1. Identify a textual moment
Page 1294, Act 1, scene 1)
2. Three words to pluck out
Clowns
Running
3. To Ruth, at that moment;
Crazy- someone who is unreasonable
Clowns: foolish people
Running: talking too much
4. Fill in the blank with a word or concept of your choice
The characters philosophy of maturity FRAMES his/her perception of the textual moment
5. Determine the anchor that holds the fixed structure together.
The God factor in these words is maturity. Ruth believes that Walter should be old and mature enough to know that their child should be going to bed early instead of holding conversations in the boy's bedroom and letting him sleep late. He refers to them as clowns because he thinks that it is foolish for him and his friends to be holding late night conversations at the expense of the little boy. Ruth considers Walter and his friends to be running their mouths because he doesn't see anything important in what they are discussing after ten o'clock in the night in the boy's bedroom.
1. Page 1302
2. Three words I have picked
Drinks
Business
Selling
3. To mama at that moment
Drinks- the act of drinking liquor
Business- investing in liquor
Selling- the act of selling liquor
4. The character's philosophy of liquor FRAMES her perception of the textual moment
5. The GOD Factor here is liquor. Mama argues from the point of view of starting up a liquor business. Her choice of words is therefore related to the liquor business that Walter means to start up. The word drinks here is related to the fact that Mama does not care what people will do with the liquor As long as she is not involved in drinking it. The two words business and selling are closely related and are directed towards the liquor business, which Walter is supposed to open up.
1. Page 1297
2. Words chosen
Tired
Everything
Hole
3. Walter at this moment perceives
Tired- fed up of poverty
Everything- the conditions surrounding their poverty
Hole- a place that is unfit for human habitation
4. The character's philosophy of poverty frames his perception in the textual moment
5. The anchor word that holds the structure together is the word; poverty. Walter believes that his wife's attitude is influenced by the way in which they live. He uses the word hole to give some closure to their place of residence, which appears to be far from what is considered normal. The word everything in this context reflects upon their daily struggles as a family to meet their basic needs and make a decent living for their small family. Tired in this concept relates to the economic condition of this couple. Walter perceives their economic condition as low and assumes that Ruth has the same sentiments even though she refrains herself from stating her true feelings.
1 Page 1298
2. Selected words
Wrong
Woman
Building
3. To Walter at this moment
Wrong- something terribly wrong
Woman- the person who is responsible for the failures of the black man
Building- encouraging someone to pursue his dream
4. The character's philosophy of colored women FRAMES his perception of the textual moment
5. The anchor word that joins all these words together is COLORED WOMEN. These are Walter's words to Ruth. The words wrong, woman and building are joined by the word COLORED WOMAN. Walter believes that the colored woman is responsible for the failure of the black man because the colored woman does not believe in the dreams of the colored man. Moreover, Walter blames the colored woman for all the wrongs in the society. He believes that men who succeed do so on their own and not because they have received any form of encouragement from the colored woman. Walter's perception of women is influenced by her experiences with Ruth even though he uses hasty generalization and includes all colored women in his negative perception.
1. Page 1300
2. Three words to pluck out
Prophets
Wilderness
Swamps
3. To Benetha at this moment
Prophets- people who mislead others and lie.
Wilderness- difficult circumstances
Swamps- situations, which are even worse than that in the wilderness. A Worse state than what they are experiencing now.
4. The character's philosophy of the Bible FRAMES his perception of the textual moment
5. The anchor word that holds these three words together is the Bible. Benertha uses biblical allusion to drive her point home. She relates this moment to the Biblical story of Moses leading the Israelites through the wilderness and into a land full of milk and honey. However, Benertha perceives Walter as a man lacking in wisdom and not having the capability to lead them into the land of milk and honey. She perceives him as capable of leading them instead into a swampy area, much worse than the wilderness.
1page 1301
2. Chosen words
Plant
Sun
Spring
3. To mama at this moment
Plant- the vegetation they keep in their house
Sun- the source of food for the plant in their house
Spring- a season that comes once every year.
4. The character's philosophy of nature frames her perception of the textual moment.
5. The anchor word/ structural word, which brings these three words together, is NATURE. MAMA believes in the power of nature to make things survive and grow. She connects the power of the sun to the growth of the plant, which will then make it possible for the plant to make it to spring. There is no hidden meaning behind mama's words rather than the fact that she believes in the healing power of nature, and that nature works together or the good of the organisms living within it.
1page 1350
2. Chosen words
‘Tooken'
Wrong
World
3. To Walter at this moment
Token-people who are taken from. The victims of greed
Wrong- the injustices that life comes with
World- the place where people have to experience life.
4. The character's philosophy of life frames his perception of the textual moment.
5. The anchor word within these three words is the word LIFE. Walter perceives life from a different perspective. Walter believes that he is a victim of life. He refers to himself as the ‘tooken', a victim of the takers. He places himself on the negative side of life. He believes in the existence of right and wrong and at the same time places himself as a victim of the wrongs that people commit in the world. The world, in Walter's perception, is a place where people experience life differently. He experiences the negative side of life and perceives himself as a person whose failures have been aggravated by other people’s actions and behaviors. Within this context, he blames the takers from taking away his money.
Work Cited
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin In The Sun. New York: Random House, 1959. Print.
