A Raisin in the Sun
When a struggling African-American family receives a large insurance check, a conflict erupts on how to spend the money.
Below are some reading passages that we have hand picked to supplement this book. Be sure to read the passage summaries and our suggestions for instructional use.
7th Grade
Poem
Mother to Son
Passage Summary:
In “Mother to Son,” a mother utilizes metaphor to communicate the struggles she's faced and the importance of perseverance to her son.
When and How to Pair: Introduce this text after reading Act II, Scene Two, in which Mama feels sorry for Walter and gives him the entire insurance check. Have students compare the speaker and son in the poem to Mama and Walter. What advice does the speaker in the poem give to her son? How does this compare to Mama’s decision to give the check to Walter? What do both mothers want their sons to understand? Does Walter understand the lessons Mama wants to impart?