Lesson 8: A Raisin in the Sun, Act I, Scene 1, Part 4

Use this brief routine to reconnect students to Lesson 7 and prepare them to analyze Beneatha’s perspective via conflict. Have students discuss the following question for 1–2 minutes and then share their responses with the class.

• Say: In the previous lesson, we compared Ruth, Beneatha, and Mama and noticed that each woman responds to pressure differently. Today, we are zooming in on Beneatha because Hansberry provides two telling conflicts that reveal what Beneatha values in contrast to Mama and, to at least some extent, Ruth. This matters because our unit keeps asking how dreams shape identity and what happens when systems and societal expectations act as barriers to achieving those dreams.

Think-Pair-Share

Say these Directions: Think of one detail from the last section we read that reveals how Beneatha sees the world differently from Mama or Ruth. Then, you will share that detail and explain what in the text helped you draw that conclusion. Partner A will go first, then Partner B.

• Ask: Which detail from the last section we read made you think Beneatha sees the world differently from Mama or Ruth, and what in the text helped you figure that out?

  • In the part where Beneatha talks about becoming a doctor, I could tell that she sees the world differently because she wants more than what Walter or Ruth expect, especially for women. The text helped me figure that out because she keeps defending her goal even when other people dismiss it.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, we will listen closely to Beneatha’s language during conflict so that we can infer and analyze her perspective.

Use this routine to show students how one word in dialogue can reveal a character’s standards and values.

Word Associations

Say these Directions: Sometimes, one word in a scene does a lot of character work. Today, you are going to study Hansberry’s word choice of shallow to reveal what the character Beneatha values in other people.

Display p. 48, and direct students to read the line beginning with “Oh, I just mean” and ending with “so shallow.”

Target Line:

BENEATHA (Wearily): “Oh, I just mean I couldn’t ever really be serious about George. He’s—he’s so shallow.” (p. 48)

Teach: Using Word Association to Find Meaning

Start by asking students for the literal meaning of shallow. Ask students to name the opposite of shallow (deep). Elicit or provide the related word depth.

Say these Directions: First, explain to your partner the difference between the deep and shallow ends of a pool. Next, explain how a person could be deep or shallow. Last, use Beneatha’s line to explain what she is implying about George.

• Ask: What could it mean to call a person shallow or deep?

  • If people are shallow, there isn’t as much to find out about them; maybe everything is close to the surface. If they are deep, there may be more to find out about them; they may have “deep” thoughts and ideas that aren’t just on the surface.

• Ask: What does shallow mean in Beneatha’s line, and what does that word reveal about what she values?

  • In Beneatha’s line, shallow means “not thoughtful or serious.” The word reveals that she values depth in personality, deep thinking, intelligence, and a strong sense of purpose or ideals, not just things you can see on the surface, such as money or a good-looking image.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Now that we have a precise in-context meaning for shallow, we’re ready to read the whole section and track how Beneatha’s conflicts reveal deeper values.

As a class, read aloud from Beneatha’s entrance, brushing her hair through the end of Act I, Scene 1. The teacher should read the stage directions; students can read the character roles.

Part A: Reading Beneatha’s Conflicts Aloud (RL.7.3, RL.7.6) (15 minutes)

Choral Reading

Say these Directions: As you read, listen for two main conflicts: Beneatha’s disagreement with Mama and Ruth about George, and Beneatha’s disagreement with Mama about God. Mark one line that shows what Beneatha values and one line that shows what Mama or Ruth values. These moments, through dialogue and/or stage directions, further reveal the characters’ perspectives.

Guide students to respond to the following questions after the reading.

• Ask: What do Beneatha’s argument about George and her argument about God have in common?

  • Both arguments happen because Beneatha refuses to accept what other people think should matter most. In both conflicts, she pushes back against expectations and insists on her own ideas.

• Ask: How does Hansberry use these arguments to reveal Beneatha’s perspective?

  • Hansberry shows Beneatha’s perspective through her bold dialogue. Beneatha values ideas, independence, and becoming her own person, so she challenges George, Mama, and Ruth instead of just agreeing to keep the peace.

Part B: From Conflict to Theme (RL.7.3, RL.7.6) (15 minutes)

Place students in groups of three. Students first think silently, then discuss their ideas in the group, and then move into the writing task.

Teach: Conflict to Theme

• Say: When characters argue, I do not stop at determining who won the argument. I ask what larger idea the conflict reveals about the world of the play.

• Say: Beneatha’s conflicts are not only personal choices; they also connect to bigger pressures like gender expectations, respectability, family authority, and faith in a segregated world. A strong analysis names both the character choice and the larger societal forces acting upon the characters.

Think-Pair-Share

Say these Directions: In your group, discuss the two conflicts Beneatha has in this section. Your job is to find what the conflicts have in common and then decide what larger theme or idea Hansberry may be developing. After you talk, you will write your own paragraph.

• Ask: What do Beneatha’s two conflicts have in common, and what do they reveal about what Beneatha values versus what the older generation values?

  • Both conflicts show Beneatha refusing to let other people define her. She values ideas, independence, and becoming a doctor, while Mama and Ruth often value respect, faith, stability, and practical survival in a hard world.

• Ask: Which parts of these conflicts come from Beneatha’s own choices, and which parts connect to larger societal forces of the 1950s?

  • Beneatha chooses to speak sharply and challenge people directly, but the conflicts are also bigger than her choices. They connect to expectations that women should marry well, respect elders, keep faith, and not push too far beyond what society allows.

• Ask: What do these conflicts reveal about larger themes in the play?

  • Dreams are important, but it’s not always easy to reach for them. Beneatha’s attempt to build her own identity may cause conflicts with her family, whose identities and dreams don’t always match hers, but she is strong-minded and not willing to give up her growing self-definition.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Now, you will turn your discussion ideas into a short analytical paragraph explaining how conflict can develop both character and theme.

Say these Directions: Choose one of Beneatha’s conflicts in today’s reading. Write a paragraph explaining what that conflict reveals about her character, and connect it to an emerging theme of the play. Use at least two specific details from the scene, and try to include one of these words in your response: shallow, values, or perspective.

• Ask: Which one of Beneatha’s conflicts in today’s reading reveals something important about her character, and how does it connect to an emerging theme of the play? Use at least two specific details and include one of these words in your response: shallow, values, or perspective.

  • Beneatha’s conflict with Mama about God reveals that she is independent, bold, and committed to her own ideas. In the part where Beneatha says that she is tired of hearing about God and calls God “just one idea,” she shows that she wants to think for herself instead of repeating what others expect. Mama’s response also matters because Mama insists that there are some ideas they are not going to tolerate in her house, which shows how serious this conflict is. Together, these details reveal that Beneatha values intellectual freedom, while Mama values faith and family order. This connects to an emerging theme of the play: Dreams and identity can create conflict when different generations believe in different ways of living.

Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

Have students reflect on which conflict best reveals Beneatha’s perspective using specific evidence.

• Say: Today, we practiced turning conflict into evidence about character and perspective. That same move matters for the performance task because you will need to use A Raisin in the Sun as literary evidence in an argument about how systems and societal barriers shape dreams and opportunity. When you can explain what a scene reveals, you know you’re getting stronger at building claims with reasoning.

Quick Write

Say these Directions: Think about the two conflicts Beneatha has in this section. Write a few sentences in response to the following questions, including at least two specific details from the scene.

• Ask: Which conflict helped you understand Beneatha’s perspective most clearly? How did close reading or discussion help you figure that out?

  • The conflict about God helped me understand Beneatha’s perspective most clearly because she says exactly what she believes, even after Mama warns her. Close reading helped me notice that Beneatha keeps defending her right to independence and self-discovery. Her refusal to believe in God is very serious, but she also insists on learning to play the guitar; together, these details show insistence on exploring her interests and identity.

• Say: As we continue to read, notice when characters argue. Ask yourself what each person is protecting or defending. That question will help you in interpreting later scenes, in discussions, and in your final writing.

Instruct students to reread the section from Beneatha calling George “so shallow” through the end of Act I, Scene 1.

Have students write the following in their Journal:

• One line that shows what Beneatha values

• One line that shows what Mama or Ruth values

• One sentence explaining which conflict feels more connected to a larger system, barrier, or expectation than to an individual choice.