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
Scen€
Scene
II
same day.
Friday night, a few veeks later.
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
|he\ drc tfud. Still, i,e can $p" th.tt ol son" tine. a time prcbobh no
\)thelunBhinesofth^
Ionlet rcnemhercd b\ the lamty \exce,t pe dps fot
hoPe
and brcught to this
low
and
ewn
selectea
\rith
carc
ana
tuon eete actu.llly
dbatment dnd aftanEed eith taste dnd ptide.
'that wo\ d tanl tme aea. Now th? on a loved patten of the couch upholster'l
va^-and
\^\
-
529
5t0
has to
rihich
f+ht to shov itself from unler acra of crocheted doities and co\ch cowrs
themsel'es frn<ity cone lo be norc inpotant than the upholst.ty. And
ha1)e
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
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
de
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 ,
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
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
'he
rukes 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
in a slishtly nufred wice.
'dwns,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
BENEaTHA.
dt
t3r
dDDdedtly.oti\h.d that het hu.band ha. he,us
to
ect
up
She 6top\.
t
pull'
ha
Ihe d@t to. ond retutns to the kikhen drca She \ ipPs tu facc
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
vounsnan in his middle
is a ledn, intense
aie runpled and nismated. He
thnies, inclined to qtick nenous mol'enents and etrdtic sp@ch habits
and alwdys ;n his roice there is d qualitv of indictnent l
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
wtrn:
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?
I'm just sleepy as ihe dcvil. What kind of esss vou wantT
Rurri:
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
rcads the /ront dg".l Set ofi another bomb vesterdav
oui .Ind
No
',asuely
rLlrn
Imawmun ndtfferenc?lD,J they?
u rr r: /oo*,ne upl Whar'. rhe mJte, $rh \ou:
Rurrr Ai;1 nothi.g thc Inatiel with me. And don't keep asking me tbat this
urrnr:
bo ihering yor.lreading the ne$ of the .Jav absentb asain)
Mccornick is sick.
nurt. l;ft"rtinq tea-ba t tri?..'rl l.heno$IPoo.rhing
\us $hdi L rhrr
u \t p:
and tookrns a{ h/r wa,, hl Oh me lH?
'd,ts
"ishnc
just
going
to
have
to sled getting
He
thistime?
in
thebathroom
all
boy doing
Ain'r nobody
Sav Colonel
upearliei I can't
be being late to work on account of hiln fooling around in
nurrr: Itrmtng on hinrl Oh, no he ain'l soins to
be setting up no earlicr no such
no earli€I nishts.'cause hesot a
thingl Iiainlhis iault thathc can'tgettobed
bu""h uf crazy good f""nothing clowns silling up running their mouths in
.
.
wbat is supposed to be his bedroom after ten o'clock ai right
with
'l'he
I
want
to
talk
about
things
you
ain't
it?
urrrn: Thai\'what mad about,
my friends iust couldn'i be imPonant in your mind, could thev?
honJbosan th? Iable dnd o$e'to
lHc n*" and find" o ciearcae n
aid deepb enpv'ne thb fid
and iooh. our,
it," nno
"mohna
,^io"
h
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.
[indiferentlyl Yeah?
nurr:
532
wa,.rDR: lust for a second-stirring them esgs.It's gone now
iust for a second it
was
looked reai young again. [ti"n, dn]l lt's gone now
you look ti]e
-
-you
younelfagain.
RUrH: Man, if you don't shut up and leave me alone.
${LlrR: [oo&r ng oul ro rft€ (ir?ei d8dt, Firs hingamanoughllolea'n in litehnor
lo male love to nu colored \aoman {rat thinq rn lhe morning \ouall\omeevil
peoplc at eight o clock rn the morning.
tR\vtsdppea\ tn th? ha doon ar . almost fullt dre*ed ond quite vide
awake now, his toi,els dnd ,aianas acrcs his shouLiets. He opens the
. door and signals for his fathet to make the bathrcom in a hufty.)
'tF.^vls: [watchine the bathroon] Daddy, come onl
l\\i
eets his bathrcom utensils and flieN out to the bathtuom.)
^LTER
nvra: Sit down
and have your breakfasr, Travis.
rRAVrs: Mama, this is Frid.y. kbrfrllll Checl coming tomorow, hub?
Rr rH: \ou sel \our mrnd oft money and eJr your b,e,kir(t.
r R^J ,: kdr,nsl Thi, ir rhe morning we supposed ro b';ns lhe 6fh cent. i" \cho"t.
RUTH: Well, I ain t sot no 6fiy cents thh morning.
rn,rvrs: Teacher say we have lo.
RUrn: I don't care what lercher say. I ain'l gol it. Eat your brsltfast, Tr:vis.
rRAMs: I d,l eatins.
RUrH: Hush up now and just e.il
[The boy gh'es her an exaspqated look fot hq tdck d underctandins, dnd
r$vx:
eats
su(lsinsly
.)
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€ supermarket 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
533
t&e Sun
rRAUS: lurfr.o'lDrcuouch brushe.l hdn and idck?t I
-
n cone
-rnd
wauing one fins?rl
a,fare and mill noney
for no caps, you hear me?
aRAvN lwith ,irlpn ,oiit?n€'sl Yes m
nu
ru: Cet,
tHe
Lurns
'frustratnn
a
tinsle pennv
lo \e'rw HB nothet \.1!chet altn hm as tn hr
he apprZa,h*rhe doot olno"t rcmrcallv \\hcn irc'beahsta
n outrai
has becom. a wv eentle tedse l
she think hc uould sat itl Oh Mama male' me 'u mad
don r tno$ wh.r ro do' tshe ddth dndcontinues tohi\ bdLk o'he
"om"rim;s,I still in
for
;tdnds sto;k
ftont of tfi? door.j I wouldn't kiss that woman good-bv-e
his
andtolk
tutns
arcund
bov
m
o|mirls\
s'orid
this
fna v
nothing ihis
lThe
ews at-h?\
'n knodinl t hp moodhi"ehansed onl he n t ndicorcd: he docs not'
him. het
n. r
nul
u: .noc&ing:
nice
a'
howevq, now towrd
hr /?r'l Nor for nurhins
lanph, dloud at him and hotd' out her
aas
b.t\i)een them, verl old and practiced
llp
rn rhi' worlJ:
,'inaliv
a wa\
ctos*q to hLr and allow' her to
'Shp
to him and'ne see that tl
r
iliAi,
She holds
wamity but keep; his face frrcdwith masculine
him back frcm her'presently and looks at him and runs her finserc owr the
little old angrv
Now
sentl"'ass
f"at"*' olf n;' fo*. witn
embrace
hin
-whose
-l
"ft"r
rn,rvrs: lTire ndsculinity and guffness stun to fade dt last ) Aw gaaleenu
plo.''
lmrnn*rns, Au garaaalleee"e. Mamrl She pushlshn.wtth n'eh
fuln?\ anJ finoli\. towad rh? door'l C'l on our ol here o' \o'r s'rrs ro be
r:
late.
rH: llor"\. rl . {Jrlins lo gel 'o cold ('eninB'
*rr rrn: rconrnp in /ron rhi bathroom and drawins
RL
a mahe'belic'e Bun ftam a
naie-b"hie hohrer ond s&oori,a dr ,?/s snn l W\ar F rl he
nuru: Co carq' groceries after school at the suPelnarlet
w^LrERr Wcll, let
hin go . .
qanr'
rn
dul
.
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. 'onhn I r/e! rrrrr'
lH? h,lnd. the bo\ rh" c"t,i. hut hr ete' otc dirc' i e/ to
takes the
moner habbilY .l
rnevrs: Thanls, Daddy.
H. \tdtt\ out. RLrH
sA,
R
nto h^
!dt,fic(
hoth
o! th.m wnh nuJet
\/,rrdJdrd!rdr?' 6a,h oth{
bo.ket a\ain on an oltathouEht l
tth
de fran' ?.
n
I@ e\e'
onJ 'uddenlv rcochc"
hdrd d/ /rr dr'lln fa't he''
still
withaut iven looine at his
'trtin{
'on,
rnorher htt\ crn r . . ieu',v"u'"lt"onolutrluda)-urlarrrla\i'"bru
school or sirmethingl
tN ,ru:
'
rcrvrs: WhouoeeH. 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
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.
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.
s \-
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
hc: U hen \e want"d 'ne to g"
'good. ior. nothrns loud
mouth ruu,qa,nI
rte aq cte,nrn; bu,ine- $rth h,m. {nd
'n
now-he's grossing a hundred tbousanda
year. A hund.ed thousand dollas a
yearl You siill call Ain a loud mouthl
RUrHr [b,tt,l]l Oh, Walter Lee . . .
[She folds het head on hq arns ow the tdble.]
\NAL\Et [tisins and conins to het and standins oret her] You tned, ain l you? Tired
ofeverything. Me, the boy, the way we live-lhisbear up holc-everyrhing.
Ain'r you? ISr€ doesn't look sp, doesn't ans\\,et.l So tned-moanine ?nd
grorning all the time. but vou souldn I do nothins to help.
1"u: You
couldn'i be on my side that lons for nothing, could you? "oulJ
RUrHr Walter, please leave me alone.
w[rrn: A man needs for a woman to back him up . . .
w^LrER: Marna would listen to you. You know
she listeD ro you nore tban she do
more ofyou. All you have to do is iust sft down witb
her when you drinkinsyour coFee one morning and talking 'boufthinss like
you do and
[H" stls dopn beside her and denanstrates eftbhiatlry what he
thnk; .hq methoJ6 and hne siould
louju.r!p'"u;"oftee.,ee.,nd*)
ea'v like
you bren thinl,ing bout thrr derl W.lter LFe i.,o intere\teJ in,
'hat
'bout the store ,nd all, and sip some more coFee, like what you sayins ain't
really that important to you-And the next thins you know, she be lisLniog
good and asking you questions and wh€n I come home-l can tell her rhi
details. This ainl no fly-by,nighr proposition, baby.I mean we Fsured jr out,
m€ ?nd Bennie. She
thinl
-
6c.I
me and Willy and Bobo.
RUrH,
[,f,]
wri.rrn:
d frowa] Bobo?
Yeah. You s€e, this little liquor store we gor in mind cosr sevenly-five
thousand and we Esured tbe initial investment on the place be 'bout thnty
ihousand, see. Thatbeten thousandeach. Couse,theret a couple ofhundred
you got to payso's you don't spend yourlife just waiting forthem clowns to ler
your license get approved
nurH: You
mean eraft?
-
53t
w^-'"',""
R: lrct ninPimbatt",i/t Don I call ilihJl See lhere rhJt iu'r goe' ro 'lo$
Lt'.i..'i',"a.r.iand,bour rhe qorld Babv don notirns nappen fur
i"" 'n rhi' uorld le'. vou Da! son?rndr oql
t'* n*a ond 'tarcs at hin viso'ou4\ w,rL",. r.,'.
"' '., then
".,t"i, ini,o"u
t,1\s. narc ludtlv tJl iour e8s' lhe) gonna be
r
'old
vrn
$ {L | | p,\hd,4,rt?n'nB,p I ron h4 and toobng afl | t hrr' r' lh'r( vou ar'1
lui
atvou
esgt
rr'I
Hrtqom;n
bdJl'
a
dre,m
i"
I nor -"
tu trl'" h"ld of rhr' her" uorld babv' {nd a
i"in'np in oo,c, Mrn'ar': I eot
-Jnd
-'
r.''*..*"
"""m"i.iil',v, t,r r"u, eee
nowl Vrn'at : I
go ro
"orl'pa'sionalelv w"nan ut
{nd
hi'
babv:
ro
dealh
s,r ,o. ha rqe ml l,6 l rn ih"lrns
- in
i'tter a"g"iin ainu btings nis fsts dovn on his thilhs)
coldl
-
Your eggs
is
s€iting
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
6vevearsolJ: Ih"er mrtti"d
Imlhxh
rhe ni rorandrhrnkrngaboulit
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
live...
RUrH: Eat vou!
" eeas. Walte!
*, Dr., ;i
"gs"
"..n
RUrH: Then so to work.
See
e
rtch rhrte p'
"ple
dann all lhe eee'thar ever wast
t..E.p'p.th".
"",,r"hi h.al
\ h t he, p.t't ion,
tt
\"'
-lmlDrngt^ull toruu bout m*ell 'ha&ing
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
rh'rsgrnel So rou
..hund o erv mo'nrns. and rou n"r er'al nuthing
I$uuld rdrier he
Sob"
hr'
chaufteur'
rhan
Vr.
Ainold
*rn"' l'"
".",,ta
l,vrnp in Buckinebam Pahce.
n'r'
ft',' " i,.:*h' '. $,ons $rrh rnc.olorcJ uonan rn'hi' uorld
"^'.'^,
... Don t understan<l about b;ldins then men up and maltins em feel lile
t' n,
thev,^T.body Lrl" lhey crn Jo 'orelh,ng
diily, but o hu a, f h.re ar culored mcn u hu do thing'
t
wAr.rER: No lhanks to tbe colored woman
nu, s: Well, herne a c"lo ed qomJn. I sue.s I .dn I help mrs'li non'
Shp t^e' dnd pets the ioninPboail and sets tt up otul attotk' d hug' btte
it ,o"att4,i"i, torhe',,p"nitns then in prepanrnn kr th" nonmtsdnd
thenrcllinethe into tieht fat ballsl
war-rrn: tnrmrl;ngiWe one group of men tied to a race of ivornen with small
tnentl d' 'l'n dnd ntPn* as
^about
t
her htutheL ShP is not a' ptett) a' h4 "^te'-n lan ' h h't llan 'tlmost
eedts
a btishtred
its
ovn
She
of
intelteaual fae hatt a handsonenus
her
hpad Her
uildlt
about
thick
hair
stond'
and
hq
frannel nehrie,
'**-h
ti mature ot manv thiaa' tt ^ d$'t'nt ftom the rc't ul the
|dmil;\
a' educdtton ha iemeared her vn'e ol Lnsl^h-atd
'nstat
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
H^rislerBt\r^rHA?ntPA
She
536
Loftdine Hansbeny
the Southside. She pdsses thrcush the rcom withoutlnkine at eithet RuaH
ot w
and Eoes to the outside doot dnA boks, a little blindb , out to the
^LaER
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.)
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
lpushine the papet dctoss the tahle to her as he studies her atnost ctini,
^LrEe:
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?
WALTER:
{\.
Br\ruH\: tn the \dn" spnttLovell. Lor"ty. {nd tou
s eate\t.'lookin!
WALTER:
up at
hinl I dn,e(red \umething,hdt
kno$. brologl
looked tike l ou
i,
the
ye*o
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
day before that?
the nonins boad,like soneone disintercsr?d dnd oldl Don't be so nasty,
moming-and the
RD
tH:
-Wom
Bennie.
['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 decidewerren: and seNerrH,\: Itn urconl-"to be a doctor."
BENE^THA|
Isiten@.)
w,{LTrn: Have we figured out yer jusi exactly how much mcdical schoot
RUrr': Walter Lee, why don't
B,
\r
A
rll\:
yoD
is goins
to
le.ve that gjrlalone and get our ofhere to worl(?
banas on the duorl Come
ou. nr rherc,
[?nh to ifr? bdrhroon and
"n
[She com4 back inra the tuon.]
tr
R:
iooh,s
d, hrs vsi?r rnrpntlv \ ou know the ch.cl. n comrns tomurrow.
"1"
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
ru bu\ r hou\p or J ro(let.hipor iu.t n'.I I up,onrewhere.rnJ to"k
\hewdnl.
al
It I he6. Nnt
ou6-i"rs
[];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.
WALTER:
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
you get up and go work in somebody s litcben {or
- Don't
the 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 semestersBLNE^'|r^: Idrobpine to het knees) Well-l do-al risht?-tbank every,
. . . 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 . . .
body
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.
BTNEATHA:
wALtEF.. He wds ry fathet, too!
gemrrs,r: So what? He was mine, too-and Travis' srandfather bur tbe insur
ance 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€.
you're
w^LrER: Whot a nut?
B8NEATHA: B€cause
RENEATHAT
You-you
. nut.
are a nut. Thee is mad, boy.
wArrER: [ootins dr ftir rrife dnd his sistet fion the daor, rery sadly] The world
most b:ckward race ofpeople, and tbat's a fact.
BENEA'IHA:
s
llur;ry sloult in irercirair]And then
would lead us out of lh€ wildernes
-
there arc all tbose prophets who
[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 -bodied 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 $'ho has ddiusted to many thinls in life and orercone many morc,
her fdce is fult of strcneth. She has. ve can see, wit and faith of a kinA that
keeps het eres lit and full of intercst dnd expectoncy. She is, in a'/tod, a
beautiful woman. Her beatine is peth.lps nost like the noble bearing of
the vonen of the Hercrcs dsouthwst Africd
ther.1sifsheimaeines
that ds she walks Nhe sti bean a basket ot a -wssel upon her head. Het
speech,onthe othet hand,is as carcless as het canidEe is ,recise si",s
5t8
inctinedto slu el,erythine-but
simbly soft.l
he
oice
h berh.lpsnot
so much quiet as
iound here slamming doors at tbis hour?
lshe crosses through the room, eaes to the windoi',opens it, dnd b nss in
a feeble little ptasi s/ot,,ine dos.dly in 4 small pot on the windov sill. She
feels the dft and Puts it back od.l
nurs: That was Walter Lee. He and Bennie was at it again.
ueva: My children and tbey tempers. Lord, if this little old planl don't set mor€ sun
than itt been getting it ain't never going to sec spring egail lshe tums from
ffie window.l What'athe matier with you tbis rno'ning, Ruth? You looks right
oerled. Youaimrne ro rron 3llrhcm lhrng'? Lcave 'ore lo' me l llgel lu;m
ihr. dtt"'no"n. Bennie honer, it\ roodrafry lo" yoD ro b"'illrng'ound hall
MAMA| Who that
dressed. Where's you. robe?
soNa,\rse: In the clesners.
M,rur: Well, go get mine and put it on.
DENEATHA: I'm not cold, Mans, honest.
uevr: I know but you so thin . . .
sr\;rarHr: Itrnro6lyl Mama, I m not cold
uxut: "c"inpthe mike.down bedds tRA'shd\ Ieft ttlLordhavemerc) loul dr rhdl
nonr b"J. Ble* \r, hearr-he trie,, don I he:
ho' ]opptt mode ur'
Shc movc" to the bcd s
p r \o he don r haltrry rl all cau'e he I'nos" yuu gorng locor" alunghehind
h,m and fi\ e\crllhrng. fhat, iusl how,omc he donl knu$ 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 coldR, 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
+r
r
-
-
:
- n tnclrncJ ta \and con\"r\dtionallv
nrrr^rnt. vtvr
U hat wa' l"u and yorrr brorhr. lu*rng buulll'i m"rning'
v.vr:
lro
BENEATHA:
sometmetl
It's not impo.tant, Mama.
dnd soes to look out at the bathrcom, ||hich is arbarcntlv
pick$ up het to,alek and tushes out )
she
dnd
ftee,
MAM^: Wbat was they figbtins about?
nuru: Now you lnow as well as I do.
un'$.: tshak;ng her l:r,ad) Brother still woryins hisself sick about lhat mon€v?
rurrl: You tnow he is.
MAMA| You had bleakiast?
nurq: Sorne cofee.
MAMA: Cirl, you better strd cating and looking after yourselfbeiter. You almost thin
lshe eets
wrua: IJn-hunh?
4
539
RUrHr What are you soing lo do with it?
MAMA| Now don't you start, child. It's too early in lh€ morning to b€ talking about
money. It ain't Chrisiian.
RUrH: Il's just lhat he got his hea.t set on that storeM^MA: You mean lhat liquor store that Willy Harris want
hin to
invest in?
MAMA: We ain't no busine$ 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.
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.
utwt:
-
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 tomorrowfsincerely, 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-
wrn:
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 someplaceM^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 weeklstuiyine het nothet in law futtiwly and con@ntfttins on het ioninS, anx'
^!1H: 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
. really
and I'd know he was down
tbe rue and then bacl at
pause;
back to
she
is
seeinc
very
and
thoughtful
d,own- Iafpr a second
long
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
me
then
him.
a 6ne man, all risht. I always lilcd Mr. Younger'
MAMA: Crazy'boui his childrenl Cod knows there was plenty wrons with Waltel
rurg: Hc was sure
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
Younger
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
He did give us
didn't see fit lo giv€ the black man nothing but drcarns
-but
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.
to the ceiline,
bENEATHA comes in, ,rushins her han and lookins
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!
f
srr
rue: Oh, Godl
uevA: If you
use the Lordk name iust oDe more time
,it ofa
,fiine] Oh, Mama
RU rH: Fr€sh- just fresh as salt, this sirll
nruerrm: [drily] Well-if lhe salt los€s its
BENE^rH^: [d
MAMA: Now tbat
savor-
will do. I iust ain't going to
scriptures in
vain
-
hBve you 'round h€re .eciting the
you hear m€?
stNhrHe: Howdidlmanag€tosetoneve.ybody sMongsidebyiustwaftineintoa
RUTH:
Ifyou were'r't
so fresh
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
EENEATTTA:
uevr:
,ith the sane eqrcssion.)
[MAMA dnd RUrH IooA up
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?
I just want to, that s allMAMA: 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
BENEATHA:
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
experiment with difiercnt forms of expre$ion
nuru: Li[e riding a hone?
nrue,rru,r:
have to express thernselves one way or another.
-People
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.
I-l
-
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, butds l'nentj] what does dnd srufmean?
RUTH: [/or
neuerrm: Mind your own
business.
MAMA: Stop pickins at her now, Ruth. [d
t/iorglt@l pause. and then a suspiciots
she
twns
in het chai fot enphasisl\Nhetdo.s ;t
al
her
daushtet
ds
suddin'look
rnu,rru,r: [uearily] Oh, I iust mean I couldn't evel r€ally be serious about
He's-he's so shallow.
nurs: Shallow-what do you mean he s shallow? He's Ricil
George
vruc
Hush, Ruth.
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.
arrrime:
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.
You mean you wouldn't ma.ry Ceorge Murchison if he asked you somedav?
run:
Th,t p errt, I(h lh)nsl Hon.y. I hnew y"u ra' oddN,, luouldnormanr n,mrtall Ii.lr io,h,ms,'$hal lleel nos
^'.'^''^,
Besides, Ceorget family wouldn't really like it
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
nnrnersr: Oh. Mama
-
Ma. Murchison. Shei
vrue: You musl nol dislike
a scene!
people'cause lhey wcll otr, honey.
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
BENEATH^:
-
MAM^
dnd RUrH:
rl
MAMA: NOW, BENNiE_
oh, I probably will
...
bur 6rst I'm goins to be a doctor, and ceorse,
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 Codthere 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
BF.NEATHA:
forone, still thinl$ that's pretty tunny. I.oDldn't
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. SloppinE dnd
t
mins bdck to het dasehtet)Therc arc sone ideas we ain'r soins to
olthh family.
BE\EArH^: Yes, Ma'am.
IM^M^ vdtks o t of the loom.l
Ial'r'iost sentlr, fith brofounA untlerstandingl You ihink you a woman,
"uaH.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
have in tbh house. Not long as I am at the head
544
No-there's somethins comedosnbetwcen
N,AMA:
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 )
. ioves lhat little old
Rt)'t t
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
Ruthl
[tyinetokeepM^Mironnoticins)Yor
you...
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
ashins dow. BENEArsa, tn dunEatees, vith a
handlerchief tied ,1rclnd het fdce, k sbrcrinc insecticide into the crdcks in the walls
uthside disk-iockey Prc+rcn is inabbroptiat.ll
As thet \.,ork, the ndio is on dnd
the sole idle one, is
with
a
rcthet
erotic
saxophone blues "tN
the
house
flline
^vts,
leanins on his arms,lookins out of the window.
rRAvrsr Grandnama, tbat stufi Bennie is using smells awful Can I go downstans,
a
a
I ain't seen you doing rnuch.
rruvrs: Yes'm-finished early. Wbere did Mama go lhis nornins?
MAMA; Did you get all them chores done already?
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?
.
. and
Oh, I gues so. Youb€tterstayrigbt in frontof thehouse, ihoush
postman.
for
the
leep a sood lookout
rRlvs: Yes'm. [He srd'ts o ut awl decides to gire his l.JNr BEN E^THA d sood sedt on
vavr:
the less as he p.1*es hel.lLeave tbem
poorlilile old
cockroacbes alone, thev
ain't bothering you none.
plavfullv
[He tuns as she si inss the spr,t Eun at hin both iciously and
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
has never hud the
him-
u,ru,r: WeJl, little boyi
wArrER: [,nto plone]
hides ain't as ioush as Southside roaches.
Hello-Let
me talk to
wiuy Harris.
I seeD one marching out of
MAMA: You better get over lhere behind the bureau.
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
M^M^t Uookine at
BENEA]HAj
did Ruth so?
het it,
nedflingl To the doctor, I think.
The doctor? Wbat's th€ matter?
think-
ITrq
?xchanse Eldnces.l
I ot
don'I
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.)
HayJo . . . [pause, and a noment of recos"ttton]Well
did
-when
you 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
aeurru:
withl
EENEATHA:
Asasaidoesn't carc how bouses look,
Mama het
an intellectual.
Asagai-toseph ,A6agai. He s an African boy I met on campus. He's
been studying in Canada all sunmer.
BENEATHA:
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,
..
.
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 thatvmr: Well, now, I gue$ if you think we so isnorant iound hoe maybe you
MAMA:
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
[indtgnantly] Why should I ]now anything about AfricaT
Why d" yo" give non€y at church for thc missionary work?
".""^r"^,
rir,rrtr:
Well, that s to help save people.
-
vru.r:
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
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
think it is wonderful.
BENEATHA:
al.ll.l-l
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
the matter with vou
M^MA lwoft;edl, horcinEorer rurul Ruth honey
-what's
'
-
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?
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,
. just lean back, don't
up"aly , ,oplatyl No" vo" just relax. Thati risht
thinl 'bout nothing at all . . . nothing at aJJ
uwt
.
nurn: I'm all right-
tThe slassy-eyed look nelts and then she collapset into a
sobbing. The
be
awe,rrx,r: Oh, my God-that nust be
MAMA: Ifo RUrHI
...
ft
of hea'v
rin$.1
Asasai
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,
BINEATHAT
...
Alaiyo-
hin with pleasure] Hello
e) Well-come in. And please excuse everythins. My
[noldins the doot open and rcEddins
IlonE
ba
nothe.was very upset about my letting anyone come here with the placelike
this.
lcomine into the rcon] You look dnh.bed too . . . Is something wrons?
. we've all got acute ghetto-itus.
[srtll dr tle door, absentlylYes
smiles
and
nnes
toward
hin,fndine
a ciEarette and sittins-]So[She
sit down! How was Camda?
[d sornis cdte] canadian.
^s^cAr:
BENI^rHA: Uoolins dt [in] I'm very glad you are back.
vookins back at het in tun) Arc yol rcally?
^sAc^t:
reuartu: Yes very.
,rs,rc,u: Whv-you were quile glad when I went away. What happened?
^sAc/-I
BE"-EATHA:
.
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?
lhandins het the pdc&dsrl Open it and see.
^sAc*
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.)
[coming to het at r,te mtrror] I shall have to teach you how to drape il
^s^c^t:
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 exclanation fot
adnitation)Yotwear
it
well
...
very
well
...
rnutilated hair and
3ll.
BTNEATHAj
lturntrg sudd€nltl My
h3ir-lvhatt $rons with my hair?
ls}Irugging] Were you born with ii like thrt?
^sAc^':
BENE^rtr^: rcachins up to louci itl No . . . of course not.
IShe tutns bdck to the nitw, distuhed.l
AsAcAr: [smtltns] How then?
BENEATHA:
Youlnowp.rfectlywellhow
...
ascrinklyasyours
...
that'show.
And it is ugly to you that way?
^sAcAr
BENEATHA:
lquicAh]Oh,no-noiugly. . . Imorc slo$,|y, apolosetica[)]
to manas€ when it s, well-raw.
And so to accommodate that-you mutilate ii €very w€ek?
BLli it s
so hard
asAcAr:
BrNE^rH^: It
;stc :
s
not mutilationl
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
. . . tHeldusfi' You came upto me Jnd )uu urd- and I lhouglr
'chooll
iihle lhins I hrd evehFcn
tou were l he ;osl
- )ou said: He inirdlc"
l wanr \ ery much ru lall $irh )ou AboulAfrra You*c.
ler.l Vr. A.aeai-'efiou5
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 )
: lsiill teas;ns andreachine oxt and tdkinEhq face in hishands andtunins
^stc her orofile tohnlWell
rl it irue lhat lbi' is nol su muLh a pr"6l< ola
\ile
a nocl disnisal ol the
Holiv*ood queen a' perhap\ d queen of
'he it matter? Assimilationism is so
in,ottance of the questionl But wbat does
...
-,
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
time and all that.
l
mean about identitv and
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
man and a worun
lsna&ing ft,s nead nee.ttire! but eently]No. Between a
^s,rcAr:
Now
thire need be only one lind of feeling. I have tbai for
even . - . right ihis momeDi . . .
snNn,\rHe: I lnow-and by itself-it won't do. I can 6nd that anvrvhere
For a woman il should be enough.
^sAcA,:
seun,qrge: I know-because that's what it says in all the novcls that menwriie. But
I'm not interested in beingsomeone's little
it nn't. Go ahead and laugh
-bul
epr'ode rn Ame-ica
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
ente3 dnd is imnediately all social chatm becatse of the presence
IM^M
vou
or
seNftrHA:
ofa e^
*
est.l
Oh-Mama-lhh
u,ru,r: Ilow do you
is
Mr.
do?
Asasai.
tloq do yor do Mr' \ uunger' Prea'e io.give
f"' coming,r 'u"h ,n oulr.geou' hour on a 5alurddy
urur: Well, you aie quite welcome. I just hop€ yoo tndersland that our house
\s\, a,:
-.
rordl polite,€sr ro an p/derl
549
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 completion 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 . . .
quiet, then-l
.rs.rc,rr: [mored] Thank you. Than] you very much. IThey ne
WeJL . . I murt go. I wilJ call you Monday, Alaiyo.
MAMA: Whal's lhat he call you?
"Alaiyo." I hope you don't mind. It is whai you would call a nickasecrr
nam€, I thinl. It ;s a Yoruba word. I an a Yoruba.
MAMA: [/oofttng dt BENE^rH^]
I thousht he was fromfunderstdndtns] Nigeria is rny country. Yoruba is my tribal origin^s^c^r:
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.
d
Oh
I
No
^sacA,i
Whom
really it is difrcult . . . [tnt'b'g] lt means . . . itmeansonefor
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
You must corne see us again-Mr.-
.. - that'snice...
,s,rc,r: Ah*ay-guy...
u,rur: Yes . . . Do come
of itl Well
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
lo set so inte.ested in
Isrdduslre4 Yes,l sucs I see why we done commence
Africa iound here. Missionaries my aunl lennyl
lS[? ertts.]
Mama!
gwrrrre: Oh
...
[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?
550
-" -
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
6n" i"rt" n"
fot eoine out.)
,,,i^,i" toi* -ti
'
"^'^,
,J,'l'i,r,- l.t
^*
roon Sh"'re'rinsno$ Tzs' bab\'Iunnc\'dod
ro Pled'e ler me ha\; Irrle k rchen clcan"er' I hr h're
ttre
'
can is empty as Jacob's k€lile
rR^\'rs I iust crme in
Wh're)ousorns?
-^"^ n. ^ -' t"ta. Hee\ir"dnd.hPlaoh\dth"rJdus'ra'
he\'lel
uf
queen
d
I
o
l,ecore
dou.'
""'^.^, n., ilii'JU"* or,li,
n treatite"" btoze o1 sio'r' NU r oppea' in the belrcon
"^i' "
a""-"Y-l
MAMA| Who tolJ vou 1o eel uP?
-','',
,qi""
"",hi'* "'";'g
sirh rne ro h" l)rns in no bedtnr'
Far a' I c"uld male our
lo
n,"eror
",".'iir^^ng
dr lzr I What tim€ tr rl setling to?
\qd rhe mlilnrai e"rng ro rins rhalb"llrhF
^"',1"",'""".
.lone eterv lrornrna lor l\e l,\l umptern yeab
nu
|1e*s
F
sr
\
her
pt k'
IH
drd Ben-
iu\r ioo&\
mornrns iu'rble
h'
cleans .on t
r"u lhrl .he don t ha\e ruLh
'av
' "o'r,
-;;;;
r-.'J. --" p."pt" t .-ta ndmc 'u' i' rishr 6nedr ldrre'ansi?r
';;;;i
,-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 $dnr to lot8er ro 8er her nuner
r|r: lem -mavbe,hesoman i' iu'r thorronrlean'"r-, -" l.l^,"#"i-Vu'
h Lakins ooudc. a' she done borru"ed irom ne all
oldone
.ic
could
rhe'e
r.ar'.
sone inro rhe bali ins bu in*':
-'
trii t"n **a" *,la*lv id'harplv and all tlree drc "tunned'enou\
h 'pne of alt the othq cLnversot on' and dis
L"i
^'a'**,n
"i",t *"
tht; 6 whdt the,' ho\e been wanne fot e*n
,,.7i",,
,6-n".
"r
rnrvr", w/ro loo*"}lclple.*/v fron hD noth toh8santlnothat P' tHn
the frd to rcne tolt[Q osan]
She
comesin with rhP
to r.ll
RUrHr lto rRA!Bl Cei do$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
nrn u: Izrcrtedl Oh. Mxs Lenal
. I dnn r tno\ shJ we Jll 'o e\' ircd aborrt
colte.tne h"Fetl
'round h' ,; io'. U tnown ir \d' comins ror month
"
.hole lor d,fferenr l'"m hJvinc ir , ome and herns dble ro hold rt rn
h,r
nL,. s:
'
"
rRa\ F
hand' . . a orece of pape' wo rh ten lhou' rnd
'our bd.I nto th! rcon Hi hold" rhe eMlope hish above hn head likp a
butst.
httle ddn,er, his {ace rcdtant and he hwarhle'+ H? novstoh^ ennd'
iother vith suriien tow ceremonv an<) ptts the envelope into het hands She
Com' "1: OPen
o..ebt\ it, and then nnelv holds ond looks at
'"r'l
Wcll
\\\1":
i
dullJ$
i
r
ir
rn s: Ooen rr. Grandmamai
v\v\: (fdrins dt rl Now lou all be qurer ll ' ru'r a (hecl
r/
Lor.l hrve merc\. 1 $,,n U alte Lee"r'here
RUrH: Open
it .
.
551
MAMA: [sfillsrdringdiil] Nowdon'tactsiily
Weain'l neverbeen no people to
act silly 'bout no moDeyRUrH: Isl',ftlrl wc ain t never had none before opsn
[,sv,u^fna y naka a good strcns teal and pulls'lrout the thin blue slice of
papet and inspe.ts it closelr. The bor dnd his mothd study it tdptly ow
veue's sfioul&rs.
MAMA: Trdyisl
ntins off with doubt.) ts rhai rhe right nurnber of zeros.
ten thousand dolla6. Caalee, crandmama, you rich.
[She holdt the check avay fiom he/, s.till tookins at it. Stowly het face soberc
into a r,:,ask of unhappiness.l Ten thousand dollars. [Sne ftdnds it ro RUrH.] Put
ir ,way somewhe.c, Ruth. [Sie does not lool at p.u.t1; hq eyes seem ta be
seeinE sonethinc somevhete wry fat of.) f en tho$and dollars they sive you.
Ten thousand dollars.
rR^v,si [ro i;s
stnc"'ery] What's the matte. with Crsndmama don't sbe
'notfi?r,
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.
rn,rvrs: Yes'm
ux*
lsie
;s cou
...
:.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
1ou done thi, morning.
RUrH: Well, lhal's what bappen€d-my tonsue slipped.
M^Nu: You went to see that $oman, didn't you?
avt* fdefensitely, siring fiersefdudyl Wbai woman you talkins about?
M^M^: ldnsdh] That woman whoIwaLrEF. ente in gteat etcitenent.)
-lle
WALTER: Did il come?
MArv^: [gur'?try] Can't you givc peoplc a Christian greetins before you starr askins
about money?
w^r-rrR: Ito RUrHI Did it cone? fnuru unfolds the ch@k and lnys it quietly beforc
him, wtltching him intentlr with thoushts of het oi,n waLrER sils doun dnd
srusps it close and counts oflie :?ros.l Tcn tbousand donar [He tuns
suddenu, ftdnticatty to his mother and drcvs some pape8 out of hk brcast
pocl?t.l Mana-look. Old Willy Hads put ev€rything on paperuwe: Son-l think you oushl to talk io your wif€ . - . I'll go on out and leave
you alone if you wantw^LrER: I can tall to her later
Mama, lool
u,tlr.r:
Son-
-
-
wAr.rER: WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE LISTEN TO ME TODAYI
MAMA| [q!teIlr'] I don't'low no yellin' in this house, Walter Lee, and you know
552
it-
[wALrER stdres dt lhem h ftustation dnd sk'ns b speak sQwtul tines.l
And there ain't going lobe no investing in no liquor slores. I don'i airn to have
to speak on lhat again.
IA tons Pauv .l
wrr-rrn: Oh-so you don't aim to have to speak on that again? So /ou have
decided . . . ldumplin| hk pabe$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.
waits and he fnalb tutns and looks 4t
MAM^: [stt[ quiert)] Walte r Lee
Sit down.
-lshe
her ')
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 eyesup inbatbndy dt ,€r words I I said sit there now, I'n talking to
lw
^La1|iunps
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 She loves you.
werrrn: Mama- I'm goins out.I wanl io soofsomewhere and be by nyse)ffora
l:
while.
wasn't ihe thing for us to do.
M^M^: I'm sorry'bout your liquor store, son. It
That's what I want to tell you about'ust
A Rdistn in l,r? Sun
w^LrER: I got to go out,
lrie
553
Mama-
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
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;
tbat ain'i
shall I take the Driv€, sir?" Mama, that ain't no kind of iob .
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
of nort1iflg.
my days. lust ffiiting for me-a big, looming blanl sPace
-tuU
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
MAMA: I'm lookins at you. You
.
of dollan . . . soneiimes I see suys don't look nuch older than oreMavr: 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
bui how diferentwe done become.
nobody s stre€lcar-You my children
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$s whdt nt, motfier hds satd.l Th3t s what she wanted to talk
to you about. [w^LrER stnls doun into d chab ] Tbis ain't for rne io be
telling blt you ought to know. ISfie Ddttr.l l tbink Ruth is thinling'boui
gettins.id of that child.
w^LrERr lslo lt understdnding] No-no-Ruth wouldn't do that
-
554
lanaine Hansbertt
u,ru,r: When the world gets ugly enough-a woman will do anytbing for her
family. The batt that's abeadr lirine.
WALTER: You don't know Ruth, Mama, if you think she would do that.
[\r't1 apens the be&oom doot and stands therc d little linp.]
p.J|{: lbedtenl
Yes
I
would too, walter. Ipdusl
I
gave her a five-doJlar down
[Therc is a total silence ds the man starcs at his wife and the mothet stnrcs
at het son.)
MAMA: [przseatr]
Well
Well
[dgntlr]
son, I'm waitins to hear you say some-
. . . I'm waiting to hear how you be your faihels son. Be the nan h€
ws . . . Ipduvl Your wife say she going to destroy your child. And I'm
thing
waitingto hear you talk lile him andsayx€apeoplewho sive children life, noi
who destroys tbem- lsfis rises.l I'm waitinslo see you stand up andlook like
your daddy and say we donc give up one baby to poverty and lhat we ,in'i
going to give up nary anoiher one . . . I'm waiting.
ueur; Ifyou a son ofmine,letl herl [mrrrn luns, loo ks at het and can sar nothine.
She continues, bitte y.lvou . . . you are a disgrace to your father's memory- Somebodv g€t me my hat.
ACT
1I
Time: I'atet, the same ddY.
[At tise:
RU'1H
is nonfiry asain. She hds the rcdio eoins. Prcsentry
wernt's bedroon
BE-
door opens and awu's mouth falls and she puts down
the non in fascination.
RUrH: What have we got on tonightl
Ffnr.,$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
"bach to the pdst." She beeins to
Iistens, enr.lptured, het eyes far away
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
How should
comins bacl now
BtrNEATHA|
I lnow-out
..
hunling or something. Anyway, they
are
.
RUrH: Well, tbat's good.
BENE^TH^: b,lith the recotd)
Alundi. alundi
Alundi aluny.l
IoP bu a ieequd
Lng gu soooooooooo
...
Ayehaye-alundi...
Ai ydi yde
wtrrt:
cones in dutins thk befondnce: he has obriously been drink'
Iw
ine.^t.aER
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
YEAH . . . AND ETHIOPIA STRETCH FORTH HER HANDS
ACAINI . , .
Rt)rH: [&ily,lookins at him] Yes-and Africr sure is claimins her own tonisbt.
l
lshe giws them bath up an statts nonins asain )
. ]'rn dissins them
in a drunhen, dramatic shout) Shul up!
wAr.rER:
to his
mdke'
hiswearinevq
drums... th€m drums move mel
[He
wife\ face and leans in ctose to het.) h ny heatt of heatts IHe thumps his
cftesl.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
[d
...
.
-
. . . 1'HE LION IS WAKINC . OWI
ft open and ledps up on d tdble and eestues with
nrrl soes to dn wer.)
room.l OCOMOCOSIAY
MOWEHI IH" pulls tt,
his spear.The hell rings.
*^*ru^'
,n
tto encouraee \/\L|aN, thorcuehly caueht up eith this side of hin)
OCOMOCOSIAY. FLAMINC SPEARI
\t^L'tER IOn the table.
f eone. his eyes purc glas sheets. He sees what we
bddet of his people, a srcat chief, a descendant af Chaka,
caniot, th.1t he is a'ett
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
you hcar thc beatins oltbe wings ofthe bnds flying low over the
w^LrER:
-Do and lhe loq placer of"u, landmo,,nrJin.
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
s'hat's the matter with you? Waiter Lee Younger, get down ofr
that table and stop a€ting like a fool . . .
com^ dolrn ofthe table suddenly
nakes a quich exit to the
Iw
company
a
^L'|ER
bdtboon.l
drinl . . . I don't know what her exc'rse is.
orNr,rrn,r] Lool honey, we're going fo thetheake-we're noi goingto
RUTH: He s had a little to
croncn:
be
[to
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
hic.
so proud
ofyoursell
Bennie
-
just because you look eccen-
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,
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,
fiti
A Rdtsin itr tls Sun
t57
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
hope she
cEoRcE: No, thanl you.I don't care forbeer. [He lools dt fti'
'dtcA.]l
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.
that s nice. I've never been to N€w Yo!k.
RUTH:
enten. w e feel he has rcliewd hinself, but the eaee d uneality
I\\t
^L'IER
with him.l
is sti
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'
Oh
cEoRcEr
Oh-you\,e
WALTER:
Pl"rb, of times.
been?
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
Veelins his head; so6riel)' comtnsl Wheret Mama?
^L'rERt
RUrrr
She ain't come bacl yet.
*l
rLn; lloolinr
over co"hmqc v -ne' k sweate' ovq 'olt ewlet "hnt
ca"uol rweed
"poa" iacket
sldcks,
dn(t
soft
and tie,
frnished off $'ith vhite bwksk;n snoes.l Whv all vou
college boys wcar them fairy;shlooking white sboes?
lcEoRcE MURcHtsoN isnore, the rcma*.)
w,rr-ren: tlo rurrrl Well, they look crazy as hell-while shoes, cold gs it is'
nurr lcrusieJl You bare to crcure himsAr r Fts Nu hed^n r: Lrrse me ior rhal' Whar )orr.lwa\s r\cu'ing nc ior: I ll
ftnnv as
excuse mvselfwhcn I needs io bc excusedl [d ,t.rus"] Thcv look
thcm black knee socks BeneatM weac out of here all the time
Walter'
RUIH: Itt the colles€
'ltle,
looks lile she got burnt legs or somethingl
uLrrn: Style, hell. She
rrrn: Ob, Walter-
*
an Dntahl" miniclOh, \VJlr.r:Oh, Wrller rovrR,HFn\'Hu\\)our
ou| iundq'rand vou allgoing'o bu) lhdr hig holtlun lhe
n the rchie.rctot \dntle^ o'lr ro vupcHrsu\'
Dne'. H" finds a
qi\t
onh the batk of hi hand and stradllnqo chan
hi'
hps
iipbneond
c
bd:Iu;d" h tah io the ot 1", ndn lSh,e'vd mu\e )orrrold man r' rllrighr.
nan. ltappins his heaa and half winking for emphasis) I mean he knows how
\^L1tq:
old -n'rr makine
be
558
Loftaine Hdnsbeny
to operate. I nean he ihinks bis, you know whal I m€an,l rnean fora ion",
you knowT But I thinl he's lind of running out of ideas now. I'd like to talk to
him. List€n, man, I gol sone plans tbat could turn ihh cily upsid€ down. I
mean I thinl like he does. Big. Investbig, ganble big, heJJ,loselig ifyou have
to, you know what I mean. Itt hard to finda man on this whote Southside who
understands my lind of thinking-you dis? [He scrurini.z?s MURcnrsoN
asain, dnnks his beet, squints his eyet and leans in close, confdential, nan to
mdn.lM€ andyouought to sit down and talk sometimes, man. Man,I got me
someideas...
cEoRcE: [wiftr 6oredom] Yeah som€times we'll have io do that, Walter.
w^LrER: [unde$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 going
to your [Btttsrt
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 sboescroRcr: Uoo&trg dl
ithAistuste,alittle dbo,)e it alllYouie all wackedup with
A
-
fiin
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$i:"til1il
son'of-a-bitch-you happy? You got it made? Bitte.? Man, I'm a volcano.
BitierT Here I am a giant
surrounded by ants! Ants who can't ev€n under
it is the gianl -is talking about.
RUrH: lpdssionately dnd srddenlyl Oh, Walter-ain't you with nobodyl
WALTER: hio/entl)l Nol 'Cause ain't nobody with mel Not even my own mother!
RUrH: Waller, that's a terrible thing lo sayl
stand what
IBENE^rHAertd]',dreNsedfot the ereninein a cocktd arcs dnd edtines.l
you lool sreai.
BENEATHA: Let's so, Ceorse. See you all later.
RUrH: Have n nice lime.
cnorce: Thanl<s. Good nisht. [to w^LrER sdrcdsltcdly] cood nisht, Promrtl"us.
cEoRcDr
Well-hey,
lBtrNtrarHA drd ctroRGE 4if.l
WALTER: lto RUrH] who is Prometbeus?
RUrHr I don't know. Don't worry aboui it.
waLaEv. [in fury, pointins d/t"r cEoRcE] See th€re
they set to a point where they
- aboul
can'l insuli you man to nan ihey got io ialk
something ain't nobody
never heard ofl
RUrH: How do you know it was an insult? llo lumol,?t'nl Maybe PromerheL$ is a
nice fellow.
559
Rdisin in the Sun
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
[th.n, to
sorry about lhis new baby,Walter.l guess maybe I better eo on and do what I
I
sta*ed . . . I sucss I iust didn't realizc how bad things was with
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?
-
hav€
hirr)l-l'n
us
-
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?
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
WALTER: No.
Younger?
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 $to|s btt does not tum
aroun<J and he continues to ler Dact.] I gues between two Pcople lhere ain't
neveras much undentood as folksgenerally thinkthere is.l mean likebetween
me and you- [S/,e tlms to fdc" ]im.l How we sets to ih€ place wbere we
scared io talk softness to €3ch other. [He wdils, ffiinling hatd himself .) Whv
[She stands dnd looks at
560
Lonaine llansberry
lile th aI7 IHe k thouehtful, almost as a child would be.l
Ruth, what is it g€ts into people ought io b€ close?
RUrB: I don't know, honey. I think about it a lot.
w,rr-rm: On account of you and me, you mean? The way ihinss are with us. Tbe
you ibink it got io be
way something done corne down between us.
RUrH: Thcre ain't so much between us, Walte. . . . Not s,h€n you come to me
and try to tall to me. Try to be with me . . . a litt]e even.
wALrER: [lotdl non"sb,] Sornetimes . . . sornetines . . . I don't even know how
to try.
N.u1tr:
lconing
to
him, Eently dnd with niscifine, but comins
to
himl
Honey . . . life don't have to be lile this. I mean sometim€s people can do
thingssothatthingsarebettcr . . . Yourememberhowweusedtotallwhen
Travis was born
...
about the way we were goins to live . . . th€ lind of
hk head.l W ell, ili all stading to slip avay from
lshe is stroking
fveue enters, and wALrrn iumps up and shod$ at het .)
WALTER: Mama, where have you been?
MAMA: My-them steps is longerthan they usedtobe. Whewt[S&esir down and
ignores
How you feelins this evenins, Ruth?
IRUrH sfirsgs, disfurrel so" e at hd.ring b.en prcmaturcly interrupted and
lin.l
watchins het husband knowinsly.)
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!
urrrn:
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,
RUIH: "Mama I'nothinglYou're going to get itboylCet on in that bedroon and
get yourselfreadyl
I-
I_
TRAVIS: BUt
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 thatM^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.
IShe takes him by the shoulder and looks into
[The boy obeys, eladly.]Travis
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 her
notler ;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
let me be
s,rs nothins. She crcsses rupidly to her husband.l Please, boney
glad... you be glad too. [She has laid her hands on his shodders, but he
-
-
shaku hinself free
d hu roughly, vithout
walt€r...ahome...ahone.
tumins to fau her.) Oh,
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.
[throwing back her head i]ith iubilancel
r:lta
utut:
P
ise Cod!
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
I
...
And lhere
sa
yard with a little p?tch of d;n where
could maybe s€t to srow me a few flowen
nurH: Walter honey, be
. . . And a nice
big
base-
glad-
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^M^:
Isti
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
I ain't one never
-'couffe
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
welll-All I can say
line
again.l
this is my lime in
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
is-if
Welt
damned cracking
wallsl
life-nr
[S]e pounds the walls.)-and these marching
n inaeindry atry of narchins rodc["s.]
and this
cramped 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
roachesl
-
[S/ie otp?s dt
-
d
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?
is there a whole lot of sunlight?
MAMA: [undentdndtns] Yes, child, there's a whole lot ofsunlishi.
nurr:
Uoolins ofl
r.urn fn
Is
there
llane paue.l
ecting herself and soins to the aoot of the roon rn.rvrs is in] Well
I
'bout
feel
I
betler
see
Travis.
u,rvr]
Lord,I
sure
don't
li]e
whippins
suess
[to
nobody todayl
{sie exits.l
[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
just
picccs
apait today . . .
falling to
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-
-
t'tlx:
-
-
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
who Jlwa$ blkine buur vour c}rldreni dreams
-------Rine \ou
MAMAj
\
rlter
trd-
of
----
[He iust closes the door behind him. M^M^ sits dlone, thinkine he@ily
Tine: Fridat niEht. A fev
intention of th.
fanib
spn
to move.
weeks later .
rH.{ and
]
At rise: Packing crctes n.1* the
in, prcsunablv fiom an
crorce cone
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.
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
Th;t all )ou ne.d hune) lorger rhc rrmo;ice-l,otrng gnl . . . Jll
'
"'e,
Cut. ,'en I s"ine ro go lot rhP rlmo'pner. - lhey re goiFg lo go for
'Dh.re
rheyt.. Besldd for lh,l. Dop theCarbo ruulrne ltdoe'n\go$rlh
BENEATHA:
"hat
you.
As for myscll
sil ...
sophisti.ated
[She rebuffs
I
want a nice
not a
kropinsl
poet-O.K.7
hin ogain and he
simple ltftouslitfu v]
-
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
That's
[^
all-it
IonE
facis
has
to set grades-to pass ihe
coursc-io
get a degice.
nothing to do witb thoughts
Paw.)
Pouse as she looks at hir.l.) Good nisht, Ceorse
dt
lools
fter d Itrde oddly, and stdtts to extt He meets
IcEoRcE
ooNnrrrr I see. [a /onger
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
have a nice time tonight?
a
day's work. You
all
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
he, baby?
IBENE^rH^
mdls up rR^vls' bed
vith.
She stops.)
ls
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, LenaMAMA| 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
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 daywAr.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-
nurr:
565
.
. 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
Thursday I bonowed the cal agein
the Green Hat. fpduse] And Thunday
for
and I got in it and I pointed il the othcr way and I drove the other
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]
rowed Willy Hads' car and I went for a drive
-
And today-today
I
way
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 musicM^*,tA Vbiry and Eettins ene pa,erc out of het hdndbagl Walter
and they gol a sound
w^L rrR: And theret this other guy who plays thc piano .
-
.
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.
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
lvhat you ain't never undcrstood
and she meets hir etes pleadiagtl.I Walter
isthat I ain't got nolhing, don't own nothing, ain'tnever reallywantednothing
I here rin t
l here trin i n.lhrno a' prc(rou\ lo
lhrr uJ\n I for
M,!M^: Lhlen to me, now. I
-
me
ifil medn' rlir
nothinsrorlhholdineonro,moner,drermr,nol\rngel\e
'ou.
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.
as the
IS/re goes oui, and w,rr-rrn sit, Iookine at the nonet on the tdble
despe/a'
in
minEled
and
ts
up,
dnd,
in
its
idion,he
continues
ioy
E
'nu'.
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 tonightrRAv$: 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 driverw^LrEN: lldughing a littlel A what? Man, that ain't nolhins to want to bel
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:
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
WALTER: 'Cause,
No
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 car
tion . . . abusinesstransaction
up 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 Rulhmaybe 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
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
- Tine:
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.
lpoiitinc a[ a pa"kaenl Honey look in that Package there 'nd see what I
"",H,fund
on sale this mornine al the South Center' IRUTH sets uP and mows to
hand turned bemsl
pack
lee dnd &a\\,s out sone cxrfdinsl Lookahere
the
rnurrua: How do you know the window size out there?
\Vell. lhc) borrnd,o hl'umelhrnC in lhe
st t n: who hadn r thoueht o/ rhdl Oh
/rer
whole h"u'e {nyhow. rhey wa. loo good a bargain to pr* up nr r r
"iops
put
to
a
Bennie-l
msnt
Oh,
head, surldenly rem.mbetins somethine.l
special note on thai calton ov€rlhere. That's you! mamat good china and she
wants 'em lo be very careful with itBEN.^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 outsnNlrrrqe: Gets shot ai sunrise.
s' rs: Iouehtne haOpilyl\ou sriJ rl, nver: ,notnne ho\ largr or rrr rrr is a6,ent -; ndedb mokine he note Hone).,hey rin l surng ro lead rhar fi om no
r
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
last tim€ me and Walter
xnderstrndslWe went to the movies. Youknow thc
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 wentand 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
pcople on the streets
...
...
and it was kind ofchilly and the.e wasn't many
and we was still holding hands, me and Walter.
enrn,rrnr: You're killing ne.
enters \aith d larce packaee. IIis hafpiness is deeb h hin; he
[\\
^t.rER
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
Negroesl
w^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
[as he dances
witn RUrn] You know, when ihese New Negroes have their
^t.tER
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
uer:
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
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$msntl
Oh
yes, that's my
mother. Excuse me. [She closes the tloor and tums to quiet tle othet o.)
Ruthl Brotherl Soncbody'shtc. fThen she opens the d@t. The mdn casts a
cutious quick elance at
of then.l
comc in plcasc.
rur: [co rg in] Thank you.
BENEATIIA: My mother isn't herc now. Is it brsiness?
well. sortot
v,r:.:
wutna: freely. the Man of tie HorselHave a seat.I'n Mn. Youngers son.l look
afier most ofber busin€ss matters.
lRuH dd mNEATHA ercft anse anused gtanca.)
a
Yes...
Uh
t
569
My name is Karl Lindner . . .
MAN: lresarltns wALrER, dnd siffinsl Well
wALrERr [stetciins our iis /rand]W:lter Younger. This is my wife-[RUrH aods
politery.l-and rny sisrer.
r-rroren: How do you do.
w,rr.ren: [amtably, as lre s its himself easily on a chair,leaninevith intercst for''lad
on hk knees and looking upectdntly into the newconer k facel Wbat can we do
-
for you, Mr. Lindner!
I am a
[sozre m/nor s/ru flins of the hat and btiefcase on /ris lnees] well
representative of the Clybourne Park Improvement AssociationwAr-rFRr lrofttirg] Why don'l you sit your thinss on tbe floor?
yes. Thanl you. [He sl;&s the btiefcase and h.it lndet the chan .]
r-rroren:
And as I was saying-l am fronr ihe Clybourne Par[ Inprovement Association and wc have bad itbrought 10 our attention at the last mceting that you
pcopl€-or at least your mother- bas bought a piece ofresidenlial propcrty
r-rrorrn:
-
Ob
diEs futhe tip of paper aedin.l four o six Clybourne Street .
Th.t's right. Care for something to drink? Ruih, get Mr' Lindner
at-[He
WALTFR:
LNnNtFl: lupset
tn
sone reasonl
Oh
.
a
no, really. I mean thank you very much, but
RUrH: [innoc?ntry] Some coFe€?
LTNDNER: Thank you, notbing at all.
pdtclitns tfte nan carefully.l
lBENEArtsa is
r-rruxrnr Well, I don't know how rnuch you folks lnow
about our o.sanizaiion. IHe
is a eentle m.in: thoushtful and somewhat labored
these comnunity or$nizations set up to look
in iis ndnnsr.l It
sfter
is
one of
oh, you lnow, things like
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
blocl upkeep and special proiects and wc
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
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
special comnunity problems . . .
elsewhue.)
srNe.{rsr: Yes and what are sone oflhose?
BtrNtrArrrA:
$
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
I-
to set risht to the point
[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:!easIBENEATHA 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
bdinins
confdence 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
[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
-
it-
fi
such afirnationl'Ihar we don't try hard enorlgh in
Inoe
this world "n@rds?d
to undertand the other fellowt problem. The otherguy's poinl of
LTNDNTR:
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 was
el€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
way ovcr here to tell us?
r-INroren: Well, now we'vc been having
the way lhroush.
a
came marching all the
fine convenation. I hope you'U hear me all
A Raisin in the Sun
WALTER:
If,sitryl Go
57t
ahead, man.
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
LTNDNER:
w^LrER: All isht, you through?
LTNDNER: Well,I want io giv€ you th€ exact terms oflhe fiDancial a.Hngementw^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
got any more to say'bout how people ought
-you
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.
tER pushes the doot to
lHe tutns and put his cad on a table and exits. w
^L
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
fwiren
and
MAMA: [irno.enrb,] wbo?
srxna'rH]\: The Welcoming Committee. They
see
Connittee.
xlrn sissle)
said
iheyie sure going to
wAl-rnn: [derilirfily] Yeah, they said they can't hardly w3ii to
|aushterl
M^M{
be glad
to
you when you get ther€.
[sensine then fdcetiousness]
see
Whatt the matter witb you
your fac€.
all?
Ain t Dothing tbe matler wilh us. We iust tellins you 'bout tbe gentleman
whocameto see you this afternoon. From theClybourne Parklmprovement
WALTER:
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 caseIThey indicdte the ca , and M^M^ picks it up dnd thtu s it on the
underctdnding dnd looking of as she draws het chab up to the
floor
table 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
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?
-
-
do
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
suddenness
in
d
his armswith
d
his sbenEth.She is
owrwhelned by the
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
Psst
"y"]
WALTER: Whal lh€ old song say, Mama . . .
nors: Walter-Now?
lshe is Pointine at the Packaee.l
lspeakine the tines, sveetly, pldtfulU, in his nothet's fdcel
^LrEn:
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$.
Gonna fly all orer Cod's heaver . . .
w
|
BE!E^|HA: ltedsinEly, fiom asoss the rcan'l Eyetybody talkins 'bout beaven ain't
goins there!
ARaisinintheSun
573
ur-rer:
[to nuru, ulro is canying the bor actoss to thern] I don't loow, you think
we ought to give her that . . . Seems to me she ain't been very appreciative
M^M^: leyeine the bor, which is ob1)iously d eift] What is that?
WALTER: Ifaeins ir fro'n RUrH and puttine it an the table in front of
what do you thinl? Should we give it to her?
RUrH: Oh-she was pretty good today.
weu,r: I'll good
ututlwett-
you-
lshe tums her eyes to the box dgdin.)
BENE^rH^: Open it, Mama.
[She stdnds up,looks at it,tums dnd looks at d of then. dnd then presses
her hands together and does not open the Package.)
wALiER: lslr€edll Op€n it, Mama. ltt for you. IMAMA l@ks in his eyes. lt is the fust
prcsent in het life l,ithott it beia Chtistmas. Slovly she ope$ 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
from Brotber, Ruth and Beneatha." Ain't that lovely . . .
rR^vE-Love
Ituqeing dt his fdther's slevl Da?'dy, can 1 give h€r mine now?
werrrr: All right son. frn
flies to get his eift.)'fravis didn't want to go in with
He got his own. [somewial dnused] We don't know
the rest of us, Mama.^vE
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.)
tbis is the prctticst hat I ever
M^M
lEaftenne the boy up to /!s/l Ble$ your head
^:owned- lwALrER, RUrH dnd BENEATHA chine in-no; sily, festbel, dnd insincerely 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 yetIBENEATH^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
leans deep in tlrc lli,an's
^LaER
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
Ilearen
nan iust starcs at himl
[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
come on in. You knorv my wile.
soso: Idumbly, takine of lis lurl Ycs-b'you, Mss Ruth.
[quietly, d mooA dpat from her husband already, seeing mno] Hello,
"vH: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 youwerrtr: 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,
Oh
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
57t
Sua
wAr.rER: Ma!, what you telling me about all this for?
Te1) me what happened
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
...
That'swhtw€were
'voDldn'thavetowaitsolongfortheliquorlicence
eoine to do. Everybody said thal was lhe way you bad to do, you undersland,
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, GODDAMMIT . . . WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?
goeo: Man
w[rljj
...
I didn't go to no Springfield, yesterday.
in the monent) Why Dor?
lhalte.C, Iife hangins
WALTER: Man, what are you lalking aboutl
BoBo:
I'm |3lking about the frct that when I got to ihe hain station yesterday
eight o'clocl like we planned . . . MaD Willy didn't ne,er
morning
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
tunninedo\n
h's
...
lac". Mat.Wtllt n
llookine
P
dt waLrE\ vith tens
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.
-
been callin'you at home tlyin'to tell you what
-maybe-he's
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
Maybe
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 e . . . lHe is wanderins arcund, ctyins ou fot
i
wtrtv and (ookine for hin ot be&abs for helb fton Cod.] Man
...
I trusred
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
you
...
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 . .
.
576
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 bent
Aead.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
BoBo. bt indine
-
all
...
\ot nean . . . your sister's schoo] moDey
loo... WallFrl ...
ur|rrr: Y,*-i ... {llofir ... lr,allsone...
M^M^. [not wantins to beliere him)
...
)ouu.edlhrr
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 recosnilTherc is total ,ilence.
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 MamaM^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
^LlERwithin
his /@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
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,
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.
b
fu
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, progress . . . 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
He gare auay the money. A.Jgai . . .
rrrr
!s.{cN: Who
gave away what rnoney?
BENr^rH^: The insurance money. My brother gave it away.
Cave ii away?
^s^cAl:
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
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 inpartant that we feel his r.action at dll times, that he isibly rcspond to the
sister and,rsacat.l
uords
day...
ofir
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 knowand make them who)e again. This was lruly being Cod . . .
As^c^r: You wanted to be Cod?
EtrNE^rH^:
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
No
bodieshun. .
.
AsAcAI: And you've stopped caring?
8ENEATHA:
Yes- I think
so.
N.IER nses, eoes to the doot of his run and is ahout to open it, then
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
[w
stops
t78
Lotraine Hansber4
docton had the secret to all tbe burts
things-orun
That's lhe way a child
sees
idealist.
Children see thinss very well sometimes-and idealists even betler.
^sAcA,:
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
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
uerarrrra: Yes-andyou lhinktbaione word
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.
a
is simply a long
AsAcAr: Wbat you just said
- about the circle. It isn't circle-it
in seometry, you know, one that reaches into infiniiy. And because
line
-as sce the end-we also cannot se€ how itchanges. And it n very odd
we cannot
ihose who cannot,
but those who see the changes are called "idealists"
-and and amusing too,I
"realisls."
Ii
is
vcry
strange,
the
orrefuseto think,they are
think.
You-you are almost relisious.
. . . I think I have ihe reiigion of doing wbat is ncccssary in tbe
world-and ofwoBhipping rnan because he i so marvelous, you see.
BENEATHA:
lsAcAr: Y€s
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.
and the truth is lhai peoPle are
nenrqrHa: From now on, I wo.ship thc
trulh
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
579
as before
only now they will be black and do it in the narne ofthe
new Independence-You cannot answer that.
lshoutine ow het) I lr,e the ans' et! Ipaue) ln my villase at home ii is ihe
^sAcN:
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€ hhtory 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 . . .
the sarne
BENE^TH^:
asrc,rr:
-
TIr mdltrl
...
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 countryrnen . . . 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
nith eftspetution bom of nisundet
Asasai-at this monent you decide to be romanticl
rsrctn: lquickly undentandins the nissndastdndinel My dffr, youns crcature of
BENEA'|HA [slapiins hetself on the forehead
stdrd;agl
Oh
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)
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 corneBENEATfiAT [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
To
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,
. Ncver be afraid to sit arvhile and
ssntiy, sreetryl lust sit awhile and think
think. [He eoes to the door and looks at her.] How often I have looked at you
"
so this n what the New World hath finally s{oughl
and said,
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
Symbol ofa Rising Class! Enkepre6ourgeois no;-himselfl There he is
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
quicklv
lThe door slams and she rcturns to iust sittinl again. F.r1\ cones
.
.
"Ah
-
out ofMAMAt roon.l
RUrH: Who was that?
snrserur: Youthusband.
nurr:
Where did he go?
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
grrurrrr,r: Who
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, thinking.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
BENEATHA
l,ttil i"r
can slill move
..
crosses
to
drms outNtretcled. EENE^rH^ doesn'f r"spond.l T€ll her rve
. the not€s ain't bui a hundred and twentv five a month.
'.
We sol four s,o$n peopl€ in the house-we cdn \ro'1, . .
MAM^: [io i?rsef] lust aimed too hish ali ihe timeRUr}x [tutnine and soins to M^M^ fast the vods powins out vlith uteenq and
desperationl Lena-I'll worl . . . I'll work tw€nly hours a day in all lhe
kitchens in Chicago . . . I'll strap my baby on my back if I have to and scrub
all the foors in America and wash all tbe sheets in America if I have to-bul
we got to move . . . We got to get oul ofhere . . .
IMAM^ reaches out absently and batr Rt'tq's hdnd.)
M^M^: No- l see things diFerently now. Been thinldns'bout som€ ofthe lhinsswe
could do to 6x thn pla€€ up sone. I seen a second hand bureau over on
Maxwell Strcet just the other day that could fit risht hete. IShe points to whete
the new futnitwe nisht so. auru wan(lers away from /ier.l would need
somc ncrv handles on it and then a li l€ varnish and tben it look lile som€,
tbing brand-new.
kitchen
...
And we
can put up them new curtains
in
the
Why thk place be loohns fine. Cheer us all up so thar w€ folset
trouble ev€r came . . . [to nuru] And you could get some nice screens to
put up in your room round thc baby's ba$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
Midub Chariey
...
guys in the streets say-The Man. Captain Bos
Old Capiain Please Mr. Bosman . . .
582
mrrerar:
[sudden]l Lindner!
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
WALTER: That s
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
well
and he told us that them people out there whele you want us to move
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 . . .
'bout takins tbem PeoPle s non€y lo
n t)r{: [conin{ towdd hin dol,lt] You lal]ing
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'
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
q+"^ 'r,Hr: Well
we Jre dead nou[
eoes on in thn house. All dead.
{ll ,h(lJkab"ul
Ll,eJm.
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"
wrur:
has penetated his consciousness; he mumbles it
to him'elfrcbedledly between slrange asitdeA pduses as he notes about.)
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
le falters eren morc.l-thal s your neighborhoodout therc. You
gol 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
you peopleiustpui lhe money in
say lHiswice dlmost brca&s.l And
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
hin in fiozen horror.l Captain, Mistub,
^M^vdtch
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.
-v
you
-
*ffi
supposed to be my beginnins again.
J:i#trff:"J?;i,"f;:;
You-whai
supposed lobe myharyest.
[to oorE^rn.r] You-you moumins your brotber?
Het no brotber of mine.
BENEATHA:
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?
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
IBENEATH^doss not
him
on his knees. Wasn't it yor who laugbtme to despise any man
-down
who wouid do that. Do whst hei eoine to do.
.p
1
584
Yes-l
taught you that. Me and your daddy. But I thought I taught you
too . . . I thought I taught you to love himBENEATHA: 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
MAMA:
something €ke
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 )
hello . . . lxura crosses nechanically
lhat and briefcase in nandl Uh
to the bedrcom doot and opens it and lets it sfine ap.n freely antl towly as the
vithin, still in hb codt, sitting dt the fui cotnet ofthe
liehts cone up on,!
roon. He looks ub ^LrEn
and oul firousli lie roon ro I-INDNER.I
rnoxnz
-
IA lons ninute passes and WALTER slo]rly sels lrp.l
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
LTNDNER:
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. sonwALrERr [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
[Therc k a prcfound.
well,
me and ny family [I{e
qualit,
because.
in his speecft.I
simple Etopins
Iooks around and sltif* from one foot to the othet.lwell-wc are very plain
you
-
ur-rer: I mean-l
have worled as a chauffeur nost of my
life-and
my wife
Sun
A Rdtstr tn tte
585
here, she does domestic work in peoplet kitchens. So does
ncan-we are plain people . . .
LTNDNER:
Yes, Mr.
ny nother. I
Younser-
boy , looking down at his shoes nnd then u, at the mdnl
my
father, well, he was a laborer most olhis life.
,
LTNDNER: Idr'olutely conirs?dl Uh, yesw
Vea y like
a
^L1ER
And-uh-we
snall
oncebecause this man calledhim abadnane orsomething,you knowwbat I
No, I'm afraid I don't.
w^L'tER Wnally straishtenlns upl Well, what I mean
LTNDNER:
who bad
a
lot ofpride. I
is
that we come from people
mean-weare veryproudpeople. Andthat's lnysister
ov€r ihere:nd she s going to be a doctor-and we are very proudru'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
ihis
we called you over here to tell you that we are v€ry proud and that 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
i
is
father-rny faih€r-he eamed it. [uevr las fier
eyes
closed and
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
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
BrNE^rrr^: That
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 nen
are
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 .
lhcm
Pull lhem lhing. up.
'lo.hngi
..
Ben€aiha, what's lhe matter with
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?
To practice there . . .
, if you don't get all tbem silly
yourself a man with some loot . . .
BENEATHA:
w,rr-rrn:
G
id€as out
your beadl You better marry
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 MurchisonlHe 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 knowinety.)
utux lfxing her hat at ldstl Yeah-they something all right, rny children . . .
nurg: Yeah-they're sometbing. Let's so, LenaI'm co4!!g. Ruth
M^M^: Irtallins, staltine to look around the housel Y es
-
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