4. A Raisin in the Sun Quarterly Terms Personification- - Studylib After the performance, read a rationale statement explaining the creative choices your group made and how they emphasize elements and reveal meaning. Ruth and Beneatha have a difference of opinion when it comes to the relevance of wealth in choosing a mate; however, Ruths own decision to marry the working-class Walter shows that she hasnt necessarily heeded her own advice. Personification does not occur abundantly in the play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry; however, when it is brought up, the effect is significant. eNotes.com, Inc. Please wait while we process your payment. You can turn the slightest concept into a gripping tale by mastering the seven essential elements of a story theme, characters, setting, plot, conflict, point of view, and style. 2. Course Hero. Ed. It takes place in the 1950's as a family of lower class blacks try to improve their lives. The concept of dreams is a focal point throughout A Raisin in the Sun, with Hansberry using the title to allude to Harlem, a 1951 Langston Hughes poem that poses the question: what happens to a dream deferred? Mamas Plant Symbol Analysis Mamas feeble plant represents her familys deferred dreams for a better future, which have struggled to survive under the strain of life in Chicagos South Side. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! In order to identify students who may need additional support, you must have reliable data. Johnsons scene) is included here in any case, because it speaks to fundamental issues of the play, makes plain the reality that waits the Youngers at the curtain, and, above all, makes clear what, in the eyes of the author, Lena Younger in her typicality within the black experience does and does, Mrs. Johnson serves as a foil to Mama. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. First performed on Broadway in 1959, "Raisin" last appeared there 10 years ago, then starring Phylicia Rashad, Sean Combs, Audra McDonald . Here are four of the extension task ideas from my A Raisin in the Sun unit: Research projects: Develop focus questions based on your study of A Raisin in the Sun. I like this story because, despite its brevity, the symbol of the avocado tree has many facets (just as the check in A Raisin in the Sun represents money but also death, deferred dreams, and waiting for change). The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. A Raisin in the Sun Setting/Themes. All of this transpires in the midst of the familys frustrated battle to access the bathroom they share with a neighboring family. Act I Summary. Ruth feeds Travis and offers to feed Walter when she doesn't know how else to help them; she can't give Travis his 50 cents or Walter his investment dreams. Beneathas tongue-in-cheek apology for ever wanting to be anything at all underlines her pride in her dream and her dismissal of the expectation that women should give up their own dreams and instead just support men.