A Raisin in the Sun Practice Test

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

• Which character is the moral center who expresses trust and love across the family?
• To Beneatha, what was the "most marvelous thing in the world" and the equivalent of "truly being God"?
• Why does Mama get mad at Beneatha after Walter storms out of the room in Act Three?
• Which two men were planning to speed up the liquor license process by going to Springfield?
• Why is the South Side Chicago setting essential to the play's message?
• The plant's condition most directly reflects the state of whose dreams?
• Which rich African-American boy courting Beneatha?
• Explain the irony in the play's treatment of wealth and security.
• How did Bobo know that Willy stole the insurance money?
• Who calls to inform the Youngers that Walter hasn't shown up for work for the past three days?
• How does the plant motif reappear as the family prepares to move?
• How do George Murchison and Joseph Asagai differently critique assimilation?
• What does Asagai propose as a path for Beneatha's future?
• In what way does the play challenge the American Dream for Black families?
• How does the ending frame agency for the Black family in a hostile society?
• Which character says, 'What's the matter, Daddy. You drunk?'
• Which description best captures the setting's impact on opportunities?
• Who is Bobo, and why is his information crucial to the turning point?
• Which character is about thirty years old?
• How much is the life insurance check?
• What is Beneatha's ultimate educational goal, and how does it challenge social norms?
• In what city and era is the play set?
• Why does Mama say to Walter Lee, "You making something inside me cry, son. Some awful pain inside me"?
• How does the plan to confront Lindner reveal the tension between community belonging and isolation?
• Who describes Walter as 'That is not a man. That is nothing but a toothless rat'?
• What central theme is invoked by the play's title in reference to Langston Hughes's poem?
• Which family member wants to use the money to pursue education?
• Where did Walter go during the three days he skipped work? Day 1, Day 2, Day 3.
• In what city do the Youngers live?
• What is the reaction of the family members when they see Travis's gift for Mama? What's Mama's reaction?
• Why were Bobo and Willy supposed to go to Springfield?
• Why is it significant that Ruth visited a female doctor?
• What impractical item did Ruth buy for the new house?
• What is the central source of money that drives the family’s plans?
• Identify a major plot twist in Act II and its significance for Walter's progress.
• What are the Younger family eagerly awaiting in Act One?
• What symbolic function does Mama's houseplant serve?
• Asagai's thoughts about movement and progress lead him to think of which place?
• Which event marks the turning point that forces the family to confront the reality of their financial setback?
• Which of the following best captures the evolution of the Younger family's values?
• Which action best reflects Walter's attempt to assert his manhood through the investment in a house?
• What event triggers the central financial crisis in the Younger family?
• Which statement best captures the central conflict of the play?
• What does Travis come across while playing outside in Act One?
• What does the bank account in Walter's name symbolize?
• What perspective about Africa and African heritage does Beneatha explore in her interactions with Asagai?
• Willy asks Bobo, 'What happened in...' this town (where Bobo was supposed to go with Willy Harris...)?
• What are the names of the two 'good for nothing clowns' with whom Walter Lee is planning to invest in a liquor store?
• The line "I look at you and I see the final triumph of stupidity in the world!" is directed at which character?
• What is the Youngers' daily problem every morning?
• What two primary symbols express the themes of dignity and growth?
• Why does Ruth pass out in Act One?
• Why, according to Walter, do people like the Youngers get "tooken"?
• The imagery in the title most closely conveys which idea?
• What is Asagai's response to Beneatha saying, "people went out and took the future out of my hands"?
• What is the significance of Walter's remark about Beneatha's dream of becoming a doctor?
• Act Three begins how many hours after Act Two ends?
• When Walter comes in, what does Mama try to tell him... and what does he want to talk about?
• What is Mama's given name?
• What central concern about dreams does Beneatha raise in relation to death?
• The plan to confront Lindner reveals that the family chooses to do which of the following?
• Name the six members of the Younger family?
• Who says, 'Honey, you never say nothing new. I listen to you every day, every night and every morning, and you never say nothing new.'?
• Mama's real first name is?
• Where is the Younger family's new house located, and what is significant about the area?
• What does Asagai propose to Beneatha in Act Three?
• Who is the speaker and recipient of the quote: 'I ain't never stop trusting you. Like I ain't never stop loving you'?
• Which character is about twenty years old?
• Who ran away with the Youngers' insurance money?
• Which character is in their mid-30s?
• What is the name of the association Mr. Lindner represents?
• How does Walter Lee define success, and how does this clash with Mama's dream?
• Who is the child in the Younger family?
• Asagai's nickname for Beneatha?
• What do Asagai and Beneatha's conversations reveal about cross-cultural exchange?
• Which character is chiefly associated with practical concerns about money and opportunity for the family?
• What word does Mama utter repeatedly after she has found out what Walter has done at the end of Act Two?
• Who says to Walter, "I look at you and I see the final triumph of stupidity in the world!"? Who do they say this to?
• Who is the matriarch of the Younger family?
• How does Walter's behavior at the end illuminate his development?
• How does Hansberry balance humor with social critique?
• Explain Mama's last action in the play. What does she do? Why is it significant?
• Which character frequently raises concerns about potential racism in the neighborhood and the media?
• How does the plant scene function symbolically during Money and Future discussions?
• Which characters are described as the most active and central in decision-making, sometimes considered co-protagonists?
• Who says, 'We feel that most of the trouble in this world, when you come right down to it... exists because people just don't sit down and talk to each other'?
• Why does Mama tell Ruth that Walter 'finally come into his manhood today, didn't he?'
• What is Beneatha surrounded by when she sits at the table at the beginning of Act Three?
• The shriveled raisin plant symbolizes what?
• Which statement best describes Lindner's offer in the play?
• What is the name of Mama's husband who died?
• Which is the sophisticated African boy courting Beneatha?
• What do Willy Harris's betrayal and disappearance reveal about the Younger family?
• Which character's dream is explicitly described as being to become a doctor?
• How does the ending function as both a resolution and a challenge?
• Which statement best describes the play's approach to addressing racism and poverty?
• Which statement best describes the play's stance on dignity?
• Who is described in Act Three as 'lost, vague, trying to catch hold, to make some sense of her former command of the world...'?
• What gift do Ruth, Walter, and Beneatha get for Mama?
• What best describes the function of the dream motif in decision-making?
• What is the central function of Mama's decision-making in the play?
• Which character says, "What you ain't never understood is that I ain't got nothing, don't own nothing, ain't never really wanted nothing that wasn't for you. There ain't nothing as precious to me... there ain't nothing worth holding on to, money, dreams, nothing else - if it mean it's going to destroy my boy," and to whom is it spoken?
• How do stage directions contribute to highlighting social issues?
• How does language signal class and aspiration within the Younger family?
• Who says, 'It's simple. You read books—to learn facts—to get grades—to pass the course—to get a degree. That's all - it has nothing to do with thoughts'?
• Who is the author of A Raisin in the Sun?
• Which gift for Mama is described as a gardening hat?
• The broader social climate during the era influences the family's decisions by doing what?
• What are the approximate ages of Ruth, Walter, and Beneatha?
• How much of the life insurance money goes to Beneatha's medical school costs?
• What does the name Alaiyo signify when given to Beneatha?
• In what decade is A Raisin in the Sun set?
• Which character blames the Younger family's vulnerability to being "tooken" on their own niceness and morality?
• Before leaving the Youngers' house, Mr. Lindner says, 'You just can't force people to _____________ their ______________, son. '
• Which statement best describes the outcome of Mama's allocation of the insurance money?
• To what location are the Youngers moving in the family's plan?
• In Act Three, Walter says he made a phone call to which person?
• Which line captures Walter's view of life as divided between 'takers' and 'tooken'?
• Travis sleeps where?
• Which option best identifies the symbol that enduringly represents the family's dream through transition?
• The new house is located in Clybourne Park and is described as what kind of town?
• Beneatha says, 'People have to ___________________ themselves one way or another.'
• Who is Karl Lindner, and what does his arrival reveal about the play's central conflict?
• What does Mama do with the $6500 remaining from her husband's life insurance?
• Describe Mama's role in guiding the family’s decisions and how her faith influences her choices.
• How does Mama divide the remaining $6,500 from the life insurance check?
• Why does Mr. Lindner visit the Youngers' house?
• Which statement about dignity and homeownership is accurate?
• What is the name of the association represented by Mr. Lindner?
• Who tells Walter that Ruth is pregnant?
• How does Walter refer to his liquor store partners?
• Who is receiving the life insurance check?
• How does the play depict housing discrimination?
• The life insurance check is a result of whose death?
• Which character's dialogue with Asagai highlights Africa-centered identity and heritage?
• Asagai makes a proposal to Beneatha that includes both marriage and another journey. What are the two actions?
• How does the move shift power dynamics within the family?
• What function does Mama’s faith serve in decision-making?
• Who is described as the 'good-for-nothing loudmouth' who went into the dry cleaning business and is now grossing a hundred thousand dollars a year?
• This is the name of Walter Lee's boss?
• What gift does Travis get for Mama?
• Which purchase by Ruth signals preparation for the new home?
• Asagai invites Beneatha to go with him to which continent?
• Stage directions depict environment to reflect experiences.
• What is Willy Harris's role in the plot, and what happens to the money Walter hopes to invest?
• Which character embodies assimilation into white, middle-class norms?
• In Act Three, Walter claims to have made a call to which person?
• Who says, 'You just can't force people to change their hearts, son' before leaving the Youngers' house?
• Mama listens to which family member most often?
• What does the nickname Alaiyo mean?
• Which factor provides moral grounding and a long-term welfare vision in decision-making?
• What is the relationship between Lena and Beneatha?
• What best describes the nature of George and Beneatha's disagreement after their night out?
• What does moving into a new house symbolize for each family member?
• Who says: 'Mama, you know it's all divided up. Life is. Sure enough. Between the takers and the 'tooken'.'
• Which statement best describes Walter's relationship to his father's legacy as depicted in the line about following in his dad's footsteps?
• Which ending aspect signals ongoing personal development for Walter?
• How does dialogue reveal internal class and aspiration tensions within the Younger family?
• What business venture does Walter plan to invest in with his partners?
• Who says, "Me? Me? Me, I'm nothing"?
• In which scenes is Beneatha's struggle with identity most evident?
• In Act Two, Scene One, what business does Mama say she has to tend to?
• What does buying a house symbolize for the family?
• Why does Mama slap Beneatha in Act One?
• Which family member is initially in favor of taking Mr. Lindner's deal?
• What does Mama's plant symbolize in the play?
• When Lindner proposes a deal, which statement best describes where authority resides for the Younger family?
• Which character tends a shriveled raisin plant in the home?
• What is Walter Lee's job?
• Which character 'decided long ago to be enthusiastic about EVERYTHING in life'?
• What decision does Mama make about the life insurance money, and why does this cause tension with Walter?
• Which outcome best illustrates the play's commentary on systemic racism and housing discrimination?
• Who says, 'I bet this time next month y'all's names will have been in the papers plenty - 'NEGROES INVADE CLYBOURNE PARK - BOMBED!'?
• The community's response to the Younger family's plan primarily illustrates which social phenomenon?
• Which of the following describes the relationship between Walter and Beneatha?
• Which character embodies the attempt to control the family through negotiation and offers a separate, non-economic form of pressure?
• Why does Mama make Travis stay in the room during Walter's negotiation with Mr. Lindner?
• What is the significance of buying the house as a moral center for the family?
• What is Walter's reaction when Beneatha says that Asagai asked her to marry him and go to Africa with him?
• What purpose does Travis serve in the play?
• What's the significance of Mama telling Beneatha, 'Well—I guess you better not waste your time with no fools'?
• What proposition does Mr. Lindner offer to the Youngers?
• Which best describes the conflict between Walter's ambition and the rest of the family's needs?
• Which character declares there is no God?
• Which family members contribute to the gift for Mama?
• Name one external conflict and one internal conflict that drive the plot.
• Beneatha's arc addresses gender expectations by which of the following?
• Who says, "Just sit awhile and think... Never be afraid to sit awhile and think"?
• Which character embodies Africa-centered identity as a counterpoint to assimilation?
• Which statement about Ruth's pregnancy is correct based on these notes?
• Which character is described as being enthusiastic about EVERYTHING in life?
• Who informs Walter Lee that Willy has stolen the money?
• On all three days, Walter goes to a local bar called what?
• Who says the line about holding on to what you have and letting go of some things?
• Beneatha is taking ___________ lessons, much to the chagrin of her family members?
• Which character asked Beneatha to marry him and go to Africa with him?
• To Walter, the eggs that Ruth offers represent what?
• Mama's maiden name (before marriage) was?
• What does Beneatha want to do with the money?
• What does Lindner's approach during the visit reveal about the racism the Younger family faces?
• Who is the caregiver of the shriveled plant?
• Which statement best captures how Walter's failed liquor-store plan affects family power dynamics?
• Which statement best captures the play's critique of the idea that respectable middle-class values guarantee dignity?
• What significant personal circumstance about Ruth adds urgency to the family’s finances?
• Which phrase completes Walter's line: 'Baby, don't nothing happen for you in this world less... '?
• How do Beneatha's relationships with Asagai and George Murchison reveal different visions of Black identity?
• What job does Travis aspire to have when he is older? Why?