Chloe Gardner

4/27/16
English II- Block 2
Drama Unit Harkness Discussion
1. Analyze the Langston Hughes poem, A Dream Deferred with the Younger
family in mind.
a. Whose dream dries up?
i. Ruths dream dries up. This is the dream of being able to have
another child, and them having somewhere to sleep with a chance
of survival. This is dried up when she is forced to turn to abortion
for the sake of later mal-nourishment.
1. Pages 56-60
b. Whose dream festers like a sore and runs?
i. Walters dream of owning a liquor store, and being a rich
businessman festers like a sore and runs. This is because every
time he will get an idea, he is shot done, the sore. And the run
comes from when Walter then goes and does what he wants
anyways.
1. Example:
a. He is told to put the money in the bank, and not take
part in any crazy ideas with the money. Then,
against what everyone in the family said, he went
and invested the money with his friends.
b. Pages 125-130
c. Whose dream crusts over like a sugary sweet?
i. Beneathas dream crusts over like a sugary sweet because if one
looks at an image, the crusted over sugary sweet is quite cloudy.
The clouds represent all of the people and conflicts that crowd
Beneathas judgment through her life.
1. Some of these include:
a. George
b. The loss of the money
c. Asagai
d. Whose dream sags like a heavy load?
i. All throughout the beginning of the book, Mamas dream sags like
a heavy load. Her dream is to provide a better home and life for her
family. She hopes that with the check of money she can help
Beneatha through medical school, and make sure that Walter, Ruth,
Travis, and the baby are taken care of.
e. Whose dream explodes?
i. Walters dream explodes because he gave all the money Mama
gave him, for both his sister and his life, to his friend in hope of
making much more money. It ends up his money gets stolen, and
he looses all the money.
1. Pages 128-130

(You may have the same person in mind for more than one of these- that is ok)
2. Evaluate the following symbols in The Glass Menagerie, considering what they
represent:
a. The Gentleman Caller
i. All of the talk of the Gentleman Callers represents the hope that
Amanda has for Laura finding a man.
1. Page 5
b. The Movies
i. Tom would go to the movies as an escape from him normal life. He
uses the movies as his getaway from his mother and all of his
responsibilities He also wanted the adventure that his life doesnt
supply him.
ii. Quote on page 48
c. The Coffin Trick
i. When Tom spoke of the coffin trick he said that a magician had
nailed himself into a coffin, and he was able to get out without
removing any of the nails. The coffin represents Toms living
situation. He is stuck in a horrible, mindless job, which he finds no
liveliness, and a controlling family, mother specifically.
1. Page 27
d. The Glass Menagerie
i. The Glass Menagerie is another form of Laura. The glass
menagerie is very easily breakable, just like Laura is. There are
also very delicate and innocent.
1. Page 80
e. The Unicorn
i. Unicorns are different, and Laura was that glass unicorn. When
Jim broke the unicorn, he broke the horn off so it was just a horse;
it was ordinary. This is Laura. Before Jim kissed her she was so
innocent and unique, but now she is just like everyone else; she is
normal and ordinary. As Jim was leaving, Laura gave in the horse
figurine as a souvenir. Therefore, he is taking a piece of her just
like he did with the kiss.
1. Page 83-86
f. Amandas Cotillion Dress
i. Her dress represents Amandas life in the past. When she was
young, beautiful, and had fun with life. A time when she had ALL
the gentlemen callers.
1. Page 53
g. The Victrola
i. The Victrola represents Lauras escape from reality. Whenever she
feels panicked or worried, she listens to music on the victrola to
calm herself down.
1. Pages 15, 35, and 58

h. The Jonquils
i. Like the Cotillion Dress, the Jonquils represent Amandas life in
the past. They, the flowers, are her visual remembrance of all the
gentlemen callers she had, those of which she would love for Laura
to have.
1. Page 54
i. Candles
i. The candles represent the hope for Laura, in her normal life and
love life. When Jim first arrives, the power goes out, and their
conversation is lit with the candles. Then at the end when Tom
leaves, he instructs her to blow out the candles; to blow out all of
her hopes and happiness in life.
1. Page 97
3. Read the following explanation of Maslows Hierarch of needs. Apply the
hierarchy to the characters in both A Raisin in the Sun and The Glass Menagerie.
What needs are being met in the lives of these characters? What are the barriers
that stand in the way of their needs being met? How could they achieve the top of
the pyramid, thus being completely fulfilled?
a. A Raisin in the Sun
i. Physiological needs
1. These are met because while they are poor, they can afford
the necessities even if money is tight.
ii. Safety and Security
1. They also have all of these requirements.
iii. Love and Belonging
1. In the Younger family, while they argue all the time, the
love is always there. They can debate over money and who
is bring unsupported, but there will always be love in their
home.
iv. Self-esteem
1. The Younger family does have some issues in this category.
There are times where the family doesnt respect each
other, and they do not do what is best for the family as a
unit *cough, cough, Walter* They also may struggle with
personal self-respect when they move to Clybourne Park, a
community with no other African American families.
v. Self-actualization
1. This top tier is not covered in this family. Walter does not
feel that he has purpose, which is one of the requirements.
Also, Beneatha does not feel as if her family is career
choice seriously.
vi. What they need to work on:
1. Respecting each other, and finding economic stability
b. The Glass Menagerie
i. Physiological needs

ii.

iii.

iv.

v.

vi.

1. At the current time, right after Tom has left Amanda and
Laura are living under the correct standards, but without
Toms steady income, their future is questionable.
Safety and Security
1. Again, after the departure of Tom, they technically do not
have the necessary requirements for this tier. Without Tom,
the family does not have a steady income or employment.
Love and Belonging
1. The Wingfields are all torn apart from the disconnection
between Amanda and Tom. They would argue all the time,
but unlike A Raisin in the Sun, the love is not always there.
Self-esteem
1. Laura has no self-esteem. She thinks of herself as crippled,
and she is so shy and nervous that is makes her extremely
antsy around people. Amanda has trouble understanding
how to respect Tom. She does not understand that he is a
grown man who does not need her strangling him.
Self-actualization
1. Tom feels no purpose in life. This is why he always goes to
the movies, to give his life adventure and pizazz. Laura
does not feel as if she has any potential due to her lack of
confidence, and towards the end of the play, Amanda
understands this.
What they need to work on:
1. Like the Youngers, the Wingfields need to learn how to
respect each other, and what is best for each other. That
note is basically for Tom and Amanda. For Laura, she
needs to learn to respect herself and find confidence to give
her in mental strength she is now lacking.