1. Why was Ruth upset when Walter gave Travis the money?
a. She was trying to save money for Beneatha's education.
b. They didn't have the money to spare.
c. She was mad at Walter anyway. The money was just an excuse to vent her feelings.
d. Travis was too young to get any money.
2. Walter said, "Damn my eggs . . . damn all the eggs that ever was!" Why?
a. Walter was tired of Ruth's being sick all the time.
b. Walter was mad because Ruth had burned his breakfast.
c. Walter is tired of eating eggs.
d. Walter wants to dream of a better life and Ruth keeps pushing reality back at him.
3. Why was Mama getting a check for $10,000?
a. It was insurance money from her husband's life insurance.
b. She had won the lottery.
c. She had won a contest.
d. The bank was sending her a check for the amount in her account. Since she was old, she thought it was time to spend her money.
4. What was Beneatha's attitude towards God?
a. She was very religious.
b. She did not believe in God.
c. She thought he was an unjust God.
d. "God is dead."
5. What are "assimilationist Negroes"?
a. Negroes who do not believe in God
b. Negroes who have left Africa to go to American and become educated
c. Negroes who still live a tribal life in Nigeria
d. Negroes who give up their cultural heritage and take on the culture of a more dominant society
6. Why did Mama call Walter a disgrace to his father's memory?
a. He had turned his back on God and had become an alcoholic.
b. He beat his wife and disgraced his mother.
c. He had become too concerned with money and had lost traditional family values.
d. He was too eager to spend the money Mama would receive from his father's insurance policy.
7. What did Mama do with her money?
a. Made a down payment on a home
b. Gave it all to Walter
c. Put it all away for Beneatha's education
d. Left it in the bank
8. Why didn't Beneatha want to be a doctor anymore?
a. She sees no human battle worth fighting; no human life worth saving.
b. She decided to go to African instead.
c. She doesn't want to have to treat the oppressors.
d. She's tired of school and intellectual ideas.
9. How did Asagai define "idealists"?
a. They are those who are also assimilationists.
b. They are those who see the changes in life.
c. They are the intellectuals.
d. They are those who refuse to think
10. Which of the following words are examples of a portmanteau? Choose all that apply.
a. brunch
b. slubborn
c. homework
d. biopic
“Harlem: A Dream Deferred” or “Montage of a Dream Deferred” Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
11. What is the tone of this poem?
a. optimism
b. hateful
c. hopeless
d. eagerness
12. How does Hughes use similes in “Harlem: A Dream Deferred” or “Montage of a Dream Deferred”?
a. The similes give solutions to achieving the dream.
b. The similes compare the inability to achieve the dream to negative things.
c. The similes compare the dream to types of food.
d. The similes show the problems people have achieving their dreams.
13. In “Reflections on a Dream Deferred” how does Representative John Lewis define democracy?
a. Democracy is a state.
b. A culture of violence has sprung up among us that is gnawing at the soul of our society, a culture which justifies brutality, torture and cruelty.
c. It is some high plateau that we struggle to reach so we can finally settle down to rest.
d. Democracy is an act. It is an act that requires participation, organization and dedication to the highest principles.
14. According to Representative John Lewis, has the United States fulfilled Dr. King’s dream?
a. No. A culture of violence has sprung up among us that is gnawing at the soul of our society, a culture which justifies brutality, torture and cruelty.
b. No. We still have a great distance we must travel before we build a Beloved Community, a nation and a world society at peace with itself.
c. Yes. In the 2008 election season, an African-American man is a serious contender for the Democratic nomination for president; so is a woman.
d. Yes. Our whole society has been captivated by African-American megastars, like Oprah Winfrey, who dominate the cultural dialogue, influence stock trades, and lead by example as philanthropists and humanitarians.
15. What is one potential theme of Raisin in the Sun?
a. Achieving a dream is not an easy task but it can be accomplished.
b. Achieving a dream is impossible for minorities in America.
c. Achieving a dream only happens when the entire family shares the same dream.
d. Achieving a dream can only be accomplished if others miss out on their dreams.