The Modern American Dream: Modern Drama Part I

Learning Intention

Learning Intention

Learning Intention

Learning Intention

Learning Intention

Learning Intention

Learning Intention

Learning Intention

Learning Intention

Learning Intention

Langston Hughes & the Harlem Renaissance’s Affect on Modern & Contemporary Culture

The Harlem Renaissance (1920s)

Read page 910-911 carefully, then answer the following questions.

1. Describe the characteristics of the Harlem Renaissance. Consider what inspired the movement and who was involved as you respond.

2. Artists during the Harlem Renaissance shared the urgent need to document the ______of their people; what kinds of incidents would you expect these artists to have documented. List a few and describe why they would need to be documented.

3. Why was it important for the writers and artists of the Harlem Renaissance to live and work together in one community? How is this similar/different to your own experiences working in groups?

4. What are some major thematic ideas you can expect to see in Harlem Renaissance and Harlem Renaissance inspired works? (this isn’t straight up in the reading, you must use your own brain to come up with this response).

“Harlem: A Dream Deferred”

By 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?

How does the sum total of all the imagery add up to answering the question put forth by the speaker in line one, “ What happens to a dream deferred?
What is the unspoken message the speaker is telling the reader about going after their own dreams?

Langston Hughes’ Themes, Dreams, and Imagery affects on Modern & contemporary works: “Juicy” & A Raisin in the Sun

“Juicy”

By Notorious B.I.G.

It was all a dream

I used to read Word Up magazine

Salt ‘n Peppa and Heavy D up in the limousine

Hangin’ pictures on my wall

Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl…

No honies play me close like butter played toast

From the Mississipi down to the east coast…Sold out seats to hear bigie Smalls speak

Livin life without fear

Puttin’ 5 karats in my baby girl’s ears

Lunches, brunches, interviews by the pool

Considered a fool ‘cause I dropped out of high school

Stereotypes of a black male misunderstood…

We used to fuss when the landlord dissed us

No heat, wonder why Christmas missed us

Birthdays was the worst days

Now we sip champagne when we thirsty

Uh, D*** right I like the life I live

Cause I went from negative to positive

And its all good…

  1. Poetic Theme: Reach for Your Dreams How do both sets of verses reflect this theme?
  2. Line 16 claims that birthdays were the worst days. Why do you think the poet felt this way?
  3. What images from the verse does the poet use to demonstrate the poverty he endured prior to achieving Hip-Hop fame?
  4. What images from the verse doe the poet use to demonstrate the rewards of wealth and Hip-Hop fame in the reader’s mind?

Study guide A Raisin in the Sun

Act 1 Scene 1

  1. Describe the Younger apartment.
  2. Why can’t Travis get enough sleep at night?
  3. According to Walter, what does a man need?
  4. What does Walter do for a living?
  5. What does his sister, Beneatha, do?
  6. What is the family anxiously awaiting? Who does it belong to?
  7. What does Walter want to do with the item coming in the mail? Beneatha? Ruth?
  8. What tragedy did Mama and Big Walter undergo?
  9. List some of Beneatha’s extra-curricular activities.
  10. What is Beneatha’s opinion of George Murchison? Of Marriage? Of God? How does her mother react to these opinions?
  11. Read the following poem and annotate it. What similarities/differences do you see between the poem and the Youngers’ situation?

KitchenetteBuilding (Gwendolyn Brooks)

We are things of dry house and the involuntary plan,

Grayed in and gray. “Dream” makes a giddy sound, not strong

Like “rent”, “feeding a wife”, “satisfying a man”.

But could a dream sent up through onion fumes

Its white and violet, fight with fried potatoes

And yesterday’s garbage ripening in the hall,

Flutter, or sing an aria down these rooms,

Even if we were willing to let it in,

Had time to warm it, keep it very clean,

Anticipate a message, let it begin?

We wonder. But not well! Not for a minute!

Since Number Five is out of the bathroom now,

We think of lukewarm water, hope to get in it.

Act 1 Scene 2

  1. What is wrong with Ruth?
  2. Who is Joseph Asagai? Where is he from?
  3. What is Beneatha really looking for?
  4. What is assimilationism?
  5. Why does Asagai call Beneatha Alaiyo, “One for whom bread/food is not enough”?
  6. Where did Ruth go instead of to Dr. Jones?
  7. What is Walter Lee’s bad habit?
  8. What does Mama say is dangerous?
  9. Why does Mama say that Walker Lee is a disgrace to his father’s memory?

Act 2 Scene 1

  1. Compare George to Asagai.
  2. How does Walter Lee feel about college?
  3. Who is Prometheus? Why would George compare him to Walter?
  4. How does Walter react to the news that Mama spent money on a house?
  5. List some key details about the new house.
  6. Why does Mama want the house?

Act 2 scene 2

  1. How does mama show Walter Lee that she trusts him?

Act 2 Scene 3

  1. What does the family give Mama as a gift?
  2. Who is Mr. Lindner? What does he want?
  3. Why does Beneatha say, “Thirty pieces and not a coin less”? What is it a reference to?
  4. What do you think Mama’s plan is a symbol of?
  5. What news does Bobo bring?
  6. What revelation is revealed about Walter’s investment?

Act 3

  1. Who does Beneatha blame for the loss of the money? Why?
  2. What does Asagai ask Beneatha?
  3. What 2 kinds of people is the world made up of according to Walter? Do you agree? Explain.
  4. How does Mama react to Walter Lee’s phone call to Lindner?
  5. Why does Mama make Travis stay in the room when Lindner arrives?
  6. Describe Walter Lee’s speech to Lindner
  7. At the end of the play, what does Mama compare Walter Lee to?

Define/identify the following:

Assimilationism:

Mama’s plant:

Lorainne Hansberry:

Langston Hughes:

Raisin:

Rainbow:

Setting:

ClybournePark:

Character Chart for Raisin in the Sun

Fill out the chart below. Some are done for you. Fill in the blanks.

Character / Personality / Relationship / Important actions / Important Quote
Beneatha Younger / Idealist; outgoing; dreamer; hard working
Walter Lee Younger Jr. / “Man say to his woman: I got me a dream. His woman say: Eat your eggs.”
Walter Lee Younger Sr. / None. He worked himself to death.
Lena Younger / Matriarch of the Younger family
Ruth Younger / Walter Lee’s Wife
George Murchison / Snobbish; realist; always looking to be practical and spoiling Beneatha’s dreams
Joseph Asagai / Gives Beneatha a traditional robe from Nigeria, Calls Beneatha out for being hypocritical, Proposes to Beneatha
Karl Lindner / “But you’ve got to admit that a man, right or wrong, has the right to want to have the neighborhood he lives in a certain kind of way.”
Mrs. Johnson / Busybody; annoying; always getting on the Youngers’ nerves; wants to cause trouble

Build a Character: With your group, you are to…

  1. Fill out the chart for the character you are assigned AND look at all the family symbols/important terms and define at the bottom of the chart.
  2. Discuss all possibly symbols you could use to adequately present the character you have. Think outside the box
  3. Build the character on the paper provided. Fill up the whole page with the character. Remember to include…Physical description; whether they are static or dynamic; whether they are round or flat; at least 3 symbols you could associate with the character; at least one quote FROM the character and one ABOUT the character that represents that character as a whole. (total 2 quotes).

Be prepared to present your character. Make sure that you spend time with the character. This is not something you should be able to complete in 10 minutes. You really need to be elaborate and creative to receive points for the assignment.

Participation grade: 20 points (points deducted each time you are off task)

Assignment grade: 30 points

Creativity 12345

Style12345

Accuracy12345

Symbols12345

Quotes12345

Appeal 12345

1= you barely spent any time with it; things were sloppy and slapped together; handwriting is hard to read; symbols/quotes don’t seem to apply or cannot be explained

5=WOW! You couldn’t have done better with this if you were a graduate student! I’m impressed by the forethought, time, effort, critical thinking and explanation. The character is absolutely perfect.

Dramatic Monologue:

Part I Directions: At the end of Act 2 Scene 3 we learn that Walter’s “investments” were not as wise as he thought because it finally comes out that Willy Harris is a crook & has run off with all their money, even the $3000 he was supposed to put back for Beneatha’s medical school. Answer the following questions about how each of the characters must be feeling about the loss of the money.
  1. Mama
  2. Describe Mama’s reaction to the news that all the money is gone.
  1. What does the money represent to Mama? (look at her last speech on page 855)
  1. Why is losing the money in one fell swoop such a blow to her?
  1. Beneatha
  2. Describe Beneatha’s reaction to losing the money.
  1. Why is Beneatha affected by the loss of this money? (remember to think about the conversation between Beneatha and Walter at the beginning—about accepting money when the time comes and worthy investments etc.)
  1. Ruth
  2. Ruth’s reaction is not described in the act. Why do you think they would leave that out?
  1. What reaction would you attribute to her, given the information you have about the character from other reactions?
  1. What would Ruth be worried about the most? Why?
  1. Walter
  2. Describe Walter’s reaction to the loss of the money.
  1. What has Walter lost? (think symbolically as well as physically)
  1. Why does Walter say he “put his life in Bobo’s hands”? How did he do this? Who is he really blaming? Explain.

Part II Directions: Now that you’ve thought about each character’s reaction, you are to pick the character that you can identify with the most and that you understand the most (it might be a good idea to choose the one you have been following for your Actor’s Journal assignment since you’ve already been digging deep with that character). Once you have identified the character you want to represent, you will write a monologue in the space provided. See the definition and description of a monologue below to assist you in writing this monologue.

In modern drama (from the modernist time period such as A Raisin in the Sun), monologues are uncommon. In fact, modern drama is characterized by…

  • Ordinary language
  • Realistic characters
  • Controversial issues

By creating your own monologue, you are delving deeper into the character’s emotional state during this crucial moment in the play. Make sure you follow the guidelines to create an effective monologue.

Example Monologue: For Travis

(1) I don’t know what is going on. (2) Mama is crying and I thought I heard Grandmama screaming at Daddy. (3) I can’t every remember Grandmama screaming. (4) I feel a little scared. (5) We’re moving into the house today and I want to see the yard so badly. (6)Being in a house means that we’re finally going to be a family. (7) A family! Can you believe it? (8) Jimmy won’t make fun of me any more for not having the fifty cents when the teacher asks for it. (9) I hate not having the fifty cents. (10) I wonder what it means to Mama? (11) The house, I mean. (12) I ain’t never seen Mama smile so much. (13) It’s nice to see her smile. (14) Mama’s smile is so pretty. (15) Uh oh. I hear them in there again. (16) Beneatha is crying now, and she never cries. (17) Maybe I should call the police. (18) Nah, the police never fix nothin’. (19) Not for us noways.

The Monologue of ______

(1)______

(2)______

(3)______

(4)______

(5)______

(6)______

(7)______

(8)______

(9)______

(10)______

(11)______

(12)______

(13)______

(14)______

(15)______

Part III: Extra Credit

If you so choose, you may sign up to perform your monologue tomorrow for a 10 point extra credit coupon. I recommend taking advantage of the opportunity given the weight of the research paper. Performances will be held tomorrow.

Journal Entry 1 A Raisin in the Sun

Congratulations. You have just received a check for $10,000. In a few sentences (5-7) describe what you would do with the money and why. Make sure to consider whether you would keep all the money for yourself or share it with your friends and family. Would it help you to achieve a goal you have had in life (going to college etc.)? Or would you blow it all on something material? Describe in detail what you would do with $10,000.

Journal Entry 2 A Raisin in the Sun

In the play, we have discussed how the potted plant is a symbol. In your own words, describe how Mama’s plant is a symbol and what it symbolizes (1-2 sentences). Now, thinking about your description of this symbol, go into more detail about how a plant can relate to the hopes, dreams, and lives of the Youngers. Use the bulleted questions as a guide. Remember, your journal should be 5-7 sentences!

What happens to a plant when it doesn’t get enough sunlight? How can the same thing happen to a person?

What happens to a plant when someone tries to take care of it, but it is in the wrong environment? How can the same thing happen to a person?

What is the purpose of a plant? What is the purpose of dreams?

What is choking the plant? What is choking the people?

How can the plant’s problems be solved? How can the people’s problems be solved?

Journal Entry 3 A Raisin in the Sun

Walter’s dream is to provide for his son, and the only way he can see to do that is through money. He has created his own fictional idea of success and explains it to his son at the end of Act 2 Scene 2. In a journal entry (5-7 sentences) describe what your idea of success is. In 10 years what would you be doing to consider yourself successful? Describe in detail.

Journal Entry 4 A Raisin in the Sun

At the end of Act II, we discover that Willy Harris has run off with all the money and the family is left behind, devastated at their own fate. What we never find out is what happened to Willy and the money. Given what Ruth has mentioned about Willy and the indirect characterization attributed to him through the play write a journal entry as though you ARE Willy Harris and you have just stolen the money. It should be written in diary style and you should consider all the surrounding ideas (ex. Where would he have gone? What would he do with the money? How would he feel about taking the money? Would he regret his decision or would he feel just peachy about it? Etc.) Be creative! Remember all journal entries must be at least 5-7 sentences

Journal Entry 5 A Raisin in the Sun

The plant in the novel is a symbol for Mama. It symbolizes her home, her family, and particularly her children and their dreams. What is something in your life that symbolizes you? An Ipod? A book? A movie? Something that was given to you? Make sure that you choose one thing that symbolizes you in your life and then explain WHY it is a symbol. Be specific and descriptive. Remember all journal entries should be 5-7 sentences long.

Journal Entry 6 A Raisin in the Sun

Answer the following questions in a 5-7 sentence journal entry. Be sure to include specifics. How is the American Dream culturally relevant during the time period of Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance? How is it culturally relevant during the time period of A Raisin in the Sun? How is it culturally relevant during our time period? Explain giving specifics about the culture (the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group)

A Raisin in the Sun Great Review Relay Rules

All of the rounds are played simultaneously while the judges are circulating.

You will assign group members to a round and they will complete their round as quickly as possible.

When the group members have completed the round, ONE representative will walk quickly to the front of the room where the round poster is posted and will wait IN LINE for the judge to come check their responses. (Respect the person standing in front of you if they truly got there first).

Once your round has been checked and OKAYED, the people in that round should split up and help with the remaining rounds until EVERYONE in the group has finished ALL ROUNDS.

Points are awarded… / Points are deducted…
Based on the place in which you finish for each round (see back) / Persons are sitting idle and not helping with a round. (2 pts. Per offence)
Bonus points are awarded according to the chart below / Persons are off task (2 pts. Per offence)
Persons are disrespectful or rude (2 pts. Per offence)
Persons attempt to cheat (2 pts. Per offence)

*Bonus points*

10 points
per person / Persons who have their ENTIRE STUDY GUIDE FILLED OUT upon entering the classroom
5 points
per person / Persons who have the front page of the study guide completely filled out upon entering the classroom
10 points
per round / Round has been completed without any mistakes the FIRST TIME
10 points / Group that works the best together
10 points / Group who finishes all four rounds first

A Raisin in the Sun Great Review Relay