Read the following excerpt from Act I, Scene 1 of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun:
RUTH (With a frown) Bobo?

WALTER Yeah. You see, this little liquor store we got in mind cost seventy-five thousand and we figured the initial investment on the place be 'bout thirty thousand, see. That be ten thousand each. Course, there's a couple of hundred you got to pay so's you don't spend your life just waiting for them clowns to let your license get approved —

RUTH You mean graft?

WALTER (Frowning impatiently) Don't call it that. See there, that just goes to show you what women understand about the world. Baby, don't nothing happen for you in this world 'less you pay somebody off!

RUTH Walter, leave me alone! (She raises her head and stares at him vigorously — then says, more quietly) Eat your eggs, they gonna be cold.

WALTER (Straightening up from her and looking off) That's it. There you are. Man say to his woman: I got me a dream. His woman say: Eat your eggs. (Sadly, but gaining in power) Man say: I got to take hold of this here world, baby! And a woman will say: Eat your eggs and go to work. (Passionately now) Man say: I got to change my life, I'm choking to death, baby! And his woman say — (In utter anguish as he brings his fists down on his thighs) — Your eggs is getting cold!

RUTH (Softly) Walter, that ain't none of our money.

WALTER (Not listening at all or even looking at her) This morning, I was lookin' in the mirror and thinking about it . . . I'm thirty-five years old; I been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the living room — (Very, very quietly) — and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live . . .

RUTH Eat your eggs, Walter.

WALTER (Slams the table and jumps up)
Identify two themes that are clearly developed in this excerpt. How does the author develop the two themes over the course of this excerpt? Be sure to use specific details from the text to support your answer.

The first theme that might be identify is money, investing money. It seems that Walter wants to invest a lot of money to gain more fortune.This might not be a bad idea but later on ,the reader gets to know that he remains poor. On the other hand, black/white social differences. It might be clear when Walter expresses how he sees his life and the things he has to tell his son about how "rich white people live"

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Jrdlines Jrdlines · Answer 2 · 2021-04-01T16:34:30+02:00

Answer:

Two themes that stand out the most from this excerpt alone are money and opportunities. The theme of money is shown considering the entire excerpt is about how Walter wants to invest money into a business that will give him enough profit to no longer have to live in poverty with his family. The theme of opportunities is shown by two pieces of information. One being that Walter doesn’t get the opportunity to invest in a business, which we later find out is because Mama buys a new house. The other piece of information is the quote “and all I got to give him are stories of how rich white people live”. This shows the difference in opportunities that white and black people get in the play. The rich white people are successful because they took advantage of the opportunities they got, whereas Walter didn’t get any opportunities to invest his money.