HOPEACADEMY
ENG2603
Assignment 02 — Peer
Assessment Activity
DUE 14 AUGUST 2026
2026
ENG2603: Colonial and Postcolonial African Literatures
Assignment 02 — Peer Assessment Activity: Student Instructions
DUE 14 AUGUST 2026
Write a close reading of this extract in which you analyse how Hansberry uses language to
present Mama's understanding of love and human dignity. Your analysis must address ALL of
the following:
• the effect of the rhetorical questions in Mama's speech
• the significance of the repetition of “measure him right”
• the meaning and effect of the metaphor “hills and valleys”
0 7 6 4 0 3 1 2 2 9
, ENG2603: Colonial and Postcolonial
African Literatures
Assignment 02 — Peer Assessment
Activity: Student Instructions
DUE 14 AUGUST 2026
Write a close reading of this extract in which you analyse how Hansberry uses
language to present Mama's understanding of love and human dignity. Your
analysis must address ALL of the following:
• the effect of the rhetorical questions in Mama's speech
• the significance of the repetition of “measure him right”
• the meaning and effect of the metaphor “hills and valleys”
You must also show, in the course of your analysis, how at least ONE of the themes
raised in the extract connects to the play as a whole.
Your response must be between 800 and 1 000 words.
In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry uses Mama’s voice to present a clear moral
vision of love and human dignity. Mama speaks during a moment of family crisis, when
her son Walter feels worthless after losing the family’s money. Through her speech,
Hansberry shows that Mama’s understanding of love is not soft or sentimental. It is
rooted in respect, responsibility, and the belief that every person must be treated as a
human being. Hansberry achieves this through three main language techniques:
rhetorical questions, repetition, and metaphor. This essay will analyse how Hansberry
uses rhetorical questions to challenge and teach, how the repetition of “measure him
right” stresses fairness and dignity, and how the metaphor of “hills and valleys” explains
life and struggle. It will also show how the theme of human dignity in this extract
connects to the play as a whole.
The Effect of Rhetorical Questions in Mama’s Speech
Hansberry uses rhetorical questions to make Mama sound like both a teacher and a
judge. A rhetorical question does not expect an answer. It forces the listener to think. In
ENG2603
Assignment 02 — Peer
Assessment Activity
DUE 14 AUGUST 2026
2026
ENG2603: Colonial and Postcolonial African Literatures
Assignment 02 — Peer Assessment Activity: Student Instructions
DUE 14 AUGUST 2026
Write a close reading of this extract in which you analyse how Hansberry uses language to
present Mama's understanding of love and human dignity. Your analysis must address ALL of
the following:
• the effect of the rhetorical questions in Mama's speech
• the significance of the repetition of “measure him right”
• the meaning and effect of the metaphor “hills and valleys”
0 7 6 4 0 3 1 2 2 9
, ENG2603: Colonial and Postcolonial
African Literatures
Assignment 02 — Peer Assessment
Activity: Student Instructions
DUE 14 AUGUST 2026
Write a close reading of this extract in which you analyse how Hansberry uses
language to present Mama's understanding of love and human dignity. Your
analysis must address ALL of the following:
• the effect of the rhetorical questions in Mama's speech
• the significance of the repetition of “measure him right”
• the meaning and effect of the metaphor “hills and valleys”
You must also show, in the course of your analysis, how at least ONE of the themes
raised in the extract connects to the play as a whole.
Your response must be between 800 and 1 000 words.
In A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry uses Mama’s voice to present a clear moral
vision of love and human dignity. Mama speaks during a moment of family crisis, when
her son Walter feels worthless after losing the family’s money. Through her speech,
Hansberry shows that Mama’s understanding of love is not soft or sentimental. It is
rooted in respect, responsibility, and the belief that every person must be treated as a
human being. Hansberry achieves this through three main language techniques:
rhetorical questions, repetition, and metaphor. This essay will analyse how Hansberry
uses rhetorical questions to challenge and teach, how the repetition of “measure him
right” stresses fairness and dignity, and how the metaphor of “hills and valleys” explains
life and struggle. It will also show how the theme of human dignity in this extract
connects to the play as a whole.
The Effect of Rhetorical Questions in Mama’s Speech
Hansberry uses rhetorical questions to make Mama sound like both a teacher and a
judge. A rhetorical question does not expect an answer. It forces the listener to think. In
