Taking Notes

1. Taking Notes A Raisin in the Sun Write down the headline, page number and passage. Write down the info in the slide. Write down the questions and the analytic points Write down the observations you make on the Q, analytic point, and the passage. Write down your own original points that occur to you so you will have original information to use for your essay.

2. Miscommunication Ruth fails to understand why Walter wants a liquor store—page 33-34 What does this suggest? Why does Water curse his eggs? p34

3. Beneatha Thinks for Herself • P50-51—Beneatha says that she is “tired of Him getting credit for all the human race achieves through its own stubborn effort.” • ANALYTIC POINT: This suggests that she wants to think for herself instead of simply accepting the status quo, even if her attitude is radical. • Mama reacts against this challenge instead of discussing it.

4. Mama is comfortable in the Status Quo • P57—Mama confuses Nigeria and Liberia b/c she knows nothing about Africa. • Analytic Point--When she asks, “Why should I know anything about Africa?” she is suggesting she only needs to know her immediate surroundings. • Since she is a minority, she is accepting what the white dominated society wants her to think, which is not to care about her roots (Africa).

5. Beneatha’s hair is ‘mutilated’. • P61-62—Asagai tells Beneatha that her hair is mutilated. • Question: What does he mean by this? • Analytic Point: The way Beneatha wears her hair suggests the indirect impact that racism has had on her—that she should emulate a white look.

6. Accusations of assimilation • P63—Asagai suggests that Beneatha is an assimilationist. • Question: What is an assimilationist, and why does this upset her at first? • Analytic point: She never realized the indirect impact racism has made on her person.

7. Walter’s frustrations • Top of p72—Walter says “ain’t nothin’ the matter with me.” • Bottom of p73—Walter says being a chauffeur “ain’t no kind of job.” • Question: What is missing in Walter’s life? Why is he discontent? • Analytic point: Walter wants to be self-sufficient and work for himself instead of serving others. He wants empowerment.

8. The role of money • P74—Walter says money “is life.” • Question: What does this mean? • Question: What does Mama not understand about this? • Analytic point: Mama’s goal when she was creating a life for herself was “not being lynched” and “getting to the North.” • But things have evolved. She doesn’t understand the next goal in the social evolution.

9. Beneatha cuts her hair • P80-81—Beneatha announces that she hates “assimilationist negroes.” • Mid p81—she explains that she hates such people b/c they submerge themselves in the dominant culture.

10. Marital discord • P87—Ruth and Walter quarrel. He complains that they are” tied up in a race of people that don’t know how to do nothing but moan, pray, and have babies!” • Question: What does he mean by this? • Analytic point: What does ruth simply not grasp about Walter?

11. Beneatha doesn’t dig George • P96-97—Why does Beneatha say that “George is a fool—honest.”?

12. Mrs. Johnson is dangerous • P101-104—Mrs. Johnson says about Beneatha that “she act like ain’t got time to pass the time of day with nobody ain’t been to college…you know how some of our young people gets when they get a little education.” p102 • She then says, “I always thinks like Booker T. Washington said that time—‘Education has spoiled many a good plow hand.’” p103

13. Mrs. Johnson is dangerous • P104—Once Mrs.. Johnson leaves, Beneatha says, “there are two things we, as a people, have got to overcome, one is the Ku Klux Klan—and the other is Mrs. Johnson.” • Question: What does this mean? • Analytic Point: Mrs. J. is dangerous b/c she views the desire to move beyond the values of the group as intimidating, thus holding the group in place and preventing social progress.

14. Mama acknowledges Walter • P106-107, bottom and top—Mama finally begins to realize the soul crushing impact that she and Ruth have had on Walter • This acknowledgment empowers him.

15. Beware of white men bearing gifts • P114-119—Lindner visits the Younger family, hoping to dissuade them from moving into their new house. • P114-15—He is characterized as polite and pleasant. • P116-17—He announces his racist agenda, but he does so in manner in which he thinks he is acting for the Younger’s good as well as the neighborhood’s.

16. Beware of white men bearing gifts • P118, top—He stupidly thinks that he is not being a racist. • Analytic point: The racist power structure manifests itself in seemingly insignificant ways with individual attitudes that have unimaginable impacts on people.

17. The money is gone • P127-129—Bobo reports the theft of the money. • Walter admits that he did not go to the bank and that all the money is gone.

18. The takers and the tooken • P141-42—Walter decides to accepts Lindner’s money. • Analytic Point—He believes that selling his dignity is the only way to get ahead. • P143, middle of page—Mama raises point that they have always been proud people, suggesting that taking the money would make them “dead inside.”

19. Pride (in the name of righteousness) • P148—When Lindner arrives, Walter solidifies his pride by rejecting Lindner’s money, and the family decides to move into their new house despite the obstacles of a racist neighborhood.