AllusionsRaisin in the Sun

Lorraine Hansberry

1. Bantu language

• Common family of African languages below the equator

• Out of about 250 Bantu languages, Swahili is the most common Bantu language.

2. Great sculpture of Benin• From Benin (next to

Nigeria)• Art mostly animal heads • 14th-17th century

3. Booker T. Washington

• 1856-1915• Founded Tuskegee

institute (trade school)• Educator• Promoted blacks in

trade (manual labor) rather than intellectual pursuits

• Many blacks disagreed!

4. Chicago’s Southside• Large black population, esp. after

WWII.• Reputation of being poor, crimes• 1940s- lot of immigration of blacks

5. Shaka Zulu

• 19th century warrior king• Improved weaponry

6. Ethiopia

• East Africa• Referred to in the

Bible (Queen of Sheba)

• Cradle of ancient civilization

7. Conked head• A straightened hair

style for men • Painful and high

maintenance!• Popular 1920s-60s

Natural

• Some considered it “self-degrading” and denying their black identity to change their natural hair.

Conked

8. “if the salt loses its savor”(Biblical reference)

• Matthew 5:13: You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

• Beneatha refers to this, mockingly, to Mama

9. Monsieur le petit bourgeois noir

• “Mister small business man” (in French)

• Bourgeois = middle class

10. Mrs.Miniver

• 1942 movie – during WWII

• English housewife – known for courage

11. Nigeria

• West Africa• Most populated

country in Africa• Became independent

1960• Leader in art,

literature, music, craftmanship

12. peckerwood

• Derogatory term for poor working class whites, “cracker,” “white trash”

• These “peckerwoods” were considered loud and troublesome like the bird

• Used by upper class whites and southern blacks

13. Prometheus• Greek Titan• Punished by Zeus for

giving fire to mortals• Punished by having his

liver eaten out by an eagle EVERY DAY

14. Scarlett O’Hara

• Main character from Gone with the Wind

• Southern belle• Helpless grows in

strength

15. sharecroppers• Tenant farmer, paid

rent by giving a share of crops to land owner

• Popular up to the 50s in South for cotton

16. Songhai dynasty

• Western Africa, Mali• 1000 -1591 AD.• Boasted the city of

Timbuktu• Largest, richest

17. Nature of quiet desperation

• From Henry David Thoreau’s Walden.

• Most men lead lives this way – unsatisfied, desperate, but they don’t do anything to make change!