that I care

about. ($)

◯ Turn it down. Formal education is a waste

of time and energy. (& %)

8) My family ancestry and cultural heritage…

◯ Have zero importance my life, values, and

point of view. (&)

◯ Are somewhat important in my life and

point of view. (% $)

◯ Play a big role in my life and views. (@ #)

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(1961 film, Columbia Pictures)

(0:00:00 – 0:30:25)

1. What do you think of the set design? Are the details effective?

2. Why do you think the filmmakers added scenes of Walter Lee at his chauffeuring job?

3. What do you think of the camera shots and angles? Does it feel like a play or a movie?

4. Identify one strength or weakness of this part of the film.

(0:30:25 – 0:54:55)

1. The filmmakers made many changes to this part of Hansberry’s original script. Which of

these changes has the greatest impact on the telling? Explain your choice.

• Travis does not relate the episode of killing the rat.

• The implication that Joseph has dated white women is absent (Hansberry 64).

• New scenes are set in the Kitty Cat Club.

2. Is the addition of background or ambient music effective in establishing mood? Explain.

3. Identify one strength or weakness of this part of the film.

PREVIEW



(team debate)

W1A Argument: Organize Ideas

W1B Argument: Develop Claims

SL3 C&C: Evaluate Reasoning

Lorraine Hansberry was the first

African American female author to

have a play performed on

Broadway. Her life and work

broke ground in several ways. Of

Hansberry author Imani Perry

states, “She was a feminist before

the feminist movement.”

When it comes to a feminist perspective, A Raisin the Sun delivers mixed messages. Does

the play suggest that traditional sexist roles (with a man as head of the household) are best,

or does it endorse Beneatha’s aims to defy those roles?

: “A Raisin in the Sun mainly delivers a feminist message.”

(Use the DEBATE HANDOUT.)

1) Brainstorm reasons / claims for both sides of the issue.

2) Choose one reason to argue in a detail. (This will be your contribution to the team).

2) Anticipate a counterclaim (objection) that someone might make to your point.

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3) Rebuttal: How would you respond to this counterclaim?

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Join a side. (If the sides are uneven, challenge yourself to argue against your first choice.

Remember that skilled debater can argue either side.) Meet with your team and organize your

plan of attack. Decide who will deliver the introduction, claim 1, and so on.

Women's liberation march, 1970. | Photo by Don Carl Steffen

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(presentation)

RL10 Range of Reading: Independence and Proficiency

W9 Build and Present Knowledge: Selecting Details

SL4 Presentation of Knowledge & Ideas: Organizing

The list below contains reading selections that connect to the

themes and content of A Raisin in the Sun in a variety of

ways. Choose one text to study and analyze. Focus on

making comparisons to the A Raisin in the Sun and prepare a

presentation to share your ideas. Include carefully selected

details from both texts to support your ideas.

Tip: Share the unfamiliar text as part of your presentation. If

you have a longer text, share a summary or key excerpts.

➢ Themes and theme development

➢ Points of view

o Narrator / speaker (A narrator tells a story whereas a speaker relates a poem.)

o Author / characters / individuals

➢ Purpose and intended audience

o Biographical approach (the author’s identity and experiences)

o Historical context

➢ Craft (style)

o Word choice (figurative language, imagery, sound devices, etc.)

o Mood and/or tone

➢ Structure / organization

A presentation is organized like an INFORMATIONAL ESSAY. Some slides act like

paragraphs (a main idea and the related key details.) However, slides should never look

like paragraphs (more like a main idea or topic and a list of ideas the presenter will discuss).

“Caged Bird” poem by Maya Angelou (level 2)

How does the symbolism and the theme relate to elements in A Raisin in the Sun?

“I, too” poem by Langston Hughes (level 1)

Make sure to compare the point of view of the poem’s speaker to that of Walter Lee Younger.

Maya Angelou poses with her memoir.

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“Sympathy” poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar (level 2)

How does the symbolism, mood, and theme relate to elements in A Raisin in the Sun?

“Let America Be America Again” poem by Langston Hughes (level 2)

How do the speaker’s conceptions and criticisms of “The American Dream” compare to Hansberry’s?

“The Beauty of Black” poem by Margaret Burroughs (level 2)

Compare the themes by paying special attention to Beneatha’s hair and what it represents in the play.

“I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. (level 1)

Hansberry and King develop similar themes. How do the authors approach the same themes differently?

“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” poem by Langston Hughes (level 2)

Compare this poem to the play by paying special attention to Walter Lee’s transformation into Flaming Spear.

“Song of the Son” poem by Jean Toomer (level 3)

Mama and Walter Lee’s conversations on their family history will be important in this comparison.

“Mother to Son” poem by Langston Hughes (level 1)

Compare this poem to the play by focusing on point of view, tone, and theme.

“Woman Work” poem by Maya Angelou (level 1)

Use a feminist lens. Compare the points of view of the speaker, Mama, Beneatha, and the authors.

“The Atlanta Compromise” speech by Booker T. Washington (level 3)

Obviously, you want to give special attention to the discussion of Washington found in A Raisin in the Sun.

“Back to Africa” speech by Marcus Garvey (level 2)

Compare Garvey’s views on the advancement of African Americans to those presented in A Raisin in the Sun.

How would Hansberry have responded to Garvey’s speech?

“Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others” essay by W.E.B. Du Bois (level 3)

Compare Du Bois’s views on the advancement of African Americans to those presented in A Raisin in the Sun.

How would Hansberry have responded to this essay? (Did Hansberry ever meet Du Bois?)

“The Ballot or the Bullet” speech by Malcolm X (level 3)

How do Hansberry’s views on opposing American racism differ from those of Malcolm X?

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RL3 Key Ideas and Details: Interacting Elements

RL 4-5 Craft and Structure

W3 Write Narrative: Elements and Devices

The class will orchestrate an elaborate hoax. We will

claim to have discovered a lost scene that Hansberry

wrote but did not include in her final version of

A Raisin in the Sun. After everyone shares their scenes,

we will vote for the best fraud.

You will be graded on how well your “lost scene” fits into

the original play. It should match the existing elements

(theme, word choice, characterization, etc.) and fit

logically into the play’s structure.

) (It might help to share these.)

IDEA: PART OF PLAY (e.g., after Act I, Scene 2):

)

Circle your choice and explain your decision. What about this idea interests you?

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Promotional material by Royale TheatrePREVIEW

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W2A Informative Writing: Organizing Ideas

W2B Informative Writing: Supporting Details

W2C Informative Writing: Transitions

Lorraine Hansberry reflected on her own

experiences with discrimination in writing

A Raisin in the Sun. The play’s realistic

events demonstrate how racism comes in

many forms. Some are immediate and clear

while others are subtle and insidious.

Write an informative essay explaining how racism takes varied forms. Combine your own

knowledge, anecdotes, examples from A Raisin in the Sun, and any additional research that

you care to include. (Note: This is not a research report, but feel free to seek out and include

helpful details.)

You will be graded on how well you organize your essay (intro., body, and conclusion),

include supporting details (examples, quotes, comparisons, etc.), and use transitions.

) Think about…

• Mr. Lindner’s mission from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association.

• What Walter Lee says about African American women.

• What Big Walter thought about the importance of one’s occupation.

• What George Murchison says about his African heritage.

• How Mrs. Johnson reacts to the Younger’s big news.

• Walter Lee’s rehearsal for his second meeting with Mr. Lindner.

)

The back of this page will help you sort your ideas. (It might help to address this in a group.)

)

Use the ESSAY ORGANIZER template to group and order your ideas and details.

(TIP: It makes sense to include one body paragraph or section for each form of racism.)

)

Elizabeth Eckford enters Little Rock Central High School, 1957

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What does racism look, sound, or feel like? Include how race prejudice presents in everyday life.

One person calls another person a racist slur in a heated argument.

For example, employment discrimination might go under the category of systemic racism.

Systemic racism: policies and practices that exist throughout a society, institution, or

organization that result in a continued harm or disadvantage based on race.

Form: Form: Form:

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Name: ______________________________________

An author’s style is largely determined by word choice. Authors choose each word carefully to achieve the

intended effect. Whether it is silly rhymes or creepy comparisons, you are talking about word choice.

: metaphor, personification, simile, hyperbole, understatement, idiom, etc.

how the words help the reader imagine with the senses (e.g., sight).

a word’s feelings and associations (e.g.,“father” as compared to “daddy”).

repetition, rhythm, rhyme, onomatopoeia, alliteration, etc.

dialogue, dialect, allusions, and references.

the narrator or speaker’s attitude toward the subject (including the level of formality).

the feeling the author wants to create for the reader.

(quote and page number) (from the list above) (Explain the element and its effect.)

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A Raisin in the Sun

Documents

Transcript of A Raisin in the Sun