Lorraine Hansberry A Raisin in the Sun

CHARACTERS w,lLttn touNcan, "enotrtn" BENEATHA YOUNGER Lclt,l Yourcrt, "uxua"

CEORCE MURCHISON

aoBo MOVINC MEN

The.lction ofthe play is set in ChicdEo's Southside, sometime betn)eenwo dwdtIl

ACT ONE Scene l. Friday rnoming. S?ne lI. The followins mornins.

ACT TWO Sc"ne I. Later, lhe same day. Scen€ II Friday night, a few veeks later. Scene IIl. Moving day, one week )ater.

ACT THREE

ACT I Tle youNcER ltrtrs roon $,ould be a.omfottable and well

529 5t0 has to f+ht to shov itself from unler acra of crocheted doities and co\ch cowrs rihich ha1)e themsel'es frn

At left, a doot leads to d he&oom which is sh.1rcd hy Mr.M,r and her daushter , BENEaTHA. Af risrt, oppdtte, is d second rcon (which in the besinnine of the life of this dpanment was probably a breakfnst rcon) which senes as a hedrcon fot w^L'rER dnd nis ufe, Rurfi. IAt Rise: It is notnins datk in the li,)ins nom. tR^vts is dsleep on the make dovn bedat centet. An alarm docksaunisfromwithinthe bedloon dt ght, and bresently \\)rB enteft fiom that mn dnd closes the door behind her. She crosses sleepib towad the windotr. As she passes het sleeping son she reaches dovn and shakes hin a little. At the Nindow '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 t3r

dDDdedtly.oti\h.d that het hu.band ha. he,us to ect up She 6top\. pull' Ihe d@t to. ond retutns to the kikhen drca She \ ipPs tu facc t h a noist cloth and runs het fngeft throueh het sle.piishqeled hair in a %in efoft and ties an a\rcn arcund het housecoat. The bedrcon door at right opens and het husband stan16 in the dooNat in hi| pdiands,vhich aie runpled and nismated. He is a ledn, intense vounsnan in his middle thnies, inclined to qtick nenous mol'enents and etrdtic sp@ch habits and alwdys ;n his roice there is d qualitv of indictnent l wtrn: Is he out yet? nvrH: Whal vou mean orl? He aiD't hardly sot in there good vet. ur-renr lwandarine in, ttill morc o/iented Io sleep t/ran to a ne$' dayl Well' what was you doing all that yellins for if I can't cven set in Il'erc vet? lstoppine nna tliaftinsl Check coming today? norr: They said Satur&y and thh isiust Friday aDd I hopestoGodvou ain'igoing to gei up here 6rst thing this morning lnd siart talldns to me 'bout no money-'causc I 'boul don't want to bear il w^LrER: Something the matte. with you tbis morning? Rurri: No I'm just sleepy as ihe dcvil. What kind of esss vou wantT wrr-rnr: Not scrambled. Ir\)n stais to scrdnble eses lPaper come? IRU'IH poDfs imbatient\ to the rclled lp Tibrne on the table, dnd he eets it dnd spiads it oui .Ind rcads the dg".l Set ofi another bomb vesterdav ',asuely /ront rLlrn Imawmun ndtfferenc?lD,J they? u rr r: /oo*,ne upl Whar'. rhe mJte, $rh \ou: Rurrr Ai;1 nothi.g thc Inatiel with me. And don't keep asking me tbat this urrnr: Ain'r nobody bo ihering yor.lreading the ne$ of the .Jav absentb asain) Sav Colonel Mccornick is sick. nurt. l;ft"rtinq tea-ba t tri?..'rl l.heno$IPoo.rhing u p: and tookrns a{ h/r wa,, hl Oh me lH? \us $hdi L rhrr \t "ishnc 'd,ts boy doing in thebathroom all thistime? He just going to have to sled getting upearliei I can't be being late to work on account of hiln fooling around in

nurrr: Itrmtng on hinrl Oh, no he ain'l soins to be setting up no earlicr no such thingl Iiainlhis iault thathc can'tgettobed no earli€I nishts.'cause hesot a bu""h uf crazy good f""nothing clowns silling up running their mouths in wbat is supposed to be his bedroom after ten o'clock ai right . . urrrn: Thai\'what you mad about, ain't it? 'l'he things I want to talk about with my friends iust couldn'i be imPonant in your mind, could thev? lHc n*" and find" o ciearcae n h honJbosan th? Iable dnd o$e'to and iooh. our, aid deepb enpv'ne thb fid it," nno ,^io" "mohna

you rluJV' sol t^ 'mol. briore y"u erl in lhe murnrnsl $Ar,;R: ld//hed,rd"rrju.rl""l!l emdo$nlhe-e RunrrnsanJra(insro woir . . . lhe turc dnd faces his $'ife 411d wdtches het a moment at the sto'e, and then, suddenly)Yorlook young lhis mornins, babv. nurr: [indiferentlyl Yeah? 532

wa,.rDR: lust for a second-stirring them esgs.It's gone now iust for a second it was looked reai young again. [ti"n, dn]l lt's gone -now you look ti]e younelfagain.-you - RUrH: Man, if you don't shut up and leave me alone. ${LlrR: [oo&r ng oul ro rft€ (ir?ei d8dt, Firs hingamanoughllolea'n in litehnor lo male love to nu colored \aoman {rat thinq rn lhe morning \ouall\omeevil peoplc at eight o clock rn the morning. tR\vtsdppea\ tn th? ha doon ar . almost fullt dre*ed ond quite vide awake now, his toi,els dnd ,aianas acrcs his shouLiets. He opens the . door and signals for his fathet to make the bathrcom in a hufty.) 'tF.^vls: [watchine the bathroon] Daddy, come onl l\\i eets his bathrcom utensils and out to the bathtuom.) ^LTER flieN nvra: Sit down and have your breakfasr, Travis. rRAVrs: Mama, this is Frid.y. kbrfrllll Checl coming tomorow, hub? Rr rH: \ou sel \our mrnd oft money and eJr your b,e,kir(t. r R^J ,: kdr,nsl Thi, ir rhe morning we supposed ro b';ns lhe 6fh cent. i" \cho"t. RUTH: Well, I ain t sot no 6fiy cents thh morning. rn,rvrs: Teacher say we have lo. RUrn: I don't care what lercher say. I ain'l gol it. Eat your brsltfast, Tr:vis. rRAMs: I d,l eatins. RUrH: Hush up now and just e.il [The boy gh'es her an exaspqated look fot hq tdck d underctandins, dnd eats su(lsinsly .) r$vx: You think Grandmama would havc it? RUrH: Nol And I want you to stop asking you. grandmother for moncy, you hca. rlAvrs: loutrds"d] Ga.aleee! I don't ask her, sh€ iust simme it som€limes! Rurnr Travis Willard Younser-l goi too much on me this morning to be . . . 'rRAvrs: Mayb€ Daddy . . .

[The boy hushes abtuptly. They arc both quiet and tense for se1Jerc| rRAVrs: lplevntlrlCould I mayb€ so carry somesroceries in front ofth€ supermar- ket for a little while afier school then? RUr : Just hush, I said. [Tft'b idbs his spoon into his cercal hovl eiciously, and rcsts his head in aneet ubon /ris fsls.l Ifyou ihroush eatins, you cen get over tbere and make up your bed. [The bor obe:'s stifry dnd crcss.s the rcon, almast mechrlnica y, ta the bed and more or bs c'trefitly folds the coverins. He carries the beddins into his nothet's toon and rctuns ith his books dnd cab.l 'IRAvn: [s &irg dnd stdnlins apatt fion het unnaturall1] I'm gone. \$A: vookin9 uP fion the store to inspect him autonaticaln Colr,e herc. lHe crasses to het and she stu.lies ftis fi?dd.I If you don't take this comb and 6x this here head, you better! lrRAvrs pul,, doyn his hooks n)ith d ereat sish af oppressian, and c6ses to the miftot. His nothet mutteB undet her heath abaut his " stubbomness." I 'Bout to march oul of h€re with tbal head looking iust lile chickens slept in itl I iust don't lnow where you set your stubborn ways . . . And get your jaclet, too. Looks chilly out this mornins. A Rdisin in t&e Sun 533

rRAUS: lurfr.o'lDrcuouch brushe.l hdn and idck?t I n cone tinsle pennv nu ru: Cet, a,fare and mill noney - wauing one fins?rl -rnd nul a for no caps, you hear me? aRAvN lwith ,irlpn ,oiit?n€'sl Yes m tHe Lurns n outrai lo \e'rw HB nothet \.1!chet altn hm as tn hr 'frustratnn he apprZa,h*rhe doot olno"t rcmrcallv \\hcn irc'beahsta him. het nice has becom. a wv eentle tedse l n. r u: .noc&ing: a' she think hc uould sat itl Oh Mama male' me 'u mad don r tno$ wh.r ro do' tshe ddth dndcontinues tohi\ bdLk o'he "om"rim;s,I for ;tdnds sto;k still in ftont of tfi? door.j I wouldn't kiss that woman good-bv-e nothing ihis s'orid this m o|mirls\ lThe bov fna v tutns arcund andtolk his he t he docs not' ews at-h?\'n knodinl t hp moodhi"ehansed onl n ndicorcd: Nor for nurhins rn rhi' worlJ: ,'inaliv howevq, now towrd hr /?r'l 'Shp lanph, dloud at him and hotd' out her aas to him and'ne see that tl r a wa\ b.t\i)een them, verl old and practiced llp ctos*q to hLr and allow' her to embrace hin wamity but keep; his face frrcdwith masculine iliAi, She holds him back frcm her'presently and looks at him and runs her finserc owr the olf n;' witn Now little old angrv f"at"*' fo*. "ft"r sentl"'ass -l -whose rn,rvrs: lTire ndsculinity and guffness stun to fade dt last ) Aw gaalee- plo.'' nu r: 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 late.

RL rH: llor"\. rl . {Jrlins lo gel 'o cold ('eninB' *rr rrn: rconrnp in /ron rhi bathroom and drawins a mahe'belic'e Bun ftam a qanr' naie-b"hie hohrer ond s&oori,a dr ,?/s snn l W\ar F rl he rn dul nuru: Co carq' groceries after school at the suPelnarlet w^LrERr Wcll, let hin go . . . ihe fiftv lRAvrs: lquiclir', ro rl";ll1] I iare to-she won't gimme cenh ' ' w{LrFR. lio l^ wf" o'lyl Why not? eru l\imblr. aFd with fravort Cau'e ue Jon t hare tt **,t", i"* rHn'lt What !"u lell lhe bo1 thng'lil'erhati"rl RPachnedo\n mto his bont. with a rcthpt inportdnt Bcsturcl Hete. 'on- lH? h,lnd. the bo\ rh" c"t,i. hut hr ete' otc dirc' i e/ to hn I r/e! rrrrr' takes the moner habbilY .l rnevrs: Thanls, Daddy. H. \tdtt\ out. RLrH !dt,fic( hoth o! th.m wnh nuJet n I@ e\e' sA, R \/,rrdJdrd!rdr?' 6a,h oth{ tth de fran' ?. onJ 'uddenlv rcochc" nto h^ bo.ket a\ain on an oltathouEht l tN ,ru: withaut iven looine at his still hdrd d/ /rr dr'lln fa't he'' 'on, 'trtin{ ' rnorher htt\ crn r . . ieu',v"u'"lt"onolutrluda)-urlarrrla\i'"bru school or sirmethingl rcrvrs: Whouoee- H. hats n anJ Jasos tu fathq arcuntl the m'ddle wnh hi' Le\' ond pe"lt rhq lace eot| othu tn mutud! dpprccntrc ' sto\h rA n R I I t34 Lnndine Hansbefty

arcund the boy to .dtch the rialent rcys ftom his $,ife's eyes and draws his head ba.k as if shot.) wALrrR: You better get down now and get to school, man. rnr,vrs: [at t&e door] O.K. cood-bye. [H? e'ifs.i wALtEN: lnfier hi,ln, pointinewith ptidelThat's ry boy.lshe looks at hin is diseust dnd tutns back to frer ,,orl.l You know what I was rbinking 'bout in the bathroom this morning?

urren: How come you always ky lo be so pleasantl RUTH: Wbat is the.e lo be pleasant boutl WALTER: You want to tnow what I was thinkins'bout in tbe bathroom or not! RUrH: I Inow wh?t you thinkins'bout. s \- t t R: rynotine hetl Bou, what me and Willy Harr, { j, trtking abour lan night nu H [inmedidt"h -a rcftdin \i r HJ"i' n J sood.fo,-norhi;g loud mouih. WALTER: Anybody who talks to me h?s got to be a good for,nothj;s toud nourh, ain't Ie? And what you know about who is just a sood-for-nothins loud routh'Charln {tl.in. wa, ru.t r 'good. ior. nothrns loud mouth ruu,qa,nI hc: U hen \e want"d 'ne to g" rte aq cte,nrn; bu,ine- $rth h,m. {nd 'n now-he's grossing a hundred tbousanda year. A hund.ed thousand dollas a yearl You siill call Ain a loud mouthl RUrHr [b,tt,l]l Oh, Walter Lee . . . [She folds het head on hq arns ow the tdble.] \NAL\Et [tisins and conins to het and standins oret her] You tned, ain l you? Tired ofeverything. Me, the boy, the way we live-lhisbear up holc-everyrhing. Ain'r you? ISr€ doesn't look sp, doesn't ans\\,et.l So tned-moanine ?nd grorning all the time. but vou souldn I do nothins to help. "oulJ 1"u: You couldn'i be on my side that lons for nothing, could you? RUrHr Walter, please leave me alone. w[rrn: A man needs for a woman to back him up . . . w^LrER: Marna would listen to you. You know she listeD ro you nore tban she do m€ ?nd Bennie. She thinl more ofyou. All you have to do is iust sft down witb her when you drinkinsyour coFee one morning and talking 'boufthinss like you do and - [H" stls dopn beside her and denanstrates eftbhiatlry what he thnk; .hq methoJ6 and hne siould 6c.I louju.r!p'"u;"oftee.,ee.,nd*) ea'v like you 'hat bren thinl,ing bout thrr derl W.lter LFe i.,o intere\teJ in, 'bout the store ,nd all, and sip some more coFee, like what you sayins ain't really that important to you-And the next thins you know, she be lisLniog good and asking you questions and wh€n I come home-l can tell her rhi details. This ainl no fly-by,nighr proposition, baby.I mean we Fsured jr out, me and Willy and Bobo. RUrH, [,f,] d frowa] Bobo? wri.rrn: Yeah. You s€e, this little liquor store we gor in mind cosr sevenly-five thousand and we Esured tbe initial investment on the place be 'bout thnty ihousand, see. Thatbeten thousandeach. Couse,theret a couple ofhundred you got to payso's you don't spend yourlife just waiting forthem clowns to ler your license get approved nurH: You mean eraft? - 53t w^-'"',"" R: lrct ninPimbatt",i/t Don I call ilihJl See lhere rhJt iu'r goe' ro 'lo$ Lt'.i..'i',"a.r.iand,bour rhe qorld Babv don r notirns nappen fur i"" rhi' uorld le'. vou Da! son?rndr oql 'n ond at hin viso'ou4\ w,rL",. r.,'. ini,o"u t'* n*a 'tarcs - "' '., ".,t"i, e8s' gonna be then t,1\s. narc ludtlv tJl iour lhe) 'old p,\hd,4,rt?n'nB,p ron h4 and toobng afl t hrr' r' lh'r( vou ar'1 vrn $ {L | | I | lui -' i" r.''*..*" I nor -" a dre,m Hrtqom;n rr'I atvou esgt bdJl' I tu trl'" h"ld of rhr' her" uorld babv' {nd a i"in'np in oo,c, Mrn'ar': -Jndeot """m"i.iil',v, t,r r"u, eee go ro nowl Vrn'at : I "orl'pa'sionalelv ut in s,r ,o. ha rqe ml l,6 l rn ih"lrns ro dealh babv: {nd hi' w"nan - i'tter a"g"iin ainu btings nis fsts dovn on his thilhs) - Your eggs is s€iting coldl p' rH: solr)- $ alter. lhal drn I none of uur mon() t^tttR lnol l^ten'neatallor eten looknsar he') |\h mornrns iwJ ruokr rn rhe ni rorandrhrnkrngaboulit Imlhxh 6vevearsolJ: Ih"er mrtti"d eleren verr. and I s;l a bov q\o Jeep' rn the L'rng rhrte p' i';"iit I ior ro gri" hrm i''rorre' abour \"' rtch "ple live... ",a "t RUrH: Eat vou!" eeas. Walte! wast *, Dr., ;i "gs" dann all lhe eee'thar ever "..nRUrH: Then so to work. t..E.p'p.th". See -lmlDrngt^ull toruu bout m*ell 'ha&ing "",,r" crn ur N eat th"m egg' and go ru hi h.al \ tt h t he, e p.t't ion, - and all 1ou clerv RUrH: I'r?drilll Honey, you never sav nolhing new l lhten to vou everv dav' rou ..hund o erv mo'nrns. and rou n"r er'al nuthing n'r' rh'rsgrnel So *rn"' l'" Vr. Ainold rhan b" hr' chaufteur' So- I$uuld rdrier he ".",,ta l,vrnp in Buckinebam Pahce. $rrh rnc.olorcJ uonan rn'hi' uorld ft',' i,.:*h' '. $,ons "^'.'^,... Don" t understan

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.) WALTER: You should sel up earlier. {\. \1H^: Utu fa,? in het hdnd\. She r st t frphtinp the uqe to po back to bed. Rcalh would rou.uggc" aawn'U h.r" s rtr" prper: \\1 the papet dctoss the tahle to her as he studies ^LrEe: lpushine her atnost ctini, ca y., as thouEh he has never seen h6 beforel \ on ahonible-tooting chick at this hotrr BENEATHA: [drt]l cood morning, everybody. $ \LrER: heD'?l"s^l How is school com,nB? Br\ruH\: tn the \dn" spnttLovell. Lor"ty. {nd tou kno$. brologl i, the s eate\t.'lookin! up at hinl I dn,e(red \umething,hdt looked tike l ou ye*o

WALTER: I just wondercd ifyou've made up yoDr mind and everythjns. BENE{H^: lEainine in shd+ness an l impatience) And what did I answer yesrerday moming-and the day before that? RD tH: the nonins boad,like soneone disintercsr?d dnd oldl Don't be so nasty, Bennie.-Wom BENE^THA| ['rtl ro Ia rror["4 And the day before rbat and the day betorc rhatr w^L'tER: ldefenstueul 1'm interested in you. Something wrons wirb that? Ain t many gnh who decide- werren: and seNerrH,\: Itn urconl-"to be a doctor." Isiten@.) w,{LTrn: Have we figured out yer jusi exactly how much mcdical schoot is goins to

RUrr': Walter Lee, why don't yoD le.ve that gjrlalone and get our ofhere to worl(? B, \r A rll\: [?nh to ifr? bdrhroon and banas on the duorl Come ou. nr "n rherc, [She com4 back inra the tuon.] tr "1" R: iooh,s d, hrs vsi?r rnrpntlv \ ou know the ch.cl. n comrns tomurrow. BENE^rHA: Itunng ofl ltm with a shaenes all hd ownl Thar money bclonss to Mama, Walte., and ir's for h€rto decide howshe wanrs to use it. I don,t c;e if \hewdnl. ru bu\ r hou\p or J ro(let.hipor iu.t n'.I I up,onrewhere.rnJ to"k al It I he6. Nnt ou6-i"rs WALTER: [];il?/tlNow ain't that finetYou justgot yourmother's inter€st at heart. a,rl )"u- sui' \ ou .uch a nrce girl-but il Vama got rhat moner rhe un al.a\\ rile d fek thouund and help you rhro,,sh ,ch"ot rou- .Jn r ,he. eenFrrrr,\: I brve never asked anyone around here to do anything for nel ${ lR: Nu: {nd thelne ber*een a.linglnd p\lrcceptrns $her, rhe rime..ome, i, bis and $ ide-arn't itl sENEADA: I{,it, furrlWhar do'you wanrftom me, Brorhe.-thar I quit schoolor just drop dead, whichl wALrEr: I doD't want noihing but for you to stop acting holy 'round here. Me and Ruth done made some sacrifices for you- why can'tyou do somctbinsforthe f,milw? A Rdisin in the Sun 537

RUTH: Walter, don'l be drasging ne in it. wAr.rER: You are in ii Don't you get up and go work in somebody s litcben {or 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 semesters- BLNE^'|r^: Idrobpine to het knees) Well-l do-al risht?-tbank every, body . . . and forgive me for ever wanting to be ?nything at all ... forgive me, forsive me! RUrH: Please stop itl Your mama'll hear vou. wAr.rER: Whothe hell toldyouyou had to beadoctor? Ifyou so crazy 'bour rncssing tound with sicl peopJe-then go be a nune like other women-or just get maffied and be quiet . . . BTNEATHA: Well-you finelly sot it said . . . It took you three years but you finally got it said. Walter, give up; leave me alone-iti Mama's money. wALtEF.. He wds ry fathet, too! gemrrs,r: So what? He was mine, too-and Travis' srandfather bur tbe 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€. B8NEATHA: B€cause you're . nut. w^LrER: Whot a nut? RENEATHAT You-you are a nut. Thee is mad, boy. wArrER: [ootins dr ftir rrife dnd his sistet fion the daor, rery sadly] The world s most b:ckward race ofpeople, and tbat's a fact. BENEA'IHA: llur;ry sloult in irercirair]And then there arc all tbose prophets who would lead us out of lh€ wildernes - [w,rr-ren slams o ut of the house] -inro RUrH: Bennie, why you always sotla be pickin' on your brother? Can't you bc a iittle swe€ter sometimes? [Door opers. wAr.rER r'd/ls in.] wAr.rER: lto Rurrr] I ned some money for carfare. Rt)rn Uooks dt him, then vatms; teasing, but tenderlyl Fifiy cenis? [S[e soer to ,er bds and sets noney .) Hete, take a taxi. lwALrER sxth. MAM^ enters. She h a'toman in her early sit ties, fu -bod- ied and stone. She is one of those women of a cettain srace and beauty $,ha \aeat it so unobstrusivly that it tdkes d while to natice. Het dar{- brcvn face i' suftoandea by the totdl )rhiteness of hu hai, and, beins a oman $'ho has ddiusted to many thinls in life and orercone many morc, her fdce is fult of strcneth. She has. ve can see, wit and faith of a kinA that keeps het eres lit and full of intercst dnd expectoncy. She is, in a'/tod, a beautiful woman. Her beatine is peth.lps nost like the noble bearing of the vonen of the Hercrcs dsouthwst Africd ther.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 he oice h berh.lpsnot so much quiet as simbly soft.l MAMA| Who that iound here slamming doors at tbis hour? dnd nss lshe crosses through the room, eaes to the windoi',opens it, b in a feeble little ptasi s/ot,,ine dos.dly in 4 small pot on the windov sill. She feels the dft and Puts it back od.l nurs: That was Walter Lee. He and Bennie was at it again. ueva: My children and tbey tempers. Lord, if this little old planl don't set mor€ sun than itt been getting it ain't never going to sec spring egail lshe tums from ffie window.l What'athe matier with you tbis rno'ning, Ruth? You looks right oerled. Youaimrne ro rron 3llrhcm lhrng'? Lcave 'ore lo' me l llgel lu;m ihr. dtt"'no"n. Bennie honer, it\ roodrafry lo" yoD ro b"'illrng'ound hall dressed. Where's you. robe? soNa,\rse: In the clesners. M,rur: Well, go get mine and put it on. DENEATHA: I'm not cold, Mans, honest. uevr: I know but you so thin . . . sr\;rarHr: Itrnro6lyl Mama, I m not cold uxut: mike.down bedds tRA'shd\ Ieft ttlLordhavemerc) loul dr rhdl "c"inpthe nonr b"J. Ble* \r, hearr-he trie,, don I he: Shc movc" to the bcd s +r ho' ]opptt mode ur' p r r \o he don r haltrry rl all cau'e he I'nos" yuu gorng locor" alunghehind h,m -and fi\ e\crllhrng. fhat, iusl how,omc he donl knu$ hn$ lo du nothing right now-you done spoiled that boy so. uev,r: Well he's a liltle boy. Ain't supposed to lnow'bout housekeePing Mv baby, thatt what h€ n. What you 6x for his Lreakfast tbis rnomins? nurg: [ancrilr] I fced my son, Lenal r'r,,.nr: I ain't meddling - funderbreath; busy bodish] I iust noticed all last wee] be had coldccreal, indwben it starts setting this cbillv in tbe fall a child ousht to have sone hoi grits or somcthing wben he goes out in the cold- R, rH: turiou'l lsr\e hrn hol o.rl.- n lhal all nghll i,in r meddling. pdub? Put r tol ulnrce hulleron : R rH slloot{ i?rd' "*"", an,tt bok dnd does not rerll.l He likes lois of butter' atr a: lexasPerate d) Lena - v.vr: lro nrrr^rnt. vtvr n tnclrncJ ta \and con\"r\dtionallv sometmetl U hat wa' l"u and yorrr brorhr. lu*rng buulll'i m"rning' BENEATHA: It's not impo.tant, Mama. ||hich is arbarcntlv lshe eets 4 dnd soes to look out at the bathrcom, ftee, dnd she pick$ up het to,alek and tushes out ) MAM^: Wbat was they figbtins about? nuru: Now you lnow as well as I do. mon€v? un'$.: tshak;ng her l:r,ad) Brother still woryins hisself sick about lhat rurrl: You tnow he is. MAMA| You had bleakiast? nurq: Sorne cofee. MAMA: Cirl, you better strd cating and looking after yourselfbeiter. You almost thin

wrua: IJn-hunh? 539

RUrHr What are you soing lo do with it? MAMA| Now don't you start, child. It's too early in lh€ morning to b€ talking about money. It ain't Chrisiian. RUrH: Il's just lhat he got his hea.t set on that store- M^MA: You mean lhat liquor store that Willy Harris want hin to invest in?

MAMA: We ain't no busine$ people, Ruth. We just plain uorking folls. RUrs: Ain'i nobody business people till they go into business. Walter L€e say colored people ain't never going to sta* getting ah€ad till tbey start gambling on some difierent kinds ofthinss in the world investmenls and thinss. MAMA: What done sot into you, girl? Walter Lee done fin.lly sold you on investing. RUTH: No, Mama, sornething is happening between Walter and me. I don't lnow what it h-but he needs something something I can'tgive himany more. He needs this chnce. Lena. utwt: Vrovnins deeply) Rut liquor, honey RU|H: Well lile Walter say-l spec people- going to always be drinking tbem selves some liquor. M^M^: Well wbetber they drinks it or not ain't non€ of my business. BL,t whether I go intobDsinessselling itto'em ir, and I don'i wan! thaton myl€dg€rthis lale in lite. [stoPpin! suddenly and stuayine het d.l ghtet in lau] Ruth Younger, what's the natter with you loday? You look like you could fall over right there. RUTH: I,m tNcd. MAMA: Tben you better stay home from worl today. RUrH: I can'i slay home. She'dbecallingupthe agency:nd scr*mingatthem, "My sirl didn't come in loday-send me somebodyl My sirldidn't come inl" Oh, she iust bav€ a fit . . . M^M^: Well, let her have it. I'll iust call her up,nd say you soi the flu RUTH: [dusfitn4] Why the flu? MAMAi'Causeitsoundsrespectablelo'em.Somethingwhitepeopleget,too.Thev knorv'bout the flu. Othenise tbey think you been cut up or something when you lell 'em you sick. RUrH: I goi to go in. We need the money. ueve: Somebody would ofthought my children done all bui sta ed to death the way they talk aboul money her€ late. Child, we sot a sr€at bis old check coming tomorrow- wrn: fsincerely, but also selfrishteously) Now thal's your money. It ain't got nothins to do with me. We all feellike that Walter and Bennie and me-

M^M* Ithouehtfulr, and suddenty wr fd awayl'ten thousand dollaB RUrH: Sur€ is wondeftl. MAMA: Ten thousand dollars. RUrH: You lnow what you should do, Mi$ Lcna? You should take yourself a trip somewhere. To Europe or South America or someplace- M^M^: Ithrcwing up het hdnds dt t,!? t/ious,tfl Oh, cbildl RUIH: I'm serious. Just pacl up and leavel Co on away and enjoy yoDrselfsone. Forget about the family and have younelf a ball for once in your life - MAMA: Idrt?rlYou soundlilc I'm just about ready todie. Who'dgo with me? Whatl look like wandering iound Europe by mysefT RUrH: Sboot-these here rich whii€ women do it all ihe lime. Thev don't think 540 Lorraine HansbenY

nothing ofpacling up their suitcases and pilingon one ofthem bi8 steamships and swooshl-they gone, child. MAMA| Sonething always told me I wasn't no rich white woman. RUrH: Well-what are you going io do with it them? MAM^: I ain't rightly decid ed. [Thinkins- She speaks nol' lt]it, enpirdsi' ] Some ofit got to be put away for Beneatba and he! schoolin'-and ain'tnotbing goins to touch that part ofit. Notbins.lshe ;.aits sewftl seconds,nfinEtondkenp het mind dhout something, and looks dt AsrH d little tentatiwly beforc goine on.) Been thinlins that we rnaybe could meet the notes on a little old two sto'y somewherc, with a yard where Travn couldplay in the summertime, if we use part of the insurance fol a downpayment and everybody kind of pitcb in l could naybe iak€ on a liltle day worl again, few days a week- lstuiyine 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 tbe rue and then bacl at me and I'd know he was down then . really d,own- Iafpr a second very long and thoughtful pause; she is seeinc back to times that only she c,1n seel And then, t,ord, whcn I lost that baby little Claude- I ?lmosi thougbt I was going to lose Big Walter too. Oh, that man grieved hisseJfl He was one man to love his children. RUrH: Ain'l nothin' can tear at you like losin' your baby. u,rr',r; I gues that's horvcome that man finallyworkedhsselfto dcath lik€ he done Lik; hc was fightins his ownwar with this here world that took his baby fron him. rurg: Hc was sure a 6ne man, all risht. I always lilcd Mr. Younger' MAMA: Crazy'boui his childrenl Cod knows there was plenty wrons with Waltel Younger hard headed, mcan, kind of wild with women plenly wmng with him. But bc sure loved hn children. Always wanied them to have sometbing-be somcthing. That's wherc Brolhet gets all his notions, I reclon. BisWalt€r usedlosay, be dget rightwet in the eycs sornelimes, lean his head back wiih the water standing in his eyes and say, "Seen like Cod didn't see fit lo giv€ the black man nothing but drcarns -but He did give us childrentomaletbemdreanssecmworlhwhile." [Sl?smi/€s.] Hecouldtalk like that, don't you know. 541

RUrH: Yes, h€ sure could. He was a good man, Mr. Younger. uaur: Yes, a fine man- just couldn't never catch up with his dreams, that's all. bENEATHA comes in, ,rushins her han and lookins f to the ceiline, wherc the sound of a',acuun cleanet has stattetJ ub.l BENEATHAT What could be so dirly on thai woman's .ugs that she has to vacuum them every singl€ day? RUrH: I wnh certain young women iound here who I could name would tale inspiration about certain rugs in a cenain apartment I could also mention. rrNr.rruA: [sfinrggingl How much cleaning can a house need, for Christt sa]es. M^M^: Inot likins the lad's name used t/iusl Benniel RUrH: Jusi listen to her-iust listen! srr rue: Oh, Godl uevA: If you use the Lordk name iust oDe more time - BENE^rH^: [d ,it ofa ,fiine] Oh, Mama RU rH: Fr€sh- just fresh as salt, this sirll nruerrm: [drily] Well-if lhe salt los€s its savor- MAMA: Now tbat will do. I iust ain't going to hBve you 'round h€re .eciting the scriptures in vain you hear m€? stNhrHe: Howdidlmanag€tosetoneve.ybody sMongsidebyiustwaftineintoa

RUTH: Ifyou were'r't so fresh EENEATTTA: Ruth, I'rn twenty yean old. MAMA: What time you be home fron school today? DENEATHAT Kind of late. Iwith enthusidsml Madeline is soing to start my guilar

[MAMA dnd RUrH IooA up ,ith the sane eqrcssion.) uevr: Your v/rat lind oflesons?

nurs: Oh, Fatberl mva: How come you done t ken it in your mind to leam to play the suitar? BENEATHA: I just want to, that s all- MAMA: lsntlt"s] Lord, child, don't you know what to do wiih yourseli? How long it going to be before you get tired of thk now-l'le you got tired ofthal little play'acting sroup you joined last year? UooAing dt RUrHlAnd wbal was it the year before lhat? nurg: The honeback riding club for which she bousht tbat 6fty'6ve dollar ridins habit tbafs been hanging iD the closet ever since! M,rvr: fto neurrrnl Why you got to flit so from one thins 10 anoiher, babyT BENEATHA: [sfidrp]rl I iust want to leam to play th€ suitar. Is there anything wrons rvith ibal? MAMA: Ain't nobody trying to slop you. I just wonders sonetimes why you has to flit so from on€ thing to anotheralllhe time. You ain'tneverdone nothingwithall llJl LamprJ pquipmenl lou broughr home EENr^rH^: I don't flit I-l experiment with difiercnt forms of expre$ion nuru: Li[e riding a hone? - nrue,rru,r: 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. t42

M^M^: [to chdnEe the subiect] Who you goins out with tonor.ow nisht? BL\E^rH{ lv,i/l d^pbdrure Ceorse MuRhnon assin MAMA: lrledsedl Oh-you setting a liitle sweet on bim? RUTH: iou 4k me, this chiid ain;t sweet on nobody but herself- [under6reatl] Expres herselfl lThet laueh.l srrrerrr,{: Ob I lile Ceorge all right, Mama. I mean I li}e him enoush to go out with him and stuf, but- RUTH: [/or ds l'nentj] what does dnd srufmean? neuerrm: Mind your own business. MAMA: Stop pickins at her now, Ruth. [d t/iorglt@l pause. and then a suspiciots suddin'look al her daushtet ds she twns in het chai fot enphasisl\Nhetdo.s ;t rnu,rru,r: [uearily] Oh, I iust mean I couldn't evel r€ally be serious about George He's-he's so shallow. nurs: Shallow-what do you mean he s shallow? He's Ricil vruc Hush, Ruth. arrrime: I know he's ricb. He lnows he s rich. too RUrH: Well-ivhat other qualities a rnan gol lo have to s.tisfy vou, little girl? 8ENEATHAT You wouldn't even begin to unde6tand. Anybody who married Walter could not posibly understand. MAMA: [o!f/dged] What kind ofway is ihat io talk about your brother? BENE,\rHA: Brotber is a flip-let's face it. uevr.: [to nurn, nelplesl]l what s a flip? xuru: lslad t.t add kindlinsl She s saying he s crazy strNEArHAr Not crazy. Brother isn't r€ally crazy yet he-het an elaborate neu-

MAMA: Husb your mouthl reNnrrre: As for Ceorge. Well. George looks good-he s got a beautiful car and he takcs me to nice places and, as my sisterin law says, he is Probably tbe richcst boy I will ever get to know and I even like him sometirnes-but if the Young€rs ar€ sittinsaround wailing io see iftbeirlittle Benni€ isgoingto tieuP th€ family with thc Murchisons, they are wasting their iime. run: You mean you wouldn't ma.ry Ceorge Murchison if he asked you somedav? Th,t p errt, I(h lh)nsl Hon.y. I hnew y"u ra' odd- N,, luouldnormanr n,mrtall Ii.lr io,h,ms,'$hal lleel nos ^'.'^''^,Besides, Ceorget family wouldn't really like it

nnrnersr: Oh. Mama The Murcbisons a.e bonest to-God-real'live rich colored people, and the only- people in thc world who are more snobbnh than rich whiie people are rich co)ored people.l thought everybodylnew that.l've m€l Ma. Murchison. Shei a scene! vrue: You musl nol dislike people'cause lhey wcll otr, honey. BENEATH^: Whynot? It makes iust as rnuch sense as disliling people'cause lheyare poor, and lots ofpeople do that. xltrt: lawisdom-of theagis nanner. To uerulwell, she'll set over some ofthis - BENE^rHA: Get over it? What are you ialking about, Ruth? Listen,l'm going to be a doctor. I'm not wonied about wbo I'rn going to marry yet-if I ever sei MAM^ dnd RUrH: rl MAMA: NOW, BENNiE_ BF.NEATHA: oh, I probably will ... bur 6rst I'm goins to be a doctor, and ceorse, forone, still thinl$ that's pretty tunny. I.oDldn't be botbered with that.I am going to be a doctor and everybody around here better undentand thatl M^MA: [&indryl 'Coufte you soins to be a docto., honcy, Cod willins. BENE^'I'HA: [drilr] God hasn't sor a lhins to do witb it. MAMA: Beneatha tbat iust ivasn t necessary. BENF.ATHA: Wcll-netrher h Cod. I eet sick of he,rins .boLrt Cod. MAMA: Benealhal 8ENEArHA: I m€an itll'm just tired of hearins about Codali the time. Wh3thas He got to do with snything? Do€s he pay tuition? MAM^: You 'bout lo get you! fresh little jaw slappedl RUrH: Thafs iust what shc needs, all rishtl BENE^.IB^: WhyT Why can't I say what I wanr to around here like ev€4,body eh€? MAMA: It don't sound nicc for a young girl to say things like that you wasn't brousht up that way. Me and your father went to trouble to set you and Brother to churcb every Sunday. rererrur: Mama, you don't understand. It's all a mafter ofideas, and Cod is jusl one idea I don't accepl. It's not irnportant. I am notgoing out and be immoral or commit crimes because I don'tbelieve in God.l don'ieven thinkabout it. It's jusl lhat I get tired of Him getting credit for allthe things tbe human race achieves through its own siubborn eFort. Ther€ simply is no blasied Cod- there is only man :nd it n he who makes miracles! IMAM^ dDsorb' this speech, studies het dnuEhtet dnd rhes slov, and cro,ses ro BT,NEATHA dnd ild ps het povdfully auos the face. Aftet , therc is only ilene and the daushter drops her eyes from her nothet's face, and M^M^ is ))ety td beforc het. tt,uu: Now you say after ne, in my mother's house there is still Cod. lfll"re;s d long pause and NuE{ur starcs at the floor wo:dlessb. M^MA tepeah the pbase ldith prccision and cool emotion.l ln my morheis house there is still Cod. rweeru: In my rnother s bouse there is still God. lA lons paure.l MAM^: lwdlkine d' )ar fiom BENEATSA, too dirturbed fot ttiunphant posturc. Slop- pinE dnd t mins bdck to het dasehtet)Therc arc sone ideas we ain'r soins to have in tbh house. Not long as I am at the head olthh family. BE\EArH^: Yes, Ma'am. IM^M^ vdtks o t of the loom.l fith untlerstandingl You ihink you a woman, "uaH. Ial'r'iost sentlr, brofounA Benni€-but you still a little girJ. What you did was childish-so you sot treated like a child. EENE^rsA: I see. [quietry]l ako se€ that everybodythinks il'sall.ishtfo! Mam. iobe a lyrant. Eut all ihe tyranny in the world will never put a Cod in the beavensl lshe picks up het books and soes out.) RUrH: koes lo MAMA'S doorl She said she was sorry. M^M^. lconins out, goine to het pldnt) They kishtens Ine, Rurh. My children. nuru: You got good childr€n, Lena. They jusr a litde offsonerimes-but they're 544

N,AMA: No-there's somethins comedosnbetwcen me and them that don'tlet us undeBiand each other and I don t loow whst it n. One done almost lost his mind thinking'bout mon€yall thetimeandlhe otherdone commence lo talk aboutthings I can'tseem toundestand in no form or fashion. What is il ihat's changins, RuthT Rlr'tl] ltoothinely, oaer thdn n"r )"drsl Now . . . you takins it all too seriously. You justsot strong willedchildren and it takes a strongwoman lik€ you to leeP

M^MA] [Iookin! at het plant dnd spinkline a little i,ater on if] They spnited all .icht, ny children. Cot to adrnit th€y sot spidt-Bennie and Walter. Lil(e this little old plant that ain't never had enough sunshine or nothing-and look at it... lshe has her back to wn, who has had to stop itoning and lean dgainst sonethine dnd put the back of her hand to her forehead ) Rt)'t t [tyinetokeepM^Mironnoticins)Yor . ioves lhat little old tbing, don't you? . . . ruue: Well, I always wanted me a sarden lite I us€d to see sometimes at the back of the houses down home. This plant is close as I ever got to baving one lsi? looks out of the window as she rcpldcec the ,ldnt.) LoA, ain't nolhins as dreary as ih€ view from this window on a dreary day, is there? Whyain't you singing this morning, Ruth? Sing that "No WaysTned." Thal song ahvays lifts me uP so- [Sft? turns df ldst fo see that \rrs hds slipped quietly into.' chat, in a stdte of semiconsciousness.l Ruth! Ruth honey-whatt the matter with you... Ruthl

Itisthefo owins nomin,; a Satuddy motning, and house cleanine is ia ,rogress dt fne youNcER s. Fumiturc has been showd hither and yon aal ur'Ntt is girise the kitchen-area walls a ashins dow. BENEArsa, tn dunEatees, vith a handlerchief tied ,1rclnd het fdce, k sbrcrinc insecticide into the crdcks in the walls As thet \.,ork, the ndio is on dnd a uthside disk-iockey Prc+rcn is inabbroptiat.ll the house with a rcthet erotic saxophone blues "tN the sole idle one, is flline ^vts, leanins on his arms,lookins out of the window. rRAvrsr Grandnama, tbat stufi Bennie is using smells awful Can I go downstans,

MAMA; Did you get all them chores done already? I ain't seen you doing rnuch. rruvrs: Yes'm-finished early. Wbere did Mama go lhis nornins? M^MA: [/oo*t'g dt BENr^rH^l She had to so on a little emnd.

MAMA: To tend to her busin€ss. rmvrs: Can I go outside then? vavr: Oh, I gues so. Youb€tterstayrigbt in frontof thehouse, ihoush . . and leep a sood lookout for the postman. rRlvs: Yes'm. [He srd'ts o ut awl decides to gire his l.JNr BEN E^THA d sood sedt on the less as he p.1*es hel.lLeave tbem poorlilile old cockroacbes alone, thev ain't bothering you none. 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 him- has never hud the

u,ru,r: WeJl, little boyi hides ain't as ioush as Southside roaches. wArrER: [,nto plone] Hello-Let me talk to wiuy Harris. MAMA: You better get over lhere behind the bureau. I seeD one marching out of tbere lile NapoJeon yesterday. w^LrER: Hello, Willy? It ain'r come yet. It'll be here in a few minui€s. Did ihe lawyer give you the papers? BENEATHA: There's really only one way io set rid of them, Mama MAMA: How? - BENEATHAT Set 6re to this building. w^LrER: Good. Cood. I'l) be right over. BENEATHAj Where did Ruth go, Walte.? WALTER: I don't lnow. lHe efits dbtuptly.l BENEATHA: Mama, where did Ruth so? M^M^t Uookine at het it, nedflingl To the doctor, I think. BENEA]HAj The doctor? Wbat's th€ matter? ITrq ?xchanse Eldnces.l I ot don'I think- M^M^: ltrith het sense of dra'adl Now I ain'r sayins what I think. Bui ] ain't never been wrong 'bout a woman neith€r. [The phone tinss.) aeurru: HayJo . . . and a noment of recos"ttton]Well did [pause, -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 withl EENEATHA: Asasaidoesn't carc how bouses look, Mama het an intellectual.

BENEATHA: Asagai-toseph ,A6agai. He s an African boy I met on campus. He's been studying in Canada all sunmer. MAMA: Whatt his nam€? BENE^rHA: Asasai, )oseph. Ah+ah guy . . . He's from Niseria. M^M^i Oh, thal's tbe little country that was founded by slaves way back . . . BENEATHA: No. Mame-lhat's Liberi, MAMA: I don't thinl I never met an African before. nwsrTHr: Well, do me a favor and don't asl hin a whol€ lot ofignorant quesrions aboui Africans. I nean, do they wear cloth€s and ?ll that- vmr: Well, now, I gue$ if you think we so isnorant iound hoe maybe you shouldn't brine your friends bere- 546 Lorraine HansbetrY

BENEATH^: It's iust that people ask such crazy thinss. A11 anyone seems to know ahout when it comes to Africa is Tarzan - vru.r: [indtgnantly] Why should I ]now anything about AfricaT Why d" yo" give non€y at church for thc missionary work? rir,rrtr:".""^r"^, Well, that s to help save people. eoNe,{rur: You rnean save them from /realireaisn- v^ur: tunnocentlvl Yes. *^,..'^, I m afrad rho need more ral\Jlion from lhe Brili.h,nd the French la.:lru conu in fonornly and PuUs ofhet coat nh deiection Thev both tutn to look at het.) RUrH: [disrtiledry] Well, I guess ftom allthe happy faces evervbodv knows. BENTATHA, YOU DTeENANIT v"vr tordl'a'.mircv,l'urehop.rl.slillleoldqrll T'a\isoughllohr\ea'i'le [trurrnA and nora gile het a hopeless look fd this srandmotherlv enthusiasn.l nnxuru,,L: How far along are you? RUrH: Two montbs. seNr,\rri,\: Did you rnean to? I mean did you plan it or was it an accid€nt? MAMA: What do you know about planning or not plsnning? rme,rrr:r: Oh, Mama. rurn: [wearily] Shei twenly yea6 old, Lena BENEATHA: Did you plan it, Ruih? nrrs; Mind your own busines. BENEAIHA: lt is my busines-where is he going to liv€, on tbe r@P lT&eru;s silence following the rcna* as the thrce women rcdct to the sense of it l Gce-ididn't;ean that, Ruth, bonest. Gee, I don't feel like that al.ll.l-l think it is wonderful. rurrr: [dullr] wonderful. rnNr,rrne: Yes-really. M^MA: [ooltns dt RUrH rronied] Docror say everything soins lo be all rigbt? nura: [/ar away] Ys-sh€ says everyihing is soing to be fine . . M^M^: [inmedidteU susbicious] "She"-What doctor you went to7 Ia.irtr folds @et,ne& hwtetia.l horcinEorer rurul Ruth honey the matter with vou M^MA lwoft;edl, -what's - ' suqf]rcss tnwnhas her fists clanched on het thishs and is fshtinehad to a suean that seems to be nsins in her.l uFNE^rHA: Wbat's the natter with her. Mama? uwt lworkinghet fnsus in aun's shoulder to relax /rerl Sbe be all right. wonen gits .igt'i d"presiea sometimes when they g€t her wav [speakine softlv, just just back, up"aly , ,oplatyl No" vo" relax. Thati risht . . lean don't thinl 'bout nothing at all . . . nothing at aJJ nurn: I'm all right- tThe slassy-eyed look nelts and then she collapset into a ft of hea'v sobbing. The be rin$.1 awe,rrx,r: Oh, my God-that nust be Asasai MAMA: Ifo RUrHI Cone on now, honey. You need to li€ down and rest awbil€ . . . th€n have some nice hot food. 547

lThey eit, \r'tq's weisht on het nothetin]a\\'. BENE^rB^, hdelf prc fotndly distwbed, op.ns the doot to ddmit a ftthet drcmdtic-Iooking tounE ndn eith a |arye pdckdE .) AsacAr Hello, Alaiyo- BINEATHAT [noldins the doot open and rcEddins hin with pleasure] Hello . . . IlonE ba e) Well-come in. And please excuse everythins. My nothe.was very upset about my letting anyone come here with the placelike this. lcomine into the rcon] You look dnh.bed too . . . Is something wrons? ^sAc/-I BE"-EATHA: [srtll dr tle door, absentlylYes . . we've all got acute ghetto-itus. [She smiles and nnes toward hin,fndine a ciEarette and sittins-]So- sit down! How was Camda? sornis cdte] canadian. ^s^cAr: [d BENI^rHA: Uoolins dt [in] I'm very glad you are back. vookins back at het in tun) Arc yol rcally? reuartu:^sAc^t: Yes very. ,rs,rc,u: Whv-you were quile glad when I went away. What happened? 8ENEArHA: You went away. rsecrr: Ahhbhhhhh. neurru,r: Before-you rvanted to bc so serious befo!€ there was tirne. asAcA,: How much tim€ must there be bcfore one knows what one feels? BENEATHA: lsrd2;as tiis pa iculat ca ercation. Her hands pressed toeethet, in a delibe tely chiaish sestltrel What did you brins me? het the pdc&dsrl Open it and see. ^sAc* lhandins 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 exclana- tion 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[)] BLli it s so hard to manas€ when it s, well-raw. asAcAr: And so to accommodate that-you mutilate ii €very w€ek? BrNE^rH^: It s not mutilationl ;stc : Uaushing alord al lr"r s"rto srcsd Oh . . . plcasel I am oniy teasing you because you are so very serious about tbese things. {He stands back fron her antJ folds his arms acrcss his chest as he atches het bu ins at het hat and fiownine in the ninor.) Do you remember the 6rst time you met me at t48

. You came upto me Jnd urd- and I lhouglr 'chooll . . tHeldusfi' )uu tou were l he ;osl iihle lhins I hrd evehFcn )ou said: He inirdlc" 'efiou5 - ler.l Vr. A.aeai- l wanr \ ery much ru lall $irh )ou AboulAfrra You*c. Mr. Asagar, I am loolinc lot my idenhit ' IHe lauehs.l BENE^rHA: lturniag fo /!t'n,not lauehinglYes- [Het fdce is quizzicdl, profoundly disturbed ) : 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 Holiv*ood queen a' perhap\ d queen of \ile -, a nocl disnisal ol the in,ottance of the questionl But wbat does'he it matter? Assimilationism is so popular in your couniry. nenrei*r: [u/reeling, pasiondteb, sharylyll am not an assimilationistl $ec : lTie protesi hanss in the rcom fot a nonent dnd AsAc^r st dtes fter, iis lauehte; fddinE.l S;ch a serios on€. [Tfr"r" ts d pduse.] So-vou like the robesz Yo" m"st tale excellent care of th€m-they arc from mv sister's neronal wardrobe. \enl allrhe home to' me' BLNLrlsc: tv,rfr inr.cdultivl Yuu-vou "av esecrr: [l,itn cnam] For you- I would do much nore . . . Well, that is wbat I came for. I nust go. wrcersr: Will vou call me Mondav? ,rsrc,cr: Yes . . 1 we haue a g.",t ieal to talk about l mean about identitv and time and all that.

AsAc^r: Yes. AboDt how much time one needs to lnow what one fcels. seNe,!rH,\: You neveronderstood ihat there is morc than one lind of feeling whicL can exisi between a man lnd a wornan or, ai least, there should be man and a worun lsna&ing ft,s nead nee.ttire! but eently]No. Between a ^s,rcAr:thire need be only one lind of feeling. I have tbai for vou Now even . - . right ihis momeDi . . . snNn,\rHe: I lnow-and by itself-it won't do. I can 6nd that anvrvhere 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 it nn't. Go ahead and laugh I'm not interested in beingsomeone's little -bul theml As\-ar epr'ode rn Ame-ica or lwith lemtnine wngoance -one ol 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 of the presence IM^M ente3 dnd is imnediately all social chatm becatse ofa e^ est.l seNftrHA: Oh-Mama-lhh is Mr. Asasai. u,ru,r: Ilow do you do? \s\, a,: rordl polite,€sr ro an p/derl tloq do yor do Mr' \ uunger' Prea'e io.give f"' coming,r ,n oulr.geou' hour on a 5alurddy -. 'u"h urur: Well, you aie quite welcome. I just hop€ yoo tndersland that our house 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 comple- tion of the rccitation.l tstcN: aback by this ndden and acrtely unrelated ex,rc$ion of swpdthy) Yes...yes...ltaken M^\^: lsmilins at hin suddenly and relarins and loo&ing /rin ovarl How many miles is it from h€re to where you come frorn? AsAcAr: Manythousands. MAMA: [loo&tng df nin ds sne uould wALrERl I bet you don't half look after yourelf, be;ng away from your mana eiiher.l specyoubetter corne ioundhere from time to time to get yourself decent homecooled meals . . . .rs.rc,rr: [mored] Thank you. Than] you very much. IThey ne d quiet, then-l WeJL . . I murt go. I wilJ call you Monday, Alaiyo. MAMA: Whal's lhat he call you? asecrr Oh "Alaiyo." I hope you don't mind. It is whai you would call a nick- nam€, I thinl. It ;s a Yoruba word. I an a Yoruba. MAMA: [/oofttng dt BENE^rH^] I I thousht he was from- Nigeria is rny country. Yoruba is my tribal origin- ^s^c^r: funderstdndtns] 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. No really it is difrcult . . . [tnt'b'g] lt means . . . itmeansonefor ^sacA,i Whom Bread-Food-ls Not Enoush. [He loo&s dl fter.] Is that all risht? BENE^rDA: lrnderstdndtns, softlyl Thank you. MAM\: llaokine fion one to the othet and not undefttandins patt of itl Well .. - that'snice... You must corne see us again-Mr.- ,s,rc,r: Ah*ay-guy... u,rur: Yes . . . Do come again. ,rs,rcar: Good bye. IHe.xits.l M^MA: ldft€r rim] Lord, ihat s a pretty thing just went out her€l linsifluattng?], lo Isrdduslre4 Yes,l sucs I see why we done commence lo set so inte.ested in Africa iound here. Missionaries my aunl lennyl lS[? ertts.] gwrrrre: Oh Mama! ... [She picks ub the Nisetian tuess and holds it up to het in fiont of the niftot de.rin. She sers the headdress on haphazadly and then notices het hdit aeain and clutches at it and then rcpldces the headdress and frowns at henelf. Then she si!ns b wtieele in fiont of the nitm as she thinks a Nieeti.ln woman nieht. rt^vts entets dnd reea& het.) ruvrs: You cracling up? 550

-" - dnd dut.cha 6n" i"rt" n" n"addresg off and tooks at her"ett in the mnu dt ha, hdn aBam and squincheth?t c\?" o" il tningto tna4ne sonetntng hwn?dtr ptepa'es 'I hen,'udJnty..he sets her raivoot ond k*chrcfond fot eoine out.) ,,,i^,i" toi* -ti ttre roon Sh"'re'rinsno$ Tzs' bab\'Iunnc\'dod "^'^,' ha\; Irrle k rchen clcan"er' I hr h're ,J,'l'i,r,- l.t ro Pled'e ler me ' can is empty as Jacob's^* k€lile rR^\'rs I iust crme in n. t"ta. Hee\ir"dnd.hPlaoh\dth"rJdus'ra' Wh're)ousorns? -^"^ ^ -' " n., i'JU"* or,li, dou.' I o l,ecore d queen uf he\'lel "'^.^, ili n treatite"" btoze o1 sio'r' NU r oppea' in the belrcon a""-"Y-l"^i' " MAMA| Who tolJ vou 1o eel uP? -','', ,qi"" sirh rne ro h" l)rns in no bedtnr' \ her drd Ben- "",hi'* "'";'g F pt k' I H ioo&\ nu n,"eror Far a' I c"uld male our - lo sr iu\r ",".'iir^^ngdr lzr I What tim€ tr rl setling to? \qd rhe mlilnrai e"rng ro rins rhalb"llrhF mornrns iu'rble h' ^"',1"",'"""..lone eterv lrornrna lor l\e l,\l umptern yeab |1e*s comesin with rhP cleans .on t She to r.ll r"u lhrl .he don t ha\e ruLh ' "o'r, 'av -;;;; r-.'J. --" p."pt" t .-ta ndmc 'u' i' rishr 6nedr ldrre'ansi?r ,-riso"'';;;;i V"'k r"".rn..ielean'er dnun on th' }+ th"re If h' lhar hd d up i"' r,*h.n clean'ct. I rure don I $dnr to lot8er ro 8er her nuner r|r: lem -mavbe,hesoman i' iu'r thorronrlean'"r- -, -" l.l^,"#"i-Vu' h Lakins ooudc. a' she done borru"ed irom ne all rhe'e-' r.ar'. .ic could oldone sone inro rhe bali ins bu in*': trii t"n **a" *,la*lv id'harplv and all tlree drc "tunned'enou\ of alt the othq cLnversot on' and dis L"i h 'pne ,,.7i",,"i",t *"^'a'**,n ,6-n". tht; 6 whdt the,' ho\e been wanne fot e*n "r P' tHn rnrvr", w/ro loo*"}lclple.*/v fron hD noth toh8santlnothat the frd to rcne tolt[Q osan] RUrHr lto rRA!Bl Cei do$n lhem +eps, bo)l I t?'\B snals to litP and flies out to eet the nail v'vq: l/ier eyro w;de. fier hand ta h?r brca't Y"ureanrt donerealh '"r'l nrn u: Izrcrtedl Oh. Mxs Lenal \\\1": colte.tne h"Fetl Wcll . I dnn r tno\ shJ we Jll 'o e\' ircd aborrt 'round h' ,; io'. U tnown ir \d' comins ror month " herns dble ro hold rt rn nL,. s: i h,r .hole lor d,fferenr l'"m hJvinc ir , ome and ' " hand' . . a orece of pape' wo rh ten lhou' rnd dullJ$ rRa\ F 'our butst. bd.I nto th! rcon Hi hold" rhe eMlope hish above hn head likp a httle ddn,er, his {ace i rcdtant and he r hwarhle'+ H? novstoh^ ennd' iother vith suriien tow ceremonv an<) ptts the envelope into het hands She o..ebt\ it, and then nnelv holds ond looks at r/ Com' "1: OPen ir Lor.l hrve merc\. 1 $,,n U alte Lee"r'here rn s: Ooen rr. Grandmamai (hecl v\v\: (fdrins dt rl Now lou all be qurer ll ' ru'r a RUrH: Open it . . 551

MAMA: [sfillsrdringdiil] Nowdon'tactsiily Weain'l neverbeen no people to act silly 'bout no moDey- RUrH: Isl',ftlrl wc ain t never had none before opsn [,sv,u^fna y naka a good strcns teal and pulls'lr out the thin blue slice of papet and inspe.ts it closelr. The bor dnd his mothd study it tdptly ow veue's sfioul&rs. MAMA: Trdyisl lsie ;s cou ntins off with doubt.) ts rhai rhe right nurnber of zeros. rn,rvrs: Yes'm . . . ten thousand dolla6. Caalee, crandmama, you rich. ux* [She holdt the check avay fiom he/, s.till tookins at it. Stowly het face soberc into a r,:,ask of unhappiness.l Ten thousand dollars. [Sne ftdnds it ro RUrH.] Put ir ,way somewhe.c, Ruth. [Sie does not lool at p.u.t1; hq eyes seem ta be seeinE sonethinc somevhete wry fat of.) f en tho$and dollars they sive you. Ten thousand dollars. rR^v,si [ro i;s stnc"'ery] What's the matte. with Crsndmama don't sbe want to be'notfi?r, rich? Rl]H: ldisttncteAy)\oD so on out and play now, baby. [rRAvrs exits. MAi,A std'ts t'ripins dish.s .1bsentb, humnins intentty to heBetf. RvtH tums to he. \,ith kind exasperution.) Yol'\e gonc and sor youselfupser. M^M{ [not lookinB dt het] I spec ifit wasn't for you all . . . I wouid iusi put that mon€y away or give it lo the church or sonething. RUrH: Now what kind of tall is lhat. Mr. Younscr would just be plain mad if he coold hed you talkins foolish like that. :.lAtl^: btoppine dnd stdrins offl Yes . . . be su,e would. [srsntns] we sot enough to do witb that money, allrigbt. [Sie ftalts l]en,andtums and looks at her daushter-inJaw hard; xvrn atoitls her eyes and u^MA wibes het hands vith linality an J statts to sfedk funly to Rr.tr.lwherc did you go today, girl? RUrHi To the doclor. MAMA: Itnpdtt"ntlrl Now, Rurh . . . you know better than ihar. Old Docror Jones is stranse enough in his q€y but there ain't nothing'bout him nakc somebody Jrp anJ eall hrm .he 1ou done thi, morning. RUrH: Well, lhal's what bappen€d-my-lle tonsue slipped. M^Nu: You went to see that $oman, didn't you? avt* fdefensitely, siring fiersefdudyl Wbai woman you talkins about? M^M^: ldnsdh] That woman who- IwaLrEF. ente in gteat etcitenent.) WALTER: Did il come? MArv^: [gur'?try] Can't you givc peoplc a Christian greetins before you starr askins about money? w^r-rrR: Ito RUrHI Did it cone? fnuru unfolds the ch@k and lnys it quietly beforc him, wtltching him intentlr with thoushts of het oi,n waLrER sils doun dnd srusps it close and counts oflie :?ros.l Tcn tbousand donar [He tuns suddenu, ftdnticatty to his mother and drcvs some pape8 out of hk brcast pocl?t.l Mana-look. Old Willy Hads put ev€rything on paper- uwe: Son-l think you oushl to talk io your wif€ . - . I'll go on out and leave you alone if you want- w^LrER: I can tall to her later Mama, lool u,tlr.r: Son- - - wAr.rER: WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE LISTEN TO ME TODAYI MAMA| [q!teIlr'] I don't'low no yellin' in this house, Walter Lee, and you know 552

it- [wALrER stdres dt lhem h ftustation dnd sk'ns b speak sQwtul tines.l And there ain't going lobe no investing in no liquor slores. I don'i airn to have to speak on lhat again. IA tons Pauv .l wrr-rrn: Oh-so you don't aim to have to speak on that again? So /ou have decided . . . ldumplin| hk pabe$l Well, )ou tel that to ny boy tonishl when you put hin to sleep on the livins'room couch . . lturnins to utut and spedkins dircctly to herl Yeah and tell it to ny wife, Mama, tomorow when she has to go out ofhere to look after somebody else's kids. And tell it to rn?, Mama, every time we need a new panofcurtains and I have to watch ),ou go out and work in somebody's kitch€n. Yeah, you tell me thenl lwALrER srarts out.l RUrH: Where you going? WALTER: I'm going outl

WALTER: Just out of this house somewhere- RUrH: betting ft"r codtl I'll com€ ioo. wALTERT I don't want you to come! RUrHi I got sonething to talk 1o you about, Walter. w^LrER: Thatt too bad. quiert)] r waits and he tutns and looks 4t her MAM^: [stt[ Walte Lee -lshe fnalb ') Sit down. WALTER: I'm a grown nan, Mama. MAMA: Ain't nobody said you wasn't grown. Bul you still in my house and rnv presence. And as long as youare-you'lltalk to your wife civil. Nowsitdown. nurr: [srddenly] Oh, let him go on out and drin] himselfto deathl He makes me sick to rny stomachl [She finEs het coat aeainst hin ) WALTER: lrtolentl),] And you tu.n mine 1oo, babyl l\\tr1 eoes into then bedrcom and slams the doot behind ier.l That was my sleatest mistake - MAMA: [sti[ qirietry] Walter, what is the matter wilh you? WALTER: Matte. with me? Ain't nothing the matter with nel MAMA: Yes the.e is. Someihing €atins you uP lile a clazy man Something mole than me not giving yoo tbis rnoney. The past few years I been watching it happen to you. You get aJJ nervou acting and lind of wild in the eyes- lw up inbatbndy dt ,€r words I I said sit there now, I'n talking to youl^La1|iunps werrrn: Mama- I don't need no nasging at me today. MAM^: Seem lik€ you settins to a place where yo' always ti€d up in some kind ot knot about sometbing. But ifanybody.sk you'bout it you just yell at'em and bust out the hous€ and so oDi and dlinl som€wheres. Walter Le€, p€ople can't livelile tbat. Ruth's a good, patientgirl in herway-butyou gettingio be too much. Boy, don'i male the nisrake of drivins that cd away from you. w,rr-ren: Why-what she do for me? u,t l: She loves you. werrrn: Mama- I'm goins out.I wanl io soofsomewhere and be by nyse)ffora while. M^M^: I'm sorry'bout your liquor store, son. It wasn't ihe thing for us to do. what I want to tell you That's about- 'ust A Rdistn in l,r? Sun 553 w^LrER: I got to go out, Mama- lrie rises.l irAMA: It s dans€rous, son. WALTER: Wbaik d,nseroDs? MAMA: When a man soes outside hh home to look for p€ace. wAr rER: [bes""cltnsl]l Then why can't there neve. be no peace in this house then? MAMA: You done found it in some othe! bouse? WALTER: No-there ain't no womanl Why do women always tbinl there's a woman somewhere when a mrn geh restlcss. lcomtng to idlMama-Mama -l want so many things . . . WALTER: I wantso manythings thatiheyare driving mekindof crazy . . Mama

MAMA: I'm lookins at you. You a good-looling boy. You got 3 job, a nice wife, a 6ne boy and w,rr.rrn: A job. Uoofrs at herlMama, ajob? I open and close car doors allday long.l drive a lnan around in his limousine and I say, "Yes,sir; no sir;verygood, sir; shall I take the Driv€, sir?" Mama, that ain't no kind of iob . . tbat ain'i nothins at all. lv"ry grietiy] Mana,I don'tknowifl can ma]e you understand. MAMA: Und€rsiand what, baby? WALTER: [q!ierh] Someiimes it s li]e I can see the tuture slletched oui in {.oni of me- just plain as day. The tuture, Mama. Hanging over there at the edge of my days. lust ffiiting for me-a big, looming blanl sPace -tuU of nort1iflg. lust waitine fol me. lpdusel Mama-sonetimes when I'n downtown and I pass thcm cool, quiellooking restauranis wh€re them white boys are sitting back and talking 'bout thinss . . . sitting there turning deals worth millions of dollan . . . soneiimes I see suys don't look nuch older than ore- Mavr: Son-how come you ialk so nuch'bout money? w^Lr1p.. Ivith innense pdssioal Because it is life, Mamal MAM^: kuietryl Oh I'ery q tstlyl So now itt l;fe. Money is lir€ Once upon a lime freedom used to be life-now it s noney. I gues the world really do change . . . w,{.rrn: No - it was always money, Mama. W€ just didn't know about it MAMA: No . . . somethins h:s cbansed. lsfie loots dt Ain.] You somelhins new, boy. In rny time we was wonied about not being lynched and g€liing to the Nonh if we could and how to stay alive and still hav€ a pinch of dignity too . . . Now here cone you and Beneatha-talling 'bout things we ain't n€ver eveD thousht about hardly, me and your daddy. You ain't satisfied or proud ofnothing wedone.I mean that you had a hone;that we keptyouout of irouble tillyou was grown;ihat you don't have to ride to work on tbeback of nobody s stre€lcar-You my children - bui how diferentwe done become. WALTTR: You iust don't understand, Mama, you just don't undersbnd. vrur: Son-do you lnow your wife is expecting anolh€r baby? [wALrrR sfdnds, stunned, and abso$s whdt nt, motfier hds satd.l Th3t s what she wanted to talk to you about. [w^LrER stnls doun into d chab ] Tbis ain't for rne io be telling blt you ought to know. ISfie Ddttr.l l tbink Ruth is thinling'boui gettins.id of that child. w^LrERr lslo lt understdnding] No-no-Ruth wouldn't do that 554 lanaine Hansbertt u,ru,r: When the world gets ugly enough-a woman will do anytbing for her family. The batt that's abeadr lirine. WALTER: You don't know Ruth, Mama, if you think she would do that. [\r't1 apens the be&oom doot and stands therc d little linp.] p.J|{: lbedtenl Yes I would too, walter. Ipdusl I gave her a five-doJlar down

[Therc is a total silence ds the man starcs at his wife and the mothet stnrcs at het son.) MAMA: [przseatr] Well [dgntlr] Well son, I'm waitins to hear you say some- thing . . . I'm waiting to hear how you be your faihels son. Be the nan h€ ws . . . Ipduvl Your wife say she going to destroy your child. And I'm waitingto hear you talk lile him andsayx€apeoplewho sive children life, noi who destroys tbem- lsfis rises.l I'm waitinslo see you stand up andlook like your daddy and say we donc give up one baby to poverty and lhat we ,in'i going to give up nary anoiher one . . . I'm waiting. ueur; Ifyou a son ofmine,letl herl [mrrrn luns, loo ks at het and can sar nothine. She continues, bitte y.lvou . . . you are a disgrace to your father's mem- ory- Somebodv g€t me my hat.

ACT 1I Time: I'atet, the same ddY.

[At tise: RU'1H is nonfiry asain. She hds the rcdio eoins. Prcsentry BE- wernt's bedroon door opens and awu's mouth falls and she puts down the non in fascination. RUrH: What have we got on tonightl Ffnr.,$n femersins srandly fron the dooway so thdt \)e can see het thoalshly rcbed in the costune Asagai ,.ougtrl.l You are looking at what a well dresed Nigerian woman wears lshe parades for nur+ ha han nnPletely hidden by the heatkbess: she is coquettishb fannine heBelf with .1n omdte otiental fdn, mistakenly morc like Buttetflr than ant NiE tidn tndt ev"r ds.l Isn't ii beanliftl? [She prcnenades to the rudio and, with dn aftogant floutish, turns of the sood loud blues that is playing.l Enorgh ol this a$imilationist iunkl faura follows her with her evs as she eoes to the phonogaph nnd puts on a rccod and tutns .tnd waits ceremoniously fot the muric to came 4 . Then, vith d s,loul-l o coMocoslAYr [\v| iumps. The BUsi @m6 up, a lowly Nieetian mdod1. nn"-aru,r Iistens, enr.lptured, het eyes far away "bach to the pdst." She beeins to ddnce . RUTH is dunfowded.l - RUrHi What kind ofdance is that? srrrerse: A foll( dance. rurr: [Peal Bailey] what kind of folLs do that, honey? BENEATHA: It s frorn Nigeria.lt s a dance ofwelcome. RUrH: Who you welcoming? srrrrrsr: The nen back io the vilhse. RrIrH: Where thev been? tt5

BtrNEATHA| How should I lnow-out hunling or something. Anyway, they are comins bacl now . . . RUrH: Well, tbat's good. BENE^TH^: b,lith the recotd) Alundi. alundi Alundi aluny.l IoP bu a ieequd Lng gu soooooooooo

Ai ydi yde . . . Ayehaye-alundi... Iw cones in dutins thk befondnce: he has obriously been drink' 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 wtrrt: YEAH . . . AND ETHIOPIA STRETCH FORTH HER HANDS ACAINI . , . Rt)rH: [&ily,lookins at him] Yes-and Africr sure is claimins her own tonisbt. lshe giws them bath up an l statts nonins asain ) wAr.rER: [d in a drunhen, dramatic shout) Shul up! . . ]'rn dissins them drums... th€m drums move mel ... [He mdke' hiswearinevq to his wife\ face and leans in ctose to het.) h ny heatt of heatts - IHe thumps 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 room.l OCOMOCOSIAY . . . 1'HE LION IS WAKINC . OWI MOWEHI IH" pulls tt, ,n ft open and ledps up on d tdble and eestues with his spear.The hell rings. nrrl soes to dn wer.) *^*ru^' tto encouraee \/\L|aN, thorcuehly caueht up eith this side of hin) OCOMOCOSIAY. FLAMINC SPEARI \t^L'tER the table. his eyes purc glas sheets. He sees what we IOn 'ett f eone. caniot, th.1t he is a bddet of his people, a srcat chief, a descendant af Chaka, and thdt the haw to marcir /ras cone.l Lhten, my black brothen snNr,\rrr: OCoMOGOSIAYI Do you hear the walers rushing against the shores oftbe coastlands - saNnrrqr: OCOMOGOSIAYI wAr-rER: Do you hear the screeching of the cocks in yonder hills beyond where the -chiefs meet in council for the corning ofthe mighty war- gerrrrrtr: OCOMOCOSIAYI w^LrER: you hcar thc beatins oltbe wings ofthe bnds flying low over the mo,,nrJin.-Do and lhe loq placer of"u, land- IRUrH opan, tfie d@r. cEoRcE MURcHrsoN enters.l snNrrru: OCOMOGOSIAYI waLrER: Doyou hear ihe sinsinsofthewomen, singing the warsongsofour iathers 556 Lonaine Hdnsbeny

to tbe babies in the greai houses . . . singing the sweet war songs? OH, DO YOU HEAR. MY BLACK BROTHERSI BENE^'|H^: [conpletelr sone] we hear you, Flaming Spear- WALTER: Telling us to prepare for the sreatness of th€ time- lfo cEoRcE] Black Brotherl [He ertends his hand for the fiatemal dasp.) ceoncr: Blacl Brother, helll NvtH. Ihavine had enoush, dnd embdnassed fot the fdnilll Beneatha, you got company s'hat's the matter with you? Waiter Lee Younger, get down ofr that table and stop a€ting like a fool . . . Iw com^ dolrn ofthe table suddenly a nakes a quich exit to the bdtboon.l^L'|ER RUTH: He s had a little to drinl . . . I don't know what her exc'rse is. croncn: [to orNr,rrn,r] Lool honey, we're going fo thetheake-we're noi goingto be in it . . . so go change, huh? RUrH: You expect this boy to go out with you looling like that? BENEATHA: Uoolins dt cEoRcEl That s up to Ceorse. Ithe's ashamed ofhis heritase

cEorcE: Oh, don'tbe so proud ofyoursell Bennie just because you look eccen- hic. - BENE^rH^: How can something thai's natural be eccentric? cEoRcE: That\ what beins ecc€ntric means-being nat'rral. Get d.e$ed. BENEATHAT I don't like that, Ceorse. RUrH: Why must you and yourbrothe. mak€ ?n argument out ofeverythingpeople sav? BENEATH^: Bec.use I bate assimilaiionist Negroesl RUTH: Wili somebody please tell ne what asimila*hoever neanst cEoRcE: Oh, it's just a college girl's way ofcalling people Uncle Toms-bui that isn't what it means at all. nurn: Well. what does it mean? BENEATHA: krfiins cEoRc E off and starins at him as sir? /epltes ro RU rHI It means someon€ who h willins to give up his own cuiture and subrnergc himself completeiy in the dominant, and in this case, oppr€ssi'€ culturel cEoRcE: Oh, dear, dear, dearl Here we sol A lectu.e on the Africrn pastl On olr Cr€.| West Atrican Heritagel In one second we will hear all aboul th€ grcat Ashanti empires; the great Songhay civilizations; and the greal sculptur€ ol Benin-and lhen some poetry in thc Bantu-and thc whole monologue will end with thc wod hetitaee! [narliry] Lett tace it, baby, your heritage is nothing bui a buncb of rasgedy assed spiriluals and some srass huts! BENEATHA: Grass iutsr [FJJ1]d cro*6 to het and forcibly busheN het toead the bedroon.l See there . . . youare standing there in yoursplendid ignorance talling about p€opl€ who were the first to smelt iroD on the f:ce of the earthl IRU TH is pushinE het ttuouEi, t[? dool. ] The Ashanti were performing surgical opcrations vhen tbe English-[RU. ]pu s thedootto, fiti BENEATHAoa rhe other side, and sniles eruciousry dt cEoRcE. BEND^. I^ opens the doot and shouts the enl of th. sentence delianlly at cEo\cEl-wcre still tartooing thems€lves rvith blue dragons . . . lshe soes back inside.) RUrH: Have a seat, Geors e. lThey both sit. RvrH folds het hands fiimly on het L'p, A Rdtsin itr tls Sun 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 you.I don't care forbeer. lools dt fti' hope she cEoRcE: No, thanl [He '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. RUTH: Oh that s nice. I've never been to N€w Yo!k. eaee I\\t enten. w e feel he has rcliewd hinself, but the d uneality is sti^L'IER with him.l wAr-rER: New Yorkain't got nothins Chiclso ain't Jusi a bunch olhustlins people all.quee/ed up loeelher bcrng Easlcrn He tun' hb ldc? into d scrc\ ol d$Pb6urc' cEoRcEr Oh-you\,e been? WALTER: Pl"rb, of times. nurn: khocled at the /isl walter Lee Youngetl qr.nq: slarine hcr dow, Plen\:pdurPl \\hrr $egu lodrinl in thl hour'' why doni you otrertbls min some refreshment. [fo cEoRcE] Thev don't know how to entetain in this house, man. cEoRcE: Tbank you-l don't rcally care for anything w Veelins his head; so6riel)' comtnsl Wheret Mama? RUrrr^L'rERt She ain't come bacl yet. *l rLn; lloolinr ca"uol rweed over co"hmqc v -ne' k sweate' ovq ewlet "hnt "poa" iacket 'olt and tie, dn(t soft sldcks, frnished off $'ith vhite bwksk;n snoes.l Whv all vou college boys wcar them fairy;shlooking white sboes?

lcEoRcE MURcHtsoN isnore, the rcma*.) gs it is' w,rr-ren: tlo rurrrl Well, they look crazy as hell-while shoes, cold nurr lcrusieJl You bare to crcure him- I ll sAr r Fts Nu hed^n r: Lrrse me ior rhal' Whar )orr.lwa\s r\cu'ing nc ior: excuse mvselfwhcn I needs io bc excusedl [d ,t.rus"] Thcv look * ftnnv as thcm black knee socks BeneatM weac out of here all the time RUIH: Itt the colles€ Walter' uLrrn: Style, hell. She'ltle, looks lile she got burnt legs or somethingl rrrn: Ob, Walter- \^L1tq: an Dntahl" miniclOh, \VJlr.r:Oh, Wrller rovrR,HFn\'Hu\\)our old -n'rr makine ou| iundq'rand vou allgoing'o bu) lhdr hig holtlun lhe Dne'. H" finds a be n the rchie.rctot \dntle^ o'lr ro vupcHrsu\' iipbneond qi\t c hi' hps onh the batk of hi hand and stradllnqo chan bd:Iu;d" h tah io the ot 1", ndn lSh,e'vd mu\e )orrrold man r' rllrighr. nan. ltappins his heaa and half winking for emphasis) I mean he knows how 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$tandinethe indifferene, ana ofended] Yeah well,wbenyouset the time, man. I know you a busy little boy. nurr: Walter, please \t^LtEF.. Ibitteiy, huttl I know ain'i nothins in this wodd as busy as you colored college boys with your fraternity pins and white sho€s . . . RVH: Icoeenne het face vitfi nuniltdfiotrl Oh, Walter Lee wrrer: I see you all all th€ tirne - with ihe boolc tucked under your arms going to your [Btttsrt A a mimic] "clahses." And for whafl whai the he1] you l*rnins over there? Fillins up your heads-lcountins off on his fnEets], witb the sociolosy and tbe psychology-but they teaching you how to be a man? How to iake over and lun th€ wodd? Tbey teaching you how to run a rubber piantation o'a steel mill? Naw-iusi to tall properand read books and wear white sboes- croRcr: Uoo&trg dl fiin ithAistuste,alittle dbo,)e it alllYouie all wackedup with bitterness, nan. q - wtr-r r r: lnlcntA. alno.t quieth. betveen t he t eath. elann dt t he bot. \nd \ ou &'--i.,".-***rm:"i':.:H'.ti:i:i1i;i:Ji,,"#r$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 stand what it is the gianl -is talking about. RUrH: lpdssionately dnd srddenlyl Oh, Walter-ain't you with nobodyl WALTER: hio/entl)l Nol 'Cause ain't nobody with mel Not even my own mother! RUrH: Waller, that's a terrible thing lo sayl IBENE^rHAertd]',dreNsedfot the ereninein a cocktd arcs dnd edtines.l cEoRcDr Well-hey, you lool sreai. BENEATHA: Let's so, Ceorse. See you all later. RUrH: Have n nice lime. cnorce: Thanl

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 put nurs: Well [S/re *,aits a lonE time, dnd then v;th rcsisnation stafts to dw4l fter th;ng$.]- I guess I misht as wellgo to bed . . .Imoreotlestoheselfll don't know where we lost it . . . but we hav€ [th.n, to hirr)l-l'n sorry about lhis new baby,Walter.l guess maybe I better eo on and do what I sta*ed . . . I sucss I iust didn't realizc how bad things was with us I gues I iust didn't really realize IS[e stdrts olt to rhe bedroon and stops ) You want some hot milk? - w.qr-rex: Hot milk? nurg: Yes-hot milk. urrr,n: Why hot milk? RUrH: 'Cause after all that liquor you come bome with you ousht to have sometbing hot in your stomach. WALTER: I don r want no milk. Rurrr: You want some cofiee then? WALTER: No. I don't want no cofee. I don't want nothing hot to drink. ldlmori p/aint;velyl Why you always trying to give me someihing to eat? R\n* Istandrle and lookine dt fttn lrelplrsslll What else can I give you, Walter Lee Younger? [She stands dnd looks at hin dnd ptesently tums to so out asain. He lifts his head dnd i'atches hq goins .Nay fton hin in a new nood which heean to enerye when he dske,l her "Who carcs about vou?"1 wAr.rER: It s been loush, ain't it, baby? lshe hedft and $to|s btt does not tum aroun

you ibink it got io be lile th aI7 IHe k thouehtful, almost as a child would be.l Ruth, what is it g€ts into people ought io b€ close? RUrB: I don't know, honey. I think about it a lot. w,rr-rm: On account of you and me, you mean? The way ihinss are with us. Tbe way something done corne down between us. RUrH: Thcre ain't so much between us, Walte. . . . Not s,h€n you come to me and try to tall to me. Try to be with me . . . a litt]e even. wALrER: [lotdl non"sb,] Sornetimes . . . sornetines . . . I don't even know how to try.

N.u1tr: lconing to him, Eently dnd with niscifine, but comins to himl Honey . . . life don't have to be lile this. I mean sometim€s people can do thingssothatthingsarebettcr . . . Yourememberhowweusedtotallwhen Travis was born . . . about the way we were goins to live . . . th€ lind of lshe is stroking hk head.l W ell, ili all stading to slip avay from

fveue enters, and wALrrn iumps up and shod$ at het .) WALTER: Mama, where have you been? MAMA: My-them steps is longerthan they usedtobe. Whewt[S&esir down and ignores lin.l How you feelins this evenins, Ruth? IRUrH sfirsgs, disfurrel so" e at hd.ring b.en prcmaturcly interrupted and watchins het husband knowinsly.) urrrn: Mama, where have you been aJJ day? M^MA. Isti isnorinshimand leanineonthetahle and chansinstomorc comfoftable sftoesl Where's Travis? RU rH: I let bim go out earlier and he ain'i come b3ck yet. Boy, is he goins to set ii! y MAM^: tas if she hds head him for the fr$t timel es. soDT WALTER: Where did you so this afternoon? MAMA| I went downtown lo tend to somc busine$ ihat I had to t€nd to. wAr.rERr What kind ofbusiness? MAMA; You lnow better than to question me like a child, Brother. \r^LiE . [tisine and bendingow the table)Whercwere you, Mama? [brinsins ];s fists dovn and shoutinglMama, you didn't so do something with that insur ance money, sonething crazy? lThe frcnt door opens slowly, interruptinehim,dnd rl^v:-sbeek his hea.i in,Iess than hopefu y.l rRAvrs: [fo lis mothe4 Mama, I- RUIH: "Mama I'nothinglYou're going to get itboylCet on in that bedroon and get yourselfreadyl TRAVIS: BUt I_ MAMA: Why don't you all never let the child explain hisselt RUrHr Keep out of it now, Lena. lM^M^ clanfs het lips toeether, dnd RUrH alban@s toward her son nenacingly .l RUrH: A thousand times I have toid you not to go offlike that- M^M* lholdins out het dns to het ctandsonl Well at least lel me tell him A Rdistn ttr t&e S n 561

somelhing. I want him lo be the firsi on€ lo hear . . . Com€ here, Travis. [The boy obeys, eladly.]Travis - IShe takes him by the shoulder and looks into fta face.l-you lnow that money rve sot in the mait this morning? ueur: Well-what you think your grandmama gone and done with that money? rRAvrs: I don'i know, Grandmama. M^M^: lbuttin! her frneq on his nose fot enph.lsisl She w€nl out and she boughl you a housel ITne errlostcn cones fion w^L'rER dt the end of th. a,elation and he iunts up and tums away fiom all of then in a fulr . M^M^continues, to rRAvrs.l You glad about the hoDse? It's going tobe yours when youg€tto b€ a rnrvrs: Yeah-l always wanted to live in a house. MAMA: All risht, simme some suear ihen [rRAvrs p uts his atms around het n@k ds she \Jat.hes het son ow the boy''- shouldet. Then, to 'r{^els, aftet the em' bracel Now when you say your prayes tonight, you thanl God and your srandfather 'cause it iv.s hin who s;ve you the house-in his way. RU1H ltakine the bor fiom M^\ A and PushinE hin toward the bedraon) Now yoD gel oul ot here Jnd gel reJdl for lour beating. ruvrs: Aw. Mama RUrH: Get on in there lclosing the door behind hin and tutnine rcdiantly to 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 s,rs nothins. She crcsses rupidly to her husband.l Please, boney - let me be glad... you be glad too. [She has laid her hands on his shodders, but he shaku hinself free d hu roughly, vithout tumins to fau her.) Oh, walt€r...ahome...ahone. lshe eones Dac& to uam.l well- where is it? How bis is it? How much it goins to €ost?

RUrH: When we moving? MAMA: [sri/;ng dt &?4 First ofthe monlh. r:lta [throwing back her head i]ith iubilancel P ise Cod! utut: ltentatirely, still lcnkins at het son's back tumed against her and a|Tul It's - it's a nice bouse too . . .IShecannothelPspeakinsdnec ytohim. An inbloinc quality in her wice, her manner , nakes her dlnost like a srl now ) Three bedrooms-nice big one for you and Ruth . . . Me and Beneatha still have to share our room, but Travis have one of his own-and lwttft diffcdty)l figre tI the-new baby-is a boy, we could get one of tbem double-decler out6ts . . . And lhere s a yard with a little p?tch of d;n where I could maybe s€t to srow me a few flowen . . . And a nice big base- nurH: Walter honey, be glad- M^M^: Isti to his back, frnEetin{ things on the table)'Coulse I don't want to make it sound fancier ihan it is . . . It s just a plain little old housc-but it s m3de sood and solid-and it will bc ours. Walter Lee-it makes a difierence in a man when he can walk on floon tbai b€long to nim . . .

M^MA: Wiehtened dt this tetinsl Well- well itt out there in CJybourne Park - t62 Lontine Hansbenr

[nvs's tddian@ fad^ dbtuptr,dndwl]IEn fnatu tstns sto btoface his nothet with inuedulitt and hostility .)

M^M^: Imdttercf-factly) Four o six Clyboume Street, Clybourne Park. ruru: Clybourne Park? Mama, there ain't no colored people living in Clybournc Park. M^MA: lalnost idiotically] Well, I sucss there\ goins to be some now. wArrER: Ibtterlrl So that s the peace and comlort you went oul and bousht for us

M^M^: ltaisinghet eyestoneet hisfnallylSoa i just tried io 6nd the niccst place for the least amount ofmoney for my family. nut1: lttrins to re$ret fion tle sftocftl Well- well I ain't one never bcen 'fraid of no cracker, mind you-but-well,-'couffe Msn't there no other houses nowher€? MAMAr Them houses they put up for colored in them areas w?y out all seem to cost twice as much as other houses. I did the best I could. nurr: [Struc] senseles ui th the news. in its wious aelres of goodnas and trouble, sh. sits d mam.nt, her fists btoppin! het chin in thousht, and then she stdfts to ise, bring her fsts down with igot, the ftdiance sprcadins from cheek to cheek again.l Welt welll-All I can say is-if this is my lime in life-nr line .idith to ray good bye [and sha ]uilas momentrm as she statts to cicle the toon with an exubdnnt. .1lmost tearfslly happy rcledsel-to thesc Cod damned cracking wallsl [S]e pounds the walls.)-and these marching roachesl - [S/ie otp?s dt d n inaeindry atry of narchins rodc["s.] and 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 dfannenL dnd flinss het dms up and letr then cone down happi\, slowly, rcflecttuely, ow het abdomen, avare fot the flst hme behabs that the life thercin pulses with harpiness and not desbair.l Lena? ra*.rt: lnoted, wtchins h"r idpr;aessl Yes, honey? nurr: Uoolins ofl Is there is there a whole lot of sunlight? MAMA: [undentdndtns] Yes, child, there's a whole lot ofsunlishi. llane paue.l r.urn fn ecting herself and soins to the aoot of the roon rn.rvrs is in] Well - I suess I betler see 'bout Travis. [to u,rvr] Lord,I sure don't feel li]e whippins nobody todayl {sie exits.l t'tlx: [The mother and son dre left .1lone now dnd tlp mothet v)aits a lony time, considetins deepr, beforc sne spedls.l Son-you-you undersiand what I done, don't you? [wALrER ;s silent and sullen. ] I I jusi seen my family falling apait today . . . just falling to picccs in front ofmy- €yes . . . We couldn'l ofgone on like we was today. Wc was going backwards 'stead of forwards lalking'bout kiiting babies and whhing €ach orher was dead . . . When- ii g€is like that in life-you jusl got lo do something diFerent, push on oui and do som€thins bisser . . . [Sre dits.] I wish you say somethins, son . . . 1 wxh you'd say how deep inside you you think I done the rigbt thins- f"\t'^'*':

wALrER: lc/ossing sloDly to hir bedroon doot anafna ytuminEtheleandspeakine neaswedlrlwhatyon Deed lne to say yor done risht for? vou the head ofthh family. You run ourlives like you wanl to. Itwasyourmoneyandyoudidwh?t youwanted wilh it. So what you ne€d for me to say it was all right for? [r;tf"rl),, to hut het as dee,Iy as he knows is posi6lel So you bulchered up a dream of ------Rine \ou who Jlwa$ blkine buur vour c}rldreni dreams MAMAj \ rlter trd- ---- [He iust closes the door behind him. M^M^ sits dlone, thinkine he@ily ]

Tine: Fridat niEht. A fev weeks later . At rise: Packing crctes n.1* the intention of th. fanib to move. spn rH.{ and crorce cone in, prcsunablv fiom an cuoncn: O.K. . . . O.K., whatever you say . . [They both sit on th. couch.IIe ] ies to kiss her. She rr,oves away.I Look, we've had a nice evening; Iet's not spoil' it, huh? . . . [He asain tuns her head and fies to nuzzle in nnd she turns awav from hin, iot with distaste but vith momentary lack of interest; in a moo

MAMA: No? Whal's the mattcr? sereerae: Mama, George is a fool-hones. [S[e rises.] M^M^: lHustline nrcund unloadins the paehases she h/.s entered vith. She stops.) ls he, baby?

IBENE^rH^ mdls up rR^vls' bed ds she tui{s.l veva: Well-l gues you better not waste yorr time with no fools. IBENE^rHA loofts ub at her nother, vatchinE het Put grocenes in the rcfiiserctot. Finalb sh. Catherc up het thines dnd statts into the be&oon. At the doot she stols dnd looks bdct at h.t mothet.) BENEATH^: Mama- arnrerua: Thank you. rnrn/irH^: For understandins me this time. [She exits quickly and the mother stnnds, smiling o little,Iooking at the place wherc BENE^"|H^ iusf slood. RUrH ?ntels.l RUrH: Now don't you fool with any oftbe shlff, Lena- MAMA| Oh, I jusi thought I'd sort a few things out. IThe bhone nnss. RrrH answe:^.l RL,'.H: lal ffte plone] H€llo - Just a minute. koes to doorlWalter, it's Mrs. Arnold. [Wnits. Coes back to the fhone. Tense) Hd]o. Yes, this is hh wife sp€ak' ing . . . He's lyins down now. Yes . . . well, he'il be in tomonow. Het beenverysick. Yes Ilnowwe sbouldhave called, but we were so sure h€'d beabl€tocome intoday. Yes-yes, I'mverysory.Yes . . . Thankyouvery much. fsfie nangs up. v.tALrEp. is standine in the dooway of the bedroon ,"i;nd,sr.l Thar was Mrs. Arnold. w^LrE : Iindifercntly) W.s iI7 nurr: Shesaidif you don'tcome intomorowthattheyaresettinsanewman . . wAr.rER: Ain't ibat sad-ain't that crying sad. nvrs: She said Mr. Arnold has had to iake a cab for lhre€ days . . . Walter, you ain'tbeen to worl

rowed Willy Hads' car and I went for a drive . . iust me and myselfand I drove and drove . . . Way ort . . . way past South Chicago, and I parked the carand I sat andlooked at the steel mills all daylons.l iust sat inthecarand lookedal them big black chimneys forhoun.Then I drovebackand I went to the Green Hat. fpduse] And Thunday Thursday I bonowed the cal agein and I got in it and I pointed il the othcr- way and I drove the other way for hou6-way, way up to Wisconsin, and I lookedatthe farms, O iust drove and lookedst the farms. Tben I drove back and I w€ntto the Creen Hat. lpdue] And today-today I didn't get tbe car. Today I iust wa*ed. All over the Southside. And I looked atthe Nesroes and th€y lootedat me and finally I iust sat down on the curb at Thniy ninth and South Palkway and I just sat the.e and watched the Nesroes so by. And then I went to the Green Hat You all sad? You all d€pressed? And you know wherc I am going risht now- [n:]]a goes out quickty .] v,rM,r: Oh, Big Waltcr, is this the harvest ofour days? w,rrren: You know what 1 like about the Creen Hat? [He tutns the radio on and a there steary , deep blues ,ows into r[.? room.] I li]e this little cat they sot who blows a sax . . . He blows. He talks to ne. Hc ain't bui 'bout five feei tall and het got a conked head and his eyes is always c]osed and hei all music- M^*,tA Vbiry and Eettins ene pa,erc out of het hdndbagl Walter - w^L rrR: And theret this other guy who plays thc piano . . and they gol a sound I nean lhey c.n work on sonre music . . . Tbey sot thc best liitle combo in the world in thc Creen Hat . . . You can iusl sit there and drink and listen to lhem threc men play and you rcalize thal don't nothing maiter wo h a damn, but iust beins there wrur: I'vc belped do it to you, haven't I, son? Walter, I been wrong. wALiER: Naw-youain'i neverb€en wrong abo i nothing. Mama. M,!M^: Lhlen to me, now. I sav I been wrong, son. That I been doing to you wbat ihe resi ofihe worldbecn doins io yoD. lsfte stops dnd &e lnks up slowlv at het and she meets hir etes pleadiagtl.I Walter lvhat you ain't never undcrstood isthat I ain't got nolhing, don't own nothing,- ain'tnever reallywantednothing lhrr uJ\n I for l here trin i n.lhrno a' prc(rou\ lo me I here rin t nothinsrorlhholdineonro,moner,drermr,nol\rngel\e'ou. ifil medn' rlir me;;:i;o,nei;-d?rn6t@ ;ikhiahi;l6;ni;piaFiii6i ng. I paid the man rhutl 6re hundred dollars down on tbe house. That leaves sixty 6ve hundrcd dollars Mondav morning I want you to tak€ lhis money and lake three thorrsand dollan andput il in a savingsaccount for Beneathat medical schooling. The rest vou put in a checling account with your name on it, and from now on any penny that come out ofit or that so in it is for you to lool after. For you to decide lS/P &ops het h.'nds d little hel\iessll.l It aifl'l much, but itt all I sot in thc No.ld and I'm puttins it in youl hands. I'm telling you to be the head ofthis familv from now on like you supposed to be w^t rEN. lstarcs at the nonetl You tlust me lil

'rRAvrs: What's the matter, Daddy? You drunl? w^L'tE\: I,ryeet\, nore swe.tly than we ha1)e ewt knorn ,riml No, D?ddy ain't drunl Daddl a,ni soins lo ne\e, be drunl again . . . ruvrs: Well, good night, Daddy. [rhe rlrnra has cone fron behind the couch and teans over , enbracins fth son.l warrer: Son, I feel lile talking to you tonight- rRAv$: About what? w^r-rER: Oh, about a lot ofthinss. About you and what lind ofnan yougoins tobe when you grow up . . . Son-son, whal do you want to be when you grow up? rnevrs: A bus driver- w^LrEN: lldughing a littlel A what? Man, that ain't nolhins to want to bel

WALTER: 'Cause, man-it ain't big enough-you l(now whal I mean. rRAvrs: I don'l lnow then. I can'i make up my mind. Sometimes Mama asks me that too. And sometimes wh€n I tell her I just want to be like you-she says she don't want me to be like that and sometimes she says she does. . . . w^L|ER: lsathetins hin up tn fiis drnsl You lnow what, Travis? In seven years you soing to be seventeen years old. And things are going tobe very diFerent with us in seven y€3rs, Travis. . . . One day when you are seventeen I'll come home-home from my office downtown somewhere rRAvrs: You don't work in no ofiice, Daddy. WALTER: No but afier tonight. Afte. wh.t your daddy gonna do tonight, there's going lo bp offices J whole lol ol office.. . . ruvrs: What you gonna do tonight, Daddy? w^LraR: Youwouldn'tunderstand yet, son, butyour daddyt gonna make a kansac tion . . . abusinesstransaction that's goinglochangeourlives. - . . Thatt how come one day when you 'bout seventeen years old I'll come home and I'll b€ preltytired, youknowwhat I mean, aftera day of confercnces and secreta' des getting things wrong lhe way they do . . . 'cause an ex€cuiive's lit€ is hell, man [The norc he talks the fdtlw an)ay he eets.] And I'11 pull the car 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 Rulh- maybe a Cadillac converlible to do her shopping in . . . Andl'llcomeupthe steps to the house and the gardener will be clipping away al the hedses and he'llsay, "Good evening, Mr. Younger." And I'JJ say, "Hello,JeFeron, how arc you tbis €vening?" And I'll go inside and Ruth will come downstairs and meet me at the door and we'll liss €3ch otherand she'I]rake my arn and we'll gouptoyourroom toseeyou siltingon ihe floorwith the catalogues ofallthc sreat schools in America around you . . . All the ercat schools in the worldl And-and I'll say, all right son it's your scventeenth birthday, whal is it you've decided? . . . fusl te)l me where you want to go to school and you'll go. Just tell ne, what is it you rvant to be-and you']] ,e it . . . Whatever you want tobe-Yessirl [He holds his amt open for rt|rs.] You iust name it son . . . [rRAvrs leaps inro fnom.] and I hand you tbe worldl lwALrERt rotc€ ,rds /tsen tn Pitch and hysteticnl prcnise and on the last line he lifts .tR^vB hich.l 567

- Tine: Satutday, no|ine ddt. one week l.|tet. Beforc the cunain tises. RurH's roice, a sttident, dramatic church alto, cuts throseh the silence. llt is, tu the da&ness, a ttitnphant surge, 4 penetatine stdtement of expectation: "Oh,Inrd, I don't feel no ways tned! Chil&en, oh, elotv hallelujayt" As the cutt.lin ti$es we see that P.urA is alone in the lsing t'rom, fnishine up the fdnirys Packine. It is r',orins day She is n tilins crctes and tring canons. BENEA'iH^ enterc, calrying 4 guitdt case, and vatches her *uberant sister inlaw .) RUrH: Hey! ?,ENE$B^: lputtine away the case) Hi. a[ a pa"kaenl Honey look in that there see what I lpoiitinc Package 'nd "",H, fund on sale this mornine al the South Center' IRUTH sets uP and mows to the pack lee dnd &a\\,s out sone cxrfdinsl Lookahere - hand turned bemsl rnurrua: How do you know the window size out there? st t n: who hadn r thoueht o/ rhdl Oh - \Vell. lhc) borrnd,o hl'umelhrnC in lhe whole {nyhow. rhey wa. loo good a bargain to pr* up nr r r /rer h"u'e "iops head, surldenly rem.mbetins somethine.l Oh, Bennie-l msnt to put a special note on thai calton ov€rlhere. That's you! mamat good china and she wants 'em lo be very careful with it- BEN.^rrrA: I'll do it. tsegtrld fntls a piece of pdpet and ndfts to drc1" larye letters on it ) nrrn: You know what I'm going to do soon as I set in that new house? nura: Honey- l'n going to run me a tub of water up to here . . [\Jith her fnserc ,racticailr up to her noslthl And I'm going to get in ii and I am going to sii . . . and sit . . . and sit in that hot water and the nrst pe$on who lnocls to tell me to hurry Dp and cone out- snNlrrrqe: Gets shot ai sunrise. s' rs: Iouehtne haOpilyl\ou sriJ rl, nver: ,notnne ho\ largr or rrr rrr is a6- ,ent -; ndedb mokine r he note Hone).,hey rin l surng ro lead rhar fi om no eeNer.rH,r: Uargling hersefl I guess I always lhinl things have more cmphash if ihey are bis, somebow. xurn llooking up at her and smil;ngl You and your brother seem to have that as a philosophy of life. Lord, that man-done cbansed so iound here. You know-you know wbat we did lasi nisht? Me and Walter Lee?

Rors: ls',iline to he3elflw e wcnt 10 th€ movies. [loofri's dt 8ENEATHA io ,"e ilsle xnderstrndslWe went to the movies. Youknow thc last tim€ me and Walter went to the novies tog€th€r7

RUrHr Me neither. That's how lons itbcen. fsmilins dsdtn] But we went lasi nisht The picture wasn't mLrch good, but lhat didn't seem to matter' We went- and wc beld hands. senrrrHr: Oh, Lordl nrns: We held hands-and you lnow what.

nurH: When we come out ofthe show ;t was late and dark and all the stores and 568

tbings was closed up . . . and it was kind ofchilly and the.e wasn't many pcople on the streets . . . and we was still holding hands, me and Walter. enrn,rrnr: You're killing ne. [\\ 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 he dances witn RUrn] You know, when ihese New Negroes have their ^t.tER [as 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

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

MAN: lresarltns wALrER, dnd siffinsl Well - My name is Karl Lindner . . . wALrERr [stetciins our iis /rand]W:lter Younger. This is my wife-[RUrH aods politery.l-and rny sisrer. r-rroren: How do you do. w,rr.ren: [amtably, as lre s its himself easily on a chair,leaninevith intercst for''lad on hk knees and looking upectdntly into the newconer k facel Wbat can we do for you, Mr. Lindner! r-rrorrn: [sozre m/nor s/ru flins of the hat and btiefcase on /ris lnees] well I am a representative of the Clybourne Park Improvement Association- - wAr-rFRr lrofttirg] Why don'l you sit your thinss on tbe floor? r-rroren: Ob yes. Thanl you. [He sl;&s the btiefcase and h.it lndet the chan .] And as I was saying-l am fronr ihe Clybourne Par[ Inprovement Associa- tion and wc have bad itbrought 10 our attention at the last mceting that you pcopl€-or at least your mother- bas bought a piece ofresidenlial propcrty at-[He diEs futhe tip of paper aedin.l four o six Clybourne Street . . WALTFR: Th.t's right. Care for something to drink? Ruih, get Mr' Lindner a

LNnNtFl: lupset tn sone reasonl Oh no, really. I mean thank you very much, but

RUrH: [innoc?ntry] Some coFe€? LTNDNER: Thank you, notbing at all. pdtclitns lBENEArtsa is tfte nan carefully.l r-rruxrnr Well, I don't know how rnuch you folks lnow about our o.sanizaiion. IHe is a eentle m.in: thoushtful and somewhat labored in iis ndnnsr.l It is one of these comnunity or$nizations set up to look sfter oh, you lnow, things like blocl upkeep and special proiects and wc also have what we call our New Neishbors OrieDtation Committee . . . srNr,rrx.{: krlhl Yes and what do ihey do? LTNDNDR: [rurnins d little to het dnd then rctutnine the nain force to \','^L'1ER] Well it's what you might call a sori ofwelcoming committee, I suess. I nean they, we, I'm the chairman ofthe commiiiee go around and see the nerv pcople who move into the neighborhood and sort of give them the lowdown on ihe way we do things out in Cllbourne ParL BtrNtrArrrA: luitfi arpr"ctdt ion of the two meaninss,whicfi 4cdp? RUrH dnd w^L rER] Uh-huh. r.woner: And we aho bave tbe calesory of wbat the asociation calls- lHe loots elsewhue.) $ special comnunity problems . . . srNe.{rsr: Yes and what are sone oflhose? wAr.rERr Cirl,let thc man talk. r-rrcnor: Iwitfi unrlentaferl re?iefl Thank you. I would so oilile to explain ihis thing in my own way. I m€an I want to explain to you in a cerlain way

rrrnNrn: Yes. Well. I'm going to try to set right to the point. I'm sure we'll all appreciate that in the long run.

WALTER: Be still nowl

nura: [slitl innocentf] Would you li]e:nother chair - you don't look comfortabl€. r,ruoner: lnore /rustrated tfidn dnno],edl Nb, thank you very much. Please. Well 570 Iarraine Hansberry

to set risht to the point I- [a stedt brcdt]l, and he is of dt ldstl I am sure you people must be aware ofsome ofthe incidents which have bappened in various parts of the city when colored people have moved into ce ain:!eas- IBENEATHA ernal"s ft"drtD d nd statts tossine a piece offiuit ub and down in the air.l Well-becausc rve bave wbat I think n soins to be a unique type of organization in American cornmunily life-not only do we deplore that kind ofthing but we are trying to do somethingabout it. [BENEATH^slops iossing dnA tutns vith a new and quizzical intercst to the man.l We feel - 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 it- [H. iils hisknee for emphd'sis.l most ofthe trouble exists because p€opl€ just don'i sit down and talk to each other. R!a$ InoddinE as she nieht in church, pledsed with t/ie remdr&l You can say that

LTNDNTR: Inoe such afirnationl'Ihar we don't try hard enorlgh in "n@rds?d fi this world to undertand the other fellowt problem. The otherguy's poinl of

RUrHr Now thai's rigbt. tsrNn,{rH,{ and w,{Lrnr nerely watch antl listen with eenuine intercst.) LTNDNERT Yes lhat's the way we fcel oul in Clyburne Park. And that's why I 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 came marching all the way ovcr here to tell us? r-INroren: Well, now we'vc been having a fine convenation. I hope you'U hear me all the way lhroush. A Raisin in the Sun 57t

WALTER: If,sitryl Go ahead, man. LTNDNER: You see in the face ofall things I have said, we are prepared to make your family a very generous ofier . . . BENEATI'^: Thirty piec€s and not a coin less!

LTNDNER: lputtins on his slasses and &awins a fom out of th. briefcdsel Ont association is pr€pa.ed, lhrough the collective eFon of our people, to biry the house from you at a financial gain to your family. nura: Lord have mercy, ain't this the livins salll w^LrER: All isht, you through? LTNDNER: Well,I want io giv€ you th€ exact terms oflhe fiDancial a.Hngement- w^LrER: We don't want io bear no exact terms of no a.rangenents- I want to lnow ifyou got any more to tell us'bout getling together? LTNDNER: ltdAins ofnts sfdss?s] Well-l don'l suppose that you feel . . . urrrn: Nevermind how I feel got any more to say'bout how people ought to sit down and tall to each-you other? . . - Get out ofmy house, man. [He tums hk bdck dnA dks to the dw.) r-nrnNnn: loofring around at the hostile faces and rcdching and assembling his hat and briefcasel Well-I don't understand wby you people are reacting this way. What do you ihink you are goins to gainby moving inio a neishborhood where you just ar€n't wanted and where sone elements well-people can set awful worled up when lhey feel tbal then whole way oI life and everythins they've ever worked for is threatened. WALTER: Get out. r.rrnrrn: fat tne door, /roldins a sma ca )Wdl-I'm sorry it went like this. r-rrorrn: [a/mosl sad/y regaldins w^rrER] You just can't force people to change their hea.h, son. lHe tutns and put his cad on a table and exits. w tER pushes the doot to ^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 Connittee. fwiren and xlrn sissle) MAMA: [irno.enrb,] wbo? srxna'rH]\: The Welcoming Committee. They said iheyie sure going to be glad to see you when you get ther€. wAl-rnn: [derilirfily] Yeah, they said they can't hardly w3ii to see your fac€. |aushterl M^M{ [sensine then fdcetiousness] Whatt the matter witb you all? WALTER: Ain t Dothing tbe matler wilh us. We iust tellins you 'bout tbe gentleman whocameto see you this afternoon. From theClybourne Parklmprovement

MAMA] Wh,t he want? 572 Loraine Hansbetry

\ure lin the sane nood as BENE^rHA dnd wALrERl To welcome you, honey. wALrERr H€ said they can't hardly wait. He said the one thing they don't bave, that they iust d)ins to have out there is a 6nefamily ofcoloredpeople! [to RUrHdnd BENEATHAI Ain't that rightl RUrH dnd TENEATHA: [moclingly] Yeahl He left his card in case- IThey indicdte the ca , and M^M^ picks it up dnd thtu s it on the floor underctdnding dnd looking of as she draws het chab up to the 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 do eat 'ern? aurn: No, honey, marry 'em. u\\^: lshattne h.r head) Lord. L"rd. Lord . . . RUrH: Well*that's the way the crackers crumble.loke. BENE^rs^: lldug,;ngl), noticing .[,hat her mother is doinsl Mama, what are you doing? M^MA: Fixing my plant so it won't get hurt none on the way. rerreraa: Mama, you going to take t[dt to the new house? rrnrerre: That raggedy-looking old tbing? M^M^: lstoppinE dnd lookins at herl lt exrtresses ne. r.rl A: lwith delieht, ta BENEATHAI So there, Miss Thing I Iw^L'rtR @nes to M^M^ suddenly and bends down behind her an

M^M^: leyeine the bor, which is ob1)iously d eift] What is that? WALTER: Ifaeins ir fro'n RUrH and puttine it an the table in front of ututlwett- what do you thinl? Should we give it to her? RUrH: Oh-she was pretty good today. weu,r: I'll good you- lshe tums her eyes to the box dgdin.) BENE^rH^: Open it, Mama. [She stdnds up,looks at it,tums dnd looks at d of then. dnd then presses her hands together and does not open the Package.) wALiER: lslr€edll Op€n it, Mama. ltt for you. IMAMA l@ks in his eyes. lt is the fust prcsent in het life l,ithott it beia Chtistmas. Slovly she ope$ het packaee and lifts out, one by one, a brand-new s\&kling set of sardenins toolN. WALTER continues, brcddins.l R\nh made up lhe note-read it . . . M^M^: lpickins up the cad and adiwtins het gldlsesl " To our own Mrs. Miniver from Brotber, Ruth and Beneatha." Ain't that lovely . . . -Love rR^vE 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 ^vE the rest of us, Mama. He got his own. [somewial dnused] We don't know whatitis. . . rF'^vJs: [tacins back in the rcom vith a larye hatbox dnd Puttins it in ftont of his srcndnothet) Hercl mu,r: Lord have mercy, baby. You done gone and bousht your grandmother a hat? rRAvrs: [veD, Proud] Open iil lshe does and IifB out an elaboftlte, but wry elaborate, wide sardening hat, and all the ddults bredh up at the sigtu of n.) RUTH: Travis, honey, whai is thal? 'rRAvrsr []rio tiin&s it is renutiful dnd dryopiatel lt's a sardenins hatl Like th€ bdies always have on in the magazines when they work in then gardens. nrreerur: prsglins ferceU) Ttavk-we were hyine to male Mama Mrs. Miniver-not Scarleit O'Haral MAM^: Itndis"dnlryl What's the matter with you alll Tbis here is a b€autiful hatl [d6surdl),] I always wanted me one iust lile itl lshe bobs it on her head to prov it to lw erandson, dnd the hdt is ludicrous and considerably otersized.l RUrH: Hot dosl Go, Mamal w,rrrrr: [doubled orer with lauehtel) I'm sony, Mama but you look ]ikc you ready 1l] go out and chop you some cotton sure enougbl ['t'hey att tau4h except M^M^, out of defercn@ ta IR^vE f@linss.) M^M the boy up to /!s/l Ble$ your head tbis is the prctticst hat I ever ^: lEaftenne - owned- lwALrER, RUrH dnd BENEATHA chine in-no; sily, festbel, dnd insin- cerely conEtdtulatins rR^vrs on nts sift.l What are we all standing h€re forT We ain't Enished Fckin' yet. Bennie, you ain't pacled one book. [rhe be rinss.] BENEATHAT Thal couldn't be ihe movers . . . it's not bardly lwo good yet- IBENEATH^go"s into n?r roon, M^MA stdrts fo. the door.l 574 wALrEn: Itumine, stifeniagl Wait wait-I'll gel il. lHe stands and tooks at the door.) MAM^: You expecting company, son? w\r1rR: [iu( loot,nB dl ile Joorl Yeah-verh . . . IMAMA Iools dt \rrH, and they exchdnse innocent and unfrightened etances.) MAM^. lnot undeBtdndind Well, let them in, son. eerclnl* Wom het rcoml w-- need some more string. M^MA: Travis-you run to ihe hardwar€ and g€t me some strins cord. IMAMAsoes oul and wAr-rER lums drdlools dt RUrH. rRAvrsso?s load,sh for noney.) RUTH: Why don't you answer the door, man? wx"rex [suddenly bounding across the floor to her)'Cause sometimes ir hard to let the Iuiure besinl lstooping down in her face) I eot wingst You eo! winls! A Cod's children got ings! lHe crosres to the doot and thrcws iI open. *anaine there is a very slieht little man in a not too plosberaus business suit and r)ith hawted fiieht' ened eyes and a hat Pu ed down tiehtly, btin ub, arauna his forehead. r{\vts pdses between the men and eits. w 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 nan iust starcs at himl Ilearen [Suddenly he sraps and laoks bast the little nan into the empty ialluar.l Wherel Willy, nan? BoBo: He ain't with me. wALrERr [aot dist rr"dl Oh come on in. You knorv my wile. soso: Idumbly, takine of lis lurl Ycs-b'you, Mss Ruth. [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 you- werrtr: Man didn'l nothing go wrong? roeo: Lemmetellyou Walter Le€. Uooting dt RUrr and talkinsto het mote than to wAl-ren] You know how it was. I sot to lcllyou how itwas. I mean first I sot io i€]l you how ii was all the way . . . I mean about the money I pul in, Walierlee... \|aLjER [with tdut .lgitzt;or aov] What about thc money you put in? BoBo: Well il wasn'l much as we loid you me and Willy [H. sfops.] I'm sorry, Walter. I got a bad feelins about it. I got a real bad feeling about it . - . A Rd;sir in the Sua 57t 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, GODDAM- MIT . . . WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU? goeo: Man . . . I didn't go to no Springfield, yesterday. w[rljj lhalte.C, Iife hangins in the monent) Why Dor?

WALTER: Man, what are you lalking aboutl BoBo: I'm |3lking about the frct that when I got to ihe hain station yesterday morning eight o'clocl like we planned . . . MaD Willy didn't ne,er werrer: Why . . . where was hc . . . where is he? sogo: That's what I'm tryiog to tell you...ldon'tknow...lwaitedsix houn . . . I called his house . . . and I waited . . . six houn . . . I waited in that train sration six hour . . . Ibrcakine into teaBl Thet was all the extru money I bad in rhe world . . . llookine P dt waLrE\ vith tens tunninedo\n h's lac". Mat.Wtllt n sone. wAr.rERr Gon€, what you mean Willy n gonc? Gone rvhere? You mean he weni by himself. You nean he went of to Springfi€ld by himself to take care of gettins ihe license - [turn s and looks amiously at artu] You mean maybe he didn't want too rnany people in on the business down there? Uoots fo RUrH again, as beforel You know willy got his own ways. Uools Dacft to ooeol Maybe you was late yesterday and he iusl went on down there withoLtt you. Maybe 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 got lol aoeo: lin sudden angry, frishtened agonyl What's the rnaltcr with you, Walter! When d cat take off'tith your noney he don't leaw you no naps! wrl-rnn: [turnins madly, as thoush he is looking for wu.t in the very rooml Willyl . . . Willy. . . dontdoit . . . Please don't do it . . . Man,not witb lhat money . . . Mrn, please, not wilh that money . . . Oh, Cod . . . Don't lei it be i e . . . lHe is wanderins arcund, ctyins ou fot wtrtv and (ookine for hin ot be&abs for helb fton Cod.] Man . . . I trusred you . . . Man, I put my life in your hands . . . IHe starts to crunlle down on the flaor as p.t)'tq iust co,en het face in honot. MAMA opens the dool dnd comes inta the rcan, with nrreeru Deiind [er.] Man . . . [H" stdrfs ro pound the floor with his fists, sobbinE witdly.) That noney is nade od of my fatheis flxh . . . 576

BoBo. bt indine ow hin help/esslyl I'm sony, Walter . . . [Only w,{,rrn's sobs rcply. BoBo puts on his hdr.l I had my life staled on tbe this deal, too . . . [He arits.] vavr: [to wrrror] Son - [She soes to hin, bends down to him. t.tlks to his 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 all ... M^M^. [not wantins to beliere him) \ot nean . . . your sister's schoo] moDey ... )ouu.edlhrr loo... WallFrl ... ur|rrr: Y,*-i ... {llofir ... lr,allsone... lTherc is total ,ilence. llrr1 stands vith hel fdce cowpn vith het hands; F[ua}Tn^ leans forlomly against d va , fneeine a piece d red ribbon fion the mothei s eift. M^M^ stops and looks dt het son vithout recosni- tian and then. quite Nithout thinking about it, stans to beat hirl. sense' lessly in the face. *rr/Ju^ Boes to then to sto, it.)

IM^MA,fops dnd lools dt toth d her children and ises stowly andwanders Msueu, aimlnsly a1"ar fion them.) MAMA: Iseen... him... nigbt aft€r nisht . . . comein... and look ai thatrug... and then look al me . . . the red showing in his eyes . . . the veins movins in his head . . . I seen him grow thin and old before he was foriy . . . worlins andworkingand worling likc sornebody's old hone . . . ki]ling himseli . . . and you-you sive it all away in a day . . . snrnArsr: Mama u,rur: Oh,God . . .lshelooksuptoHin lLookdown here-andshowme rhe strength- eerrarHt Mama- M^M^: lfoldiss orerl Strength . . . BENEATTA: Ipld,nti,elyl Mana . . . MAMA: Strengthl

ACT III

At cuttain, therc is d sullen lieht d eloon in the liring rcon, sray lieht not unlike that vhich beean the frst sene Act One. At W we cnn see w d ^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 b the now almost ominous Packinc crutes. She sits lookine off. We feel that this is a mood struck petha,s dn how before, and it lin9es nov, fu of th. empty sotnd d prcfound dis.ippointment. We see on a line fron her brother's be&@n the sdneness of theit dttitudes . Presently the be r/ngs dnd BENEATHA riser lrithout ambition ot intercst in dnsrering. lt is AsAcA,, smiline brcadly, sti&ng into the rcom ith eneryy and hdppr .xp@tdtion and com)ercdtion. 577

AsAcAr: I came over . . . I had some free tine. I thoDght I might help with the packing. Ah, I lik€ th€ look ofpacling crates!A housebold in preparation fora joom€yl Itd€presses som€ peopl€ . . . butfor me . . . it isanotherfeeling. Somethins full of the flow of lif€, do you undersland? Movencnt, prog- ress . . . It males me think ofAfrica.

AsAcar: Wh,r kind of a mood is this? Have I told you how deeply you nove me? e rr rrrr He gare auay the money. A.Jgai . . . !s.{cN: Who gave away what rnoney? BENr^rH^: The insurance money. My brother gave it away. 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 day... and it was very dangerous you lnow . . . farioosteep... and sure enough one day a kid naned Rufus came down too fait and hii the sidewalk . . . and we saw his lace juit split open risht tbere in froni of us . . . And I remember standing there looling at his bloody open face thinkiDs lhal was lhe end of Rutus. But the arnbulance cane and they toot him to the hospital and they fixed tbe broken bones and they sewed it all up . . . and the nexl time I saw Rufus he iust had a little line down ihe middle of his face . . . I never got over tbal . . . lwAr-rER stts up, lisl?ning on the bed.'Ihtosehout thb scene it h inpar- tant that we feel his r.action at dll times, that he isibly rcspond to the uords ofir sister and,rsacat.l

BENE^rH^: That that was what one penon could do for anoth€r, 6x him up-sew up the problem, makehim allrightagain. That was the most marvelous lhing in ihe world . . . I wanted to do lhat- I always thousht it was the one concrete thins in the wodd that a human being could do. Fix up thesick, you know- and make them who)e again. This was lruly being Cod . . . As^c^r: You wanted to be Cod? EtrNE^rH^: No I wanted lo cure. It used to be so important to me. I wanted to cure. It Dsed to matter. I used to care. I mean about people and how then bodieshun. . . AsAcAI: And you've stopped caring? 8ENEATHA: Yes- I think so.

[w N.IER nses, eoes to the doot of his run and is ahout to open it, then stops and stdnds listenins, lednins on the doot ianb.l BENEAIH^: Because it doesn'l se€m deep enough, close enough to what ails mankind-I mean this thins of sewing up bodies or adninistering drugs. Don't you undestand? It was a child's reaction ro rhe wodd. I thought thar t78 Lotraine Hansber4

docton had the secret to all tbe burts That's lhe way a child sees things-orun idealist. Children see thinss very well sometimes-and idealists even betler. BENEATsA:^sAcA,: I lnow that s what you think. Because yoa are stillwhere I left oF-you still care. This is what you see for th€ world, for Africa. You with tbe dreams of the futur€ will patch up all Africa you are goins to cure the Great Sore of colonialism with lndependence uerarrrra: Yes-andyou lhinktbaione word is thepenicillin ofthe human sp;it: "lndependencel" Bui tben what? AsAcAr: That will be lhe problem for anothcr time. Firsl we must get the.e. BENEATHA: And where do€s ii €nd? ,rsrcrr: End? Who even spoke ofan end? To life? To Living? BENEATHA: An end to miseryl AsAcAr: [sntlttrg] You sound likc a French int€llectual. srNnerqe: Noll sound like a humanbeingwhojusthadberfuturetaken rishtout of herhandslWhile I wasdeepins in mybedinthcre, things werebappening in this world tbat dilectly concerned me and nobody asked me, consulted me lhey just went out and did things and changed my life Don'tyousee tbere- isn'tany realplogress, Asasai,there is only onelargecircle thatwe march in. around and around, each of us with our own little picture-in froni of us our own litt)e mhage that we think is the future asAc^r: That is tbe mislake.

AsAcAr: Wbat you just said - about the circle. It isn't a circle-it is simply a long line in seometry, you know, one that reaches into infiniiy. And because we cannot-as sce the end-we also cannot se€ how itchanges. And it n very odd "idealists" who cannot, but those who see the changes are called -and ihose orrefuseto think,they are the "realisls." Ii is vcry strange, and amusing too,I think. BENEATHA: You-you are almost relisious. lsAcAr: Y€s . . . I think I have ihe reiigion of doing wbat is ncccssary in tbe world-and ofwoBhipping rnan because he i so marvelous, you see. BEIEATHA: Man is foull And the human race desewes its niseryl ,rs,rc,u: You see: rou have become lhe relisious one in the old sense. Already, and afie. such a srnall defeat, you are worshipping despair. nenrqrHa: From now on, I wo.ship thc trulh and the truth is lhai peoPle are puny, small and selfish . . . as^cAr: Truth? Why h it that you despaning ones always ihink that only you have the iruth? I never thought to see tou like lhat Youl Your brother nade a stupid, childish nistake-and you are srateful to hin So that now you can give up the ailing human race on account of it You talk aboul ivhat cood is struegie; what eood is anything? Where are we all Soing? And why are we bothering? snNn,\rH,\: And you cannof dnslrer ili All your tslk and dreams aboui Africa and Indepeudence. Independence and then whal? What about allthe croolc and petltthieves and just plain idiots who will come into power to steal and plunder 579

the sarne 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€ hh- tory l€ap into the future. And then quiet again. Retrogresion even. Guns, murder, revolution.And I even will havemomentswhen I wonder iflhe quiet was not better than all lhat death and haued. But I will lool about my vilage at the iliteracy and disease and ignorance and I will not wonder long. And perhaps . . . perhaps I will be a great nan . . . I mean perhaps I will bold on to tbe srbstance of truth and find my way always with tbe risht course . . . and perhaps for it I will be butchered in my bed some night by the seryants of empire . . . BENE^TH^: TIr mdltrl asrc,rr: . . . or perhaps I shall live to be a very old rnan, respected and esieemed in my n€w nation . . . And perhaps I sball hold otrc€ and this is what I'm trying to i€ll you, Alaiyo; perhaps the things I believe now for my country will be wrons and outmoded, and I will noi undersbnd ,nd do terribl€ thingstohave things ny way or merely to leep my power. Don'tyou see that there will be young men and women, not British soldiers tben, but ny own black country- rnen . . . io step out of ihe sbadows sone evening and slit my then us€less thro3t? Don't you see they bave always been tbere . . . thal they always will be. And that such a thing as my own death will be an advance? Tbey ivho might kill me even . . . actually replenish m€! nrrnarna: Oh, Asagai, I know all that. AsAcar: Coodi Then stop moaning and groaning and tell me what you plan to do. sr:{rlru,{: Do? I have a bit ofa suggestion. ^sAcAr: as^cN [tather quietly fu htn]That when it is all over-that you come hom€ wilh

BENEA'|HA [slapiins hetself on the forehead nith eftspetution bom of nisundet stdrd;agl Oh Asasai-at this monent you decide to be romanticl rsrctn: lquickly undentandins the nissndastdndinel My dffr, youns crcature of the New World-l do not mean across the cily-l mean across lhe ocean; home-io Africa. nrmrru: {slowly unders tandine and tumine to him with numued dmnzenent) To lo Nigeria? esacrr: Yesl . . . lsmiline and liftine his .1ns ptnfulb) Three hundred years later the African Prince rose up out ofthe seas and swept tbe maiden back across the niddle pasase over which her ancesion had corne- BENEATfiAT [undrle ro pld)] Nigeda? rsrcer: Nigeria. Home. [cominE to het with gn ine rcnantic flibrdncy] l will sl\ow you our mountains and our stars; and give you cool drinks from gourdr and 580 Lonaine Hansberry

teach you th€ old songs and the ways ofour people and, in tim€, we will pretend that- [rer] softryl-you bave only been away for a day- [She tur's het back to him, thinkins. He swings het dtound and tdkes het full in hk ams in a lons enbruce which ptoceeds to bassion.l Pf'rtnst: lpulline atvay) Youte gefiing me all mixcd up - BENr^rH^: Too many things-too many lhings h3ve happened today. I must sit down and lhinl. I donl know what I ieel about anythins risht this ninuie IShe prcnPt\ sits down ,Lnd ptops her chin on het fist.) ,rs,rcrr: ktranasdl All rigbt, I shall l€ave you. No-don't gct up ltorching her, ssntiy, sreetryl lust sit awhile and think . . Ncver be afraid to sit arvhile and think. [He eoes to the door and looks at her.] How often I have looked at you and said, "Ah so this n what the New World hath finally s{oughl . " lIIe s{irs. BENtrArHA s;fs on alone. Presently wetr5f.enterc fiom h;s rcon and statts to tummaee Ihtough things, fe",erishly lookins fot sonethinE She loohs ub and tums in het teat.l mrtrrx^: [iri$ingly] Yes justlook at what the New Wolldhath wroughll . petit lust lookl [S/re gestures wil,r bitrer disgust.] Th€re he isl Monsieu le 6ourgeois no;-himselfl There he is - Symbol ofa Rising Class! Enkepre- ncurl Titan of thc systemt [waLtER ignorcs hu completelf dnd continues ftanticdlU dnd Aestructi|ely lookins for something and huAine thines to floot and ka ns thines out of theit pl\ce in his search. BENE^rs^ isnores the eccenticity of hi actions .1nd soes on with the nonowue oti'slll l Did you dream of yacbts on Lale Michigao, Brotber? Did you see yourself on rhat Crest Day sittins downatthe ConferenceTable, sunoundedby allthe mighty bald headedmen in Anerica? All halted, wailing, breathless, waiting for your pronouncemcnts on indusily? Waitins foI you-Chanman of ibe Board? iwrirrn fnds v/rat /re is looking for-a sna piece of ehite Papet and psshes it in his pocket and puts on his coat asd tushes out f ithaut ewt hd,'ins looked at her . She shouts after htin.l I look at you and I see the final triumph of stupidity in the worldl lThe door slams and she rcturns to iust sittinl again. F.r1\ cones quicklv out ofMAMAt roon.l RUrH: Who was that? snrserur: Youthusband. nurr: Where did he go? grrurrrr,r: Who lnows maybe be has an appointment at U S Stccl. Rt)rHt [anxio sly, \rith ftisftI"n?d eteE You didn't say nothins bad to him, did vou? rern,rru: Bad? Say anytbing bad to him? No-l told him hc {as a sweetboy and lull ofdrcams and everything is shictly peachy keen, as the ofay kids sayl IM^MA ente6 ftom het bedtoon She is lost,')asue,tryinEto catch lnU,to make some *nv of her forner command of the world, but it sti eludes her . A sense of waste oremhelms hd sait; d neassrc of apology tides on her shouldere. She soeli to het plant, Nhich hds rcnained on the table, looks at it, picks it up anA takes it to the window sill antl sits it oubAe, .tnd she stai1j ant looks at it d lons monent 'Ihen she clases the windov, staishtens het bo., vith .ffot and tuns 6ound to het chituen.) u,rlle: Well-ain't it a mess in here, thoueh? ld /dlse cheerfuln*s,abeeinnineof 5Br

so stntngl l suess we all h€tler stop moping around and get sone wo.k done. All this unpacking and everything we sot to do. {RUrH /d kes her head slowly in rcsfon* to the sense of the line; anl nzNe** in similar mannet t]aJns .re/y slovly to lcok dt her mother.l One ofyou all better call the movins people and tell 'em not to cone. RUrH: Tell em not to come? u,rv,r: Of course, baby. Ain't no ne€d in 'em coming all the way here and having to so bacl. They charse for that Ioo. [She sits do1nn, fnEeft to het brcw, think- ing.l Lord, ev€r since I was a little sirl, I always remembes people saying, "Lena-L€na Egsl€slon, you aims too hish all th€ tine. You needs to slow down and see life a little rnore like it is. Jusr slow down some." Thatt rvhat they always used to say down hone-"Lord, thai Lcna Essleston is a high, minded thing. She'll get her due one dayl" RUrs: No, Lena . . . MAMA: Me and Bis Walter just didn t nev€r learD rishi. RUTH: Lena, nol We sorta go. Bennie-tell her . . . IShe rises and crosses to BENEATHA l,ttil i"r drms outNtretcled. EENE^rH^ doesn'f r"spond.l T€ll her rve can slill move . . . the not€s ain't bui a hundred and twentv five a month. '. We sol four s,o$n peopl€ in the house-we cdn \ro'1, . . MAM^: [io i?rsef] lust aimed too hish ali ihe time- RUr}x [tutnine and soins to M^M^ fast the vods powins out vlith uteenq and desperationl Lena-I'll worl . . . I'll work tw€nly hours a day in all lhe kitchens in Chicago . . . I'll strap my baby on my back if I have to and scrub all the foors in America and wash all tbe sheets in America if I have to-bul we got to move . . . We got to get oul ofhere . . . IMAM^ reaches out absently and batr Rt'tq's hdnd.) M^M^: No- l see things diFerently now. Been thinldns'bout som€ ofthe lhinsswe could do to 6x thn pla€€ up sone. I seen a second hand bureau over on Maxwell Strcet just the other day that could fit risht hete. IShe points to whete the new futnitwe nisht so. auru wan(lers away from /ier.l would need somc ncrv handles on it and then a li l€ varnish and tben it look lile som€, tbing brand-new. And we can put up them new curtains in the kitchen . . . Why thk place be loohns fine. Cheer us all up so thar w€ folset trouble ev€r came . . . [to nuru] And you could get some nice screens to put up in your room round thc baby's ba$inet . . . [She looks at both of then, pleddinEly.) Som€limcs you jusl got io know when to give up some thinss . . . and hold on lo i!h!t you got. [wALrER ente\ flon the outside,Iaokine spent and leanins asinst the doot, hir coat hansinE fion him.l v,rur; Where you been, son? werrer; [rreatfting &ard] Made a call. MAMA: To who, sonT WALTER: To The Man. M^M^: What man, baby? w^L r ERr The Man, M:ma. DoD t you know who The Man h?

WALTER: Th e Mdr. Like the guys in the streets say-The Man. Captain Bos Midub Chariey . . . Old Capiain Please Mr. Bosman . . . 582 mrrerar: [sudden]l Lindner! WALTER: That s rishll That's good. I iold him to come .ight over. snNL\rH,{: [itercelr, unde.stdndins] For what? What do you want lo see hin for! WALTER: Uoohag dt ftts sBlerl We goins to do busines with him. MAMA: What you talkine'boot, son? urrrr: Talking'bout life, Mama. You all aiways tellins me to see life lile ii is Well-llaidinthereonmybacltoday . . . andIfisurcditoui.Lifeiustlike iiis. Who getsandwho don'tEeI.IHe sirs aoi,n ith his coat on and laughs ) Mama, you lnow ittall divided up. Life is. Sure enoush. Between the lak€rs and the "tooken." [He tdusfts.] I've figurcd it out finally . IHe loohs arcund at tfr"n.l Yeab. Some of us always setting "looken." [He laugng.] People like Willy Haris, ihey don't n€ver set "tooken." Andyou know why the rest ofus do?'Cause we all mi'ed up. Mixed up bad. We set to looking lound for thc rigbt and the wrong; and we wonl about it and cry about it and slay up nights trying to figur€ out 'bout the wrong and the righi of things all the tirne . . . And all tbe time, nan, tbem takers is out there operating, iust talins and takins. Willy Hanis? Shoot Willy Hanis don t even count. He don'l even count in the big scheme of things But I'll say one thing for old WiIy Hanis . . . bc's taught me someth:ng. He's taught ne to keep my eye on what counts in this wotu. veah-[shoutinE od tl lttlle] Thanks, Willie! RUrs: What did yoL, €all that man lor, Walter Lee? wALrcR: Called him totellhim to come over to theshow. Gonna put on a show for thc man.lustwhat hewantstos€e. Yousee, Mama,tbe man c,meheretoday and he told us that them people out there whele you want us to move - well they so upset ihcy willins to p3y us not to move out ih ere lHe laughs again ) And and oh, Mama-you would ofbeen proud of the way me and Ruth and Bennie acted. We told bim to get out . . - Lord bave mercy I We told ihe nan to sel oul. Oh, we was sone proud folks this afternoon, yeah. [He lis&ts d ctsdreft?.] We were srill full of that old tine stuff . . . 'bout n t)r{: [conin{ towdd hin dol,lt] You lal]ing takins tbem PeoPle s non€y lo keep us from movins in that house? wAr.rER: I ain't just talking 'bout il, baby-l m telling you that's whati going to s...orgi, Oh. Codt WheI€ is lhe bottoml Where is the real h.,nestlo Godbottom so he can't go any further. wALr rR: See thal's the old stun YoD and that boy that was here today You a1l want everybody- to carry flagandaspearand sing some marching songs, hub? You waDn. spend your life' looking into things and tryingto find thc righi and lhe wrong part, huh? Yeah. You know whatt going to haPpen to tbal boy somedry be'll6nd hirnselfsittins in a dunseon,locked in forever-and lhe takers will havc the kcyl Forget it, babyl Tbere ain'i no causcs-there ain't notbing but taking in tbis world, and he who rakes most is smadest and it donl make a damn bit ofdiFerence /rov. MAMA: YoD naking som€lhing inside mc cry, son. Somc awfulpain inside me w^LrER: Don't cry, Mama. Unde6tand. That white man is soins to walk in tbat door able to write checks for nore money than we ever bad lt's impoltant to him and I'm soins to help him . . . I m going to pul on the show, Mama. urvr: Son-l come from fivc generations of people who was slaves and shate' t83

croppers-but ain't nobody in my family never let nobody pay'em no money .p 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[ {ll ,h(lJkab"ul Ll,eJm. 1 eoes on in thn house. All dead. 6-u alll I didn't make thc worldl Itwassivc to ne thist!ay! Hell, yes,l wantme some yrchts somedayl Yes, I want to hang some real peans iound my wife's neck. Ain't she supposed to w€ar no pearls? Somebody tell me-tell me, who decides which women is supposed lo wear

roon. The word "Man" has penetated his consciousness; he mumbles it to him'elfrcbedledly between slrange asitdeA pduses as he notes about.) wrur: Baby, how you going to feel on the inside?

w,rr-rnn: [coming lo [er] I'm going to f€el 6ne, Mama. Im soins to lool that son-of'a'bitch in the €yes and say-vk falks.)-and say, "All right, Mr. Lindner le falters eren morc.l-thal s your neighborhoodout therc. You gol the right-v loleep itlike youwant. Yougot the dshtto have itlikc youwant. Iusl write tbe checl and-the house is yours." And, and I am going to say lHiswice dlmost brca&s.l And you you peopleiustpui lhe money in my hand and you won t have to live next to this bunch ofstinking niggersl . . . [He sttdiehtens up and nores away from his nother,walking around the rcom.l Maybe - maybe I'll just get down on my blacl knees . . . [IIe does so; rurr and rnxNrr and v 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. *ffi J:i#trff:"J?;i,"f;:; supposed to be my beginnins again. You-whai supposed lobe myharyest. [to oorE^rn.r] You-you moumins your brotber? BENEATHA: Het no brotber of mine. MAMA: Wbat you say? BENE^I H^i I said that individual in ihai room is no brother of rnine. u,lua: That's what I thoughtyousaid. Youfeeling like youb€lierthan h€ istoday? IBENEATH^doss not dnsrsr.lYes? Wbat you tell him a minute aso? That he wasn't a man? Yes? You sive him up {o. rne? You done wrote his epitapb too-like the rest ofthe world? Well, who give you the privilege? nnre,rrn,r: Be on my side fo. oncel You saw what he iust did, Mamal You saw him on his knees. Wasn't it yor who laugbtme to despise any man -down who wouid do that. Do whst hei eoine to do. 584

MAMA: Yes-l taught you that. Me and your daddy. But I thought I taught you something €ke too . . . I thought I taught you to love him- BENEATHA: Love him? There is nothins left to lov€. u,rur: There is always sonething left to love. And ifyou ain't learned that, you ain't learned nothins. lloakine dt hetl Ha:,,e yor cried for that boy today? I don't mean for yourself and for the family'cause we lost the money.l mean for bin; what he been tbrough andwhat it done tohirn. Child,wh€n do you lhinkis the time to love somebody the most;when they donegoodand made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain't through learning because ihat ain't lhe iime at all.lt's when he's at his lowest and can t believe in bissself'cause th€ world done wbippedhim so. When you starh measurins somebody, measure h;m risht, child, measure him right. Mal

IA lons ninute passes and WALTER slo]rly sels lrp.l LTNDNER: komtns !o t[? tdb le :[/ith efrciency. puttins hb btiefcase on the tdble and stuniry b unfold ,abers dnd unrcrev fountain ,ens)W ell, I certainly was glad to hear from you people. [w aLrEN has besun the bek od of the room, slowly dnA aekwddb, ruthet like a sna hoy,passinsthe back of h;s sleeve across his nouth fron time to time.) Life can really be so much simpler than people let it be most oftime. Well-with wbom do I nesotiatc? You, Ma. Younger, or your son h€rc? IMAMA stts Jrith het hands folded on hq lap and her eyes closed as w,rr-rrn advances. rn,rvrs soes close to LINDNER and looks at the paperc cuaordy.l .ome offi(ral papen. Jurr 'onny. nurs: Travis, you go downsiairs. MAM^: [openinshet etes and looHag tsfo WALTER'S]No. Travis, you slsy dght he!e. And you male him understand what you doing, Walter Lee. You teach him good. Lile Willy Hrnis taught you. You sbow where our 6ve generations done come to. Go abead. son- wALrERr [ooAs doffi into his boy's eys. an^.'rs srins at him r:.enilt dnd w^L'rER dtaws him beside hin with his arn lightly arcund his s/roulders.l Well, Mr' Lindner. IBENEATHA furns away.l We called you [Therc k a prcfound. simple Etopins qualit, in his speecft.I - because. well, me and ny family [I{e Iooks around and sltif* from one foot to the othet.lwell-wc are very plain ur-rer: I mean-l have worled as a chauffeur nost of my life-and my wife A Rdtstr tn tte Sun 585

here, she does domestic work in peoplet kitchens. So does ny nother. I ncan-we are plain people . . . LTNDNER: Yes, Mr. Younser- w Vea y like a snall boy , looking down at his shoes nnd then u, at the mdnl ^L1ER And-uh-we , my father, well, he was a laborer most olhis life. LTNDNER: Idr'olutely conirs?dl Uh, yes-

oncebecause this man calledhim abadnane orsomething,you knowwbat I

LTNDNER: No, I'm afraid I don't. w^L'tER Wnally straishtenlns upl Well, what I mean is that we come from people who bad a lot ofpride. I mean-weare veryproudpeople. Andthat's lnysister ov€r ihere:nd she s going to be a doctor-and we are very proud- ru'nrr n: Well -l rm \u-e thdl i. ve-y ni(e, bur wALaEc [startine to cty and fdcine the nan eye to ete] Wh3t I am telling you is thal we called you over here to tell you that we are v€ry proud and that ihis is ihis is ny son, who makes the sixth gcneration ofour family in this country, and that wc have all thought about your oFer and we have decid€d to mov€ into our house because my father-rny faih€r-he eamed it. [uevr las fier eyes closed and i rocking back and fonh as thoueh sh. wele in ch!/ch, with het head noddins the anen :l"s.I W€ don't want to make no houble for nobody or 6sht no causes-but we will try tobe good neishboE. Thatt all we got to say. lHe looks the m.tn dbsolutely in the eyes.l We aon't want yoor money. [He tutns dnd watks dway fiom the man.] rrrorer: [oofring around dt d of theml I takc ii then ihat you have decided to

BrNE^rrr^: That s what the nan said. r-INrornn: [to uAvr h fter rererie] Then I would like io appeal to you, Mrs. Younger. You are older and wiser and undersl?ndins thinss better I anl sure . . . M^M^: [/is;ns] I arn afraid you don't understand. My son said we was soins to move and there ain'l nothing left for me to say. [shdking het h.aA ith doilble medrinsl You know lrow thes€ young folks is nowadays, mister. Can't do a thins wilh '€m. Good bye. rwor.rnn: [foldiag up ]!is rndt?ridlsl Well ifyou are that final about it . . . Tbere is nothins left for me lo say.lHe fnishes. He is alnost isnorcd by the fdnily, who arc concenbating an waLrER LEE. At ifte door LrNoNsn fialts and /oo&s around.l I sure hope you people lnow what youie doing. lHe shakes his head and exits.l RrrA: Uookine arcund and comingto liklw ell,for God's sake ifthe movins 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 . . . Ben€aiha, what's lhe matter with lhcm 'lo.hngi Pull lhem lhing. up. grrl .. I'the family stans h fle ort as two norine men appellt and b.ein to cafty out the hed'iet Pieces of fimitwe, bumpins into the fami, as thet mow about.l rrrrera.r: Mama, Asagai asked me to narry him today and go to Africa urux: fin the niddle of het eettine-rcady dct^)ir] He didT You ain't old enough to many nobody lseeins the mo..]ne men liftine one of het chans plecatiotsly] Darling, thatain't- nobale ofcotton, pJease handle it so we can sit in it again.I had thal chair twenty'Eve years . . . sieh dnd on vith thet IThe no|ers with exasbefttion so 'notk.l rrnrerar: fg;lts y and unteasonabl, ttyineto fitlsue the @nw ation)To eo Io A6ica. \4amd-be a Jo(r"r in Atritr . . . M^MA: ldisrrdcred] Yes, baby- WALTER: Africal Whai he want you to so to Africa fol? BENEATHA: To practice there . . . w,rr-rrn: G , if you don't get all tbem silly id€as out your beadl You better marry yourself a man with some loot . . . oererrre: [angrily, precis ely as in the frst rcene of the pld),I What have you got to do with who I narryl werrer: Plenty. Now I think George Murchison- lHe and BENE^'IH^ so out yelline at edch otlw ,isorouslx BENEATHA is heatd sarins that she would not ndrrl' cEoRcE MuRcursor if ne wae Adan and she were be, etc. The anset is loud and rcdl till theit raices dininish. RU tH stands at the door and turns to ntw and sniles know- inety.) utux lfxing her hat at ldstl Yeah-they something all right, rny children . . . nurg: Yeah-they're sometbing. Let's so, Lena- M^M^: Irtallins, staltine to look around the housel Y es - I'm co4!!g. Ruth M^M^t Iquietb, wondn to womanl He Gnally come into hislmanhood todayldidn't he? Kind of like a rainbow after the rain . . . Rl:rH [bitinE her lip test het own ptide explode in fioat o/ MAM^] Y6, Lena. [w^LrERt rcic" cdrs for them raucously.l ueue: [waring RUTH out tdEuelrl All right, honey-go on down. I be down dnectly. IRJTH hesitates, then exits. MAM^ stdnds, at last alon in the lirine rcom, her plant on the table before het as the lights statt to come down. She looks around at all the palls and ceilings and sud(lenly, despite herself, wh;le the children ca below, a steat hed,inEthine rises in her and the p tshet fst to het nouth, takes a frndl despetute look, bulls het codt abo t he/, pats het hat and eoes out. The lilhts dim dot''n. The doot obens and sh. cones back in, erubs het pldnt, and soes fot the ldst tine.l