Lorraine Hansberry
A Raisin in the Sun CHARACTERS
w,lLttn touNcan, "enotrtn" BENEATHA YOUNGER
Lclt,l Yourcrt, "uxua"
CEORCE MURCHISON
aoBo MOVINC MEN
The.lction ofthe play is set in ChicdEo's Southside, sometime betn)eenwo dwdtIl
ACT ONE
Scene l. Friday rnoming. S?ne lI. The followins mornins.
ACT TWO
Sc"ne I. Later, lhe same day. Scen€ II Friday night, a few veeks later. Scene IIl. Moving day, one week )ater.
ACT THREE
ACT I
Tle youNcER ltrtrs roon $,ould be a.omfottable and well<nlercd rcom if it wele not fot a nunbet of indestructible q)nttadictions to this state of beiic. Its finishinss arc \bical and undistinsuished and then bnmary fedt6. non) is that they ha)e cbarb had to ,xccommodate the li'ine of too nnny people fot too many va^-and |he\ drc tfud. Still, i,e can $p" th.tt ol son" tine. a time prcbobh no Ionlet rcnemhercd b\ the lamty \exce,t pe dps fot \^\ \)thelunBhinesofth^ tuon eete actu.llly selectea \rith carc ana low and ewn hoPe - and brcught to this dbatment dnd aftanEed eith taste dnd ptide.
'that wo\ d tanl tme aea. Now th? on a loved patten of the couch upholster'l
529
5t0
has to f+ht to shov itself from unler acra of crocheted doities and co\ch cowrs rihich ha1)e themsel'es frn<ity cone lo be norc inpotant than the upholst.ty. And herc a table or a chan hds heen mored to diseuie the Nom places in the .dtpet; btt the catpet has fouEht back hy shopine its veariness, with de essins lnifotmity, elsewhere on its surface.
Weatiness has, in fact, won in this room. E erythine has been folishe<i, *dshed. sat on, lsed, sctubbed too often. All pretenses hut lirin' itself h.Ire lons sin@ ,anished fiom the wry atnosphere of this rcon.
Mareow, d se.tion af this rcom, fot it is nor rcalb a rcon unto itself, thot+h thelandlord'sleasevouldmakeitseenso,slopeshackw.ldtobrc.rideasna kitchen arcd, wherc the fdnily fieparcs the mettls thdt dre eaten in the lieine roon brcper, which must .1.sa sene as dining room. The single window that hds been prcfided fot these "tvo" roons is locatel in this kitchen drca. The sole natu l lieht the fanilr nay enior in th. coutse ofa day ls on/) that which fshts its way thtoush this little
At left, a doot leads to d he&oom which is sh.1rcd hy Mr.M,r and her daushter , BENEaTHA. Af risrt, oppdtte, is d second rcon (which in the besinnine of the life of this dpanment was probably a breakfnst rcon) which senes as a hedrcon fot w^L'rER dnd nis ufe, Rurfi.
IAt Rise: It is notnins datk in the li,)ins nom. tR^vts is dsleep on the make dovn bedat centet. An alarm docksaunisfromwithinthe bedloon dt ght, and bresently \\)rB enteft fiom that mn dnd closes the door behind her. She crosses sleepib towad the windotr. As she passes het sleeping son she reaches dovn and shakes hin a little. At the Nindow
'herukes the shade and a dusky Southside motnine li*ht comu in feebly. She l:ilk a pot vith vatet and puts it on to boil. She cd s to the bot, belveen
'dwns, in a slishtly nufred wice.
RtnH is about thnr. We cdn s.e that sh. w1s d pletty gd, evn exceptiond y so, but no1'/ it is app&ent that life has heen little that she expected, and disappointnent has abeddy begun to hans in het face. ln .j fe'" wat, beforcthnty fiee ewn, she pill be known anone het peoble as a "settled Namdn."
She uosses to he/ son and Eiws him a sood, fnal, rcusinl shake.l nurr: Come on now, boy, it s seven thirlyl [Her son sitl up at last, in a stupor of
s/eepta€ss.ll say hunf up, TravislYou ain'i the only p€rson in thc world sot to use a barhroonl [Tfie crild, a st rdy,h.lndsome little boy often or eleren,drags himselfout ofthe bed and almos.t blindly takes his towek dnd "today's clothes" fion (lrawen and d closet dnd soes out to the bathnom, which is in an oLtside hall and ,hich is sharcd by dnothet fani, or fdnilies on the same foor. |0ra crcsses ta the be&aon aoat nt tight and opens it and calk in to het hurband) Walte. Leel . . . It's after seven tbirty! Lemme see you do some waking up in tbere nowl btre lrdtlsl You better set up from there, manl It's afier seven thtrty I tell you. [sherdils dsdin. ] All risbt, youjustsoahead and laythere and next thins you kDow Trsvis bc finished and Mr. fohnson'll be in there and you ll be fusins and cussing round hcre like a mad manl Andbe late tool [Sir" i,aits, at the end of pltience.l Walter Lee-it's lime for you to set up!
lshe \rdits dnothet second and then statts to eo into the bedroom, bft is
t3r
dDDdedtly.oti\h.d that het hu.band ha. he,us to ect up She 6top\. pull' Ihe d@t to. ond retutns to the kikhen drca She \ ipPs tu facc t h a noist cloth and runs het fngeft throueh het sle.piishqeled hair in a %in efoft and ties an a\rcn arcund het housecoat. The bedrcon door at right opens and het husband stan16 in the dooNat in hi| pdiands,vhich
aie runpled and nismated. He is a ledn, intense vounsnan in his middle thnies, inclined to qtick nenous mol'enents and etrdtic sp@ch habits and alwdys ;n his roice there is d qualitv of indictnent l
wtrn: Is he out yet? nvrH: Whal vou mean orl? He aiD't hardly sot in there good vet. ur-renr lwandarine in, ttill morc o/iented Io sleep t/ran to a ne$' dayl Well' what
was you doing all that yellins for if I can't cven set in Il'erc vet? lstoppine nna
tliaftinsl Check coming today? norr: They said Satur&y and thh isiust Friday aDd I hopestoGodvou ain'igoing
to gei up here 6rst thing this morning lnd siart talldns to me 'bout no money-'causc I 'boul don't want to bear il
w^LrER: Something the matte. with you tbis morning? Rurri: No I'm just sleepy as ihe dcvil. What kind of esss vou wantT wrr-rnr: Not scrambled. Ir\)n stais to scrdnble eses lPaper come? IRU'IH poDfs
imbatient\ to the rclled lp Tibrne on the table, dnd he eets it dnd spiads it oui .Ind
',asuely rcads the /ront dg".l Set ofi another bomb vesterdav
rLlrn Imawmun ndtfferenc?lD,J they? u rr r: /oo*,ne upl Whar'. rhe mJte, $rh \ou: Rurrr Ai;1 nothi.g thc Inatiel with me. And don't keep asking me tbat this
urrnr: Ain'r nobody bo ihering yor.lreading the ne$ of the .Jav absentb asain) Sav Colonel Mccornick is sick.
nurt. l;ft"rtinq tea-ba t tri?..'rl l.heno$IPoo.rhing u \t p:
"ishnc and tookrns a{ h/r wa,, hl Oh me lH? 'd,ts
\us $hdi L rhrr boy doing in thebathroom all thistime? He just going to have to sled getting
upearliei I can't be being late to work on account of hiln fooling around in
nurrr: Itrmtng on hinrl Oh, no he ain'l soins to be setting up no earlicr no such thingl Iiainlhis iault thathc can'tgettobed no earli€I nishts.'cause hesot a bu""h uf crazy good f""nothing clowns silling up running their mouths in wbat is supposed to be his bedroom after ten o'clock ai right . .
urrrn: Thai\'what you mad about, ain't it? 'l'he things I want to talk about with my friends iust couldn'i be imPonant in your mind, could thev?
lHc n*" and find" o ciearcae n h honJbosan th? Iable dnd o$e'to it," nno ,^io" and iooh. our, "mohna aid deepb enpv'ne thb fid
you rluJV' sol t^ 'mol. briore y"u erl in lhe murnrnsl $Ar,;R: ld//hed,rd"rrju.rl""l!l emdo$nlhe-e RunrrnsanJra(insro
woir . . . lhe turc dnd faces his $'ife 411d wdtches het a moment at the sto'e, and then, suddenly)Yorlook young lhis mornins, babv.
nurr: [indiferentlyl Yeah?
532
wa,.rDR: lust for a second-stirring them esgs.It's gone now - iust for a second itwas -you
looked reai young again. [ti"n, dn]l lt's gone now - you look ti]eyounelfagain. RUrH: Man, if you don't shut up and leave me alone. ${LlrR: [oo&r ng oul ro rft€ (ir?ei d8dt, Firs hingamanoughllolea'n in litehnor
lo male love to nu colored \aoman {rat thinq rn lhe morning \ouall\omeevil peoplc at eight o clock rn the morning.
tR\vtsdppea\ tn th? ha doon ar . almost fullt dre*ed ond quite vide awake now, his toi,els dnd ,aianas acrcs his shouLiets. He opens the
. door and signals for his fathet to make the bathrcom in a hufty.) 'tF.^vls: [watchine the bathroon] Daddy, come onl
l\\i ^LTER
eets his bathrcom utensils and flieN out to the bathtuom.) nvra: Sit down and have your breakfasr, Travis. rRAVrs: Mama, this is Frid.y. kbrfrllll Checl coming tomorow, hub? Rr rH: \ou sel \our mrnd oft money and eJr your b,e,kir(t. r R^J ,: kdr,nsl Thi, ir rhe morning we supposed ro b';ns lhe 6fh cent. i" \cho"t. RUTH: Well, I ain t sot no 6fiy cents thh morning. rn,rvrs: Teacher say we have lo. RUrn: I don't care what lercher say. I ain'l gol it. Eat your brsltfast, Tr:vis. rRAMs: I d,l eatins. RUrH: Hush up now and just e.il
[The boy gh'es her an exaspqated look fot hq tdck d underctandins, dnd eats su(lsinsly .)
r$vx: You think Grandmama would havc it? RUrH: Nol And I want you to stop asking you. grandmother for moncy, you hca.
rlAvrs: loutrds"d] Ga.aleee! I don't ask her, sh€ iust simme it som€limes! Rurnr Travis Willard Younser-l goi too much on me this morning to be . . . 'rRAvrs: Mayb€ Daddy . . .
[The boy hushes abtuptly. They arc both quiet and tense for se1Jerc|
rRAVrs: lplevntlrlCould I mayb€ so carry somesroceries in front ofth€ supermar- ket for a little while afier school then?
RUr : Just hush, I said. [Tft'b idbs his spoon into his cercal hovl eiciously, and rcsts his head in aneet ubon /ris fsls.l Ifyou ihroush eatins, you cen get over tbere and make up your bed.
[The bor obe:'s stifry dnd crcss.s the rcon, almast mechrlnica y, ta the bed and more or bs c'trefitly folds the coverins. He carries the beddins into his nothet's toon and rctuns ith his books dnd cab.l
'IRAvn: [s &irg dnd stdnlins apatt fion het unnaturall1] I'm gone. \$A: vookin9 uP fion the store to inspect him autonaticaln Colr,e herc. lHe
crasses to het and she stu.lies ftis fi?dd.I If you don't take this comb and 6x this here head, you better! lrRAvrs pul,, doyn his hooks n)ith d ereat sish af oppressian, and c6ses to the miftot. His nothet mutteB undet her heath abaut his " stubbomness." I 'Bout to march oul of h€re with tbal head looking iust lile chickens slept in itl I iust don't lnow where you set your stubborn ways . . . And get your jaclet, too. Looks chilly out this mornins.
A Rdisin in t&e Sun
rRAUS: lurfr.o'lDrcuouch brushe.l hdn and idck?t I n cone nu ru: Cet, a,fare and mill noney - wauing one fins?rl -rnd nul a
tinsle pennv
for no caps, you hear me? aRAvN lwith ,irlpn ,oiit?n€'sl Yes m
tHe Lurns n outrai lo \e'rw HB nothet \.1!chet altn hm as tn hr 'frustratnn
he apprZa,h*rhe doot olno"t rcmrcallv \\hcn irc'beahsta him. het nice has becom. a wv eentle tedse l
n. r u: .noc&ing: a' she think hc uould sat itl Oh Mama male' me 'u mad
"om"rim;s,I don r tno$ wh.r ro do' tshe ddth dndcontinues tohi\ bdLk o'he
;tdnds sto;k still in ftont of tfi? door.j I wouldn't kiss that woman good-bv-e for
nothing 'n
ihis s'orid this m o|mirls\ lThe bov fna v tutns arcund andtolk his ews at-h?\ knodinl t hp moodhi"ehansed onl he n t ndicorcd: he docs not'
howevq, now towrd hr /?r'l Nor for nurhins rn rhi' worlJ: 'Shp ,'inaliv lanph, dloud at him and hotd' out her aas to him and'ne see that tl r a wa\ b.t\i)een them, verl old and practiced llp ctos*q to hLr and allow' her to embrace hin wamity but keep; his face frrcdwith masculine iliAi, She holds him back frcm her'presently and looks at him and runs her finserc owr the
f"at"*' olf n;' fo*. witn "ft"r sentl"'ass -l Now
-whose little old angrv
rn,rvrs: lTire ndsculinity and guffness stun to fade dt last ) Aw gaalee-
nu r: lmrnn*rns, Au garaaalleee"e. Mamrl She pushlshn.wtth n'eh plo.'' fuln?\ anJ finoli\. towad rh? door'l C'l on our ol here o' \o'r s'rrs ro be late.
RL rH: llor"\. rl . {Jrlins lo gel 'o cold ('eninB' *rr rrn: rconrnp in /ron rhi bathroom and drawins a mahe'belic'e Bun ftam a
naie-b"hie hohrer ond s&oori,a dr ,?/s snn l W\ar F rl he qanr' rn dul nuru: Co carq' groceries after school at the suPelnarlet w^LrERr Wcll, let hin go . . . lRAvrs: lquiclir', ro rl";ll1] I iare to-she won't gimme ihe fiftv cenh ' ' w{LrFR. lio l^ wf" o'lyl Why not? eru l\imblr. aFd with fravort Cau'e ue Jon t hare tt **,t", i"* rHn'lt What !"u lell lhe bo1 thng'lil'erhati"rl RPachnedo\n
mto his bont. with a rcthpt inportdnt Bcsturcl Hete. 'on- lH? h,lnd. the bo\ rh" c"t,i. hut hr ete' otc dirc' i e/ to hn I r/e! rrrrr' takes the moner habbilY .l
rnevrs: Thanls, Daddy. H. \tdtt\ out. RLrH !dt,fic( hoth o! th.m wnh nuJet n I@ e\e' sA, R \/,rrdJdrd!rdr?' 6a,h oth{ tth de fran' ?. onJ 'uddenlv rcochc" nto h^ bo.ket a\ain on an oltathouEht l
tN ,ru: withaut iven looine at his 'on,
still 'trtin{ hdrd d/ /rr dr'lln fa't he'' '
rnorher htt\ crn r . . ieu',v"u'"lt"onolutrluda)-urlarrrla\i'"bru school or sirmethingl
rcrvrs: Whouoee- H. hats n anJ Jasos tu fathq arcuntl the m'ddle wnh hi' Le\' ond rhq lace eot| othu tn mutud! dpprccntrc ' sto\h rA n R I I pe"lt
533
t34 Lnndine Hansbefty
arcund the boy to .dtch the rialent rcys ftom his $,ife's eyes and draws his head ba.k as if shot.)
wALrrR: You better get down now and get to school, man. rnr,vrs: [at t&e door] O.K. cood-bye. [H? e'ifs.i wALtEN: lnfier hi,ln, pointinewith ptidelThat's ry boy.lshe looks at hin is diseust
dnd tutns back to frer ,,orl.l You know what I was rbinking 'bout in the bathroom this morning?
urren: How come you always ky lo be so pleasantl RUTH: Wbat is the.e lo be pleasant boutl WALTER: You want to tnow what I was thinkins'bout in tbe bathroom or not! RUrH: I Inow wh?t you thinkins'bout. s \- t t R: rynotine hetl Bou, what me and Willy Harr, { j, trtking abour lan night nu H [inmedidt"h -a rcftdin \i r HJ"i' n J sood.fo,-norhi;g loud mouih. WALTER: Anybody who talks to me h?s got to be a good for,nothj;s toud nourh,
ain't Ie? And what you know about who is just a sood-for-nothins loud routh'Charln {tl.in. wa, ru.t r 'good. ior. nothrns loud mouth ruu,qa,nI hc: U hen \e want"d 'ne to g"
'n rte aq cte,nrn; bu,ine- $rth h,m. {nd
now-he's grossing a hundred tbousanda year. A hund.ed thousand dollas a yearl You siill call Ain a loud mouthl
RUrHr [b,tt,l]l Oh, Walter Lee . . . [She folds het head on hq arns ow the tdble.]
\NAL\Et [tisins and conins to het and standins oret her] You tned, ain l you? Tired ofeverything. Me, the boy, the way we live-lhisbear up holc-everyrhing. Ain'r you? ISr€ doesn't look sp, doesn't ans\\,et.l So tned-moanine ?nd grorning all the time. but vou souldn I do nothins to help.
"oulJ 1"u: Youcouldn'i be on my side that lons for nothing, could you? RUrHr Walter, please leave me alone. w[rrn: A man needs for a woman to back him up . . .
w^LrER: Marna would listen to you. You know she listeD ro you nore tban she do m€ ?nd Bennie. She thinl more ofyou. All you have to do is iust sft down witb her when you drinkinsyour coFee one morning and talking 'boufthinss like you do and - [H" stls dopn beside her and denanstrates eftbhiatlry what hethnk; .hq methoJ6 and hne siould 6c.I louju.r!p'"u;"oftee.,ee.,nd*) ea'v like
'hat you bren thinl,ing bout thrr derl W.lter LFe i.,o intere\teJ in,
'bout the store ,nd all, and sip some more coFee, like what you sayins ain't really that important to you-And the next thins you know, she be lisLniog good and asking you questions and wh€n I come home-l can tell her rhi details. This ainl no fly-by,nighr proposition, baby.I mean we Fsured jr out, me and Willy and Bobo.
RUrH, [,f,] d frowa] Bobo? wri.rrn: Yeah. You s€e, this little liquor store we gor in mind cosr sevenly-five
thousand and we Esured tbe initial investment on the place be 'bout thnty ihousand, see. Thatbeten thousandeach. Couse,theret a couple ofhundred you got to payso's you don't spend yourlife just waiting forthem clowns to ler your license get approved -nurH: You mean eraft?
53t
w^ R: lrct ninPimbatt",i/t Don I call ilihJl See lhere rhJt iu'r goe' ro 'lo$-'"',"" Lt'.i..'i',"a.r.iand,bour rhe qorld Babv don r notirns nappen fur
i"" 'n
rhi' uorld le'. vou Da! son?rndr oql
"' '., w,rL",. r.,'. ".,t"i, ini,o"u t'* n*a ond 'tarcs at hin viso'ou4\ -
then t,1\s. narc ludtlv tJl iour e8s' lhe) gonna be 'old $ {L | | p,\hd,4,rt?n'nB,p I ron h4 and toobng afl | t hrr' r' lh'r( vou ar'1 vrn
-' i" r.''*..*" I nor -" a dre,m Hrtqom;n rr'I atvou esgt bdJl' lui i"in'np in oo,c, Mrn'ar': I eot tu trl'" h"ld of rhr' her" uorld babv' {nd a"""m"i.iil',v, t,r r"u, eee
-Jnd go ro "orl'pa'sionalelv
nowl Vrn'at : I s,r ,o. ha rqe ml l,6 l rn ih"lrns ro dealh babv: {nd hi' w"nan ut - in i'tter a"g"iin ainu btings nis fsts dovn on his thilhs) - Your eggs is s€iting coldl
p' rH: solr)- $ alter. lhal drn I none of uur mon() t^tttR lnol l^ten'neatallor eten looknsar he') |\h mornrns iwJ ruokr rn
rhe ni rorandrhrnkrngaboulit Imlhxh 6vevearsolJ: Ih"er mrtti"d eleren verr. and I s;l a bov q\o Jeep' rn the L'rng i';"iit
" ",a "t
I ior ro gri" hrm i''rorre' abour \"' rtch rhrte p' "ple live...
RUrH: Eat vou! eeas. Walte!
"..n *, Dr., ;i "gs" dann all
lhe eee'thar ever wast
RUrH: Then so to work.
"",,r" t..E.p'p.th". See -lmlDrngt^ull toruu bout m*ell 'ha&ing
hi h.al \ tt h t he, e p.t't ion, - and all 1ou crn ur N eat th"m egg' and go ru
RUrH: I'r?drilll Honey, you never sav nolhing new l lhten to vou everv dav' clerv
..hund o erv mo'nrns. and rou n"r er'al nuthing n'r' rh'rsgrnel So rou
".",,ta *rn"' l'" Vr. Ainold rhan b" hr' chaufteur' So- I$uuld rdrier he
l,vrnp in Buckinebam Pahce.
"^'.'^, ft',' " i,.:*h' '. $,ons $rrh rnc.olorcJ uonan rn'hi' uorld
... Don t understan<l about b;ldins then men up and maltins em feel lile thev,^T.body Lrl" lhey crn Jo 'orelh,ng
t' n, diily, but t o hu a, f h.re ar culored mcn u hu do thing' wAr.rER: No lhanks to tbe colored woman nu, s: Well, herne a c"lo ed qomJn. I sue.s I .dn I help mrs'li non'
Shp t^e' dnd pets the ioninPboail and sets tt up otul attotk' d hug' btte it ,o"att4,i"i, torhe',,p"nitns then in prepanrnn kr th" nonmtsdnd thenrcllinethe into tieht fat ballsl
war-rrn: tnrmrl;ngiWe one group of men tied to a race of ivornen with small
H^rislerBt\r^rHA?ntPA She ^about
tnentl d' 'l'n dnd ntPn* as her htutheL ShP is not a' ptett) a' h4 "^te'-n lan ' h
t h't llan 'tlmost
intelteaual fae hatt a handsonenus of its ovn She eedts a btishtred frannel nehrie, and hq thick hair stond' uildlt about her hpad Her'**-h ti mature ot manv thiaa' tt ^ d$'t'nt ftom
the rc't ul the |dmil;\
'nstat a' educdtton ha iemeared her vn'e ol Lnsl^h-atd
h.Adhs Lhe Mdw?"t nther than thP Suuth ho' fnall\ -a! Ia\t - won out ; h nfrect'on: but not oltoapthe' botause ovt all ol 't-^ o $tt. sluting and tran'totmed u'e ol rcwel' shi' h r thc dctided influenre ot
536 Loftdine Hansbeny
the Southside. She pdsses thrcush the rcom withoutlnkine at eithet RuaH ot w
^LaER and Eoes to the outside doot dnA boks, a little blindb , out to the
botht"nm. She \c?s that ha. been lost lo the lohneons. She do.es lhp doot wth d teep, wneeance and crc'se' to lhe t.jble and sitsdonn a Iitrle defeated.)
WALTER: You should sel up earlier.{\. \1H^: Utu fa,? in het hdnd\. She r st t frphtinp the uqe to po back to bed. Rcalh would rou.uggc" aawn'U h.r" s rtr" prper:
\\1
^LrEe: lpushine the papet dctoss the tahle to her as he studies her atnost ctini,
ca y., as thouEh he has never seen h6 beforel \ on ahonible-tooting chick at this hotrr
BENEATHA: [drt]l cood morning, everybody. $ \LrER: heD'?l"s^l How is school com,nB? Br\ruH\: tn the \dn" spnttLovell. Lor"ty. {nd tou kno$. brologl i, the
s eate\t.'lookin! up at hinl I dn,e(red \umething,hdt looked tike l ou ye*o
WALTER: I just wondercd ifyou've made up yoDr mind and everythjns. BENE{H^: lEainine in shd+ness an l impatience) And what did I answer yesrerday
moming-and the day before that? RD tH:
-Wom the nonins boad,like soneone disintercsr?d dnd oldl Don't be so nasty,
Bennie. BENE^THA| ['rtl ro Ia rror["4 And the day before rbat and the day betorc rhatr w^L'tER: ldefenstueul 1'm interested in you. Something wrons wirb that? Ain t
many gnh who decide- werren: and seNerrH,\: Itn urconl-"to be a doctor."
Isiten@.) w,{LTrn: Have we figured out yer jusi exactly how much mcdical schoot is goins to
RUrr': Walter Lee, why don't yoD le.ve that gjrlalone and get our ofhere to worl(? B, \r A rll\: [?nh to ifr? bdrhroon and banas on the duorl Come
"n ou. nr rherc,
[She com4 back inra the tuon.] tr "1" R: iooh,s d, hrs vsi?r rnrpntlv \ ou know the ch.cl. n comrns tomurrow. BENE^rHA: Itunng ofl ltm with a shaenes all hd ownl Thar money bclonss to
Mama, Walte., and ir's for h€rto decide howshe wanrs to use it. I don,t c;e if \hewdnl. ru bu\ r hou\p or J ro(let.hipor iu.t n'.I I up,onrewhere.rnJ to"k al It I he6. Nnt ou6-i"rs
WALTER: [];il?/tlNow ain't that finetYou justgot yourmother's inter€st at heart. a,rl )"u- sui' \ ou .uch a nrce girl-but il Vama got rhat moner rhe un al.a\\ rile d fek thouund and help you rhro,,sh ,ch"ot rou- .Jn r ,he.
eenFrrrr,\: I brve never asked anyone around here to do anything for nel ${ lR: Nu: {nd thelne ber*een a.linglnd p\lrcceptrns $her, rhe rime..ome,
i, bis and $ ide-arn't itl sENEADA: I{,it, furrlWhar do'you wanrftom me, Brorhe.-thar I quit schoolor
just drop dead, whichl wALrEr: I doD't want noihing but for you to stop acting holy 'round here. Me and
Ruth done made some sacrifices for you- why can'tyou do somctbinsforthe f,milw?
A Rdisin in the Sun 537
RUTH: Walter, don'l be drasging ne in it. wAr.rER: You are in ii
- Don't you get up and go work in somebody s litcben {orthe last three years to help put clorhes on her back? RUrHr Ob, Waher-thafs not fair . . . waLrERr It ain't that nobody expects you to set on your lnees and say thanl you,
Brother; thank you, Ruth; thnk yoo, Mama-and thank you, Travis, for wearins ihe same pair of shoes for two semesters-
BLNE^'|r^: Idrobpine to het knees) Well-l do-al risht?-tbank every, body . . . and forgive me for ever wanting to be ?nything at all ... forgive me, forsive me!
RUrH: Please stop itl Your mama'll hear vou. wAr.rER: Whothe hell toldyouyou had to beadoctor? Ifyou so crazy 'bour rncssing
tound with sicl peopJe-then go be a nune like other women-or just get maffied and be quiet . . .
BTNEATHA: Well-you finelly sot it said . . . It took you three years but you finally got it said. Walter, give up; leave me alone-iti Mama's money.
wALtEF.. He wds ry fathet, too! gemrrs,r: So what? He was mine, too-and Travis' srandfather - bur tbe insurance money bclongs to Mama. Picking on me is notsoingto makehergive it
to you to invest in any liquot sIorcs - I nderbreath, .hoppinE into d chdit) -and I for one say, God bless Mrma for thatl WALTER: tto RUrsl See-did you hear? Did you hearl RUrH: Honey, please go to work. walrrR: Nobody in this house is ever going to understand m€. B8NEATHA: B€cause you're . nut. w^LrER: Whot a nut? RENEATHAT You-you are a nut. Thee is mad, boy. wArrER: [ootins dr ftir rrife dnd his sistet fion the daor, rery sadly] The world s
most b:ckward race ofpeople, and tbat's a fact. BENEA'IHA: llur;ry sloult in irercirair]And then there arc all tbose prophets who
would lead us out of lh€ wildernes - [w,rr-ren slams o ut of the house] -inro RUrH: Bennie, why you always sotla be pickin' on your brother? Can't you bc a iittle
swe€ter sometimes? [Door opers. wAr.rER r'd/ls in.] wAr.rER: lto Rurrr] I ned some money for carfare. Rt)rn Uooks dt him, then vatms; teasing, but tenderlyl Fifiy cenis? [S[e soer to ,er
bds and sets noney .) Hete, take a taxi. lwALrER sxth. MAM^ enters. She h a'toman in her early sit ties, fu -bod- ied and stone. She is one of those women of a cettain srace and beauty $,ha \aeat it so unobstrusivly that it tdkes d while to natice. Het dar{- brcvn face i' suftoandea by the totdl )rhiteness of hu hai, and, beins a
oman $'ho has ddiusted to many thinls in life and orercone many morc, her fdce is fult of strcneth. She has. ve can see, wit and faith of a kinA that keeps het eres lit and full of intercst dnd expectoncy. She is, in a'/tod, a beautiful woman. Her beatine is peth.lps nost like the noble bearing of the vonen of the Hercrcs dsouthwst Africd - ther.1sifsheimaeinesthat ds she walks Nhe sti bean a basket ot a wssel upon her head. Het speech,onthe othet hand,is as carcless as het canidEe is ,recise si",s
5t8
inctinedto slu el,erythine-but he oice h berh.lpsnot so much quiet as simbly soft.l
MAMA| Who that iound here slamming doors at tbis hour? lshe crosses through the room, eaes to the windoi',opens it, dnd b nss in a feeble little ptasi s/ot,,ine dos.dly in 4 small pot on the windov sill. She
feels the dft and Puts it back od.l nurs: That was Walter Lee. He and Bennie was at it again. ueva: My children and tbey tempers. Lord, if this little old planl don't set mor€ sun
than itt been getting it ain't never going to sec spring egail lshe tums from ffie window.l What'athe matier with you tbis rno'ning, Ruth? You looks right
oerled. Youaimrne ro rron 3llrhcm lhrng'? Lcave 'ore lo' me l llgel lu;m ihr. dtt"'no"n. Bennie honer, it\ roodrafry lo" yoD ro b"'illrng'ound hall dressed. Where's you. robe?
soNa,\rse: In the clesners. M,rur: Well, go get mine and put it on. DENEATHA: I'm not cold, Mans, honest. uevr: I know but you so thin . . . sr\;rarHr: Itrnro6lyl Mama, I m not cold uxut:
"c"inpthe mike.down bedds tRA'shd\ Ieft ttlLordhavemerc) loul dr rhdl
nonr b"J. Ble* \r, hearr-he trie,, don I he: Shc movc" to the bcd s +r ho' ]opptt mode ur'
p r r \o - he don r haltrry rl all cau'e he I'nos" yuu gorng locor" alunghehind h,m and fi\ e\crllhrng. fhat, iusl how,omc he donl knu$ hn$ lo du nothing right now-you done spoiled that boy so.
uev,r: Well he's a liltle boy. Ain't supposed to lnow'bout housekeePing Mv baby, thatt what h€ n. What you 6x for his Lreakfast tbis rnomins?
nurg: [ancrilr] I fced my son, Lenal r'r,,.nr: I ain't meddling - funderbreath; busy bodish]
I iust noticed all last wee] be
had coldccreal, indwben it starts setting this cbillv in tbe fall a child ousht to have sone hoi grits or somcthing wben he goes out in the cold-
R, rH: turiou'l lsr\e hrn hol o.rl.- n lhal all nghll
"*"", i,in r meddling. pdub? Put r tol ulnrce hulleron : R rH slloot{ i?rd'
an,tt bok dnd does not rerll.l He likes lois of butter' atr a: lexasPerate d) Lena -v.vr: lro nrrr^rnt. vtvr n tnclrncJ ta \and con\"r\dtionallv sometmetl
U hat wa' l"u and yorrr brorhr. lu*rng buulll'i m"rning' BENEATHA: It's not impo.tant, Mama.
lshe eets 4 dnd soes to look out at the bathrcom, ||hich is arbarcntlv ftee, dnd she pick$ up het to,alek and tushes out )
MAM^: Wbat was they figbtins about? nuru: Now you lnow as well as I do. un'$.: tshak;ng her l:r,ad) Brother still woryins hisself sick about lhat mon€v? rurrl: You tnow he is. MAMA| You had bleakiast? nurq: Sorne cofee. MAMA: Cirl, you better strd cating and looking after yourselfbeiter. You almost thin
wrua: IJn-hunh?
539
RUrHr What are you soing lo do with it? MAMA| Now don't you start, child. It's too early in lh€ morning to b€ talking about
money. It ain't Chrisiian. RUrH: Il's just lhat he got his hea.t set on that store- M^MA: You mean lhat liquor store that Willy Harris want hin to invest in?
MAMA: We ain't no busine$ people, Ruth. We just plain uorking folls. RUrs: Ain'i nobody business people till they go into business. Walter L€e say
colored people ain't never going to sta* getting ah€ad till tbey start gambling on some difierent kinds ofthinss in the world investmenls and thinss.
MAMA: What done sot into you, girl? Walter Lee done fin.lly sold you on investing. RUTH: No, Mama, sornething is happening between Walter and me. I don't lnow
what it h-but he needs something something I can'tgive himany more. He needs this chnce. Lena.
utwt: Vrovnins deeply) Rut liquor, honey -RU|H: Well lile Walter say-l spec people going to always be drinking tbem selves some liquor.
M^M^: Well wbetber they drinks it or not ain't non€ of my business. BL,t whether I go intobDsinessselling itto'em ir, and I don'i wan! thaton myl€dg€rthis lale in lite. [stoPpin! suddenly and stuayine het d.l ghtet in lau] Ruth Younger, what's the natter with you loday? You look like you could fall over right there.
RUTH: I,m tNcd. MAMA: Tben you better stay home from worl today. RUrH: I can'i slay home. She'dbecallingupthe agency:nd scr*mingatthem, "My
sirl didn't come in loday-send me somebodyl My sirldidn't come inl" Oh, she iust bav€ a fit . . .
M^M^: Well, let her have it. I'll iust call her up,nd say you soi the flu RUTH: [dusfitn4] Why the flu? MAMAi'Causeitsoundsrespectablelo'em.Somethingwhitepeopleget,too.Thev
knorv'bout the flu. Othenise tbey think you been cut up or something when you lell 'em you sick.
RUrH: I goi to go in. We need the money. ueve: Somebody would ofthought my children done all bui sta ed to death the
way they talk aboul money her€ late. Child, we sot a sr€at bis old check coming tomorrow-
wrn: fsincerely, but also selfrishteously) Now thal's your money. It ain't got nothins to do with me. We all feellike that Walter and Bennie and me-
M^M* Ithouehtfulr, and suddenty wr fd awayl'ten thousand dollaB RUrH: Sur€ is wondeftl. MAMA: Ten thousand dollars. RUrH: You lnow what you should do, Mi$ Lcna? You should take yourself a trip
somewhere. To Europe or South America or someplace- M^M^: Ithrcwing up het hdnds dt t,!? t/ious,tfl Oh, cbildl RUIH: I'm serious. Just pacl up and leavel Co on away and enjoy yoDrselfsone.
Forget about the family and have younelf a ball for once in your life - MAMA: Idrt?rlYou soundlilc I'm just about ready todie. Who'dgo with me? Whatl
look like wandering iound Europe by mysefT RUrH: Sboot-these here rich whii€ women do it all ihe lime. Thev don't think
540 Lorraine HansbenY
nothing ofpacling up their suitcases and pilingon one ofthem bi8 steamships and swooshl-they gone, child.
MAMA| Sonething always told me I wasn't no rich white woman. RUrH: Well-what are you going io do with it them? MAM^: I ain't rightly decid ed. [Thinkins- She speaks nol' lt]it, enpirdsi' ] Some ofit
got to be put away for Beneatba and he! schoolin'-and ain'tnotbing goins to touch that part ofit. Notbins.lshe ;.aits sewftl seconds,nfinEtondkenp het mind dhout something, and looks dt AsrH d little tentatiwly beforc goine on.) Been thinlins that we rnaybe could meet the notes on a little old two sto'y somewherc, with a yard where Travn couldplay in the summertime, if we use part of the insurance fol a downpayment and everybody kind of pitcb in l could naybe iak€ on a liltle day worl again, few days a week-
^!1H: lstuiyine het nothet in law futtiwly and con@ntfttins on het ioninS, anx'
iaus to encowage without seening to.l Well, Lord knows, we've put enoush rent into this here rat kap to pay for four houses by now .
M^vA: [Iooking up at the vot ls ' tat trcb" and then lookins arornd and leaning back and silhins-in a suddenly reflectire mood l"Rat traP"-yes, thai's aI it is. lsmil/ns] I rem€mber iust os well as the day me and Big Walter moved in hcre. Hadn'tbeen mariedbut two weeki and wasn't planning on livinc herc no more than a year. [S/re shakes her head at the dissobed dream ) we was going to set away,little by little, don'l youlnow,:ndbuy a little place out in Morgan Park. We had even picked out thc house. [chscklins d little) Looks risht dumpy today. But Lord, cbild, you should tnow all the dreams I bad 'bout buying ihat bouse and fixing it up and malins ntc a litlle garden in thc back- [Sne odils dnd siops sniling.]And didn't none ofit happen ldropp;rg het hands in a futite sesturcl
Nt)'t : [keebs het head down, ;on ing] Yes, life can be a balrel of disapPoinhnents,
u,rv,r Honey, Big Waltcr would come in here some nighis bacl then and slump down on thst couch there and jusi look at the rus, and look at mc and look,t tbe rue and then bacl at me and I'd know he was down then . really d,own- Iafpr a second very long and thoughtful pause; she is seeinc back to times that only she c,1n seel And then, t,ord, whcn I lost that baby little Claude- I ?lmosi thougbt I was going to lose Big Walter too. Oh, that man grieved hisseJfl He was one man to love his children.
RUrH: Ain'l nothin' can tear at you like losin' your baby. u,rr',r; I gues that's horvcome that man finallyworkedhsselfto dcath lik€ he done
Lik; hc was fightins his ownwar with this here world that took his baby fron him.
rurg: Hc was sure a 6ne man, all risht. I always lilcd Mr. Younger' MAMA: Crazy'boui his childrenl Cod knows there was plenty wrons with Waltel
Younger hard headed, mcan, kind of wild with women plenly wmng with him. But bc sure loved hn children. Always wanied them to have sometbing-be somcthing. That's wherc Brolhet gets all his notions, I reclon. BisWalt€r usedlosay, be dget rightwet in the eycs sornelimes, lean his head back wiih the water standing in his eyes and say, "Seen like Cod didn't see fit lo giv€ the black man nothing but drcarns -but He
did give us
childrentomaletbemdreanssecmworlhwhile." [Sl?smi/€s.] Hecouldtalk like that, don't you know.
541
RUrH: Yes, h€ sure could. He was a good man, Mr. Younger. uaur: Yes, a fine man- just couldn't never catch up with his dreams, that's all.
bENEATHA comes in, ,rushins her han and lookins f to the ceiline, wherc the sound of a',acuun cleanet has stattetJ ub.l
BENEATHAT What could be so dirly on thai woman's .ugs that she has to vacuum them every singl€ day?
RUrH: I wnh certain young women iound here who I could name would tale inspiration about certain rugs in a cenain apartment I could also mention.
rrNr.rruA: [sfinrggingl How much cleaning can a house need, for Christt sa]es. M^M^: Inot likins the lad's name used t/iusl Benniel RUrH: Jusi listen to her-iust listen! srr rue: Oh, Godl uevA: If you use the Lordk name iust oDe more time -BENE^rH^: [d ,it ofa ,fiine] Oh, Mama RU rH: Fr€sh- just fresh as salt, this sirll nruerrm: [drily] Well-if lhe salt los€s its savor- MAMA: Now tbat will do. I iust ain't going to hBve you 'round h€re .eciting the
scriptures in vain you hear m€? stNhrHe: Howdidlmanag€tosetoneve.ybody sMongsidebyiustwaftineintoa
RUTH: Ifyou were'r't so fresh EENEATTTA: Ruth, I'rn twenty yean old. MAMA: What time you be home fron school today? DENEATHAT Kind of late. Iwith enthusidsml Madeline is soing to start my guilar
[MAMA dnd RUrH IooA up ,ith the sane eqrcssion.) uevr: Your v/rat lind oflesons?
nurs: Oh, Fatberl mva: How come you done t ken it in your mind to leam to play the suitar? BENEATHA: I just want to, that s all- MAMA: lsntlt"s] Lord, child, don't you know what to do wiih yourseli? How long it
going to be before you get tired of thk now-l'le you got tired ofthal little play'acting sroup you joined last year? UooAing dt RUrHlAnd wbal was it the year before lhat?
nurg: The honeback riding club for which she bousht tbat 6fty'6ve dollar ridins habit tbafs been hanging iD the closet ever since!
M,rvr: fto neurrrnl Why you got to flit so from one thins 10 anoiher, babyT BENEATHA: [sfidrp]rl I iust want to leam to play th€ suitar. Is there anything wrons
rvith ibal? MAMA: Ain't nobody trying to slop you. I just wonders sonetimes why you has to flit
so from on€ thing to anotheralllhe time. You ain'tneverdone nothingwithall llJl LamprJ pquipmenl lou broughr home
EENr^rH^: I don't flit I-l experiment with difiercnt forms of expre$ion -nuru: Li[e riding a hone? nrue,rru,r:
-People have to express thernselves one way or another.
MAMA: What is it you want to express? nnNEArHA: [angrih] Mer [MAM^ dnd RUTH lool dt edch othet dnd bwst into tuLcous
ldrsi,ter.l Don't wony-l don't exp€ct you to undeBtand.
t42
M^M^: [to chdnEe the subiect] Who you goins out with tonor.ow nisht? BL\E^rH{ lv,i/l d^pbdrure Ceorse MuRhnon assin MAMA: lrledsedl Oh-you setting a liitle sweet on bim? RUTH: iou 4k me, this chiid ain;t sweet on nobody but herself- [under6reatl]
Expres herselfl lThet laueh.l
srrrerrr,{: Ob I lile Ceorge all right, Mama. I mean I li}e him enoush to go out with him and stuf, but-
RUTH: [/or ds l'nentj] what does dnd srufmean? neuerrm: Mind your own business. MAMA: Stop pickins at her now, Ruth. [d t/iorglt@l pause. and then a suspiciots
suddin'look al her daushtet ds she twns in het chai fot enphasisl\Nhetdo.s ;t
rnu,rru,r: [uearily] Oh, I iust mean I couldn't evel r€ally be serious about George He's-he's so shallow.
nurs: Shallow-what do you mean he s shallow? He's Ricil vruc Hush, Ruth. arrrime: I know he's ricb. He lnows he s rich. too RUrH: Well-ivhat other qualities a rnan gol lo have to s.tisfy vou, little girl? 8ENEATHAT You wouldn't even begin to unde6tand. Anybody who married Walter
could not posibly understand. MAMA: [o!f/dged] What kind ofway is ihat io talk about your brother? BENE,\rHA: Brotber is a flip-let's face it. uevr.: [to nurn, nelplesl]l what s a flip? xuru: lslad t.t add kindlinsl She s saying he s crazy strNEArHAr Not crazy. Brother isn't r€ally crazy yet he-het an elaborate neu-
MAMA: Husb your mouthl reNnrrre: As for Ceorge. Well. George looks good-he s got a beautiful car and
he takcs me to nice places and, as my sisterin law says, he is Probably tbe richcst boy I will ever get to know and I even like him sometirnes-but if the Young€rs ar€ sittinsaround wailing io see iftbeirlittle Benni€ isgoingto tieuP th€ family with thc Murchisons, they are wasting their iime.
run: You mean you wouldn't ma.ry Ceorge Murchison if he asked you somedav? Th,t p errt, I(h lh)nsl Hon.y. I hnew y"u ra' odd-
^'.'^''^, N,, luouldnormanr n,mrtall Ii.lr io,h,ms,'$hal lleel nos Besides, Ceorget family wouldn't really like it
nnrnersr: Oh. Mama - The Murcbisons a.e bonest to-God-real'live rich colored
people, and the only people in thc world who are more snobbnh than rich whiie people are rich co)ored people.l thought everybodylnew that.l've m€l Ma. Murchison. Shei a scene!
vrue: You musl nol dislike people'cause lhey wcll otr, honey. BENEATH^: Whynot? It makes iust as rnuch sense as disliling people'cause lheyare
poor, and lots ofpeople do that. xltrt: lawisdom-of theagis nanner. To uerulwell, she'll set over some ofthis - BENE^rHA: Get over it? What are you ialking about, Ruth? Listen,l'm going to be a
doctor. I'm not wonied about wbo I'rn going to marry yet-if I ever sei
MAM^ dnd RUrH: rl MAMA: NOW, BENNiE_ BF.NEATHA: oh, I probably will ... bur 6rst I'm goins to be a doctor, and ceorse,
forone, still thinl$ that's pretty tunny. I.oDldn't be botbered with that.I am going to be a doctor and everybody around here better undentand thatl
M^MA: [&indryl 'Coufte you soins to be a docto., honcy, Cod willins. BENE^'I'HA: [drilr] God hasn't sor a lhins to do witb it. MAMA: Beneatha tbat iust ivasn t necessary. BENF.ATHA: Wcll-netrher h Cod. I eet sick of he,rins .boLrt Cod. MAMA: Benealhal 8ENEArHA: I m€an itll'm just tired of hearins about Codali the time. Wh3thas He
got to do with snything? Do€s he pay tuition? MAM^: You 'bout lo get you! fresh little jaw slappedl RUrH: Thafs iust what shc needs, all rishtl BENE^.IB^: WhyT Why can't I say what I wanr to around here like ev€4,body eh€? MAMA: It don't sound nicc for a young girl to say things like that you wasn't
brousht up that way. Me and your father went to trouble to set you and Brother to churcb every Sunday.
rererrur: Mama, you don't understand. It's all a mafter ofideas, and Cod is jusl one idea I don't accepl. It's not irnportant. I am notgoing out and be immoral or commit crimes because I don'tbelieve in God.l don'ieven thinkabout it. It's jusl lhat I get tired of Him getting credit for allthe things tbe human race achieves through its own siubborn eFort. Ther€ simply is no blasied Cod- there is only man :nd it n he who makes miracles!
IMAM^ dDsorb' this speech, studies het dnuEhtet dnd rhes slov, and cro,ses ro BT,NEATHA dnd ild ps het povdfully auos the face. Aftet , therc is only ilene and the daushter drops her eyes from her nothet's face, and M^M^ is ))ety td beforc het.
tt,uu: Now you say after ne, in my mother's house there is still Cod. lfll"re;s d long pause and NuE{ur starcs at the floor wo:dlessb. M^MA tepeah the pbase ldith prccision and cool emotion.l ln my morheis house there is still Cod.
rweeru: In my rnother s bouse there is still God. lA lons paure.l
MAM^: lwdlkine d' )ar fiom BENEATSA, too dirturbed fot ttiunphant posturc. Slop- pinE dnd t mins bdck to het dasehtet)Therc arc sone ideas we ain'r soins to have in tbh house. Not long as I am at the head olthh family.
BE\EArH^: Yes, Ma'am. IM^M^ vdtks o t of the loom.l
"uaH. Ial'r'iost sentlr, fith brofounA untlerstandingl You ihink you a woman,
Benni€-but you still a little girJ. What you did was childish-so you sot treated like a child.
EENE^rsA: I see. [quietry]l ako se€ that everybodythinks il'sall.ishtfo! Mam. iobe a lyrant. Eut all ihe tyranny in the world will never put a Cod in the beavensl
lshe picks up het books and soes out.) RUrH: koes lo MAMA'S doorl She said she was sorry. M^M^. lconins out, goine to het pldnt) They kishtens Ine, Rurh. My children. nuru: You got good childr€n, Lena. They jusr a litde offsonerimes-but they're
544
N,AMA: No-there's somethins comedosnbetwcen me and them that don'tlet us undeBiand each other and I don t loow whst it n. One done almost lost his mind thinking'bout mon€yall thetimeandlhe otherdone commence lo talk aboutthings I can'tseem toundestand in no form or fashion. What is il ihat's changins, RuthT
Rlr'tl] ltoothinely, oaer thdn n"r )"drsl Now . . . you takins it all too seriously. You justsot strong willedchildren and it takes a strongwoman lik€ you to leeP
M^MA] [Iookin! at het plant dnd spinkline a little i,ater on if] They spnited all .icht, ny children. Cot to adrnit th€y sot spidt-Bennie and Walter. Lil(e this little old plant that ain't never had enough sunshine or nothing-and look at it...
lshe has her back to wn, who has had to stop itoning and lean dgainst sonethine dnd put the back of her hand to her forehead )
Rt)'t t [tyinetokeepM^Mironnoticins)Yor . ioves lhat little old tbing, don't you? . . .
ruue: Well, I always wanted me a sarden lite I us€d to see sometimes at the back of the houses down home. This plant is close as I ever got to baving one lsi? looks out of the window as she rcpldcec the ,ldnt.) LoA, ain't nolhins as dreary as ih€ view from this window on a dreary day, is there? Whyain't you singing this morning, Ruth? Sing that "No WaysTned." Thal song ahvays lifts me uP so- [Sft? turns df ldst fo see that \rrs hds slipped quietly into.' chat, in a stdte of semiconsciousness.l Ruth! Ruth honey-whatt the matter with you... Ruthl
Itisthefo owins nomin,; a Satuddy motning, and house cleanine is ia ,rogress dt fne youNcER s. Fumiturc has been showd hither and yon aal ur'Ntt is girise the kitchen-area walls a ashins dow. BENEArsa, tn dunEatees, vith a handlerchief tied ,1rclnd het fdce, k sbrcrinc insecticide into the crdcks in the walls As thet \.,ork, the ndio is on dnd a uthside disk-iockey Prc+rcn is inabbroptiat.ll flline the house with a rcthet erotic saxophone blues "tN ^vts,
the sole idle one, is
leanins on his arms,lookins out of the window. rRAvrsr Grandnama, tbat stufi Bennie is using smells awful Can I go downstans,
MAMA; Did you get all them chores done already? I ain't seen you doing rnuch. rruvrs: Yes'm-finished early. Wbere did Mama go lhis nornins? M^MA: [/oo*t'g dt BENr^rH^l She had to so on a little emnd.
MAMA: To tend to her busin€ss. rmvrs: Can I go outside then? vavr: Oh, I gues so. Youb€tterstayrigbt in frontof thehouse, ihoush . . and
leep a sood lookout for the postman. rRlvs: Yes'm. [He srd'ts o ut awl decides to gire his l.JNr BEN E^THA d sood sedt on
the less as he p.1*es hel.lLeave tbem poorlilile old cockroacbes alone, thev ain't bothering you none.
[He tuns as she si inss the spr,t Eun at hin both iciously and plavfullv w^LrER enteft fiom the bedrcon and eoes to the phone.l
545
M^M^: Lool out there, gid, before you be spilling some ofthat stutron that childl rRAvrs: lteds;ry] That s risht-lool out nowl
IHe exits.l BENE^rHA: [driry] I can't imasine that it would hud him- has never hud the u,ru,r: WeJl, little boyi hides ain't as ioush as Southside roaches. wArrER: [,nto plone] Hello-Let me talk to wiuy Harris. MAMA: You better get over lhere behind the bureau. I seeD one marching out of
tbere lile NapoJeon yesterday. w^LrER: Hello, Willy? It ain'r come yet. It'll be here in a few minui€s. Did ihe
lawyer give you the papers? BENEATHA: There's really only one way io set rid of them, Mama -MAMA: How? BENEATHAT Set 6re to this building. w^LrER: Good. Cood. I'l) be right over. BENEATHAj Where did Ruth go, Walte.? WALTER: I don't lnow.
lHe efits dbtuptly.l BENEATHA: Mama, where did Ruth so? M^M^t Uookine at het it, nedflingl To the doctor, I think. BENEA]HAj The doctor? Wbat's th€ matter? ITrq ?xchanse Eldnces.l I ot don'I
think- M^M^: ltrith het sense of dra'adl Now I ain'r sayins what I think. Bui ] ain't never
been wrong 'bout a woman neith€r. [The phone tinss.)
aeurru: HayJo . . . [pause, and a noment of recos"ttton]Well -when didyou set backl . . And bow was it? . . . Of course I've missed you-in my way . . . This mornins? No . . . house cleaning and all that and Mama hales it if l let people come over when tbe house h like this . . . You fur"? WeI, that's diFerent . . . Wbat is it Oh, what the hell, come on ovcr . . . Righl, s€e you th€n.
[she hangs up.) urut: [who has listened rigorously, as is h* habn] Who is that you inviting over
here witb this house lookins like this? You ain't sot the pride you was born withl
EENEATHA: Asasaidoesn't carc how bouses look, Mama het an intellectual.
BENEATHA: Asagai-toseph ,A6agai. He s an African boy I met on campus. He's been studying in Canada all sunmer.
MAMA: Whatt his nam€? BENE^rHA: Asasai, )oseph. Ah+ah guy . . . He's from Niseria. M^M^i Oh, thal's tbe little country that was founded by slaves way back . . . BENEATHA: No. Mame-lhat's Liberi, MAMA: I don't thinl I never met an African before. nwsrTHr: Well, do me a favor and don't asl hin a whol€ lot ofignorant quesrions
aboui Africans. I nean, do they wear cloth€s and ?ll that- vmr: Well, now, I gue$ if you think we so isnorant iound hoe maybe you
shouldn't brine your friends bere-
546 Lorraine HansbetrY
BENEATH^: It's iust that people ask such crazy thinss. A11 anyone seems to know ahout when it comes to Africa is Tarzan -vru.r: [indtgnantly] Why should I ]now anything about AfricaT
".""^r"^, Why d" yo" give non€y at church for thc missionary work?
rir,rrtr: Well, that s to help save people. eoNe,{rur: You rnean save them from /realireaisn- v^ur: tunnocentlvl Yes. *^,..'^, I m afrad rho need more ral\Jlion from lhe Brili.h,nd the French
la.:lru conu in fonornly and PuUs ofhet coat nh deiection Thev both tutn to look at het.)
RUrH: [disrtiledry] Well, I guess ftom allthe happy faces evervbodv knows. BENTATHA, YOU DTeENANIT v"vr tordl'a'.mircv,l'urehop.rl.slillleoldqrll T'a\isoughllohr\ea'i'le
[trurrnA and nora gile het a hopeless look fd this srandmotherlv enthusiasn.l
nnxuru,,L: How far along are you? RUrH: Two montbs. seNr,\rri,\: Did you rnean to? I mean did you plan it or was it an accid€nt? MAMA: What do you know about planning or not plsnning? rme,rrr:r: Oh, Mama. rurn: [wearily] Shei twenly yea6 old, Lena BENEATHA: Did you plan it, Ruih? nrrs; Mind your own busines. BENEAIHA: lt is my busines-where is he going to liv€, on tbe r@P lT&eru;s
silence following the rcna* as the thrce women rcdct to the sense of it l Gce-ididn't;ean that, Ruth, bonest. Gee, I don't feel like that al.ll.l-l think it is wonderful.
rurrr: [dullr] wonderful. rnNr,rrne: Yes-really. M^MA: [ooltns dt RUrH rronied] Docror say everything soins lo be all rigbt? nura: [/ar away] Ys-sh€ says everyihing is soing to be fine . . M^M^: [inmedidteU susbicious] "She"-What doctor you went to7
Ia.irtr folds @et,ne& hwtetia.l M^MA lwoft;edl, horcinEorer rurul Ruth honey -what's
the matter with vou - '
tnwnhas her fists clanched on het thishs and is fshtinehad to suqf]rcss a suean that seems to be nsins in her.l
uFNE^rHA: Wbat's the natter with her. Mama? uwt lworkinghet fnsus in aun's shoulder to relax /rerl Sbe be all right. wonen
gits .igt'i d"presiea sometimes when they g€t her wav [speakine softlv, up"aly , ,oplatyl No" vo" just relax. Thati risht . . just lean back, don't thinl 'bout nothing at all . . . nothing at aJJ
nurn: I'm all right- tThe slassy-eyed look nelts and then she collapset into a ft of hea'v sobbing. The be rin$.1
awe,rrx,r: Oh, my God-that nust be Asasai MAMA: Ifo RUrHI Cone on now, honey. You need to li€ down and rest awbil€
. . . th€n have some nice hot food.
547
lThey eit, \r'tq's weisht on het nothetin]a\\'. BENE^rB^, hdelf prc fotndly distwbed, op.ns the doot to ddmit a ftthet drcmdtic-Iooking tounE ndn eith a |arye pdckdE .)
AsacAr Hello, Alaiyo- BINEATHAT [noldins the doot open and rcEddins hin with pleasure] Hello
. . . IlonE ba e) Well-come in. And please excuse everythins. My nothe.was very upset about my letting anyone come here with the placelike this.
^sAc/-I lcomine into the rcon] You look dnh.bed too . . . Is something wrons?
BE"-EATHA: [srtll dr tle door, absentlylYes . . we've all got acute ghetto-itus. [She smiles and nnes toward hin,fndine a ciEarette and sittins-]So- sit down! How was Camda?
^s^cAr: [d sornis cdte] canadian.
BENI^rHA: Uoolins dt [in] I'm very glad you are back. ^sAc^t:
vookins back at het in tun) Arc yol rcally? reuartu: Yes very. ,rs,rc,u: Whv-you were quile glad when I went away. What happened? 8ENEArHA: You went away. rsecrr: Ahhbhhhhh. neurru,r: Before-you rvanted to bc so serious befo!€ there was tirne. asAcA,: How much tim€ must there be bcfore one knows what one feels? BENEATHA: lsrd2;as tiis pa iculat ca ercation. Her hands pressed toeethet, in a
delibe tely chiaish sestltrel What did you brins me?
^sAc* lhandins het the pdc&dsrl Open it and see.
BENE^1H^: leaset\ openins the packdEe .1nd *awins ott som. rc@rds and th. colorful rcbes of a Nieqian uonanl Oh, Asagail . . . You got them for m€l . . . How beautiful . . . and the records tool [She lifts out the nber and tuns to the nircr vith then and holds the dtdbery uP in ftont of henelf.)
^s^c^t: [coming to het at r,te mtrror] I shall have to teach you how to drape il
Voperly . lHe flings the natetial about het fot d monent nnd st.inds bdck to look at her.) Ah-oh-pdy-Edy4ay, oh-ehdh-nu-shar. la Yotuba exclana- tion fot adnitation)Yotwear it well ... very well ... rnutilated hair and 3ll.
BTNEATHAj lturntrg sudd€nltl My h3ir-lvhatt $rons with my hair?
^sAc^': ls}Irugging] Were you born with ii like thrt?
BENE^rtr^: rcachins up to louci itl No . . . of course not. IShe tutns bdck to the nitw, distuhed.l
AsAcAr: [smtltns] How then? BENEATHA: Youlnowp.rfectlywellhow . . . ascrinklyasyours . . . that'show.
^sAcAr And it is ugly to you that way?
BENEATHA: lquicAh]Oh,no-noiugly. . . Imorc slo$,|y, apolosetica[)] BLli it s so hard to manas€ when it s, well-raw.
asAcAr: And so to accommodate that-you mutilate ii €very w€ek? BrNE^rH^: It s not mutilationl ;stc : Uaushing alord al lr"r s"rto srcsd Oh . . . plcasel I am oniy teasing you
because you are so very serious about tbese things. {He stands back fron her antJ folds his arms acrcss his chest as he atches het bu ins at het hat and fiownine in the ninor.) Do you remember the 6rst time you met me at
t48
'chooll . . . tHeldusfi' You came upto me Jnd )uu urd- and I lhouglr
tou were l he ;osl 'efiou5
iihle lhins I hrd evehFcn - )ou said: He inirdlc"ler.l Vr. A.aeai- l wanr \ ery much ru lall $irh )ou AboulAfrra You*c. Mr. Asagar, I am loolinc lot my idenhit '
IHe lauehs.l BENE^rHA: lturniag fo /!t'n,not lauehinglYes-
[Het fdce is quizzicdl, profoundly disturbed )
^stc : lsiill teas;ns andreachine oxt and tdkinEhq face in hishands andtunins
her orofile tohnlWell ... rl it irue lhat lbi' is nol su muLh a pr"6l< ola Holiv*ood queen a' perhap\ d queen of
'he \ile -, a nocl disnisal ol the
in,ottance of the questionl But wbat does it matter? Assimilationism is so popular in your couniry.
nenrei*r: [u/reeling, pasiondteb, sharylyll am not an assimilationistl $ec : lTie protesi hanss in the rcom fot a nonent dnd AsAc^r st dtes fter, iis
lauehte; fddinE.l S;ch a serios on€. [Tfr"r" ts d pduse.] So-vou like the robesz Yo" m"st tale excellent care of th€m-they arc from mv sister's neronal wardrobe.
BLNLrlsc: tv,rfr inr.cdultivl Yuu-vou \enl allrhe "av home to' me' esecrr: [l,itn cnam] For you- I would do much nore . . . Well, that is wbat I
came for. I nust go. wrcersr: Will vou call me Mondav? ,rsrc,cr: Yes . . 1 we haue a g.",t ieal to talk about l mean about identitv and
time and all that.
AsAc^r: Yes. AboDt how much time one needs to lnow what one fcels. seNe,!rH,\: You neveronderstood ihat there is morc than one lind of feeling whicL
can exisi between a man lnd a wornan or, ai least, there should be
^s,rcAr: lsna&ing ft,s nead nee.ttire! but eently]No. Between a man and a worun
thire need be only one lind of feeling. I have tbai for vou Now even . - . right ihis momeDi . . .
snNn,\rHe: I lnow-and by itself-it won't do. I can 6nd that anvrvhere
^sAcA,: For a woman il should be enough.
seun,qrge: I know-because that's what it says in all the novcls that menwriie. But it nn't. Go ahead and laugh -bul
I'm not interested in beingsomeone's little epr'ode rn Ame-ica or lwith lemtnine wngoance -one ol theml As\-ar hd. butst into ldushtet a4arn Thar'. lunny * hcll huhl
AsAcAr: Itt iusi that every Anerican girl I have known has said that to rne. While black-in this yoo are all the same. And thc same speech, too!
seNe,{rH,\: laneril}l Yuk, yul<, yukl rsrc,rr: It s how you can be sure tbat lhe world s most libcrated women are not
liberated at all. You all talk about it too nuchl IM^M
^ ente3 dnd is imnediately all social chatm becatse of the presence
ofa e est.l seNftrHA: Oh-Mama-lhh is Mr. Asasai. u,ru,r: Ilow do you do? \s\, a,: rordl polite,€sr ro an p/derl tloq do yor do Mr' \ uunger' Prea'e io.give
-. f"' coming,r 'u"h ,n oulr.geou' hour on a 5alurddyurur: Well, you aie quite welcome. I just hop€ yoo tndersland that our house
don't always loot like ihh. kndfierisll You must come asain. I would love to hea. all about- [not sure oftfie ndne]-your counlry. I lhink itt so sad the way our tunerican Negroes don't lnow nothing aboul Africa 'cept Tarzan and all that. And aI that money they pour inlo these churcbes when th€y ought to be helping you people ove. there drive out then French and Englishmen done talen away your land.
[The nother flashes a slishtly suberiot look dt het dauehtet upon comple- tion of the rccitation.l
tstcN: ltaken aback by this ndden and acrtely unrelated ex,rc$ion of swpdthy) Yes...yes...
M^\^: lsmilins at hin suddenly and relarins and loo&ing /rin ovarl How many miles is it from h€re to where you come frorn?
AsAcAr: Manythousands. MAMA: [loo&tng df nin ds sne uould wALrERl I bet you don't half look after yourelf,
be;ng away from your mana eiiher.l specyoubetter corne ioundhere from time to time to get yourself decent homecooled meals . . .
.rs.rc,rr: [mored] Thank you. Than] you very much. IThey ne d quiet, then-l WeJL . . I murt go. I wilJ call you Monday, Alaiyo.
MAMA: Whal's lhat he call you? asecrr Oh "Alaiyo." I hope you don't mind. It is whai you would call a nick-
nam€, I thinl. It ;s a Yoruba word. I an a Yoruba. MAMA: [/oofttng dt BENE^rH^] I I thousht he was from- ^s^c^r:
funderstdndtns] Nigeria is rny country. Yoruba is my tribal origin- 8ENEATHA: You didn't tell us what Alaiyo means . . . for all I lnow, you mieht be
calling me Liitle ldiot or somethins . . . ,rs,rc,rr: Well . . . letmesee . . . I do not know how iust to expla;fl it . . . The
sense of a lhins can be so differ€nt when it changes languages. nnrw,rrr:r: Youi evading.
^sacA,i No really it is difrcult . . . [tnt'b'g] lt means . . . itmeansonefor
Whom Bread-Food-ls Not Enoush. [He loo&s dl fter.] Is that all risht? BENE^rDA: lrnderstdndtns, softlyl Thank you. MAM\: llaokine fion one to the othet and not undefttandins patt of itl Well
.. - that'snice... You must corne see us again-Mr.- ,s,rc,r: Ah*ay-guy... u,rur: Yes . . . Do come again. ,rs,rcar: Good bye.
IHe.xits.l M^MA: ldft€r rim] Lord, ihat s a pretty thing just went out her€l linsifluattng?], lo
Isrdduslre4 Yes,l sucs I see why we done commence lo set so inte.ested in Africa iound here. Missionaries my aunl lennyl
lS[? ertts.] gwrrrre: Oh Mama! ...
[She picks ub the Nisetian tuess and holds it up to het in fiont of the niftot de.rin. She sers the headdress on haphazadly and then notices het hdit aeain and clutches at it and then rcpldces the headdress and frowns at henelf. Then she si!ns b wtieele in fiont of the nitm as she thinks a Nieeti.ln woman nieht. rt^vts entets dnd reea& het.)
ruvrs: You cracling up?
549
550
-" - 6n" i"rt" n" n"addresg off and tooks at her"ett in the mnu dnd dut.cha dt ha, hdn aBam and squincheth?t c\?" o" il tningto tna4ne sonetntng 'I hen,'udJnty..he sets her raivoot ond k*chrcfond hwn?dtr
ptepa'es
fot eoine out.)
"^'^, ,,,i^,i" toi* -ti ttre roon Sh"'re'rinsno$ Tzs' bab\'Iunnc\'dod' ,J,'l'i,r,- l.t ^*
ro Pled'e ler me ha\; ' Irrle k rchen clcan"er' I hr h're
can is empty as Jacob's k€lile rR^\'rs I iust crme in -^"^ n. ^ -' t"ta. Hee\ir"dnd.hPlaoh\dth"rJdus'ra'
Wh're)ousorns?
"'^.^, n., i'JU"* or,li, dou.' I o l,ecore d queen uf he\'lel" ili
"^i' n " treatite"" btoze
o1 sio'r' NU r oppea' in the belrcon a""-"Y-l
MAMA| Who tolJ vou 1o eel uP? -','', ,qi""
"",hi'* "'";'g sirh rne ro h" l)rns in no bedtnr' \ her drd Ben-
",".'iir^^ng nu n,"eror Far a' I c"uld male our - lo F sr pt k' I H iu\r ioo&\
dr lzr I What tim€ tr rl setling to?
^"',1"",'""". \qd rhe mlilnrai e"rng ro rins rhalb"llrhF mornrns iu'rble h'
.lone eterv lrornrna lor l\e l,\l umptern yeab |1e*s comesin with rhP cleans .on t
' "o'r, She 'av to r.ll r"u lhrl .he don t ha\e ruLh
-;;;; ';;;;i r-.'J. --" p."pt" t .-ta ndmc 'u' i' rishr 6nedr ldrre'ansi?r
,-riso"' V"'k r"".rn..ielean'er dnun on th' }+ th"re If h' lhar hd d up i"' r,*h.n clean'ct. I rure don I $dnr to lot8er ro 8er her nuner
r|r: lem -mavbe,hesoman i' iu'r thorronrlean'"r- -, -" l.l^,"#"i-Vu' h Lakins ooudc. a' she done borru"ed irom ne all
rhe'e r.ar'. .ic could oldone sone inro rhe bali ins bu in*':-' trii t"n **a" *,la*lv id'harplv and all tlree drc "tunned'enou\ L"i "i",t ^'a'**,n
h 'pne
of alt the othq cLnversot on' and dis ,,.7i",,
"r *" ,6-n". tht; 6 whdt the,' ho\e been wanne fot e*n
rnrvr", w/ro loo*"}lclple.*/v fron hD noth toh8santlnothat P' tHn the frd to rcne tolt[Q osan]
RUrHr lto rRA!Bl Cei do$n lhem +eps, bo)l I t?'\B snals to litP and flies out to eet the nail
v'vq: l/ier eyro w;de. fier hand ta h?r brca't Y"ureanrt donerealh '"r'l nrn u: Izrcrtedl Oh. Mxs Lenal \\\1": colte.tne h"Fetl Wcll . I dnn r tno\ shJ we Jll 'o e\' ircd aborrt
'round h' ,; io'. U " tnown ir \d' comins ror month nL,. s: i h,r ' " .hole lor d,fferenr l'"m hJvinc ir
, ome and herns dble ro hold rt rn
'our hand' . . a orece of pape' wo rh ten lhou' rnd dullJ$ rRa\ F
butst. bd.I nto th! rcon Hi hold" rhe eMlope hish above hn head likp a httle ddn,er, his {ace i rcdtant and he r hwarhle'+ H? novstoh^ ennd' iother vith suriien tow ceremonv an<) ptts the envelope into het hands She o..ebt\ it, and then nnelv holds ond looks at r/ Com' "1: OPen ir Lor.l hrve merc\. 1 $,,n U alte Lee"r'here
rn s: Ooen rr. Grandmamai v\v\: (fdrins dt rl Now lou all be qurer ll ' ru'r a (hecl RUrH: Open it . .
MAMA: [sfillsrdringdiil] Nowdon'tactsiily act silly 'bout no moDey-
551
Weain'l neverbeen no people to
RUrH: Isl',ftlrl wc ain t never had none before opsn 'lr[,sv,u^fna y naka a good strcns teal and pulls out the thin blue slice of
papet and inspe.ts it closelr. The bor dnd his mothd study it tdptly ow veue's sfioul&rs.
MAMA: Trdyisl lsie ;s cou ntins off with doubt.) ts rhai rhe right nurnber of zeros. rn,rvrs: Yes'm . . . ten thousand dolla6. Caalee, crandmama, you rich. ux* [She holdt the check avay fiom he/, s.till tookins at it. Stowly het face soberc
into a r,:,ask of unhappiness.l Ten thousand dollars. [Sne ftdnds it ro RUrH.] Put ir ,way somewhe.c, Ruth. [Sie does not lool at p.u.t1; hq eyes seem ta be seeinE sonethinc somevhete wry fat of.) f en tho$and dollars they sive you. Ten thousand dollars.
rR^v,si [ro i;s 'notfi?r,
stnc"'ery] What's the matte. with Crsndmama don't sbe want to be rich?
Rl]H: ldisttncteAy)\oD so on out and play now, baby. [rRAvrs exits. MAi,A std'ts t'ripins dish.s .1bsentb, humnins intentty to heBetf. RvtH tums to he. \,ith kind exasperution.) Yol'\e gonc and sor youselfupser.
M^M{ [not lookinB dt het] I spec ifit wasn't for you all . . . I wouid iusi put that mon€y away or give it lo the church or sonething.
RUrH: Now what kind of tall is lhat. Mr. Younscr would just be plain mad if he coold hed you talkins foolish like that.
:.lAtl^: btoppine dnd stdrins offl Yes . . . be su,e would. [srsntns] we sot enough to do witb that money, allrigbt. [Sie ftalts l]en,andtums and looks at her daushter-inJaw hard; xvrn atoitls her eyes and u^MA wibes het hands vith linality an J statts to sfedk funly to Rr.tr.lwherc did you go today, girl?
RUrHi To the doclor. MAMA: Itnpdtt"ntlrl Now, Rurh . . . you know better than ihar. Old Docror Jones
is stranse enough in his q€y but there ain't nothing'bout him nakc somebody Jrp anJ eall hrm .he -lle 1ou done thi, morning.RUrH: Well, lhal's what bappen€d-my tonsue slipped.
M^Nu: You went to see that $oman, didn't you? avt* fdefensitely, siring fiersefdudyl Wbai woman you talkins about? M^M^: ldnsdh] That woman who-
IwaLrEF. ente in gteat etcitenent.) WALTER: Did il come? MArv^: [gur'?try] Can't you givc peoplc a Christian greetins before you starr askins
about money? w^r-rrR: Ito RUrHI Did it cone? fnuru unfolds the ch@k and lnys it quietly beforc
him, wtltching him intentlr with thoushts of het oi,n waLrER sils doun dnd srusps it close and counts oflie :?ros.l Tcn tbousand donar [He tuns suddenu, ftdnticatty to his mother and drcvs some pape8 out of hk brcast pocl?t.l Mana-look. Old Willy Hads put ev€rything on paper-
uwe: Son-l think you oushl to talk io your wif€ . - . I'll go on out and leave you alone if you want-
w^LrER: I can tall to her later - Mama, lool -u,tlr.r: Son- wAr.rER: WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE LISTEN TO ME TODAYI MAMA| [q!teIlr'] I don't'low no yellin' in this house, Walter Lee, and you know
552
it- [wALrER stdres dt lhem h ftustation dnd sk'ns b speak sQwtul tines.l And there ain't going lobe no investing in no liquor slores. I don'i airn to have to speak on lhat again.
IA tons Pauv .l wrr-rrn: Oh-so you don't aim to have to speak on that again? So /ou have
decided . . . ldumplin| hk pabe$l Well, )ou tel that to ny boy tonishl when you put hin to sleep on the livins'room couch . . lturnins to utut and spedkins dircctly to herl Yeah and tell it to ny wife, Mama, tomorow when she has to go out ofhere to look after somebody else's kids. And tell it to rn?, Mama, every time we need a new panofcurtains and I have to watch ),ou go out and work in somebody's kitch€n. Yeah, you tell me thenl
lwALrER srarts out.l RUrH: Where you going? WALTER: I'm going outl
WALTER: Just out of this house somewhere- RUrH: betting ft"r codtl I'll com€ ioo. wALTERT I don't want you to come! RUrHi I got sonething to talk 1o you about, Walter. w^LrER: Thatt too bad. MAM^: [stt[ quiert)] Walte r Lee -lshe
waits and he fnalb tutns and looks 4t her ') Sit down.
WALTER: I'm a grown nan, Mama. MAMA: Ain't nobody said you wasn't grown. Bul you still in my house and rnv
presence. And as long as youare-you'lltalk to your wife civil. Nowsitdown. nurr: [srddenly] Oh, let him go on out and drin] himselfto deathl He makes me
sick to rny stomachl [She finEs het coat aeainst hin ) WALTER: lrtolentl),] And you tu.n mine 1oo, babyl l\\tr1 eoes into then bedrcom
and slams the doot behind ier.l That was my sleatest mistake - MAMA: [sti[ qirietry] Walter, what is the matter wilh you? WALTER: Matte. with me? Ain't nothing the matter with nel MAMA: Yes the.e is. Someihing €atins you uP lile a clazy man Something mole
than me not giving yoo tbis rnoney. The past few years I been watching it happen to you. You get aJJ nervou acting and lind of wild in the eyes- lw ^La1|iunps
up inbatbndy dt ,€r words I I said sit there now, I'n talking to youl
werrrn: Mama- I don't need no nasging at me today. MAM^: Seem lik€ you settins to a place where yo' always ti€d up in some kind ot
knot about sometbing. But ifanybody.sk you'bout it you just yell at'em and bust out the hous€ and so oDi and dlinl som€wheres. Walter Le€, p€ople can't livelile tbat. Ruth's a good, patientgirl in herway-butyou gettingio be too much. Boy, don'i male the nisrake of drivins that cd away from you.
w,rr-ren: Why-what she do for me? u,t l: She loves you. werrrn: Mama- I'm goins out.I wanl io soofsomewhere and be by nyse)ffora
while. M^M^: I'm sorry'bout your liquor store, son. It
'ust
wasn't ihe thing for us to do. That's what I want to tell you about-
A Rdistn in l,r? Sun 553
w^LrER: I got to go out, Mama- lrie rises.l
irAMA: It s dans€rous, son. WALTER: Wbaik d,nseroDs? MAMA: When a man soes outside hh home to look for p€ace. wAr rER: [bes""cltnsl]l Then why can't there neve. be no peace in this house then? MAMA: You done found it in some othe! bouse? WALTER: No-there ain't no womanl Why do women always tbinl there's a
woman somewhere when a mrn geh restlcss. lcomtng to idlMama-Mama
-l want so many things . . .
WALTER: I wantso manythings thatiheyare driving mekindof crazy . . Mama
MAMA: I'm lookins at you. You a good-looling boy. You got 3 job, a nice wife, a 6ne boy and
w,rr.rrn: A job. Uoofrs at herlMama, ajob? I open and close car doors allday long.l drive a lnan around in his limousine and I say, "Yes,sir; no sir;verygood, sir; shall I take the Driv€, sir?" Mama, that ain't no kind of iob . . tbat ain'i nothins at all. lv"ry grietiy] Mana,I don'tknowifl can ma]e you understand.
MAMA: Und€rsiand what, baby? WALTER: [q!ierh] Someiimes it s li]e I can see the tuture slletched oui in {.oni of
me- just plain as day. The tuture, Mama. Hanging over there at the edge of my days. lust ffiiting for me-a big, looming blanl sPace -tuU
of nort1iflg.
lust waitine fol me. lpdusel Mama-sonetimes when I'n downtown and I pass thcm cool, quiellooking restauranis wh€re them white boys are sitting back and talking 'bout thinss . . . sitting there turning deals worth millions of dollan . . . soneiimes I see suys don't look nuch older than ore-
Mavr: Son-how come you ialk so nuch'bout money? w^Lr1p.. Ivith innense pdssioal Because it is life, Mamal MAM^: kuietryl Oh I'ery q tstlyl So now itt l;fe. Money is lir€ Once upon a
lime freedom used to be life-now it s noney. I gues the world really do change . . .
w,{.rrn: No - it was always money, Mama. W€ just didn't know about it
MAMA: No . . . somethins h:s cbansed. lsfie loots dt Ain.] You somelhins new, boy. In rny time we was wonied about not being lynched and g€liing to the Nonh if we could and how to stay alive and still hav€ a pinch of dignity too . . . Now here cone you and Beneatha-talling 'bout things we ain't n€ver eveD thousht about hardly, me and your daddy. You ain't satisfied or proud ofnothing wedone.I mean that you had a hone;that we keptyouout of irouble tillyou was grown;ihat you don't have to ride to work on tbeback of nobody s stre€lcar-You my children - bui how diferentwe done become.
WALTTR: You iust don't understand, Mama, you just don't undersbnd. vrur: Son-do you lnow your wife is expecting anolh€r baby? [wALrrR sfdnds,
stunned, and abso$s whdt nt, motfier hds satd.l Th3t s what she wanted to talk to you about. [w^LrER stnls doun into d chab ] Tbis ain't for rne io be telling blt you ought to know. ISfie Ddttr.l l tbink Ruth is thinling'boui gettins.id of that child.
w^LrERr lslo lt understdnding] No-no-Ruth wouldn't do that
554 lanaine Hansbertt
u,ru,r: When the world gets ugly enough-a woman will do anytbing for her family. The batt that's abeadr lirine.
WALTER: You don't know Ruth, Mama, if you think she would do that. [\r't1 apens the be&oom doot and stands therc d little linp.]
p.J|{: lbedtenl Yes I would too, walter. Ipdusl I gave her a five-doJlar down
[Therc is a total silence ds the man starcs at his wife and the mothet stnrcs at het son.)
MAMA: [przseatr] Well [dgntlr] Well son, I'm waitins to hear you say some- thing . . . I'm waiting to hear how you be your faihels son. Be the nan h€ ws . . . Ipduvl Your wife say she going to destroy your child. And I'm waitingto hear you talk lile him andsayx€apeoplewho sive children life, noi who destroys tbem- lsfis rises.l I'm waitinslo see you stand up andlook like your daddy and say we donc give up one baby to poverty and lhat we ,in'i going to give up nary anoiher one . . . I'm waiting.
ueur; Ifyou a son ofmine,letl herl [mrrrn luns, loo ks at het and can sar nothine. She continues, bitte y.lvou . . . you are a disgrace to your father's mem- ory- Somebodv g€t me my hat.
ACT 1I
Time: I'atet, the same ddY.
[At tise: RU'1H is nonfiry asain. She hds the rcdio eoins. Prcsentry BE- wernt's bedroon door opens and awu's mouth falls and she puts down the non in fascination.
RUrH: What have we got on tonightl Ffnr.,$n femersins srandly fron the dooway so thdt \)e can see het thoalshly
rcbed in the costune Asagai ,.ougtrl.l You are looking at what a well dresed Nigerian woman wears lshe parades for nur+ ha han nnPletely hidden by the heatkbess: she is coquettishb fannine heBelf with .1n omdte otiental fdn, mistakenly morc like Buttetflr than ant NiE tidn tndt ev"r ds.l Isn't ii beanliftl? [She prcnenades to the rudio and, with dn aftogant floutish, turns of the sood loud blues that is playing.l Enorgh ol this a$imilationist iunkl faura follows her with her evs as she eoes to the phonogaph nnd puts on a rccod and tutns .tnd waits ceremoniously fot the muric to came 4 . Then, vith d s,loul-l o coMocoslAYr
[\v| iumps. The BUsi @m6 up, a lowly Nieetian mdod1. nn"-aru,r Iistens, enr.lptured, het eyes far away -
"bach to the pdst." She beeins to ddnce . RUTH is dunfowded.l
RUrHi What kind ofdance is that? srrrerse: A foll( dance. rurr: [Peal Bailey] what kind of folLs do that, honey? BENEATHA: It s frorn Nigeria.lt s a dance ofwelcome. RUrH: Who you welcoming? srrrrrsr: The nen back io the vilhse. RrIrH: Where thev been?
tt5
BtrNEATHA| How should I lnow-out hunling or something. Anyway, they are comins bacl now . . .
RUrH: Well, tbat's good. BENE^TH^: b,lith the recotd)
Alundi. alundi Alundi aluny.l IoP bu a ieequd Lng gu soooooooooo
Ai ydi yde . . . Ayehaye-alundi...
Iw ^t.aER
cones in dutins thk befondnce: he has obriously been drink' ine. He ledns deainst the door heavily and watches his sistet, dt f\t i)ith disllste.Then his el"s look off "bdck ta the p.[st" as he lifts both hi't fists to the rcof, scrcamincl
wtrrt: YEAH . . . AND ETHIOPIA STRETCH FORTH HER HANDS ACAINI . , .
Rt)rH: [&ily,lookins at him] Yes-and Africr sure is claimins her own tonisbt. lshe giws them bath up an l statts nonins asain )
wAr.rER: [d in a drunhen, dramatic shout) Shul up! . . ]'rn dissins them drums... th€m drums move mel ... [He mdke' hiswearinevq to his wife\ face and leans in ctose to het.) h ny heatt of heatts - IHe thumps hiscftesl.l-l am much waniorl
N\r'tH lwitho t eten lookins upl In your heart of healts lou are much drunka.d wtlf,rN [conine a at fron het and st,1ftins to \.,andet arcund the rcom, shosting]
Me and lorno . . . flntently, in his sister's fdce. She has sto,ped aancinE to watch him in this unknowa noodl Thatt my man, Kenyatta lshoutine and tiumptns fiis c&srfl FLAMINC SPEARI HOT DAMNI [He r suddenll in possession of dn inaeindty speat and actiwly speating enemies all oter the room.l OCOMOCOSIAY . . . 1'HE LION IS WAKINC . OWI MOWEHI IH" pulls tt, ,n ft open and ledps up on d tdble and eestues with his spear.The hell rings. nrrl soes to dn wer.)
*^*ru^' tto encouraee \/\L|aN, thorcuehly caueht up eith this side of hin) OCOMOCOSIAY. FLAMINC SPEARI
\t^L'tER IOn the table. 'ett f eone. his eyes purc glas sheets. He sees what we
caniot, th.1t he is a bddet of his people, a srcat chief, a descendant af Chaka, and thdt the haw to marcir /ras cone.l Lhten, my black brothen
snNr,\rrr: OCoMOGOSIAYI Do you hear the walers rushing against the shores oftbe coastlands -
saNnrrqr: OCOMOGOSIAYI wAr-rER: - Do you hear the screeching of the cocks in
yonder hills beyond where
the chiefs meet in council for the corning ofthe mighty war- gerrrrrtr: OCOMOCOSIAYI w^LrER: -Do
you hcar thc beatins oltbe wings ofthe bnds flying low over the mo,,nrJin. and lhe loq placer of"u, land-
IRUrH opan, tfie d@r. cEoRcE MURcHrsoN enters.l snNrrru: OCOMOGOSIAYI waLrER: Doyou hear ihe sinsinsofthewomen, singing the warsongsofour iathers
556 Lonaine Hdnsbeny to tbe babies in the greai houses . . . singing the sweet war songs? OH, DO YOU HEAR. MY BLACK BROTHERSI
BENE^'|H^: [conpletelr sone] we hear you, Flaming Spear- WALTER: Telling us to prepare for the sreatness of th€ time- lfo cEoRcE] Black
Brotherl [He ertends his hand for the fiatemal dasp.)
ceoncr: Blacl Brother, helll NvtH. Ihavine had enoush, dnd embdnassed fot the fdnilll Beneatha, you got
company s'hat's the matter with you? Waiter Lee Younger, get down ofr that table and stop a€ting like a fool . . .
Iw ^L'|ER
com^ dolrn ofthe table suddenly a nakes a quich exit to the bdtboon.l
RUTH: He s had a little to drinl . . . I don't know what her exc'rse is. croncn: [to orNr,rrn,r] Lool honey, we're going fo thetheake-we're noi goingto
be in it . . . so go change, huh? RUrH: You expect this boy to go out with you looling like that? BENEATHA: Uoolins dt cEoRcEl That s up to Ceorse. Ithe's ashamed ofhis heritase
cEorcE: Oh, don'tbe so proud ofyoursell Bennie - just because you look eccen-
hic. BENE^rH^: How can something thai's natural be eccentric? cEoRcE: That\ what beins ecc€ntric means-being nat'rral. Get d.e$ed. BENEATHAT I don't like that, Ceorse. RUrH: Why must you and yourbrothe. mak€ ?n argument out ofeverythingpeople
sav? BENEATH^: Bec.use I bate assimilaiionist Negroesl RUTH: Wili somebody please tell ne what asimila*hoever neanst cEoRcE: Oh, it's just a college girl's way ofcalling people Uncle Toms-bui that
isn't what it means at all. nurn: Well. what does it mean? BENEATHA: krfiins cEoRc E off and starins at him as sir? /epltes ro RU rHI It means
someon€ who h willins to give up his own cuiture and subrnergc himself completeiy in the dominant, and in this case, oppr€ssi'€ culturel
cEoRcE: Oh, dear, dear, dearl Here we sol A lectu.e on the Africrn pastl On olr Cr€.| West Atrican Heritagel In one second we will hear all aboul th€ grcat Ashanti empires; the great Songhay civilizations; and the greal sculptur€ ol Benin-and lhen some poetry in thc Bantu-and thc whole monologue will end with thc wod hetitaee! [narliry] Lett tace it, baby, your heritage is nothing bui a buncb of rasgedy assed spiriluals and some srass huts!
BENEATHA: Grass iutsr [FJJ1]d cro*6 to het and forcibly busheN het toead the bedroon.l See there . . . youare standing there in yoursplendid ignorance talling about p€opl€ who were the first to smelt iroD on the f:ce of the earthl IRU TH is pushinE het ttuouEi, t[? dool. ] The Ashanti were performing surgical opcrations vhen tbe English-[RU. ]pu s thedootto, fiti BENEATHAoa rhe other side, and sniles eruciousry dt cEoRcE. BEND^. I^ opens the doot and shouts the enl of th. sentence delianlly at cEo\cEl-wcre still tartooing thems€lves rvith blue dragons . . . lshe soes back inside.)
RUrH: Have a seat, Geors e. lThey both sit. RvrH folds het hands fiimly on het L'p,
A Rdtsin itr tls Sun
detetmined to denonstrute the cirilizdtion of the fdmtry.l Warn! ain't it? I m€an for Septemb€r. lrdusel lust like they always say about Chicaso weather: Itit s too hot or cold for you, iust wait a minute and it'll chanse. [Sie s"iles happily at this clichi of clifus.l Everybody say it s got to do wilh them bombs and things they keep selting oF. [pa se] Would you lik€ a nice cold beerT
cEoRcE: No, thanl you.I don't care forbeer. [He lools dt fti' 'dtcA.]l hope she
hunies up. RUrH: What time i, the show? cEoRcE: It's an eishrthirty curtain. That's jost Chicago, though. In New York
sbndard cudain tine is eight forly. lHe is ftther ptoud of hh knowledE .)
RnrH: [proPer, apprccidtins tt] You set to New York a lot? cnoncn: [ofirand] Few i;nes a year. RUTH: Oh that s nice. I've never been to N€w Yo!k.
I\\t ^L'IER
enten. w e feel he has rcliewd hinself, but the eaee d uneality is sti with him.l
wAr-rER: New Yorkain't got nothins Chiclso ain't Jusi a bunch olhustlins people all.quee/ed up loeelher bcrng Easlcrn
He tun' hb ldc? into d scrc\ ol d$Pb6urc' cEoRcEr Oh-you\,e been? WALTER: Pl"rb, of times. nurn: khocled at the /isl walter Lee Youngetl qr.nq: slarine hcr dow, Plen\:pdurPl \\hrr $egu lodrinl in thl hour''
why doni you otrertbls min some refreshment. [fo cEoRcE] Thev don't know how to entetain in this house, man.
cEoRcE: Tbank you-l don't rcally care for anything w
^L'rERt Veelins his head; so6riel)' comtnsl Wheret Mama?
RUrrr She ain't come bacl yet. *l rLn; lloolinr
ca"uol rweed "poa" iacket
over co"hmqc v -ne' k sweate' ovq 'olt ewlet "hnt
and tie, dn(t soft sldcks, frnished off $'ith vhite bwksk;n snoes.l Whv all vou college boys wcar them fairy;shlooking white sboes?
lcEoRcE MURcHtsoN isnore, the rcma*.) w,rr-ren: tlo rurrrl Well, they look crazy as hell-while shoes, cold
gs it is' nurr lcrusieJl You bare to crcure him- sAr r Fts Nu hed^n r: Lrrse me ior rhal' Whar )orr.lwa\s r\cu'ing nc ior: I ll
excuse mvselfwhcn I needs io bc excusedl [d ,t.rus"] Thcv look * ftnnv as thcm black knee socks BeneatM weac out of here all the time
RUIH: Itt the colles€ 'ltle,
Walter' uLrrn: Style, hell. She looks lile she got burnt legs or somethingl rrrn: Ob, Walter- \^L1tq: an Dntahl" miniclOh, \VJlr.r:Oh, Wrller rovrR,HFn\'Hu\\)our
old -n'rr makine ou| iundq'rand vou allgoing'o bu) lhdr hig holtlun lhe Dne'. H" finds a be n the rchie.rctot \dntle^ o'lr ro vupcHrsu\' iipbneond qi\t c hi' hps onh the batk of hi hand and stradllnqo chan bd:Iu;d" h tah io the ot 1", ndn lSh,e'vd mu\e )orrrold man r' rllrighr. nan. ltappins his heaa and half winking for emphasis) I mean he knows how
t57
558 Loftaine Hdnsbeny to operate. I nean he ihinks bis, you know whal I m€an,l rnean fora ion", you knowT But I thinl he's lind of running out of ideas now. I'd like to talk to him. List€n, man, I gol sone plans tbat could turn ihh cily upsid€ down. I mean I thinl like he does. Big. Investbig, ganble big, heJJ,loselig ifyou have to, you know what I mean. Itt hard to finda man on this whote Southside who understands my lind of thinking-you dis? [He scrurini.z?s MURcnrsoN asain, dnnks his beet, squints his eyet and leans in close, confdential, nan to mdn.lM€ andyouought to sit down and talk sometimes, man. Man,I got me someideas...
cEoRcE: [wiftr 6oredom] Yeah som€times we'll have io do that, Walter. w^LrER: [unde$tandinethe indifferene, ana ofended] Yeah well,wbenyouset
the time, man. I know you a busy little boy. nurr: Walter, please \t^LtEF.. Ibitteiy, huttl I know ain'i nothins in this wodd as busy as you colored
college boys with your fraternity pins and white sho€s . . . RVH: Icoeenne het face vitfi nuniltdfiotrl Oh, Walter Lee wrrer: I see you all all th€ tirne - with ihe boolc tucked under your arms goingto your [Btttsrt A a mimic] "clahses." And for whafl whai the he1] you
l*rnins over there? Fillins up your heads-lcountins off on his fnEets], witb the sociolosy and tbe psychology-but they teaching you how to be a man? How to iake over and lun th€ wodd? Tbey teaching you how to run a rubber piantation o'a steel mill? Naw-iusi to tall properand read books and wear white sboes-
croRcr: Uoo&trg dl fiin ithAistuste,alittle dbo,)e it alllYouie all wackedup with bitterness, nan.
- wtr-r r r: lnlcntA. alno.t quieth. betveen t he t eath. elann q dt t he bot. \nd \ ou
&'--i.,".-***rm:"i':.:H'.ti:i:i1i;i:Ji,,"#r$i:"til1il son'of-a-bitch-you happy? You got it made? Bitte.? Man, I'm a volcano. BitierT Here I am a giant - surrounded by ants! Ants who can't ev€n understand what it is the gianl is talking about.
RUrH: lpdssionately dnd srddenlyl Oh, Walter-ain't you with nobodyl WALTER: hio/entl)l Nol 'Cause ain't nobody with mel Not even my own mother! RUrH: Waller, that's a terrible thing lo sayl
IBENE^rHAertd]',dreNsedfot the ereninein a cocktd arcs dnd edtines.l cEoRcDr Well-hey, you lool sreai. BENEATHA: Let's so, Ceorse. See you all later. RUrH: Have n nice lime. cnorce: Thanl<s. Good nisht. [to w^LrER sdrcdsltcdly] cood nisht, Promrtl"us.
lBtrNtrarHA drd ctroRGE 4if.l WALTER: lto RUrH] who is Prometbeus? RUrHr I don't know. Don't worry aboui it. waLaEv. [in fury, pointins d/t"r cEoRcE] See th€re - they set to a
point where they can'l insuli you man to nan ihey got io ialk aboul something ain't nobody never heard ofl
RUrH: How do you know it was an insult? llo lumol,?t'nl Maybe PromerheL$ is a nice fellow.
Rdisin in the Sun 559
WALTER: Prometheusl I bei ihcre ain't even no such thingl I bet tbat simple minded
lShe stofs what she is doins and looks at him.) wALr'trR: [rellins] Don't startl RUrH: Stad wbat? WALTER: You. nassingl Where was I? Wbo was I with? How rnuch money did I
RUrH: tpldinttlelll Walter Lee-why don't we just I'y lo ialk about it . . w^LrER: [no! /,sleniag] I been out talking to people who undestand me People
wbo care about the thinss I got on ny mind. RUTH: [pedrilr] I sues that means people lite Willy Hads w,rr.rnn: Yes, people like Willy Hanis. RUrH: Iuittr d suddd fdsh of inpatience)\Nhy dor't you a1l just huny up and go
into lhe b.nkins business and stop talking about itl wALrF.R: Why? You want to knowwhy? 'Causeweall tiedupin a raceofPeople lhat
don t know how to do noihine but moan, pray and have babiesl
lThe line is too bittet ewn fot him and he looks dt het dnd sits down ) aoru: Oh, Walter . . . lso/tlyl Honey, why can't vou stop fishting me? WALTER: [ritirorl tlrtnhng] Wbot Eghiing you? Who evcn cares about you?
l'fhis line besins the rctd ,1tion of his mood.l nurs: Well - [S/re *,aits a lonE time, dnd then v;th rcsisnation stafts
to put dw4l fter th;ng$.] I guess I misht as wellgo to bed . . .Imoreotlestoheselfll don't know where we lost it . . . but we hav€ [th.n, to hirr)l-l'n sorry about lhis new baby,Walter.l guess maybe I better eo on and do what I sta*ed . . . I sucss I iust didn't realizc how bad things was with us I gues I iust didn't really realize - IS[e stdrts olt to rhe bedroon and stops ) You want some hot milk?
w.qr-rex: Hot milk? nurg: Yes-hot milk. urrr,n: Why hot milk? RUrH: 'Cause after all that liquor you come bome with you ousht to have sometbing
hot in your stomach. WALTER: I don r want no milk. Rurrr: You want some cofiee then? WALTER: No. I don't want no cofee. I don't want nothing hot to drink. ldlmori
p/aint;velyl Why you always trying to give me someihing to eat? R\n* Istandrle and lookine dt fttn lrelplrsslll What else can I give you, Walter Lee
Younger?
[She stands dnd looks at hin dnd ptesently tums to so out asain. He lifts his head dnd i'atches hq goins .Nay fton hin in a new nood which heean to enerye when he dske,l her "Who carcs about vou?"1
wAr.rER: It s been loush, ain't it, baby? lshe hedft and $to|s btt does not tum aroun<J and he continues to ler Dact.] I gues between two Pcople lhere ain't neveras much undentood as folksgenerally thinkthere is.l mean likebetween me and you- [S/,e tlms to fdc" ]im.l How we sets to ih€ place wbere we scared io talk softness to €3ch other. [He wdils, ffiinling hatd himself .) Whv
560 Lonaine llansberry you ibink it got io be lile th aI7 IHe k thouehtful, almost as a child would be.l Ruth, what is it g€ts into people ought io b€ close?
RUrB: I don't know, honey. I think about it a lot. w,rr-rm: On account of you and me, you mean? The way ihinss are with us. Tbe
way something done corne down between us. RUrH: Thcre ain't so much between us, Walte. . . . Not s,h€n you come to me
and try to tall to me. Try to be with me . . . a litt]e even. wALrER: [lotdl non"sb,] Sornetimes . . . sornetines . . . I don't even know how
to try.
N.u1tr: lconing to him, Eently dnd with niscifine, but comins to himl Honey . . . life don't have to be lile this. I mean sometim€s people can do thingssothatthingsarebettcr . . . Yourememberhowweusedtotallwhen Travis was born . . . about the way we were goins to live . . . th€ lind of
lshe is stroking hk head.l W ell, ili all stading to slip avay from
fveue enters, and wALrrn iumps up and shod$ at het .) WALTER: Mama, where have you been? MAMA: My-them steps is longerthan they usedtobe. Whewt[S&esir down and
ignores lin.l How you feelins this evenins, Ruth? IRUrH sfirsgs, disfurrel so" e at hd.ring b.en prcmaturcly interrupted and watchins het husband knowinsly.)
urrrn: Mama, where have you been aJJ day? M^MA. Isti isnorinshimand leanineonthetahle and chansinstomorc comfoftable
sftoesl Where's Travis? RU rH: I let bim go out earlier and he ain'i come b3ck yet. Boy, is he goins to set ii!
MAM^: tas if she hds head him for the fr$t timel y es. soDT WALTER: Where did you so this afternoon? MAMA| I went downtown lo tend to somc busine$ ihat I had to t€nd to. wAr.rERr What kind ofbusiness? MAMA; You lnow better than to question me like a child, Brother. \r^LiE . [tisine and bendingow the table)Whercwere you, Mama? [brinsins ];s
fists dovn and shoutinglMama, you didn't so do something with that insur ance money, sonething crazy?
lThe frcnt door opens slowly, interruptinehim,dnd rl^v:-sbeek his hea.i in,Iess than hopefu y.l
rRAvrs: [fo lis mothe4 Mama, I- RUIH: "Mama I'nothinglYou're going to get itboylCet on in that bedroon and
get yourselfreadyl TRAVIS: BUt I_ MAMA: Why don't you all never let the child explain hisselt RUrHr Keep out of it now, Lena.
lM^M^ clanfs het lips toeether, dnd RUrH alban@s toward her son nenacingly .l
RUrH: A thousand times I have toid you not to go offlike that- M^M* lholdins out het dns to het ctandsonl Well at least lel me tell him
A Rdistn ttr t&e S n 561
somelhing. I want him lo be the firsi on€ lo hear . . . Com€ here, Travis. [The boy obeys, eladly.]Travis - IShe takes him by the shoulder and looks into fta face.l-you lnow that money rve sot in the mait this morning?
ueur: Well-what you think your grandmama gone and done with that money? rRAvrs: I don'i know, Grandmama. M^M^: lbuttin! her frneq on his nose fot enph.lsisl She w€nl out and she boughl
you a housel ITne errlostcn cones fion w^L'rER dt the end of th. a,elation and he iunts up and tums away fiom all of then in a fulr . M^M^continues, to rRAvrs.l You glad about the hoDse? It's going tobe yours when youg€tto b€ a
rnrvrs: Yeah-l always wanted to live in a house. MAMA: All risht, simme some suear ihen - [rRAvrs
p uts his atms around het n@k ds she \Jat.hes het son ow the boy'' shouldet. Then, to 'r{^els, aftet the em' bracel Now when you say your prayes tonight, you thanl God and your srandfather 'cause it iv.s hin who s;ve you the house-in his way.
RU1H ltakine the bor fiom M^\ A and PushinE hin toward the bedraon) Now yoD gel oul ot here Jnd gel reJdl for lour beating.
ruvrs: Aw. Mama RUrH: Get on in there - lclosing the door behind hin and tutnine rcdiantly to hernotler ;n lawl So you went and did it! ll,xr^t [quietly, lookine dt het son \]tith bainl Yes,I did. rrun: lraising both arms clal,sicallyl Pftise Cod! llooks at w r,trer' a monent, vho
s,rs nothins. She crcsses rupidly to her husband.l Please, boney - let me beglad... you be glad too. [She has laid her hands on his shodders, but he shaku hinself free d hu roughly, vithout tumins to fau her.) Oh, walt€r...ahome...ahone. lshe eones Dac& to uam.l well- where is it? How bis is it? How much it goins to €ost?
RUrH: When we moving? MAMA: [sri/;ng dt &?4 First ofthe monlh. r:lta [throwing back her head i]ith iubilancel P ise Cod! utut: ltentatirely, still lcnkins at het son's back tumed against her and a|Tul
It's - it's a nice bouse too . . .IShecannothelPspeakinsdnec ytohim. An
inbloinc quality in her wice, her manner , nakes her dlnost like a srl now ) Three bedrooms-nice big one for you and Ruth . . . Me and Beneatha still have to share our room, but Travis have one of his own-and lwttft diffcdty)l figre tI the-new baby-is a boy, we could get one of tbem double-decler out6ts . . . And lhere s a yard with a little p?tch of d;n where I could maybe s€t to srow me a few flowen . . . And a nice big base-
nurH: Walter honey, be glad- M^M^: Isti to his back, frnEetin{ things on the table)'Coulse I don't want to make it
sound fancier ihan it is . . . It s just a plain little old housc-but it s m3de sood and solid-and it will bc ours. Walter Lee-it makes a difierence in a man when he can walk on floon tbai b€long to nim . . .
M^MA: Wiehtened dt this tetinsl Well- well itt out there in CJybourne Park -
t62 Lontine Hansbenr
[nvs's tddian@ fad^ dbtuptr,dndwl]IEn fnatu tstns sto btoface his nothet with inuedulitt and hostility .)
M^M^: Imdttercf-factly) Four o six Clyboume Street, Clybourne Park. ruru: Clybourne Park? Mama, there ain't no colored people living in Clybournc
Park. M^MA: lalnost idiotically] Well, I sucss there\ goins to be some now. wArrER: Ibtterlrl So that s the peace and comlort you went oul and bousht for us
M^M^: ltaisinghet eyestoneet hisfnallylSoa i just tried io 6nd the niccst place for the least amount ofmoney for my family.
nut1: lttrins to re$ret fion tle sftocftl Well- well -'couffe I ain't one never bcen 'fraid of no cracker, mind you-but-well, Msn't there no other houses nowher€?
MAMAr Them houses they put up for colored in them areas w?y out all seem to cost twice as much as other houses. I did the best I could.
nurr: [Struc] senseles ui th the news. in its wious aelres of goodnas and trouble, sh. sits d mam.nt, her fists btoppin! het chin in thousht, and then she stdfts to ise, bring her fsts down with igot, the ftdiance sprcadins from cheek to cheek again.l Welt welll-All I can say is-if this is my lime in life-nr line
to ray good bye [and sha ]uilas .idith momentrm as she statts to cicle the toon with an exubdnnt. .1lmost tearfslly happy rcledsel-to thesc Cod damned cracking wallsl [S]e pounds the walls.)-and these marching roachesl - [S/ie otp?s dt d n inaeindry atry of narchins rodc["s.] - and thiscramped litlle closet which ain't now o. nevcr was no kitchen! . . . th€n l ssy it loud and good, HalLluid h! and soodbre misety . . . I don't neltet i)ant to see,aur us' face asahtt IShe larghs ioyously, hatinspractica r (lestroyd the dfannenL dnd flinss het dms up and letr then cone down happi\, slowly, rcflecttuely, ow het abdomen, avare fot the flst hme behabs that the life thercin pulses with harpiness and not desbair.l Lena?
ra*.rt: lnoted, wtchins h"r idpr;aessl Yes, honey? nurr: Uoolins ofl Is there is there a whole lot of sunlight? MAMA: [undentdndtns] Yes, child, there's a whole lot ofsunlishi.
llane paue.l r.urn fn ecting herself and soins to the aoot of the roon rn.rvrs is in] Well - I
suess I betler see 'bout Travis. [to u,rvr] Lord,I sure don't feel li]e whippins nobody todayl
{sie exits.l t'tlx: [The mother and son dre left .1lone now dnd tlp mothet v)aits a lony time,
considetins deepr, beforc sne spedls.l Son-you-you undersiand what I done, don't you? [wALrER ;s silent and sullen. ] I - I
jusi seen my family falling apait today . . . just falling to picccs in front ofmy €yes . . . We couldn'l ofgone on like we was today. Wc was going backwards 'stead of forwards -lalking'bout kiiting babies and whhing €ach orher was dead . . . When ii g€is like that in life-you jusl got lo do something diFerent, push on oui and do som€thins bisser . . . [Sre dits.] I wish you say somethins, son . . . 1 wxh you'd say how deep inside you you think I done the rigbt thins-
f"\t'^'*': wALrER: lc/ossing sloDly to hir bedroon doot anafna ytuminEtheleandspeakine
neaswedlrlwhatyon Deed lne to say yor done risht for? vou the head ofthh family. You run ourlives like you wanl to. Itwasyourmoneyandyoudidwh?t youwanted wilh it. So what you ne€d for me to say it was all right for? [r;tf"rl),, to hut het as dee,Iy as he knows is posi6lel So you bulchered up a dream of
-------Rine \ou who Jlwa$ blkine buur vour c}rldreni dreams MAMAj \ rlter trd- ----
Tine: Fridat niEht. A fev weeks later . At rise: Packing crctes n.1* the intention of th. fanib to move. spn rH.{ and crorce cone in, prcsunablv fiom an
cuoncn: O.K. . . . O.K., whatever you say . . [They both sit on th. couch.IIe ] ies to kiss her. She rr,oves away.I Look, we've had a nice evening; Iet's not spoil it, huh? . . .'
[He asain tuns her head and fies to nuzzle in nnd she turns awav from hin, iot with distaste but vith momentary lack of interest; in a moo<l to pwsue what ther ,/terc talkine about.)
BENtr^rHA: I'm frltng to talk to you. cnoxcr:: We always talk. BENEATHA: Yes-and I love to talk. LtoRct ln'bented,,B\'s I l'nowilandIdonlmrndrt'omPlim(' Isanr
vou ro.rl rl out. \ea Thc moodv 'ruff, I mern l don t lile rt You re a ;ice-l,otrng gnl . . . Jll "'e, Th;t ' all )ou
ne.d hune) lorger rhc rrmo-
'Dh.re Cut. ,'en I s"ine ro go lot rhP rlmo'pner. - lhey re goiFg lo go for
"hat rheyt.. Besldd for lh,l. Dop theCarbo ruulrne ltdoe'n\go$rlh
you. As for myscll I want a nice - kropinsl - simple ltftouslitfu v] sophisti.ated sil ... not a poet-O.K.7
[She rebuffs hin ogain and he starts to lea'e ) renerrx,r: Wby are you angry? cEoRcE: Because thh is stupidl I donl go out wilh you to discuss lhe nature of
"qui€l desperation" or to hear all about youl thoughts-b€cause the world will go on thinking what it thinls resardl€ss
sun,rrrr,r: Then rvhy read book? Why so to scbool? cEoRcE: [Mtft ddifcial pdtience, countine on his fr11eqs) Iti simple. You read
booi<s-to learn facis to set grades-to pass ihe coursc-io get a degice. That's all-it has nothing to do witb thoughts
[^ IonE Paw.) ooNnrrrr I see. [a /onger Pouse as she looks at hir.l.) Good nisht, Ceorse
IcEoRcE lools dt fter d Itrde oddly, and stdtts to extt He meets MAM^ comine in.)
ceoncr: Oh-hello, Ms. Younger. u,ru,r: Hello, Ceoree, how you fceline? cEoRGE: Finc-fin€, how are you? M^M^i Oh, a little tired. You know lhem steps can set you atter a day's work. You all
have a nice time tonight?
[He iust closes the door behind him. M^M^ sits dlone, thinkine he@ily ]
564
cEoRcE: Y€s-a fin€ time. Well, good night. M^M^: Good night. [H? erits. M^M^ closes the door benind [er.] HeJJo, boney. What
you sitting lile that for? BENE^rH^: I'm just sitting. MAMA: Didn't you have a nice time?
MAMA: No? Whal's the mattcr? sereerae: Mama, George is a fool-hones. [S[e rises.] M^M^: lHustline nrcund unloadins the paehases she h/.s entered vith. She stops.) ls
he, baby?
IBENE^rH^ mdls up rR^vls' bed ds she tui{s.l
veva: Well-l gues you better not waste yorr time with no fools. IBENE^rHA loofts ub at her nother, vatchinE het Put grocenes in the rcfiiserctot. Finalb sh. Catherc up het thines dnd statts into the be&oon. At the doot she stols dnd looks bdct at h.t mothet.)
BENEATH^: Mama-
arnrerua: Thank you.
rnrn/irH^: For understandins me this time. [She exits quickly and the mother stnnds, smiling o little,Iooking at the place wherc BENE^"|H^ iusf slood. RUrH ?ntels.l
RUrH: Now don't you fool with any oftbe shlff, Lena- MAMA| Oh, I jusi thought I'd sort a few things out.
IThe bhone nnss. RrrH answe:^.l RL,'.H: lal ffte plone] H€llo - Just a minute. koes to doorlWalter, it's Mrs. Arnold.
[Wnits. Coes back to the fhone. Tense) Hd]o. Yes, this is hh wife sp€ak' ing . . . He's lyins down now. Yes . . . well, he'il be in tomonow. Het beenverysick. Yes Ilnowwe sbouldhave called, but we were so sure h€'d beabl€tocome intoday. Yes-yes, I'mverysory.Yes . . . Thankyouvery much. fsfie nangs up. v.tALrEp. is standine in the dooway of the bedroon ,"i;nd,sr.l Thar was Mrs. Arnold.
w^LrE : Iindifercntly) W.s iI7 nurr: Shesaidif you don'tcome intomorowthattheyaresettinsanewman . . wAr.rER: Ain't ibat sad-ain't that crying sad. nvrs: She said Mr. Arnold has had to iake a cab for lhre€ days . . . Walter, you
ain'tbeen to worl<forlhr€e dayst IThis is a rcwldtion to ner.l Where you been, Walter Lee Younser? [wA IJF.R looks dt het dnd st.ltts lo /augft.] Youie going to lose your job.
WALTER: That's richt . . . nurs: Oh, Walter, and with your mother working like a dog every day- wAr.rER: Thal's sad too-Everything is $d. MAMA: Whal you been doing for these three days, son? urrer: Mama-you don'l know all the things a man wb3t sot leisure can 6nd to
do in this city Whatt ibis-Friday nighi? WeiJ-Wednesday I bor-
565
rowed Willy Hads' car and I went for a drive . . iust me and myselfand I drove and drove . . . Way ort . . . way past South Chicago, and I parked the carand I sat andlooked at the steel mills all daylons.l iust sat inthecarand lookedal them big black chimneys forhoun.Then I drovebackand I went to the Green Hat. fpduse] And Thunday - Thursday I bonowed the cal agein and I got in it and I pointed il the othcr way and I drove the other way for hou6-way, way up to Wisconsin, and I lookedatthe farms, O iust drove and lookedst the farms. Tben I drove back and I w€ntto the Creen Hat. lpdue] And today-today I didn't get tbe car. Today I iust wa*ed. All over the Southside. And I looked atthe Nesroes and th€y lootedat me and finally I iust sat down on the curb at Thniy ninth and South Palkway and I just sat the.e and watched the Nesroes so by. And then I went to the Green Hat You all sad? You all d€pressed? And you know wherc I am going risht now-
[n:]]a goes out quickty .] v,rM,r: Oh, Big Waltcr, is this the harvest ofour days? w,rrren: You know what 1 like about the Creen Hat? [He tutns the radio on and a
steary , deep blues ,ows into r[.? room.] I li]e this little cat they sot there who blows a sax . . . He blows. He talks to ne. Hc ain't bui 'bout five feei tall and het got a conked head and his eyes is always c]osed and hei all music-
M^*,tA Vbiry and Eettins ene pa,erc out of het hdndbagl Walter - w^L rrR: And theret this other guy who plays thc piano . . and they gol a sound
I nean lhey c.n work on sonre music . . . Tbey sot thc best liitle combo in the world in thc Creen Hat . . . You can iusl sit there and drink and listen to lhem threc men play and you rcalize thal don't nothing maiter wo h a damn, but iust beins there
wrur: I'vc belped do it to you, haven't I, son? Walter, I been wrong. wALiER: Naw-youain'i neverb€en wrong abo i nothing. Mama. M,!M^: Lhlen to me, now. I sav I been wrong, son. That I been doing to you wbat ihe
resi ofihe worldbecn doins io yoD. lsfte stops dnd &e lnks up slowlv at het and she meets hir etes pleadiagtl.I Walter - lvhat you ain't never undcrstood isthat I ain't got nolhing, don't own nothing, ain'tnever reallywantednothing lhrr uJ\n I for
'ou. l here trin i n.lhrno a' prc(rou\ lo me I here rin t
nothinsrorlhholdineonro,moner,drermr,nol\rngel\e ifil medn' rlir me;;:i;o,nei;-d?rn6t@ ;ikhiahi;l6;ni;piaFiii6i ng. I paid the man rhutl 6re hundred dollars down on tbe house. That leaves sixty 6ve hundrcd dollars Mondav morning I want you to tak€ lhis money and lake three thorrsand dollan andput il in a savingsaccount for Beneathat medical schooling. The rest vou put in a
checling account with your name on it, and from now on any penny that come out ofit or that so in it is for you to lool after. For you to decide lS/P &ops het h.'nds d little hel\iessll.l It aifl'l much, but itt all I sot in thc No.ld and I'm puttins it in youl hands. I'm telling you to be the head ofthis familv from now on like you supposed to be
w^t rEN. lstarcs at the nonetl You tlust me lil<e that, MamaT MANjA: I ain't never stop trustins you. Like I ain't n€ver stop loving you.
IS/re goes oui, and w,rr-rrn sit, Iookine at the nonet on the tdble as the
'nu'. continues in its idion,he E ts up, dnd, in minEled ioy and despe/a'
tion. bicks ub the noner. At the sdne nonent, rRAvts entea fot bed.l
t66
'rRAvrs: What's the matter, Daddy? You drunl? w^L'tE\: I,ryeet\, nore swe.tly than we ha1)e ewt knorn ,riml No, D?ddy ain't
drunl Daddl a,ni soins lo ne\e, be drunl again . . . ruvrs: Well, good night, Daddy.
[rhe rlrnra has cone fron behind the couch and teans over , enbracins fth son.l
warrer: Son, I feel lile talking to you tonight- rRAv$: About what? w^r-rER: Oh, about a lot ofthinss. About you and what lind ofnan yougoins tobe
when you grow up . . . Son-son, whal do you want to be when you grow up?
rnevrs: A bus driver- w^LrEN: lldughing a littlel A what? Man, that ain't nolhins to want to bel
WALTER: 'Cause, man-it ain't big enough-you l(now whal I mean. rRAvrs: I don'l lnow then. I can'i make up my mind. Sometimes Mama asks me that
too. And sometimes wh€n I tell her I just want to be like you-she says she don't want me to be like that and sometimes she says she does. . . .
w^L|ER: lsathetins hin up tn fiis drnsl You lnow what, Travis? In seven years you soing to be seventeen years old. And things are going tobe very diFerent with us in seven y€3rs, Travis. . . . One day when you are seventeen I'll come home-home from my office downtown somewhere
rRAvrs: You don't work in no ofiice, Daddy. WALTER: No but afier tonight. Afte. wh.t your daddy gonna do tonight, there's
going lo bp offices J whole lol ol office.. . . ruvrs: What you gonna do tonight, Daddy? w^LraR: Youwouldn'tunderstand yet, son, butyour daddyt gonna make a kansac
tion . . . abusinesstransaction that's goinglochangeourlives. - . . Thatt how come one day when you 'bout seventeen years old I'll come home and I'll b€ preltytired, youknowwhat I mean, aftera day of confercnces and secreta' des getting things wrong lhe way they do . . . 'cause an ex€cuiive's lit€ is hell, man - [The norc he talks the fdtlw an)ay he eets.] And I'11 pull the carup on the driveway . . . just a plain biacl( Chrysle., I think, with white walls-no-black tires. More elesanl. Rich people don't havc to be flasby . . . thoush I'll have lo sel son€ihins a little sportier for Rulh- maybe a Cadillac converlible to do her shopping in . . . Andl'llcomeupthe steps to the house and the gardener will be clipping away al the hedses and he'llsay, "Good evening, Mr. Younger." And I'JJ say, "Hello,JeFeron, how arc you tbis €vening?" And I'll go inside and Ruth will come downstairs and meet me at the door and we'll liss €3ch otherand she'I]rake my arn and we'll gouptoyourroom toseeyou siltingon ihe floorwith the catalogues ofallthc sreat schools in America around you . . . All the ercat schools in the worldl And-and I'll say, all right son it's your scventeenth birthday, whal is it you've decided? . . . fusl te)l me where you want to go to school and you'll go. Just tell ne, what is it you rvant to be-and you']] ,e it . . . Whatever you want tobe-Yessirl [He holds his amt open for rt|rs.] You iust name it son . . . [rRAvrs leaps inro fnom.] and I hand you tbe worldl
lwALrERt rotc€ ,rds /tsen tn Pitch and hysteticnl prcnise and on the last line he lifts .tR^vB hich.l
567
- Tine: Satutday, no|ine ddt. one week l.|tet. Beforc the cunain tises. RurH's roice, a sttident, dramatic church alto, cuts throseh the silence.
llt is, tu the da&ness, a ttitnphant surge, 4 penetatine stdtement of expectation: "Oh,Inrd, I don't feel no ways tned! Chil&en, oh, elotv hallelujayt"
As the cutt.lin ti$es we see that P.urA is alone in the lsing t'rom,
fnishine up the fdnirys Packine. It is r',orins day She is n tilins crctes and tring canons. BENEA'iH^ enterc, calrying 4 guitdt case, and vatches her *uberant sister inlaw .)
RUrH: Hey! ?,ENE$B^: lputtine away the case) Hi.
"",H, lpoiitinc a[ a pa"kaenl Honey look in that Package there 'nd
see what I fund on sale this mornine al the South Center' IRUTH sets uP and mows to the pack lee dnd &a\\,s out sone cxrfdinsl Lookahere - hand turned bemslrnurrua: How do you know the window size out there?
st t n: who hadn r thoueht o/ rhdl Oh - \Vell. lhc) borrnd,o hl'umelhrnC in lhe whole h"u'e {nyhow. rhey wa. loo good a bargain to pr* up nr r r "iops
/rer
head, surldenly rem.mbetins somethine.l Oh, Bennie-l msnt to put a special note on thai calton ov€rlhere. That's you! mamat good china and she wants 'em lo be very careful with it-
BEN.^rrrA: I'll do it. tsegtrld fntls a piece of pdpet and ndfts to drc1" larye letters on it )
nrrn: You know what I'm going to do soon as I set in that new house?
nura: Honey- l'n going to run me a tub of water up to here . . [\Jith her fnserc ,racticailr up to her noslthl And I'm going to get in ii and I am going to sii . . . and sit . . . and sit in that hot water and the nrst pe$on who lnocls to tell me to hurry Dp and cone out-
snNlrrrqe: Gets shot ai sunrise. s' rs: Iouehtne haOpilyl\ou sriJ rl, nver: ,notnne ho\ largr or rrr rrr is a6-
,ent -; ndedb mokine r he note Hone).,hey rin l surng ro lead rhar fi om no
eeNer.rH,r: Uargling hersefl I guess I always lhinl things have more cmphash if ihey are bis, somebow.
xurn llooking up at her and smil;ngl You and your brother seem to have that as a philosophy of life. Lord, that man-done cbansed so iound here. You know-you know wbat we did lasi nisht? Me and Walter Lee?
Rors: ls',iline to he3elflw e wcnt 10 th€ movies. [loofri's dt 8ENEATHA io ,"e ilsle xnderstrndslWe went to the movies. Youknow thc last tim€ me and Walter went to the novies tog€th€r7
RUrHr Me neither. That's how lons itbcen. fsmilins dsdtn] But we went lasi nisht The picture wasn't mLrch good, but lhat didn't seem to matter' We went- and wc beld hands.
senrrrHr: Oh, Lordl nrns: We held hands-and you lnow what.
nurH: When we come out ofthe show ;t was late and dark and all the stores and
568
tbings was closed up . . . and it was kind ofchilly and the.e wasn't many pcople on the streets . . . and we was still holding hands, me and Walter.
enrn,rrnr: You're killing ne. [\\
^t.rER enters \aith d larce packaee. IIis hafpiness is deeb h hin; he
cannot keeP sti with his 1nw-found erubuane. He is sineing dnd wie elins and sn.iP\ine his fneerc. He Puts his pdckdEe in .1 comer and puts a phonogtuph rccord, which he has iust brotsht in vith him, on the rcard pldy . As the music comes sp he ddnces o let to \rrtr and ties to eet het tu Aance \nith him. She Eites in dt last to his raunchincjs and in a lit of gissling a ol')s herself to be &aun into his nood and tosethet they deliberately bulesque an old social dance of then youth.l
BE\E^'1H/' [tesardine them a lons tine as ther dance, then drawing in het breath for a deeply ex.rEsercted conment n)hich she does not paticulaiy nean)'l k abour - oldddddddddd'fashioneddddddd - Negroeslw^LrER: [stoppins nonenldr']r] What kind ofNegroes?
[He says this in fun. He is not dnEty with het todq, not vith anyone. He statts to dance \rith his ife asain.)
srxn.{rH,{: Oldjashioned. w
^t.tER [as he dances witn RUrn] You know, when ihese New Negroes have their
conv€ntion [roinltns dl iis sister]- th?t is soins to be the chanman oftbe Committe€ on Unending Asilation. Itle soes on ddncins, then stops.) Race, race, ra.el ... Cnl I do believe you are the first person in the historyoltbe entirc hurnan racc to succesfully brainwasb yourself. [BENEATHA 6/edls u, and he goes on dancing. He stobs asain, eniotine his tease.l Damn, even the N double A C P tales a holiday sometimesl [sererrHe and Rura laqfi. He dances with R\rrH sone morc and sta s to laugh and stops and pantomimes someone ow .1n opet<ttinE rdtle.l I c,n iust see that chicl someday looling down at sone poor cat on an operating table beforc she starts to slice him, sayins . . . lpulltns i is si eeres back maliciously) " By thc way, what are your views on cnil righh down there? . . ."
lHe laushs at het asdin and statts to dance haPpilr. The bel! sornds.l BENEATHA: Sticks and stones may break my bon€s but words will never hurt
lBEt;L^1 H^ Eoes to the door dnd o,ens it as \\,^L1ER and RUTE so on with the clownins. EENEATHA ;s som"Dldt sutptiseA b see a quiet-lookinC miA e-dsed vhite man in n business suit hol<ling his hat and a hiefcase in his hand and consultirtg a snd piece of papet.l
uer: Uh how do you do, miss. I am looking for a M$. [he looks at the slip of pdper.l Mn. Lena Younc€r?
srNt,rrur: fsnootning het hon with slieht enhatr.l$msntl Oh yes, that's my mother. Excuse me. [She closes the tloor and tums to quiet tle othet t o.) Ruthl Brotherl Soncbody'shtc. fThen she opens the d@t. The mdn casts a cutious quick elance at a of then.l Uh comc in plcasc.
rur: [co rg in] Thank you. BENEATIIA: My mother isn't herc now. Is it brsiness? v,r:.: Yes... well. sortot wutna: freely. the Man of tie HorselHave a seat.I'n Mn. Youngers son.l look
afier most ofber busin€ss matters. lRuH dd mNEATHA ercft anse anused gtanca.)
569
MAN: lresarltns wALrER, dnd siffinsl Well - My name is Karl Lindner . . . wALrERr [stetciins our iis /rand]W:lter Younger. This is my wife-[RUrH aods
politery.l-and rny sisrer. r-rroren: How do you do. w,rr.ren: [amtably, as lre s its himself easily on a chair,leaninevith intercst for''lad
on hk knees and looking upectdntly into the newconer k facel Wbat can we do for you, Mr. Lindner!
r-rrorrn: [sozre m/nor s/ru flins of the hat and btiefcase on /ris lnees] well - I am a representative of the Clybourne Park Improvement Association-
wAr-rFRr lrofttirg] Why don'l you sit your thinss on tbe floor? r-rroren: Ob yes. Thanl you. [He sl;&s the btiefcase and h.it lndet the chan .]
And as I was saying-l am fronr ihe Clybourne Par[ Inprovement Associa- tion and wc have bad itbrought 10 our attention at the last mceting that you pcopl€-or at least your mother- bas bought a piece ofresidenlial propcrty at-[He diEs futhe tip of paper aedin.l four o six Clybourne Street . .
WALTFR: Th.t's right. Care for something to drink? Ruih, get Mr' Lindner a
LNnNtFl: lupset tn sone reasonl Oh no, really. I mean thank you very much, but
RUrH: [innoc?ntry] Some coFe€? LTNDNER: Thank you, notbing at all.
lBENEArtsa is pdtclitns tfte nan carefully.l
r-rruxrnr Well, I don't know how rnuch you folks lnow about our o.sanizaiion. IHe is a eentle m.in: thoushtful and somewhat labored in iis ndnnsr.l It is one of these comnunity or$nizations set up to look sfter oh, you lnow, things like blocl upkeep and special proiects and wc also have what we call our New Neishbors OrieDtation Committee . . .
srNr,rrx.{: krlhl Yes and what do ihey do? LTNDNDR: [rurnins d little to het dnd then rctutnine the nain force to \','^L'1ER]
Well it's what you might call a sori ofwelcoming committee, I suess. I nean they, we, I'm the chairman ofthe commiiiee go around and see the nerv pcople who move into the neighborhood and sort of give them the lowdown on ihe way we do things out in Cllbourne ParL
BtrNtrArrrA: luitfi arpr"ctdt ion of the two meaninss,whicfi 4cdp? RUrH dnd w^L rER] Uh-huh.
r.woner: And we aho bave tbe calesory of wbat the asociation calls- lHe loots elsewhue.) $ special comnunity problems . . .
srNe.{rsr: Yes and what are sone oflhose? wAr.rERr Cirl,let thc man talk. r-rrcnor: Iwitfi unrlentaferl re?iefl Thank you. I would so oilile to explain ihis
thing in my own way. I m€an I want to explain to you in a cerlain way
rrrnNrn: Yes. Well. I'm going to try to set right to the point. I'm sure we'll all appreciate that in the long run.
WALTER: Be still nowl
nura: [slitl innocentf] Would you li]e:nother chair - you don't look comfortabl€. r,ruoner: lnore /rustrated tfidn dnno],edl Nb, thank you very much. Please. Well
570 Iarraine Hansberry to set risht to the point I- [a stedt brcdt]l, and he is of dt ldstl I am sure
you people must be aware ofsome ofthe incidents which have bappened in various parts of the city when colored people have moved into ce ain:!eas- IBENEATHA ernal"s ft"drtD d nd statts tossine a piece offiuit ub and down in the air.l Well-becausc rve bave wbat I think n soins to be a unique type of organization in American cornmunily life-not only do we deplore that kind ofthing but we are trying to do somethingabout it. [BENEATH^slops iossing dnA tutns vith a new and quizzical intercst to the man.l We feel - bdininsconfdence in his nission because of the intercst in the faces of the people he k td&ing tol-wc feel that most ol tbe trouble in tbis world, when you come righr down 10 it- [H. iils hisknee for emphd'sis.l most ofthe trouble exists because p€opl€ just don'i sit down and talk to each other.
R!a$ InoddinE as she nieht in church, pledsed with t/ie remdr&l You can say that
LTNDNTR: Inoe "n@rds?d fi such afirnationl'Ihar we don't try hard enorlgh inthis world to undertand the other fellowt problem. The otherguy's poinl of
RUrHr Now thai's rigbt. tsrNn,{rH,{ and w,{Lrnr nerely watch antl listen with eenuine intercst.)
LTNDNERT Yes - lhat's the way we fcel oul in Clyburne Park. And that's why I wasel€cled lo come her€ this aficrnoon and tallto you peoplc. Fricndly likc, you know, the my people should talk to each other and see if we couldn't 6nd some way to work this thing oul. As I say, ihe wbole business is a matter of caring abut the olher fellow. Anybody can see tbat you are a nice family of folks, hard working and honest I'm sure. [BtrNEArHA frovss s]tglrlh, qu;z:i cd y, het head tilted rcsdrding fi;n.l Today cve.rbody knows what it mcans to beon the outside ofs.,nslltns. And ofcourse, lh€re isalwayssomebod' who is oui lo lake ,dvanbg€ ofpeople wbo don't always understand.
w^rrrR: What do you mean? r-rroren: Well-you see our community is m,de up ofpeople wbo'vervorkedbard
as the dickens for yeas to build up thatlittlc comrnunity. Theyie not rich and fancy people; just hard-rvorking, honest people who don't really have much but those little bomes anda drean ofthe kindofcommunitythey wani to raisc thet children in. Now, I don't say wc sre perfect and tbere is a lot wrong in some of lh€ things tbey want. But you've gol to admit that a man, right or wrons, h,s lhe rightio wani to hav€ the neighborhoodhe liv€s in a certain kind ofway. And at the momentthe ov€rwhelming majority ofourpeople outthere feel that people get along belter, tale more ofa common inter€si in the life of the communily, when tbeysh*e a common backgrcund. I want you to believe rnewhen I iellyou that race prejudice sinplydoesn't enter into it.lt is a maite. olthe people of Clybourne Parkbelieving, riehtly or wrongly, as I say, tbat for the happin€ss of all concerned that our Ncgro famili€s are happicr wh€n thcy live in their oun comnunities.
BENEATHA: lfitft d srdnd dnd bitter sesture)'lhis, ftiends, is the Welcom'ns Com'
wi,:.rsa: ldumbfounded,loolirg dt LTNDNERI Is tbis what you came marching all the way ovcr here to tell us?
r-INroren: Well, now we'vc been having a fine convenation. I hope you'U hear me all the way lhroush.
A Raisin in the Sun 57t
WALTER: If,sitryl Go ahead, man. LTNDNER: You see in the face ofall things I have said, we are prepared to make
your family a very generous ofier . . . BENEATI'^: Thirty piec€s and not a coin less!
LTNDNER: lputtins on his slasses and &awins a fom out of th. briefcdsel Ont association is pr€pa.ed, lhrough the collective eFon of our people, to biry the house from you at a financial gain to your family.
nura: Lord have mercy, ain't this the livins salll w^LrER: All isht, you through? LTNDNER: Well,I want io giv€ you th€ exact terms oflhe fiDancial a.Hngement- w^LrER: We don't want io bear no exact terms of no a.rangenents- I want to lnow
ifyou got any more to tell us'bout getling together? LTNDNER: ltdAins ofnts sfdss?s] Well-l don'l suppose that you feel . . . urrrn: Nevermind how I feel
-you got any more to say'bout how people ought
to sit down and tall to each other? . . - Get out ofmy house, man. [He tums hk bdck dnA dks to the dw.)
r-nrnNnn: loofring around at the hostile faces and rcdching and assembling his hat and briefcasel Well-I don't understand wby you people are reacting this way. What do you ihink you are goins to gainby moving inio a neishborhood where you just ar€n't wanted and where sone elements well-people can set awful worled up when lhey feel tbal then whole way oI life and everythins they've ever worked for is threatened.
WALTER: Get out. r.rrnrrn: fat tne door, /roldins a sma ca )Wdl-I'm sorry it went like this.
r-rrorrn: [a/mosl sad/y regaldins w^rrER] You just can't force people to change their hea.h, son.
lHe tutns and put his cad on a table and exits. w ^L
tER pushes the doot to with stineing hated, dnd stdnds lookine at it. RUrH iusl sits and BTNEATHA iust stands. Ther say nothtns. MAMA dnd rRAv,s enter.l
MAMA: Well-lhis all th€ packing got done since I left oui ofhere lhis mo.nins. I testify before God lhat my children got all the energy of th€ dead. What time the moving men due?
esNr,\rHe: Four o'clock. You had a caller, Mama. lshe is smiline. teasine\ .)
u,ru,r: Sure enough-who? P[vn/Tu* ther arns folAed saucilyl The Welcoming Connittee.
fwiren and xlrn sissle) MAMA: [irno.enrb,] wbo? srxna'rH]\: The Welcoming Committee. They said iheyie sure going to be glad to
see you when you get ther€. wAl-rnn: [derilirfily] Yeah, they said they can't hardly w3ii to see your fac€.
|aushterl M^M{ [sensine then fdcetiousness] Whatt the matter witb you all? WALTER: Ain t Dothing tbe matler wilh us. We iust tellins you 'bout tbe gentleman
whocameto see you this afternoon. From theClybourne Parklmprovement
MAMA] Wh,t he want?
572 Loraine Hansbetry \ure lin the sane nood as BENE^rHA dnd wALrERl To welcome you, honey. wALrERr H€ said they can't hardly wait. He said the one thing they don't bave, that
they iust d)ins to have out there is a 6nefamily ofcoloredpeople! [to RUrHdnd BENEATHAI Ain't that rightl
RUrH dnd TENEATHA: [moclingly] Yeahl He left his card in case- IThey indicdte the ca , and M^M^ picks it up dnd thtu s it on the floor - underctdnding dnd looking of as she draws het chab up to thetable on vhich she has put het plant nnd sone stickt and some mrd.)
M^M^: Father, sive us streneth.lknowinsry - dnd r'/h Aout ftrl Did h€ threaten us?eoNe,{rH,{: Oh-Mama-they don't do it like that any more. He talled Brother hood. He mid everybody oushttolearn how to sit down and hate cach other with good Chr;tian fellowship.
[She and w^L.tER shake hands b ndicule the renark.l MAMA: [sad/y] Lord, protect us . . . RUrs: You should hear the money thos€ folls raised to buy the house frorn us. All we
paid and then some. BENEATHA: Whal they thinl we going to do eat 'ern? aurn: No, honey, marry 'em. u\\^: lshattne h.r head) Lord. L"rd. Lord . . . RUrH: Well*that's the way the crackers crumble.loke. BENE^rs^: lldug,;ngl), noticing .[,hat her mother is doinsl Mama, what are you
doing? M^MA: Fixing my plant so it won't get hurt none on the way. rerreraa: Mama, you going to take t[dt to the new house?
rrnrerre: That raggedy-looking old tbing? M^M^: lstoppinE dnd lookins at herl lt exrtresses ne. r.rl A: lwith delieht, ta BENEATHAI So there, Miss Thing I
Iw^L'rtR @nes to M^M^ suddenly and bends down behind her an<l squeezes her in his armswith d his sbenEth.She is owrwhelned by the suddenness d it and, thouEh delighted, her mannet is like that of RUTH and rnrvrs.l
MAMA: Look oui now, boyl You make me mess up my thins herel \\t^L\EN. IHis f.tce lit, he slips down on his knees beside het, his atms sti about het.l
Mama . . . you know what it means to climb up in the chariotT M^M^: lEtufrr, wry hdryyl Gei on away from me now . . . RurH: lnen the sift.'ndpped packdge, htinE to cdtc& WALTER'S
"y"] Psst
WALTER: Whal lh€ old song say, Mama . . . nors: Walter-Now?
lshe is Pointine at the Packaee.l w
^LrEn: lspeakine the tines, sveetly, pldtfulU, in his nothet's fdcel
I got \\,in$ . . . you got |9ines . . . AII God's Chituen Eot wings . . .
r'r^MAr Boy-get out of my face and do some work . . . r q | ": When I eet to hearen Bonnd put on ny win$.
Gonna fly all orer Cod's heaver . . . BE!E^|HA: ltedsinEly, fiom asoss the rcan'l Eyetybody talkins 'bout beaven ain't
goins there!
ARaisinintheSun 573
ur-rer: [to nuru, ulro is canying the bor actoss to thern] I don't loow, you think we ought to give her that . . . Seems to me she ain't been very appreciative
M^M^: leyeine the bor, which is ob1)iously d eift] What is that? WALTER: Ifaeins ir fro'n RUrH and puttine it an the table in front of ututlwett-
what do you thinl? Should we give it to her? RUrH: Oh-she was pretty good today. weu,r: I'll good you-
lshe tums her eyes to the box dgdin.) BENE^rH^: Open it, Mama.
[She stdnds up,looks at it,tums dnd looks at d of then. dnd then presses her hands together and does not open the Package.)
wALiER: lslr€edll Op€n it, Mama. ltt for you. IMAMA l@ks in his eyes. lt is the fust prcsent in het life l,ithott it beia Chtistmas. Slovly she ope$ het packaee and lifts out, one by one, a brand-new s\&kling set of sardenins toolN. WALTER continues, brcddins.l R\nh made up lhe note-read it . . .
M^M^: lpickins up the cad and adiwtins het gldlsesl " To our own Mrs. Miniver
-Love from Brotber, Ruth and Beneatha." Ain't that lovely . . .
rR^vE Ituqeing dt his fdther's slevl Da?'dy, can 1 give h€r mine now? werrrr: All right son. frn
^vE flies to get his eift.)'fravis didn't want to go in with
the rest of us, Mama. He got his own. [somewial dnused] We don't know whatitis. . .
rF'^vJs: [tacins back in the rcom vith a larye hatbox dnd Puttins it in ftont of his srcndnothet) Hercl
mu,r: Lord have mercy, baby. You done gone and bousht your grandmother a hat? rRAvrs: [veD, Proud] Open iil
lshe does and IifB out an elaboftlte, but wry elaborate, wide sardening hat, and all the ddults bredh up at the sigtu of n.)
RUTH: Travis, honey, whai is thal? 'rRAvrsr []rio tiin&s it is renutiful dnd dryopiatel lt's a sardenins hatl Like th€
bdies always have on in the magazines when they work in then gardens. nrreerur: prsglins ferceU) Ttavk-we were hyine to male Mama Mrs.
Miniver-not Scarleit O'Haral MAM^: Itndis"dnlryl What's the matter with you alll Tbis here is a b€autiful hatl
[d6surdl),] I always wanted me one iust lile itl lshe bobs it on her head to prov it to lw erandson, dnd the hdt is ludicrous and considerably otersized.l
RUrH: Hot dosl Go, Mamal w,rrrrr: [doubled orer with lauehtel) I'm sony, Mama but you look ]ikc you
ready 1l] go out and chop you some cotton sure enougbl
['t'hey att tau4h except M^M^, out of defercn@ ta IR^vE f@linss.) M^M
^: lEaftenne the boy up to /!s/l Ble$ your head - tbis is the prctticst hat I everowned- lwALrER, RUrH dnd BENEATHA chine in-no; sily, festbel, dnd insin-
cerely conEtdtulatins rR^vrs on nts sift.l What are we all standing h€re forT We ain't Enished Fckin' yet. Bennie, you ain't pacled one book.
[rhe be rinss.] BENEATHAT Thal couldn't be ihe movers . . . it's not bardly lwo good yet-
IBENEATH^go"s into n?r roon, M^MA stdrts fo. the door.l
574
wALrEn: Itumine, stifeniagl Wait wait-I'll gel il. lHe stands and tooks at the door.)
MAM^: You expecting company, son? w\r1rR: [iu( loot,nB dl ile Joorl Yeah-verh . . .
IMAMA Iools dt \rrH, and they exchdnse innocent and unfrightened etances.)
MAM^. lnot undeBtdndind Well, let them in, son. eerclnl* Wom het rcoml w-- need some more string. M^MA: Travis-you run to ihe hardwar€ and g€t me some strins cord.
IMAMAsoes oul and wAr-rER lums drdlools dt RUrH. rRAvrsso?s load,sh for noney.)
RUTH: Why don't you answer the door, man? wx"rex [suddenly bounding across the floor to her)'Cause sometimes ir hard to let
the Iuiure besinl lstooping down in her face) I eot wingst You eo! winls! A Cod's children got ings!
lHe crosres to the doot and thrcws iI open. *anaine there is a very slieht little man in a not too plosberaus business suit and r)ith hawted fiieht' ened eyes and a hat Pu ed down tiehtly, btin ub, arauna his forehead. r{\vts pdses between the men and eits. w
^LaER leans deep in tlrc lli,an's
face, still in his iubilane.) Wh.n I get to heaten Sonna put on m\ wine\. Conna fu all orer God's hearen . . .
IThe little nan iust starcs at himl Ilearen [Suddenly he sraps and laoks bast the little nan into the empty ialluar.l Wherel Willy, nan?
BoBo: He ain't with me. wALrERr [aot dist rr"dl Oh come on in. You knorv my wile. soso: Idumbly, takine of lis lurl Ycs-b'you, Mss Ruth.
"vH: [quietly, d mooA dpat from her husband already, seeing mno] Hello,
Bobo. wAr.rER: You right on time today . . . Right on time. Thai's the wayl [He s/dps
BoBo on lis tdc&.] Sit down . . . Iemme bear. [Nurs stands stiflr dnd quietlt in bdck of them, as though somehow she senses de.ith, het ews fxed on her husbana.l
BoBo: Ihis fiightened eyes an the floot, hb hdl in his ftandsl Could I please get a drink ofwater, before I teli you about it, Walicr Lee?
[wAL'tER does not take his eyes offthe man. nura soet blindb to the tdp and eets a slass of watet and Uinss it to BoBo.)
wAr.rERr There ain't nothing wrong, is ihereT BoBo: Lemme tell you- werrtr: Man didn'l nothing go wrong? roeo: Lemmetellyou Walter Le€. Uooting dt RUrr and talkinsto het mote than
to wAl-ren] You know how it was. I sot to lcllyou how itwas. I mean first I sot io i€]l you how ii was all the way . . . I mean about the money I pul in, Walierlee...
\|aLjER [with tdut .lgitzt;or aov] What about thc money you put in? BoBo: Well il wasn'l much as we loid you me and Willy [H. sfops.] I'm
sorry, Walter. I got a bad feelins about it. I got a real bad feeling about it . - .
A Rd;sir in the Sua
wAr.rER: Ma!, what you telling me about all this for?
57t
Te1) me what happened
Mhs RuthT wArrER: Man what bappened down there? Bouo la pitiful man, ned tedrsl I'm trying to tcll you, Walter. werre* [screaning at him suddenly] THEN TELL ME, GODDAM-
MIT . . . WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU? goeo: Man . . . I didn't go to no Springfield, yesterday. w[rljj lhalte.C, Iife hangins in the monent) Why Dor?
WALTER: Man, what are you lalking aboutl BoBo: I'm |3lking about the frct that when I got to ihe hain station yesterday
morning eight o'clocl like we planned . . . MaD Willy didn't ne,er
werrer: Why . . . where was hc . . . where is he? sogo: That's what I'm tryiog to tell you...ldon'tknow...lwaitedsix
houn . . . I called his house . . . and I waited . . . six houn . . . I waited in that train sration six hour . . . Ibrcakine into teaBl Thet was all the extru money I bad in rhe world . . . llookine P dt waLrE\ vith tens tunninedo\n h's lac". Mat.Wtllt n sone.
wAr.rERr Gon€, what you mean Willy n gonc? Gone rvhere? You mean he weni by himself. You nean he went of to Springfi€ld by himself to take care of gettins ihe license - [turn s and looks amiously at artu] You mean maybe he didn't want too rnany people in on the business down there? Uoots fo RUrH again, as beforel You know willy got his own ways. Uools Dacft to ooeol Maybe you was late yesterday and he iusl went on down there withoLtt you. Maybe
-maybe-he's been callin'you at home tlyin'to tell you what
happened or somethins. Maybe maybe-he iust got sick. He's some where-he's sol lobe somewhere. We just sot to find him-me and you sot to 6nd hjnr. krdrs BoBo $e nselesly by the collar and srdris lo sftd&e iinlWc got lol
aoeo: lin sudden angry, frishtened agonyl What's the rnaltcr with you, Walter! When d cat take off'tith your noney he don't leaw you no naps!
wrl-rnn: [turnins madly, as thoush he is looking for wu.t in the very rooml Willyl . . . Willy. . . dontdoit . . . Please don't do it . . . Man,not witb lhat money . . . Mrn, please, not wilh that money . . . Oh, Cod . . . Don't lei it be i e . . . lHe is wanderins arcund, ctyins ou fot wtrtv and (ookine for hin ot be&abs for helb fton Cod.] Man . . . I trusred you . . . Man, I put my life in your hands . . . IHe starts to crunlle down on the flaor as p.t)'tq iust co,en het face in honot. MAMA opens the dool dnd comes inta the rcan, with nrreeru Deiind [er.] Man . . . [H" stdrfs ro pound the floor with his fists, sobbinE witdly.) That noney is nade od of my fatheis flxh . . .
inSpring6eld... Spring6eld.
llike d dead voman) What was supposed io happen in Sprinsfield? llo ft"4 This deal that me and Walter went into with Willy-Me and Willy
lvas soins to go down to Springfield and spread some money 'round so's we
'voDldn'thavetowaitsolongfortheliquorlicence . . . That'swhtw€were
eoine to do. Everybody said thal was lhe way you bad to do, you undersland,
576
BoBo. bt indine ow hin help/esslyl I'm sony, Walter . . . [Only w,{,rrn's sobs rcply. BoBo puts on his hdr.l I had my life staled on tbe this deal, too . . .
[He arits.] vavr: [to wrrror] Son - [She soes to hin, bends down to him. t.tlks to his bentAead.l Son . . . Is it gone? Son, I save you sixty five hundred dollas. Is it
gone? All of ii? Beneaiha's money too? wll,"rna lliftins his head sioll,fl Mama . . . I never . . . went to the bank at
all ... M^M^. [not wantins to beliere him) \ot nean . . . your sister's schoo] moDey
... )ouu.edlhrr loo... WallFrl ... ur|rrr: Y,*-i ... {llofir ... lr,allsone...
lTherc is total ,ilence. llrr1 stands vith hel fdce cowpn vith het hands; F[ua}Tn^ leans forlomly against d va , fneeine a piece d red ribbon fion the mothei s eift. M^M^ stops and looks dt het son vithout recosni- tian and then. quite Nithout thinking about it, stans to beat hirl. sense' lessly in the face. *rr/Ju^ Boes to then to sto, it.)
IM^MA,fops dnd lools dt toth d her children and ises stowly andwanders Msueu, aimlnsly a1"ar fion them.)
MAMA: Iseen... him... nigbt aft€r nisht . . . comein... and look ai thatrug... and then look al me . . . the red showing in his eyes . . . the veins movins in his head . . . I seen him grow thin and old before he was foriy . . . worlins andworkingand worling likc sornebody's old hone . . . ki]ling himseli . . . and you-you sive it all away in a day . . .
snrnArsr: Mama u,rur: Oh,God . . .lshelooksuptoHin lLookdown here-andshowme rhe
strength- eerrarHt Mama- M^M^: lfoldiss orerl Strength . . . BENEATTA: Ipld,nti,elyl Mana . . . MAMA: Strengthl
ACT III
At cuttain, therc is d sullen lieht d eloon in the liring rcon, sray lieht not unlike that vhich beean the frst sene d Act One. At W we cnn see w
^LlERwithinhis /@n, dlone with hinself. He is strctched out on the bed, his shfi out and apen, his dtns undet his heaa. He does not smoke, he does not cry out, he merc, lies therc, loohins up at the ceiline, nuch as if he were alone in the world.
ln the li,,ins rcom BENE^THA sits at the table, still sunounded b the now almost ominous Packinc crutes. She sits lookine off. We feel that this is a mood struck petha,s dn how before, and it lin9es nov, fu of th. empty sotnd d prcfound dis.ippointment. We see on a line fron her brother's be&@n the sdneness of theit dttitudes . Presently the be r/ngs dnd BENEATHA riser lrithout ambition ot intercst in dnsrering. lt is AsAcA,, smiline brcadly, sti&ng into the rcom ith eneryy and hdppr .xp@tdtion and com)ercdtion.
577
AsAcAr: I came over . . . I had some free tine. I thoDght I might help with the packing. Ah, I lik€ th€ look ofpacling crates!A housebold in preparation fora joom€yl Itd€presses som€ peopl€ . . . butfor me . . . it isanotherfeeling. Somethins full of the flow of lif€, do you undersland? Movencnt, prog- ress . . . It males me think ofAfrica.
AsAcar: Wh,r kind of a mood is this? Have I told you how deeply you nove me? e rr rrrr He gare auay the money. A.Jgai . . . !s.{cN: Who gave away what rnoney? BENr^rH^: The insurance money. My brother gave it away.
^s^cAl: Cave ii away?
BENEATfiA: Hc made an investmenil Wilh a man even Travis wouldn'l have irusted. AsAcAr: And it's gone?
esrcrr: I'm very sorry . . . And you, now? BENE^rHA: Me?... Me?... Me I'rn nothine . . . Me. Wben I was very
srnall . . . we used to tale our deds out in th€ wintertime and the only hills we hadwere ice-covered ston€ steps ofsome housesdown thestre€i. And we used to fillthern in with snow and make them smoothandslide downthemall day... and it was very dangerous you lnow . . . farioosteep... and sure enough one day a kid naned Rufus came down too fait and hii the sidewalk . . . and we saw his lace juit split open risht tbere in froni of us . . . And I remember standing there looling at his bloody open face thinkiDs lhal was lhe end of Rutus. But the arnbulance cane and they toot him to the hospital and they fixed tbe broken bones and they sewed it all up . . . and the nexl time I saw Rufus he iust had a little line down ihe middle of his face . . . I never got over tbal . . .
lwAr-rER stts up, lisl?ning on the bed.'Ihtosehout thb scene it h inpar- tant that we feel his r.action at dll times, that he isibly rcspond to the uords ofir sister and,rsacat.l
BENE^rH^: That that was what one penon could do for anoth€r, 6x him up-sew up the problem, makehim allrightagain. That was the most marvelous lhing in ihe world . . . I wanted to do lhat- I always thousht it was the one concrete thins in the wodd that a human being could do. Fix up thesick, you know- and make them who)e again. This was lruly being Cod . . .
As^c^r: You wanted to be Cod? EtrNE^rH^: No I wanted lo cure. It used to be so important to me. I wanted to
cure. It Dsed to matter. I used to care. I mean about people and how then bodieshun. . .
AsAcAI: And you've stopped caring? 8ENEATHA: Yes- I think so.
[w N.IER nses, eoes to the doot of his run and is ahout to open it, then stops and stdnds listenins, lednins on the doot ianb.l
BENEAIH^: Because it doesn'l se€m deep enough, close enough to what ails mankind-I mean this thins of sewing up bodies or adninistering drugs. Don't you undestand? It was a child's reaction ro rhe wodd. I thought thar
t78
docton had the secret to all tbe burts things-orun idealist.
^sAcA,: Children see thinss very well sometimes-and idealists even betler.
BENEATsA: I lnow that s what you think. Because yoa are stillwhere I left oF-you still care. This is what you see for th€ world, for Africa. You with tbe dreams of the futur€ will patch up all Africa you are goins to cure the Great Sore of colonialism with lndependence
uerarrrra: Yes-andyou lhinktbaione word is thepenicillin ofthe human sp;it: "lndependencel" Bui tben what?
AsAcAr: That will be lhe problem for anothcr time. Firsl we must get the.e. BENEATHA: And where do€s ii €nd? ,rsrcrr: End? Who even spoke ofan end? To life? To Living? BENEATHA: An end to miseryl AsAcAr: [sntlttrg] You sound likc a French int€llectual. srNnerqe: Noll sound like a humanbeingwhojusthadberfuturetaken rishtout of
herhandslWhile I wasdeepins in mybedinthcre, things werebappening in this world tbat dilectly concerned me and nobody asked me, consulted me - lhey
just went out and did things and changed my life Don'tyousee tbere isn'tany realplogress, Asasai,there is only onelargecircle thatwe march in. around and around, each of us with our own little picture-in froni of us our own litt)e mhage that we think is the future
asAc^r: That is tbe mislake.
AsAcAr: Wbat you just said - about the circle. It isn't a circle-it is simply a long
line -as
in seometry, you know, one that reaches into infiniiy. And because we cannot sce the end-we also cannot se€ how itchanges. And it n very odd but those who see the changes are called "idealists" -and
ihose who cannot,
orrefuseto think,they are the "realisls." Ii is vcry strange, and amusing too,I think.
BENEATHA: You-you are almost relisious. lsAcAr: Y€s . . . I think I have ihe reiigion of doing wbat is ncccssary in tbe
world-and ofwoBhipping rnan because he i so marvelous, you see. BEIEATHA: Man is foull And the human race desewes its niseryl ,rs,rc,u: You see: rou have become lhe relisious one in the old sense. Already, and
afie. such a srnall defeat, you are worshipping despair. nenrqrHa: From now on, I wo.ship thc trulh and the truth is lhai peoPle are
puny, small and selfish . . . as^cAr: Truth? Why h it that you despaning ones always ihink that only you have
the iruth? I never thought to see tou like lhat Youl Your brother nade a stupid, childish nistake-and you are srateful to hin So that now you can give up the ailing human race on account of it You talk aboul ivhat cood is struegie; what eood is anything? Where are we all Soing? And why are we bothering?
snNn,\rH,\: And you cannof dnslrer ili All your tslk and dreams aboui Africa and Indepeudence. Independence and then whal? What about allthe croolc and petltthieves and just plain idiots who will come into power to steal and plunder
Lotraine Hansber4
That's lhe way a child sees
579
the sarne as before - only now they will be black and do it in the narne ofthe new Independence-You cannot answer that.
^sAcN: lshoutine ow het) I lr,e the ans' et! Ipaue) ln my villase at home ii is ihe
exceptional man wbo can even read a newspaper . . . or who ever s""s a bool alall.I wi]l so homeand mucb ofwhat I will have to say will seem strange to the people of my village . . . But I will teach and work and things will happen, slowly and swiftly. At times it will seern that notbins chanses at all . . . and then again . . . the sudden dramatic events which mak€ hh- tory l€ap into the future. And then quiet again. Retrogresion even. Guns, murder, revolution.And I even will havemomentswhen I wonder iflhe quiet was not better than all lhat death and haued. But I will lool about my vilage at the iliteracy and disease and ignorance and I will not wonder long. And perhaps . . . perhaps I will be a great nan . . . I mean perhaps I will bold on to tbe srbstance of truth and find my way always with tbe risht course . . . and perhaps for it I will be butchered in my bed some night by the seryants of empire . . .
BENE^TH^: TIr mdltrl asrc,rr: . . . or perhaps I shall live to be a very old rnan, respected and esieemed in
my n€w nation . . . And perhaps I sball hold otrc€ and this is what I'm trying to i€ll you, Alaiyo; perhaps the things I believe now for my country will be wrons and outmoded, and I will noi undersbnd ,nd do terribl€ thingstohave things ny way or merely to leep my power. Don'tyou see that there will be young men and women, not British soldiers tben, but ny own black country- rnen . . . io step out of ihe sbadows sone evening and slit my then us€less thro3t? Don't you see they bave always been tbere . . . thal they always will be. And that such a thing as my own death will be an advance? Tbey ivho might kill me even . . . actually replenish m€!
nrrnarna: Oh, Asagai, I know all that. AsAcar: Coodi Then stop moaning and groaning and tell me what you plan to do. sr:{rlru,{: Do?
^sAcAr: I have a bit ofa suggestion.
as^cN [tather quietly fu htn]That when it is all over-that you come hom€ wilh
BENEA'|HA [slapiins hetself on the forehead nith eftspetution bom of nisundet stdrd;agl Oh Asasai-at this monent you decide to be romanticl
rsrctn: lquickly undentandins the nissndastdndinel My dffr, youns crcature of the New World-l do not mean across the cily-l mean across lhe ocean; home-io Africa.
nrmrru: {slowly unders tandine and tumine to him with numued dmnzenent) To lo Nigeria?
esacrr: Yesl . . . lsmiline and liftine his .1ns ptnfulb) Three hundred years later the African Prince rose up out ofthe seas and swept tbe maiden back across the niddle pasase over which her ancesion had corne-
BENEATfiAT [undrle ro pld)] Nigeda? rsrcer: Nigeria. Home. [cominE to het with gn ine rcnantic flibrdncy] l will sl\ow
you our mountains and our stars; and give you cool drinks from gourdr and
580 Lonaine Hansberry
teach you th€ old songs and the ways ofour people and, in tim€, we will pretend that- [rer] softryl-you bave only been away for a day-
[She tur's het back to him, thinkins. He swings het dtound and tdkes het
full in hk ams in a lons enbruce which ptoceeds to bassion.l Pf'rtnst: lpulline atvay) Youte gefiing me all mixcd up - BENr^rH^: Too many things-too many lhings h3ve happened today. I must sit
down and lhinl. I donl know what I ieel about anythins risht this ninuie IShe prcnPt\ sits down ,Lnd ptops her chin on het fist.)
,rs,rcrr: ktranasdl All rigbt, I shall l€ave you. No-don't gct up ltorching her, ssntiy, sreetryl lust sit awhile and think . . Ncver be afraid to sit arvhile and think. [He eoes to the door and looks at her.] How often I have looked at you and said, "Ah so this n what the New World hath finally s{oughl . "
lIIe s{irs. BENtrArHA s;fs on alone. Presently wetr5f.enterc fiom h;s rcon and statts to tummaee Ihtough things, fe",erishly lookins fot sonethinE She loohs ub and tums in het teat.l
mrtrrx^: [iri$ingly] Yes justlook at what the New Wolldhath wroughll . lust lookl [S/re gestures wil,r bitrer disgust.] Th€re he isl Monsieu le petit 6ourgeois no;-himselfl There he is - Symbol ofa Rising Class! Enkepre- ncurl Titan of thc systemt [waLtER ignorcs hu completelf dnd continues ftanticdlU dnd Aestructi|ely lookins for something and huAine thines to floot and ka ns thines out of theit pl\ce in his search. BENE^rs^ isnores the eccenticity of hi actions .1nd soes on with the nonowue oti'slll l Did you dream of yacbts on Lale Michigao, Brotber? Did you see yourself on rhat Crest Day sittins downatthe ConferenceTable, sunoundedby allthe mighty bald headedmen in Anerica? All halted, wailing, breathless, waiting for your pronouncemcnts on indusily? Waitins foI you-Chanman of ibe Board? iwrirrn fnds v/rat /re is looking for-a sna piece of ehite Papet and psshes it in his pocket and puts on his coat asd tushes out f ithaut ewt hd,'ins looked at her . She shouts after htin.l I look at you and I see the final triumph of stupidity in the worldl
lThe door slams and she rcturns to iust sittinl again. F.r1\ cones quicklv out ofMAMAt roon.l
RUrH: Who was that? snrserur: Youthusband. nurr: Where did he go? grrurrrr,r: Who lnows maybe be has an appointment at U S Stccl. Rt)rHt [anxio sly, \rith ftisftI"n?d eteE You didn't say nothins bad to him, did vou? rern,rru: Bad? Say anytbing bad to him? No-l told him hc {as a sweetboy and
lull ofdrcams and everything is shictly peachy keen, as the ofay kids sayl
IM^MA ente6 ftom het bedtoon She is lost,')asue,tryinEto catch lnU,to make some *nv of her forner command of the world, but it sti eludes her . A sense of waste oremhelms hd sait; d neassrc of apology tides on her shouldere. She soeli to het plant, Nhich hds rcnained on the table, looks at it, picks it up anA takes it to the window sill antl sits it oubAe, .tnd she stai1j ant looks at it d lons monent 'Ihen she clases the windov, staishtens het bo., vith .ffot and tuns 6ound to het chituen.)
u,rlle: Well-ain't it a mess in here, thoueh? ld /dlse cheerfuln*s,abeeinnineof
5Br
so stntngl l suess we all h€tler stop moping around and get sone wo.k done. All this unpacking and everything we sot to do. {RUrH /d kes her head slowly in rcsfon* to the sense of the line; anl nzNe** in similar mannet t]aJns .re/y slovly to lcok dt her mother.l One ofyou all better call the movins people and tell 'em not to cone.
RUrH: Tell em not to come? u,rv,r: Of course, baby. Ain't no ne€d in 'em coming all the way here and having to
so bacl. They charse for that Ioo. [She sits do1nn, fnEeft to het brcw, think- ing.l Lord, ev€r since I was a little sirl, I always remembes people saying, "Lena-L€na Egsl€slon, you aims too hish all th€ tine. You needs to slow down and see life a little rnore like it is. Jusr slow down some." Thatt rvhat they always used to say down hone-"Lord, thai Lcna Essleston is a high, minded thing. She'll get her due one dayl"
RUrs: No, Lena . . . MAMA: Me and Bis Walter just didn t nev€r learD rishi. RUTH: Lena, nol We sorta go. Bennie-tell her . . . IShe rises and crosses to
BENEATHA l,ttil i"r drms outNtretcled. EENE^rH^ doesn'f r"spond.l T€ll her rve can slill move . . . the not€s ain't bui a hundred and twentv five a month. We sol four s,o$n peopl€ in the house-we cdn \ro'1, . .
'.
MAM^: [io i?rsef] lust aimed too hish ali ihe time- RUr}x [tutnine and soins to M^M^ fast the vods powins out vlith uteenq and
desperationl Lena-I'll worl . . . I'll work tw€nly hours a day in all lhe kitchens in Chicago . . . I'll strap my baby on my back if I have to and scrub all the foors in America and wash all tbe sheets in America if I have to-bul we got to move . . . We got to get oul ofhere . . .
IMAM^ reaches out absently and batr Rt'tq's hdnd.) M^M^: No- l see things diFerently now. Been thinldns'bout som€ ofthe lhinsswe
could do to 6x thn pla€€ up sone. I seen a second hand bureau over on Maxwell Strcet just the other day that could fit risht hete. IShe points to whete the new futnitwe nisht so. auru wan(lers away from /ier.l would need somc ncrv handles on it and then a li l€ varnish and tben it look lile som€, tbing brand-new. And we can put up them new curtains in the kitchen . . . Why thk place be loohns fine. Cheer us all up so thar w€ folset trouble ev€r came . . . [to nuru] And you could get some nice screens to put up in your room round thc baby's ba$inet . . . [She looks at both of then, pleddinEly.) Som€limcs you jusl got io know when to give up some thinss . . . and hold on lo i!h!t you got.
[wALrER ente\ flon the outside,Iaokine spent and leanins asinst the doot, hir coat hansinE fion him.l
v,rur; Where you been, son? werrer; [rreatfting &ard] Made a call. MAMA: To who, sonT WALTER: To The Man. M^M^: What man, baby? w^L r ERr The Man, M:ma. DoD t you know who The Man h?
WALTER: Th e Mdr. Like the guys in the streets say-The Man. Captain Bos Midub Chariey . . . Old Capiain Please Mr. Bosman . . .
582
mrrerar: [sudden]l Lindner! WALTER: That s rishll That's good. I iold him to come .ight over. snNL\rH,{: [itercelr, unde.stdndins] For what? What do you want lo see hin for! WALTER: Uoohag dt ftts sBlerl We goins to do busines with him. MAMA: What you talkine'boot, son? urrrr: Talking'bout life, Mama. You all aiways tellins me to see life lile ii is
Well-llaidinthereonmybacltoday . . . andIfisurcditoui.Lifeiustlike iiis. Who getsandwho don'tEeI.IHe sirs aoi,n ith his coat on and laughs ) Mama, you lnow ittall divided up. Life is. Sure enoush. Between the lak€rs and the "tooken." [He tdusfts.] I've figurcd it out finally . IHe loohs arcund at tfr"n.l Yeab. Some of us always setting "looken." [He laugng.] People like Willy Haris, ihey don't n€ver set "tooken." Andyou know why the rest ofus do?'Cause we all mi'ed up. Mixed up bad. We set to looking lound for thc rigbt and the wrong; and we wonl about it and cry about it and slay up nights trying to figur€ out 'bout the wrong and the righi of things all the tirne . . . And all tbe time, nan, tbem takers is out there operating, iust talins and takins. Willy Hanis? Shoot Willy Hanis don t even count. He don'l even count in the big scheme of things But I'll say one thing for old WiIy Hanis . . . bc's taught me someth:ng. He's taught ne to keep my eye on what counts in this wotu. veah-[shoutinE od tl lttlle] Thanks, Willie!
RUrs: What did yoL, €all that man lor, Walter Lee? wALrcR: Called him totellhim to come over to theshow. Gonna put on a show for
thc man.lustwhat hewantstos€e. Yousee, Mama,tbe man c,meheretoday and he told us that them people out there whele you want us to move - well they so upset ihcy willins to p3y us not to move out ih ere lHe laughs again ) And and oh, Mama-you would ofbeen proud of the way me and Ruth and Bennie acted. We told bim to get out . . - Lord bave mercy I We told ihe nan to sel oul. Oh, we was sone proud folks this afternoon, yeah. [He lis&ts d ctsdreft?.] We were srill full of that old tine stuff . . .
n t)r{: [conin{ towdd hin dol,lt] You lal]ing 'bout takins tbem PeoPle s non€y lo keep us from movins in that house?
wAr.rER: I ain't just talking 'bout il, baby-l m telling you that's whati going to
s...orgi, Oh. Codt WheI€ is lhe bottoml Where is the real h.,nestlo Godbottom so he can't go any further.
wALr rR: See - thal's the old stun YoD and that boy that was here today You a1l want everybody to carry
' flagandaspearand sing some marching songs, hub?
You waDn. spend your life looking into things and tryingto find thc righi and lhe wrong part, huh? Yeah. You know whatt going to haPpen to tbal boy somedry be'll6nd hirnselfsittins in a dunseon,locked in forever-and lhe takers will havc the kcyl Forget it, babyl Tbere ain'i no causcs-there ain't notbing but taking in tbis world, and he who rakes most is smadest and it donl make a damn bit ofdiFerence /rov.
MAMA: YoD naking som€lhing inside mc cry, son. Somc awfulpain inside me w^LrER: Don't cry, Mama. Unde6tand. That white man is soins to walk in tbat
door able to write checks for nore money than we ever bad lt's impoltant to him and I'm soins to help him . . . I m going to pul on the show, Mama.
urvr: Son-l come from fivc generations of people who was slaves and shate'
q+"^'r,Hr: Well we Jre dead nou[ {ll ,h(lJkab"ul Ll,eJm. eoes on in thn house. All dead.
t83
croppers-but ain't nobody in my family never let nobody pay'em no money thal was a way oftellins us we wasn t fit to walk ihe earth. We ein't neverbeen that poor. Irdt"ns i!?r eles and looking at him) W e a;n't never been lhal dead
.p 1
6-u alll I didn't make thc worldl Itwassivc to ne thist!ay! Hell, yes,l wantme some yrchts somedayl Yes, I want to hang some real peans iound my wife's neck. Ain't she supposed to w€ar no pearls? Somebody tell me-tell me, who decides which women is supposed lo wear
roon. The word "Man" has penetated his consciousness; he mumbles it to him'elfrcbedledly between slrange asitdeA pduses as he notes about.)
wrur: Baby, how you going to feel on the inside?
w,rr-rnn: [coming lo [er] I'm going to f€el 6ne, Mama. Im soins to lool that son-of'a'bitch in the €yes and say-vk falks.)-and say, "All right, Mr. Lindner -v le falters eren morc.l-thal s your neighborhoodout therc. Yougol the right loleep itlike youwant. Yougot the dshtto have itlikc youwant. Iusl write tbe checl and-the house is yours." And, and I am going to say lHiswice dlmost brca&s.l And you you peopleiustpui lhe money in my hand and you won t have to live next to this bunch ofstinking niggersl . . . [He sttdiehtens up and nores away from his nother,walking around the rcom.l Maybe - maybe I'll just get down on my blacl knees . . . [IIe does so; rurr and rnxNrr and v
^M^vdtch hin in fiozen horror.l Captain, Mistub,
B6sman. lHe statts ctyins.l A-hce-hee'heel [wtinejne his hands in pto found, aneuished nnitationl Yasssssuh! Creat White Fathe., just si' u$en de money, io' God s sale, and w€'s ain't gwine come out deh and dirty up yo' whiie folks neisbborhood . . .
IHe brcaks down con,letelr. then eets up and soes into the bedrann.) BENEATH^: That n not a man. That is nothine but a toothless rat.*ffi
J:i#trff:"J?;i,"f;:; supposed to be my beginnins again. You-whai supposed lobe myharyest. [to oorE^rn.r] You-you moumins your brotber?
BENEATHA: Het no brotber of mine. MAMA: Wbat you say? BENE^I H^i I said that individual in ihai room is no brother of rnine. u,lua: That's what I thoughtyousaid. Youfeeling like youb€lierthan h€ istoday?
IBENEATH^doss not dnsrsr.lYes? Wbat you tell him a minute aso? That he wasn't a man? Yes? You sive him up {o. rne? You done wrote his epitapb too-like the rest ofthe world? Well, who give you the privilege?
nnre,rrn,r: Be on my side fo. oncel You saw what he iust did, Mamal You saw him
-down on his knees. Wasn't it yor who laugbtme to despise any man
who wouid do that. Do whst hei eoine to do.
584
MAMA: Yes-l taught you that. Me and your daddy. But I thought I taught you something €ke too . . . I thought I taught you to love him-
BENEATHA: Love him? There is nothins left to lov€. u,rur: There is always sonething left to love. And ifyou ain't learned that, you ain't
learned nothins. lloakine dt hetl Ha:,,e yor cried for that boy today? I don't mean for yourself and for the family'cause we lost the money.l mean for bin; what he been tbrough andwhat it done tohirn. Child,wh€n do you lhinkis the time to love somebody the most;when they donegoodand made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain't through learning because ihat ain't lhe iime at all.lt's when he's at his lowest and can t believe in bissself'cause th€ world done wbippedhim so. When you starh measurins somebody, measure h;m risht, child, measure him right. Mal<e sure you donc taken into account what hills and valleys he come lhrough before he got to wherev€r he is.
lrRAvrs Dursts tnfo t[? room dt the end of the speech, learing the door open.l
rR^vrs: Cr:ndmama-lhe movins men are downslaiB! The truck just pulled up. xrtuA fturning and lookins dl li ] Are they, baby? Tbey downnairs?
lsle s;sfis dnd ''ls. LINDNER d,pean in the .loo.,rar. He peeB in and
knocks liehtly, to eain attention, dnd comes in. All tun to look at hin ) rnoxnz lhat and briefcase in nandl Uh - hello . . . lxura crosses nechanically
to the bedrcom doot and opens it and lets it sfine ap.n freely antl towly as the liehts cone up on,!
^LrEn vithin, still in hb codt, sitting dt the fui cotnet ofthe
roon. He looks ub and oul firousli lie roon ro I-INDNER.I
IA lons ninute passes and WALTER slo]rly sels lrp.l LTNDNER: komtns !o t[? tdb le :[/ith efrciency. puttins hb btiefcase on the tdble and
stuniry b unfold ,abers dnd unrcrev fountain ,ens)W ell, I certainly was glad to hear from you people. [w aLrEN has besun the bek od of the room, slowly dnA aekwddb, ruthet like a sna hoy,passinsthe back of h;s sleeve across his nouth fron time to time.) Life can really be so much simpler than people let it be most oftime. Well-with wbom do I nesotiatc? You, Ma. Younger, or your son h€rc? IMAMA stts Jrith het hands folded on hq lap and her eyes closed as w,rr-rrn advances. rn,rvrs soes close to LINDNER and looks at the paperc cuaordy.l Jurr .ome offi(ral papen. 'onny.
nurs: Travis, you go downsiairs. MAM^: [openinshet etes and looHag tsfo WALTER'S]No. Travis, you slsy dght he!e.
And you male him understand what you doing, Walter Lee. You teach him good. Lile Willy Hrnis taught you. You sbow where our 6ve generations done come to. Go abead. son-
wALrERr [ooAs doffi into his boy's eys. an^.'rs srins at him r:.enilt dnd w^L'rER dtaws him beside hin with his arn lightly arcund his s/roulders.l Well, Mr' Lindner. IBENEATHA furns away.l We called you [Therc k a prcfound. simple Etopins qualit, in his speecft.I - because. well, me and ny family [I{e Iooks around and sltif* from one foot to the othet.lwell-wc are very plain
ur-rer: I mean-l have worled as a chauffeur nost of my life-and my wife
A Rdtstr tn tte Sun 585 here, she does domestic work in peoplet kitchens. So does ny nother. I ncan-we are plain people . . .
LTNDNER: Yes, Mr. Younser- w
^L1ER Vea y like a snall boy , looking down at his shoes nnd then u, at the mdnl
And-uh-we , my father, well, he was a laborer most olhis life. LTNDNER: Idr'olutely conirs?dl Uh, yes-
oncebecause this man calledhim abadnane orsomething,you knowwbat I
LTNDNER: No, I'm afraid I don't. w^L'tER Wnally straishtenlns upl Well, what I mean is that we come from people
who bad a lot ofpride. I mean-weare veryproudpeople. Andthat's lnysister ov€r ihere:nd she s going to be a doctor-and we are very proud-
ru'nrr n: Well -l rm \u-e thdl i. ve-y ni(e, bur wALaEc [startine to cty and fdcine the nan eye to ete] Wh3t I am telling you is thal
we called you over here to tell you that we are v€ry proud and that ihis is ihis is ny son, who makes the sixth gcneration ofour family in this country, and that wc have all thought about your oFer and we have decid€d to mov€ into our house because my father-rny faih€r-he eamed it. [uevr las fier eyes closed and i rocking back and fonh as thoueh sh. wele in ch!/ch, with het head noddins the anen :l"s.I W€ don't want to make no houble for nobody or 6sht no causes-but we will try tobe good neishboE. Thatt all we got to say. lHe looks the m.tn dbsolutely in the eyes.l We aon't want yoor money.
[He tutns dnd watks dway fiom the man.] rrrorer: [oofring around dt d of theml I takc ii then ihat you have decided to
BrNE^rrr^: That s what the nan said. r-INrornn: [to uAvr h fter rererie] Then I would like io appeal to you, Mrs. Younger.
You are older and wiser and undersl?ndins thinss better I anl sure . . . M^M^: [/is;ns] I arn afraid you don't understand. My son said we was soins to move
and there ain'l nothing left for me to say. [shdking het h.aA ith doilble medrinsl You know lrow thes€ young folks is nowadays, mister. Can't do a thins wilh '€m. Good bye.
rwor.rnn: [foldiag up ]!is rndt?ridlsl Well ifyou are that final about it . . . Tbere is nothins left for me lo say.lHe fnishes. He is alnost isnorcd by the fdnily, who arc concenbating an waLrER LEE. At ifte door LrNoNsn fialts and /oo&s around.l I sure hope you people lnow what youie doing.
lHe shakes his head and exits.l RrrA: Uookine arcund and comingto liklw ell,for God's sake - ifthe movins nenare here-LET'S GET THE HELL OUl OF HERE! M^M^: linto dctton] Ain't it the truih! Loo] at all tbn here mess. Ruth, put Travis'
sood jacket on hirn . . . Walter Lee, 6x your tie and tucl your shirt in, you look just like somebodyt hoodlum. t,ord have mercy, where is myplant? [Sire flies to set it ami.l rhe senetal bustline ofthe ftnily ,who drc delibercteb trtine to isnore the nobility of the pdst'none't.l You all start on down . . . Tr3vk child, don't so empty handed . . . Ruth, wbere did I put that box with my skillets in it? I want io be in charge of it nyself. . . . I'm going to make us the
586 Lonaine Hansberrr
bigsest dinner we ever ate tonieht . . . Ben€aiha, what's lhe matter with lhcm 'lo.hngi Pull lhem lhing. up. grrl ..
I'the family stans h fle ort as two norine men appellt and b.ein to cafty out the hed'iet Pieces of fimitwe, bumpins into the fami, as thet mow about.l
rrrrera.r: Mama, Asagai asked me to narry him today and go to Africa urux: fin the niddle of het eettine-rcady dct^)ir] He didT You ain't old enough to
many nobody - lseeins the mo..]ne men liftine one of het chans plecatiotsly] Darling, thatain't nobale ofcotton, pJease handle it so we can sit in it again.I had thal chair twenty'Eve years . . .
IThe no|ers sieh with exasbefttion dnd so on vith thet 'notk.l rrnrerar: fg;lts y and unteasonabl, ttyineto fitlsue the @nw ation)To eo Io
A6ica. \4amd-be a Jo(r"r in Atritr . . . M^MA: ldisrrdcred] Yes, baby- WALTER: Africal Whai he want you to so to Africa fol? BENEATHA: To practice there . . . w,rr-rrn: G , if you don't get all tbem silly id€as out your beadl You better marry
yourself a man with some loot . . . oererrre: [angrily, precis ely as in the frst rcene of the pld),I What have you got to
do with who I narryl werrer: Plenty. Now I think George Murchison-
lHe and BENE^'IH^ so out yelline at edch otlw ,isorouslx BENEATHA is heatd sarins that she would not ndrrl' cEoRcE MuRcursor if ne wae Adan and she were be, etc. The anset is loud and rcdl till theit raices dininish. RU tH stands at the door and turns to ntw and sniles know- inety.)
utux lfxing her hat at ldstl Yeah-they something all right, rny children . . . nurg: Yeah-they're sometbing. Let's so, Lena- M^M^: Irtallins, staltine to look around the housel Y es - I'm co4!!g. Ruth
M^M^t Iquietb, wondn to womanl He Gnally come into hislmanhood todayldidn't he? Kind of like a rainbow after the rain . . .
Rl:rH [bitinE her lip test het own ptide explode in fioat o/ MAM^] Y6, Lena. [w^LrERt rcic" cdrs for them raucously.l
ueue: [waring RUTH out tdEuelrl All right, honey-go on down. I be down dnectly.
IRJTH hesitates, then exits. MAM^ stdnds, at last alon in the lirine rcom, her plant on the table before het as the lights statt to come down. She looks around at all the palls and ceilings and sud(lenly, despite herself, wh;le the children ca below, a steat hed,inEthine rises in her and the p tshet fst to het nouth, takes a frndl despetute look, bulls het codt abo t he/, pats het hat and eoes out. The lilhts dim dot''n. The doot obens and sh. cones back in, erubs het pldnt, and soes fot the ldst tine.l
Page 1 of 6
Statistics Project
Temperatures in January, 2006 in Purcellville, Virginia
Submitted by Suzanne Sands
Purpose: Analyze temperatures for January, 2006 in my local region, Purcellville, Virginia. Most people are interested in the local weather, including me! I focused on the weather in January, 2006. News
reports indicated a much warmer January than usual. I was interested in compiling descriptive summaries in the
form of charts and numerical measures to get a sense of the typical temperature for January, 2006, and how the
temperatures have varied over the course of the month. (This particular project example is an adaptation of similar
project examples I have used in statistics classes I have taught in the past.)
Data: Random Sample of 30 Temperatures in January, 2006 in Purcellville, Virginia
Data Collection: An excellent website, www.weatherunderground.com, provides temperature readings from thousands of weather stations. Toward the middle of the screen, I typed “Purcellville” in the “Location” box and
arrived at the Purcellville forecast. At the bottom of that page, there are links for personal weather stations. I
clicked on the “Top of Tranquility, Purcellville, VA” link and arrived at
http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KVAPURCE1
You can search for weather readings any day you like in the recent past. This particular weather station
recorded 12 temperatures every hour back in 2006, so there were 12 readings/hr x 24 hours x 31 days = 8,928
temperature readings for January, 2006! I decided to select a simple random sample of 30 temperatures from
this large collection of data.
I collected 30 temperatures at random times in January, 2006. (Random sampling is NOT a requirement for your project. For instance, you could record the high temperature for each day.) FYI: Here is how I chose the random sample: Since there are 31 days in January, I generated 30 random numbers between 1 and 31 (with possible repetition). (You will see below that many days are repeated.) Next I determined
the sampling times. Since there were 288 temperature readings each day, I generated 30 random numbers between 1
and 288, representing the reading numbers. Since there were 12 readings per hour, I divided the reading random
number by 12 to get the hour and used the remainder to figure out which reading to choose during that hour. I
looked up the temperatures for each randomly selected day and time, and recorded the appropriate temperature.
Count
(January, 2006)
Date Time Temperature (degrees) Count
(January, 2006)
Date Time Temperature (degrees)
1 1 2:41 44.1 16 13 11:55 48.4
2 2 6:35 31.3 17 13 16:01 57.9
3 2 16:21 39.7 18 15 17:35 34.9
4 2 18:11 40.6 19 16 4:55 32.4
5 3 11:45 39.7 20 16 11:11 37.6
6 4 8:05 35.2 21 16 18:35 36.3
7 4 11:55 42.4 22 18 9:01 44.6
8 4 20:35 39.9 23 18 13:45 40.5
9 4 23:52 40.3 24 23 5:41 34.2
10 5 5:21 39.2 25 25 20:31 32.2
11 9 11:31 52.5 26 25 21:31 31.9
12 10 2:45 43.7 27 27 2:11 27.7
13 10 4:21 43.0 28 28 14:35 61.7
14 12 2:31 37.9 29 28 19:21 48.7
15 12 16:55 54.9 30 31 1:01 48.7
Page 2 of 6
Temperature Data, in ascending order:
27.7 31.3 31.9 32.2 32.4 34.2 34.9 35.2 36.3 37.6 37.9 39.2 39.7 39.7 39.9
40.3 40.5 40.6 42.4 43.0 43.7 44.1 44.6 48.4 48.7 48.7 52.5 54.9 57.9 61.7
Notes: To construct a frequency distribution, typically we need to group the data into about four to eight intervals. In
looking over the sorted data, ranging from 27.7 to 61.7, it seems reasonable to use intervals of width 5 or 10 degrees.
Frequency Distribution:
Grouped in intervals of 10 degrees
Grouped in intervals of 5 degrees
REMARKS: Both tables show that the temperatures are principally clustered in the 30’s and 40’s. Which
table is better? It’s really a toss-up; either one is fine. It’s not necessary to make more than one table. I am
showing two tables, just for illustration purposes.
If a table has very low frequencies for all of the intervals (say a frequency of 1-2 for each interval), or if
there are more than 10 intervals, that would be an indication that the interval width is too small. For
example, if each interval consisted of just one degree, then the frequency table for this temperature data
would have over 30 rows and that table would not be very informative, in terms of helping to see where
the data are clustered.
30 Random Temperatures in January, 2006, Purcellville, VA
Temperature (degrees) Frequency
Relative Frequency
19.95 - 29.95 1 .033
29.95 - 39.95 14 .467
39.95 - 49.95 11 .367
49.95 - 59.95 3 .100
59.95 - 69.95 1 .033
Total 30 1.000
30 Random Temperatures in January, 2006, Purcellville, VA
Temperature (degrees) Frequency
Relative Frequency
24.95 - 29.95 1 .033
29.95 - 34.95 6 .200
34.95 - 39.95 8 .267
39.95 - 44.95 8 .267
44.95 - 49.95 3 .100
49.95 - 54.95 2 .067
54.95 - 59.95 1 .033
59.95 - 64.95 1 .033
Total 30 1.00
Page 3 of 6
Histogram
The histogram is a visual representation of the frequency distribution on the previous page, with the
temperatures grouped in intervals of 5 degrees.
The majority of temperatures fall between 34.95 and 44.95 degrees.
The histogram was generated with spreadsheet software. Your histogram does not have to be fancy. It can be hand-
drawn or typed in plain text form. It is important that the scales and the labeling are clear and accurate.
Plain text histogram: Temperatures in January, 2006 in Purcellville, Virginia
Frequency |
9---|
| 8 8
8---| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
7---| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
| 6 |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
6---| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
5---| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
4---| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX| 3
3---| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX| 2
2---| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
| 1 |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX| 1 1
1---| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
| |XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|XXXXXXX|
0-- .----|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
24.95 29.95 34.95 39.95 44.95 49.95 54.95 59.95 64.95
Temperatures (Degrees Fahrenheit)
(NOTE: If typing in plain text, use a fixed width font, such as Courier New)
1
6
8 8
3
2
1 1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
25.95- 29.95
29.95- 34.95
34.95- 39.95
39.95- 44.95
44.95- 49.95
49.95- 54.95
54.95- 59.95
59.95- 64.95
F re
q u
e n
c y
Temperature (degrees Fahrenheit)
30 Random Temperatures in January, 2006, Purcellville, VA
Page 4 of 6
MEDIAN: When the 30 data values are sorted, since 30 is even, the median is the average of the observations in the
middle, the average of the values in positions 15 and 16 in the sorted list.
27.7 31.3 31.9 32.2 32.4 34.2 34.9 35.2 36.3 37.6 37.9 39.2 39.7 39.7 39.9
40.3 40.5 40.6 42.4 43.0 43.7 44.1 44.6 48.4 48.7 48.7 52.5 54.9 57.9 61.7
Median = (39.9 + 40.3)/2 = 40.1 degrees.
SAMPLE MEAN = �̅ = 1242.1/30 = 41.40 degrees = the sum of the temperatures, divided by the sample size
Note that the mean is larger than the median. The histogram has a longer right "tail" compared to the left
end, due to a few relatively high temperatures. The mean is affected by the size of the highest
temperatures, but the median is not, so the mean is larger than the median.
RANGE = 61.7 - 27.7 = 34.0 degrees = the difference between the maximum and minimum
SAMPLE VARIANCE = 66.1417 (calculations shown on the next page; used a spreadsheet & pasted it in the document)
SAMPLE STANDARD DEVIATION = s = 8.13 degrees (calculation shown on the next page)
Data within one standard deviation of the mean must fall in the interval
��̅ − �, �̅ + �� = �41.40 − 8.13, 41.40 + 8.13� = �33.27, 49.53�
Data within two standard deviations of the mean must fall in the interval
��̅ − 2�, �̅ + 2�� = �41.40 − 2�8.13�, 41.40 + 2�8.13�� = �25.14, 57.66�
Data within three standard deviations of the mean must fall in the interval
��̅ − 3�, �̅ + 3�� = �41.40 − 3�8.13�, 41.40 + 3�8.13�� = �17.01, 65.79�
__ __ 27.7 31.3 31.9 32.2 32.4 34.2 34.9 35.2 36.3 37.6 37.9 39.2 39.7 39.7 39.9
40.3 40.5 40.6 42.4 43.0 43.7 44.1 44.6 48.4 48.7 48.7 52.5 54.9 ___ 57.9 61.7 __
In the interval �33.27, 49.53�, there are 21 temperatures, and 21/30 = 70.0%
In the interval �25.14, 57.66� , there are 28 temperatures, and 28/30 = 93.3%
In the interval �17.01, 65.79� , there are 30 temperatures, and 30/30 = 100.0%
So, 70.0% of the temperatures fall within one standard deviation of the mean, 93.3% of the temperatures
fall within two standard deviations of the mean, and 100% of the temperatures fall within three standard
deviations of the mean. For a bell-shaped distribution, the respective percentages are approximately 68%,
95%, and 100%. For the temperature data, the percentages are reasonably close to the bell-shaped model,
so yes, the data distribution is approximately bell-shaped.
Page 5 of 6
Calculation of sample variance and sample standard deviation:
Col 1 Col 2 Col 3 Col 4 = [Col 3]^2
Count Temperature x x - Mean (x - Mean)^2
1 44.1 2.6967 7.2720
2 31.3 -10.1033 102.0773
3 39.7 -1.7033 2.9013
4 40.6 -0.8033 0.6453
5 39.7 -1.7033 2.9013
6 35.2 -6.2033 38.4813
7 42.4 0.9967 0.9933
8 39.9 -1.5033 2.2600
9 40.3 -1.1033 1.2173
10 39.2 -2.2033 4.8547
11 52.5 11.0967 123.1360
12 43.7 2.2967 5.2747
13 43.0 1.5967 2.5493
14 37.9 -3.5033 12.2733
15 54.9 13.4967 182.1600
16 48.4 6.9967 48.9533
17 57.9 16.4967 272.1400
18 34.9 -6.5033 42.2933
19 32.4 -9.0033 81.0600
20 37.6 -3.8033 14.4653
21 36.3 -5.1033 26.0440
22 44.6 3.1967 10.2187
23 40.5 -0.9033 0.8160
24 34.2 -7.2033 51.8880
25 32.2 -9.2033 84.7013
26 31.9 -9.5033 90.3133
27 27.7 -13.7033 187.7813
28 61.7 20.2967 411.9547
29 48.7 7.2967 53.2413
30 48.7 7.2967 53.2413
Sum 1242.1 1918.1097
Mean 41.40333333 Sample Variance 66.14171264
(divide Sum by 30) (divide Col 4 sum by 29, one less than the sample size)
Sample Standard Deviation
(sqrt of variance) 8.132755538
Note: The results of the calculations can be checked by using the spreadsheet functions var( ) and
stdev( ) in Excel. However, for the purposes of demonstrating understanding of the calculations,
you must show work similar to the table above.
Page 6 of 6
CONCLUSION
In January, 2006 in Purcellville, Virginia, the 30 sampled temperatures fell between 27.7 and
61.7 degrees, for a range of 34 degrees. Temperatures tended to be concentrated in the upper
30’s and low 40’s, as shown the histogram.
The median temperature is 40.1° and the mean temperature is 41.4°, with standard deviation
8.13°. The temperature data distribution is approximately bell-shaped.
As mentioned at the beginning of this report, January of 2006 seemed to be unusually warm. The
analysis in this project agrees with this conjecture. In looking at the website www.weather.com, I
found that the average daily HIGH temperature for January (in any year) in Purcellville is 42
degrees. My analysis found an average of ALL sampled temperatures (not merely the daily
highs) to be 41.4, not much below the typical daily high. [Remark: The average of the data, 41.4, is a statistic – it is the average temperature for the sample. It is possible that
the average of all January temperature readings is somewhat different. If we were familiar with the techniques of
inferential statistics, we could assess whether we can take this statistic and use it in making a statistical inference.]
FINAL REMARKS: This sample project could have been done without the use of a spreadsheet or fancy software, if the frequency distribution, and histogram were carefully hand-drawn or typed. I have added
considerable commentary to the project items, to indicate what I was thinking about when completing the tasks. You
can be less “wordy,” but be sure that your work and summary are detailed and informative, and you show
calculations as requested.
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