Glossary
This glossary includes helpful vocabulary and allusions that will deepen your understanding of the words and world of A Raisin in the Sun. This glossary was adapted from the work of Production Dramaturg Khalid Long.
| WORD/PHRASE | DEFINITION |
|---|---|
| A-Bomb | (n) Throughout the 1950s, the American government was developing and testing the atomic bomb in the Nevada desert |
| “And Ethiopia stretch forth her arms again” | A verse from Psalms 68:31 – “Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God” |
| Arriverderci | (int) Literally “Until we meet again;” a form of “goodbye” in Italian |
| Ashanti Empire | (n) Originally a part of present-day Ghana; due to the empire’s military prowess, wealth, architecture, sophisticated hierarchy and culture, the Ashanti Kingdom has been extensively studied and has more historiographies by European, primarily British, authors than almost any other indigenous culture of Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Assimilationism | (n) The practice of absorbing minority cultures into the majority; effectively encourages conformity to the dominant culture |
| Bantu | (n) Bantu languages are spoken largely in the regions commonly known as Central Africa, Southeast Africa, and Southern Africa; between 250 and 535 languages fall within this loosely defined categorization |
| Buckingham Palace | (n) The London residence and administrative headquarters of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom |
| Chaka | (n, also Shaka or Shaka Zulu) An early nineteenth century African warrior-king who implemented warfare techniques and weaponry which have been studied and adopted by military leaders and personnel worldwide |
| Clybourne Park | (n) A fictitious neighborhood in Chicago |
| Colonel McCormick | (n, 1880-1955) A lawyer, Chicago alderman, distinguished U.S. Army officer in World War I, and owner and publisher of the Chicago Tribune; a leading Republican and noninterventionist, McCormick opposed the increase in Federal power brought about by the New Deal and later opposed American entry into World War II |
| Conked Head | (n) A popular hairstyle for Black men from the 1920s – 1960s wherein the hair was cropped and relaxed with chemicals |
| Dungarees | (n) Jeans or denim overalls |
| “Empty as Jacob’s kettle” | Refers to the Biblical story in John Chapter 4, in which Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well; her pot (kettle) was empty |
| “English were still tattooing themselves with blue dragons” | It is possible that 5th Century Anglo-Saxon warriors tattooed themselves with several symbols – including the symbol of the dragon |
| Epitaph | (n) Brief text honoring a deceased person, usually inscribed on a tombstone |
| Garbo Routine | (n) Refers to Greta Garbo, a glamorous famous actress from the 1920s and 30s who was notoriously glamorous, moody, mysterious, and dramatic |
| Heathenism | (n) Paganism; any religious practice outside of Christianity or Judaism |
| Herero Women | (n) The Herero Tribe is a civilization of cattle herders in Namibia in Southern Africa; at the turn of the century, the tribe successfully revolted against the German imperialists; the women of the Herero Tribe are known for their signature hand-made Victorian Dresses and headdresses that symbolize the importance of cattle farming for the success of the Herero people |
| “If the salt loses its savor” | May refer to several Bible verses: Matthew 5:13, Mark 9:50, and/or Luke 14:34-35 |
| Jomo Kenyatta | (n) A Kenyan anti-colonial activist and politician who served as Kenya’s Prime Minister (1963-1964) and as its first President (1964-1978); he was the country’s first Black head of government and played a significant role in the transformation of Kenya from a colony of the British Empire into an independent republic |
| “Monsieur de la petit bourgeois noir” | (int) French, meaning “sir of the Black lower middle class” |
| Mr. Charley | (n) A pejorative expression used within the African American community to refer to an imperious white man; it suggests that whites are generic or interchangeable |
| Mrs. Miniver | (n) An Oscar-winning film (1942) about an English middle-class housewife who is stalwart in tending her roses in the face of blitz bombs of Nazi Germany |
| Napoleon | (n) A French statesman and military leader who was the Emperor of the French from 1804-1815 and took control of most of the European continent |
| No Ways Tired | A line from the Negro Spiritual “I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired” |
| Prometheus | (n) A Greek mythological figure credited with having created man and defied the gods by stealing fire from them and gifting it to man; Zeus punishes Prometheus for stealing the fire by tying him to a rock where an Eagle eats his liver daily |
| Riding Habit | (n) The clothes worn for horseback riding; in the 1950s, this would include a pair of calf-high boots, tight-fitting pants, a button-down shirt, a jacket, a hat, and a riding crop |
| Scarlet O’Hara | (n) The main character of Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel Gone With the Wind and the 1939 film; Scarlett is a pampered, fashionable Southern plantation lady who tends to seduce and beguile all who come in contact with her |
| Songhay Civilization | (n) A West African state that was dominant in the 15th and 16th centuries; at its peak, it was one of the largest states in African history |
| Tarzan | (n) A fictional character who first appeared in writing by Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1912; Tarzan is a feral child raised by apes in the jungles of Africa |
| “Thirty pieces and not a coin less” | Refers to the price for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, according to an account in the Gospel (Matthew 26:15) |
| U.S. Steel | (n) Once the largest steel producer and largest corporation in the world; founded in 1901, it was the world’s first billion-dollar corporation |
| Uncle Tom | (n) A derogatory term originating from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin; an Uncle Tom is a Black person who is over eager to win the approval of Whites (as by obsequious behavior or uncritical acceptance of white values and goals) |
| Yoruba | (n) The largest ethnic group in West Africa, living mostly in Nigeria and Benin |