Samuel French Acting Edition A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry SAMUEL FRENCH | SAMUELFRENCH.COM SAMUELFRENCH.CO.UKACTI (Time: the early 1950's.) (Place: Chicago's Southside.) (At rise: it is morning dark in the living room. TRAVIS. snores, asleep on the makedown bed at center, WALTER is in his and RUTH’s bedroom at right. An alarm clock sounds in bedroom. RUTH rises from bed, shuts off alarm; raises the window shade, closes window; shivers; puts on robe, slippers; grabs TRAVIS? shirt, towel, toothbrush, glass and clock. She opens the door to living room, crosses to sofa, shakes TRAVIS, places his towel and shirt on back of sofa, clock and glass on buffet upstage right. She crosses to kitchen, raises the shade, closes window, washes face. She calls to TRAVIS in a slightly muffled voice between yawns: Ad-lib: “Wake up, TRAVIS!” “Come on now, boy!” He pulls pillow over his head.) (RUTH is about thirty, We can see that she was a pretty girl, but now it is apparent that life has been little she expected and disappointment has begun to hang in her face. In a few years, before thirty-five even, she will be known among her people as a “settled woman.” This does not mean she lacks spirit or strength. She is a woman in the middle, torn between the needs and dreams of others, and she subordinates herself because, caring deeply about theirs, she chooses to; but underneath is a fire that will erupt as needs be. For her this is no ordinary morning and, once or twice in the course of it, we should clearly See ~ as weakness engulfs her and she catches herself in the effort to hide it - that something is wrong. Yet evenA RAISIN IN THE SUN as she confronts the momentous decision that cannot be put off, she is driven by the necessity to get son and husband up and fed and out within half an hour; the best she can do is to steel herself, plunge ahead and get through it. She crosses to her son and sits him up, still asleep, crosses to center door. He flops back. She gets milk and newspaper from hall, crosses back to give TRAVIS a good, final, rousing shake.) RUTH. Come on now, boy, it’s seven-thirty! (hils TRAVIS on butt, puts milk and paper on buffet) 1 say hurry up, Travis! You ain’t the only person in the world got to use a bathroom! (She gets him to his feet, piles his shirt, towel, toothbrush and glass in his arms and crosses away. TRAVIS, asleep on his feet, does not move. She comes back and pushes him out the door to bathroom which is in the outside hall. RUTH picks up newspaper, notes WALTER is still asleep, crosses to the bedroom door and calls in to her husband.) WALTER LEE - it’s after seven-thirty! Lemme see you do some waking up in there now! (She crosses to kitchen, puts water on to boil, heats coffeepot. She waits.) You better get up from there, man! It’s after seven- thirty, I tell you. (WALTER groans and covers his head. She sets table.) Alright, you just go ahead and lay there and next thing you know Travis be finished and Mr. Johnson’ll be in there and you'll be fussing and cussing round here like a madman! And be late, too —! (She waits. At the end of her patience she crosses to bedroom.) WALTER LEE - it’s time for you to GET UP!A RAISIN IN THE SUN (WALTER sits bolt upright. She pulls the door to and crosses back to kitchen. She puts mixing bowl and fork on sink edge, gets eggs from icebox. The bedroom door at right opens and her husband stands in the doorway in his pajamas, which are rumpled and mismatched. He holds his clothes and toilet articles. He is a lean, intense young man in his middle thirties, inclined to quick ‘movements and erratic speech habits-and always in his voice, indictment. As he enters RUTH runs her fingers through her sleep-disheveled hair in a vain effort and ties an apron around her housecoat.) WALTER. (enters and crosses in to center) Is he out yet—? RUTH, What you mean, out? He ain’t hardly got in there good yet. : WALTER. (still more oriented to sleep than to a new day) Well, what was you doing all that yelling for if I can’t even get in there yet? (crosses right back of sofa to bedroom door right, stops and thinks) Check coming today? RUTH. (gets eggs from the icebox and breaks them in bowl) They said Saturday and this is just Friday and I hopes to God you ain’t going to get up here first thing this morning and start talking to me ‘bout no money ~ ’cause I ‘bout don’t want to hear it. WALTER. (crosses in to center.) Something the matter with you this morning? RUTH. No ~ I'm just sleepy as the devil. What kind of eggs you want? WALTER. Not scrambled. (RUTH beats eggs. WALTER notes her action, then puts eis clothes on left endl of sofa.) Paper come? (RUTH points impatiently to the rolled up Tribune on the table, and he gets it and spreads it out and vaguely reads the front page.) Set off another A-bomb yesterday. RUTH. (maximum indifference) Did they?18 A RAISIN IN THE SUN WALTER. (looking up) What's the matter with you? RUTH. Ain’t nothing the matter with me. And don’t keep asking me. WALTER. Ain’t nobody bothering you. (reading the news absently again) Say Colonel McCormick is sick. RUTH. (puts egg bowl back in icebox; affecting tea party interest) Is he now? Po’ thing. WALTER. (sighing and looking at alarm clock) Now what is that boy doing in that bathroom all this time? He is just going to have to start getting up earlier, I can’t be being late to work on account of him fooling around in there. (He rises, crosses up to door.) RUTH. (pours and stirs oats in hot water) Oh, no, he ain’t going to be getting up no earlier no such thing! It ain’t his fault that he can’t get to bed ’cause he gota bunch of crazy good-for-nothing clowns running their mouths in what is supposed to be his bedroom after ten o’clock at night - WALTER. (crosses bach of kitchen table, gets a cigarette from RUTH ’s handbag hanging on the back of the chair left) That's what you're mad about, ain’t it? (topping her) The things I want to talk about with my friends just couldn’t be important in your mind, could they? (He crosses to kitchen window and looks out, smoking and enjoying his first one deeply.) RUTH. (crosses to table for milk; almost matter-of-factly, a complaint too automatic to deserve emphasis) Why you always got to smoke before you eat in the morning? WALTER. (at the window) Just look at ’em down there — running and racing to work — (He turns and faces his wife and watches her a moment at the stove.) (RUTH mixes milk in the eggs.) WALTER. (appreciatively, with sudden softness:) You look young this morning, Baby. (He crosses to RUTH.) RUTH. (utter indifference) Yeah?A RAISIN IN THE SUN WALTER. Just for a second ~ stirring them eggs. Just for a second it was — you looked real young again. (He reaches for her; she stiffens, takes milk to table, pours a glass for TRAVIS. Drily:) It’s gone now ~ you look like yourself again! RUTH. (scrapes cereal into bowl) Man, if you don’t shut up and leave me alone. WALTER, (looking out to the street again) First thing a man ought to learn in life is not to make love to no colored woman first thing in the morning. Yall some eeeevil people at eight o’clock in the morning. (TRAVIS appears in the hall doorway almost fully dressed and quite wide-awake now, his towel and pajamas across his shoulders. He is a sturdy, handsome little boy of ten or eleven. He opens the door and signals for his father to make the bathroom in a hurry. WALTER starts to sit, springs up as TRAVIS enters, RUTH puts cereal bowl on the table, pours milk on the cereal.) ‘TRAVIS. (watching the bathroom) Daddy, come on! (WALTER gets his bathroom utensils and: flies out to the bathroom.) RUTH. Sit down and have your breakfast, Travis. (She gets butter from icebox.) TRAVIS. (puts slippers left end of sofa, toothbrush, glass on table. Then he gets his chair from left wall and places it right of table.) Mama, this is Friday, (gleefully) Check coming tomorrow, huh? RUTH. (puts butter on his cereal) You get your mind off money and eat your breakfast, (takes butter to stove, puts some in JSrying pan) TRAVIS. (eating) This is the morning we supposed to bring the fifty cents to school. RUTH. Well, I ain’t got no fifty cents this morning. TRAVIS. Teacher say we have to, RUTH. I don’t care what teacher say. I ain’t got it. Eat your breakfast, Travis.20 A RAISIN IN THE SUN TRAVIS. I am eating. RUTH. Hush up now and just eat! TRAVIS. (He gives her an exasperated look and eats grudgingly.) You think Grandmama would have it? RUTH, No! And I want you to stop asking your grandmother for money, you hear me? TRAVIS. (outraged) Gaaaleee! I don’t ask her, she just gimme it sometimes! RUTH. (under breath almost) TRAVIS WILLARD YOUNGER — I got too much on me this morning to be -— TRAVIS. Maybe Daddy — RUTH. TRAVIS! (TRAVIS hushes abruptly. They are both quiet and tense Sor several seconds. RUTH puts the butter in the icebox.) TRAVIS. (presently) Could I maybe go carry some groceries in front of the supermarket after school, then? RUTH. Just hush, I said. (TRAVIS jabs his spoon into his cereal bowl viciously and rests his head in anger upon his fists.) If you’re through eating you can make up your bed. (TRAVIS obeys stiffly and rises from the table, crosses the room angrily to the bed and more or less folds the bedclothes in a heap. He gets school books and cap from buffet. He crosses to center door.) TRAVIS. (sulhing and standing apart from her unnaturally:) I'm gone. RUTH. (Looking up from the stove to inspect him automatically, she crosses to her handbag on chair left, of table.) Come here. (He crosses to her and she studies his head.) If you don’t take this comb and fix this here head you better! (TRAVIS puts down his books with a great sigh of oppression and returns downstage right to the mirror. His mother mutters under her breath about his “stubbornness.”)A RAISIN IN THE SUN RUTH. ‘Bout to march out of here with that head looking like chickens slept in it! I just don’t know where you get your slubborn ways. TRAVIS. (With conspicuously brushed hair, he gets his jacket angrily and crosses to center door.) I’m gone. RUTH. (pours eggs into pan, puts egg bowl in the sink) And get your jacket, too. Looks chilly out this morning. Get your carfare and milk money - (He finds her handbag and fishes in it. She waves one Jinger) — and not one penny for no caps, you hear me? TRAVIS. (with sullen politeness:) Yes’m. (He tosses back a coin and we hear the clink; terns in outrage to leave, crosses upstage center again to door. RUTH watches him as he approaches the door almost comically in, his frustration. When she speaks to him her voice has become a very gentle tease.) RUTH. (at right end of sink, mocking; as she thinks TRAVIS would say it}Oh, Mama makes me so mad sometimes I don’t know what to do! (TRAVIS stands at the door and RUTH waits and continues to his back as he stands stock still in front of the door.) I wouldn’t kiss that woman good-bye this morning not for nothing in this world! (TRAVIS finally turns around and rolls his eyes at her knowing the mood has changed and he is vindicated; he does not, however, move toward her yet.) Not for nothing in this world! (She finally holds out her arms, he hesitates a long moment, and we see that it is a way between them very old and practiced. TRAVIS crosses downstage center and allows her to embrace him warmly but keeps his face fixed with masculine rigidity. She holds him back from her presently, and looks at him and runs her fingers over the Seatures of his face.) 2122 A RAISIN IN THE SUN RUTH. (with utter gentleness:) Now — whose little old angry man are you? TRAVIS. (The masculinity and gruffness start to fade at last.) Aw Gaalee - Mama — RUTH. (mimicking) Aw — Gaaaalleeeeee, Mama! (She pushes him with rough playfulness and finality toward the door.) Get on out of here or you going to be late. TRAVIS. (Crosses to center door. In the face of love, new aggressiveness:) Mama, could I please go carry groceries? RUTH. (stirs eggs in pan) Honey, it’s starting to get so cold evenings. WALTER. (coming in from the bathroom, crosses right into his bedroom with his pajamas, towel, toothbrush and glass) What is it he wants to do? RUTH. Go carry groceries at the supermarket. WALTER. Well, let him go - TRAVIS. (quickly to the ally; crosses right to bedroom door) t have to - she won’t gimme the fifty cents — WALTER. (re-enters from bedroom, to his wife only:) Why not — ? RUTH. (simply and with flavor) Cause we don't have it. WALTER. (to RUTH only as he crosses to center) What you tell the boy things like that for? (reaching down. on the line into his pants’ pocket with @ rather important gesture, turns, crosses down in front of sofa) Here, son - (He hands the boy the coin, but his eyes are only on his wife. TRAVIS takes the money happily.) TRAVIS. Thanks, Daddy. (He starts out.) (RUTH watches both of them with murder in her eyes. WALTER stares back at her with defiance and suddenly reaches out for his son and into his pocket again on an afterthought.) WALTER. (center left of sofa; without even looking at his son, still staring hard at his wife) In fact, here's another fiftyA RAISIN IN THE SUN cents — Buy yourself some fruit today — or take a taxi- cab to school or something! TRAVIS. Whoopee — (RUTH starts serving eggs, TRAVIS leaps up and clasps his father around the middle with his legs and they face each other in mutual appreciation; slowly WALTER peeks around the boy to catch the ultra violent rays from his wife's eyes and draws his head back as if shot.) WALTER. You better get down now ~ and get to school, man. TRAVIS. (at the door) O.K. Good-bye. (He exits.) WALTER. (afler him, pointing with pride; crosses downstage right to mirror) That's my boy. (RUTH looks at him in disgust and turns back to her work.) You know what I was thinking ’bout in the bathroom this morning — ? RUTH. No. WALTER. How come you always try to be so pleasant! RUTH. What is there to be pleasant *bout! (She serves eggs at the table.) WALTER, You want to know what I was thinking "bout in the bathroom or not! RUTH. I know what you was thinking ’bout. WALTER. (ignoring her) Bout what me and Willy Harris was talking about last night. RUTH. (pours two cups of coffee; immediately — a refrain) Willy Harris is a good for nothing loud mouth. WALTER. (crosses center to front of sofa) Anybody who talks to me has got to be a good for nothing loud mouth, ain’t he? And what you know about who's a good for nothing loud mouth? Charlie Atkins was just a “good for nothing loud mouth” too, wasn’t he! When he wanted me to go in the dry-cleaning business with him. And now-he’s grossing $100,000 a year. $100,000 a year! You still call Aim a loud mouth?!24 A RAISIN IN THE SUN RUTH. (sits left of table, bitterly) Oh, Walter Lee ~ (She folds her head over on her arms). * WALTER. (coming to her and massaging her neck sympathetically) You tired, ain’t you? Tired of everything. Me, the boy, the way we live — this beat up hole — everything. Ain’t you? (She doesn’t look up, doesn’t answer and resentment rises in him again.) So tired - moaning and groaning all the time but you wouldn’t do nothing to help, would you? You couldn’t be on my side that long for nothing, could you? RUTH. Walter, please leave me alone. WALTER. A man needs for a woman to back him up — RUTH, Walter — : WALTER. Mama would listen to you. You know she listen to you more than she do me and Bennie. She think more of you. All you have to do is just sit down with her when you drinking your coffee and talking ’bout things like you do and — (He sits and demonstrates graphically what he thinks her methods and tone should be.) You just sip your coffee, see, and say easy like that you been thinking ‘bout that deal Walter Lee is so interested in, ’bout the store and all, and sip some more coffee, like what you saying ain’t that important to you. And the next thing you know she listening good and asking you questions and when I come home —~ I can tell her the details. This ain’t no fly-by-night proposition, Baby. I mean we figured it out, me, Willy and Bobo. RUTH. (with a frown) Bobo - ? WALTER. (sits at chair above table) Yeah. You see, this little liquor store cost $75,000 and we figured the initial investment on the place be ‘bout $30,000, see. Ten thousand each. Course, there’s a couple of hundred you got to pay so’s you don’t spend your life waiting for them clowns to get your license approved —A RAISIN IN THE SUN RUTH. You mean graft? WALTER. (frowning impatiently) Don’t call it that. See there, that just goes to show you what women understand about the world. Baby, don’t nothing happen for you in this world "less you pay somebody off! RUTH. Walter, leave me alone! (She raises her head on ihe line, and stares at him vigorously — then says more quietly:) Eat your eggs, they gonna be cold. WALTER. (straightening up from her and looking off) You see that? Man says to his woman: I got me a dream. His woman say: Eat your eggs, (sadly, but gaining in power) Man say: I got to take hold of this here world, Baby! And a woman will say: Eat your eggs and go to work. Man say - (passionately now) I got to change my life, I'm choking to death, Baby! And his woman say — (in utter anguish as he brings his fists down on his thighs) Your eggs is getting cold! RUTH. (softly) Walter, that ain’t none of our money. WALTER. (not listening at all or even looking at her) This morning, I was lookin’ in the mirror and thinking about it - I’m thirty-five years old; I been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the living room ~ and all I got to give him is nothing. Nothing but stories about how rich white people live - RUTH. Eat your eggs, Walter. WALTER. (rises, slamming the table) DAMN MY EGGS - DAMN ALL THE EGGS THAT EVER WAS! RUTH. Then go to work. WALTER. (looking up at her, crosses left to above table) See - I'm trying to talk to you ’bout me — (shaking his head with the repetition) and all you can say is eat them eggs and go to work, RUTH. (wearily) Honey, you never say nothing new, I listen to you every day — every night and every morning and you never say nothing new. (shrugging) So you would rather be Mr. Arnold than be his chauffeur. So - I would rather be living in Buckingham Palace. 2526 A RAISIN IN THE SUN WALTER. That is just what is wrong with the colored woman in this world — don’t understand about building their men up and making ’em feel like they somebody. Like they can do something. RUTH, (drily, but to hurt) There are colored men who do things. WALTER. No thanks to the colored woman. RUTH. (boiling over) Well, being a colored woman I guess I can’t help myself none! (She crosses to closet for ironing board sets it up behind the sofa, attacks a huge pile of rough dried clothes, sprinkling them in preparation for ironing and rolling them into balls.) WALTER. We one group of men tied to a race of women with small minds. (His sister BENEATHA enters on the line and WALTER regards her in dismay: in pajamas or red flannel nightgown and with her long thick hair standing up wildly or in hideous curlers, she is a “sight,” BENEATHA is about twenty, as slim and intense as her brother. She is not as pretty as her sister-in-law, but her lean, almost intellectual face has a handsomeness of its own. She passes through the room without looking at either of them to the outside door and looks, a little blindly, out to the bathroom. She sees that it has been lost to the Johnsons and closes the door with a sleepy vengeance.) (BENEATHA’S speech is a mixture of many things; it is different from the rest of the family’s insofar as education has permeated her sense of English — and perhaps the midwest rather than the south has finally — at last - won out in her inflection; but not altogether because over all of it is a soft slurring and transformed use of vowels which is the decided influence of the Southside.) BENEATHA. | am going to start timing those people. (sils in armchair) WALTER. You should get up earlier.A RAISIN IN THE SUN BENEATHA. (Her face is in her hands — she is still fighting the urge to go back to bed.) Really ~ would you suggest dawn? Where's the paper? (Still preoccupied with RUTH and his failed effort to win her over, he brings it, but as she reaches for it, drops it past her hand to floor, With a look, she picks it up.) WALTER. (surveying her) You are one horrible-looking chick at this hour. BENEATHA. (drily) Good morning, everybody! WALTER. (senselessly) How is school coming? BENEATHA. (in the same spirit) Lovely. Lovely. And you know, Biology is the greatest. Yesterday I dissected something that — (looking up at him as the sarcasm builds to a final sharp thrust) looked just like you! WALTER. I just wondered if you’ve made up your mind and everything. BENEATHA. (gaining in sharpmess and impatience prematurely) And what did I answer yesterday mornning — and the day before that —? RUTH. (crossing back to ironing board right, like someone disinterested and old) Don’t be so nasty, Bennie. BENEATHA. (still to her brother) And the day before that and the day before that! WALTER, (defensively) I'm interested in you. Something wrong with that? Ain’t many girls who decide — WALTER and BENEATHA. (in unison) —“to be a doctor.” (Silence. She withdraws into newspaper.) WALTER. Have we figured out yet just exactly how much medical school is going to cost? BENEATHA. (flings down the paper, exits to bathroom, knocks) COME ON OUT OF THERE, PLEASE! (re-enters) RUTH. Walter Lee, why don't you leave that girl alone and get out of here to work? WALTER. (looking at his sister intently) You know the check is coming tomorrow. 2728 A RAISIN IN THE SUN BENEATHA. (turning on him with maddening restraint. She crosses downstage right. and sprawls on sofa.) That money belongs to Mama, Walter, and it’s for her to decide how to use it. I don’t care if she wants to buy a house or a rocket ship or just nail it up and look at it — it’s hers, Not ours — hers. WALTER, (billerly) Now ain't that fine! You just got your mother's interests at heart, ain’t you, girl? You such a nice girl — but Mama can always take a few thousand and help you through school — can’t she? BENEATHA. J have never asked anyone around here to do anything for me. WALTER. No! But the line between asking and just accepting when the time comes is big and wide - ain’t it! BENEATHA. (with fury) What do you want from me, Brother ~ that I quit school or just drop dead, which! WALTER. I don’t want nothing but for you to stop acting holy around here — me and Ruth done made some sacrifices for you ~ why can’t you do something for the family? RUTH. Walter, don’t be dragging me in it. WALTER. You are in it - Don’t you get up and go work in somebody’s kitchen to help put clothes on her back —? (BENEATHA rises, crosses, sits armchair downstage right) RUTH. Oh, Walter — that’s not fair — WALTER. It ain’t that nobody expects you to get on your knees and say thank you, Brother! (Waving his arms and bowing up and down) Thank you, Ruth; thank you, Mama ~ and thank you, Travis, for wearing the same pair of shoes for two semesters — BENEATHA. (jumping up) WELL - I DO - ALRIGHTS - THANK EVERYBODY! (falls on her knees) AND FORGIVE ME FOR EVER WANTING TO BE ANYTHING AT ALL! (pursuing him on her knees across the floor) FORGIVE ME, FORGIVE ME, FORGIVE ME! (She rises, crosses downstage right. to armchair.)A RAISIN IN THE SUN RUTH. Please stop it! Your Mama’ll hear you. WALTER. (racing after her) Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ’bout messing round with sick people ~ then go be a nurse like other women — or just get married and shut up! (At the last words, he realizes he has gone too far.) BENEATHA. (quietly, hurt) Well - you finally got it said — It took you three years but you finally got it said. Walter, give up; leave me alone — it’s Mama’s money. WALTER. HE WAS MY FATHER, TOO! BENEATHA. So what? He was mine, too — and Travis’ grandfather — But the insurance money belongs to Mama. Picking on me is not going to make her give it to you to invest in any liquor stores — (sits; under her breath) And I for one say, God bless Mama for that! (On BENEATHA 's line RUTH crosses upstage left to closet.) WALTER, (to RUTH) See — did you hear? - Did you hear! RUTH. (crosses downstage center to WALTER with WALTER’s jacket Srom the closet) Honey, please go to work. WALTER. (back of sofa, crosses upstage center to door) Nobody in this house is ever going to understand me. BENEATHA. (as he is halfway out the door, drily) Because you're anut. WALTER, (stops, turns downstage center) Who’s a nut? BENEATHA. You — you are a nut. Thee is mad, boy. WALTER, (looking at his wife and sister from the door, very sadly) The world’s most backward race of people and that’s a fact. (starts out) BENEATHA. (turning slowly in her chair) And then there are all those prophets who would lead us out of the wilderness ~ (Rises, crosses upstage center WALTER slams out of the house. She opens door and yells after him.) Into the swamps! (shuts it and sits) RUTH, Bennie, why you always gotta be pickin’ on your brother? Can't you be a little sweeter sometimes? 2930 A RAISIN IN THE SUN (BENEATHA looks at her in disbelief, finds textbook and pencil and sits, Door opens. WALTER walks in.) WALTER. (looking from RUTH to BENEATHA (0 the floor) 1 — uh- (He fumbles in great embarrassment, clears throat, looks at BENEATHA who pretends not to listen, half whispers:) 1 need some money ~ (finally blurts) — for carfare. RUTH. (looks at him, then warms, teasing, but tenderly) Fifty cents? (She gets her purse from handbag.) Here. (kisses his cheek and presses dollar into his hand) Take a taxi! (WALTER exits unamused. MAMA enters left. She is a woman in her early sixties, full-bodied and strong. She is one of those women of certain grace and beauty who wear it so unobtrusively that it takes a while to notice. Her dark brown Sace is surrounded by the total whiteness of her hair — and — being a woman who has adjusted to many things in life and overcome many more, her face is full of strength. She has, we can see, wit and faith of a kind that keep her eyes lit and full of interest and expectancy. She is, in a word, a beautiful woman. Her bearing is perhaps most like that of the Herero women ~ rather as if she imagines that as she walks she bears a basket or a vessel upon her head. Her speech on the other hand is as careless as her carriage is precise — she is inclined to slur everything — but the voice is perhaps not so much quiet as simply — soft.) ; MAMA. Who that round here slamming doors at this hour? (She crosses through the room, fixing a bandana on her head in honor of the forthcoming labors of the day. She goes to the window, opens it and brings in a feeble little plant growing doggedly in a small pot on the window sill. She feels the dirt.) RUTH. That was Walter Lee, He and Bennie was at it again. MAMA. (takes the plant to the sink, waters it) My children and they tempers. Lord, if this little old plant don’t get more sun than it’s been getting it ain’t never going to see Spring again. What's the matter with you this morning, Ruth, you looks right peaked. You aiming to iron all them things — leave some for me. BennieA RAISIN IN THE SUN honey, it’s too drafty for you to be sitting round half dressed. Where’s your robe? BENEATHA. (reading) In the cleaners. MAMA, Well, go get mine. BENEATHA. I’m not cold, Mama, honest. MAMA. I know - but you so thin — BENEATHA. (irritably) Mama, I’m not cold. MAMA. (seeing the makedown bed as TRAVIS has sloppily left it; crosses right to sofa) Lord have mercy, look at that poor bed. Bless his heart — he tries, don’t he? RUTH. (crosses left to sink above table with piece of laundry, tries rubbing out a spot under the faucet) No — he don’t half try at all ’cause he knows you going to come along behind him and fix everything, That's just how come he don’t know how to do nothing right now ~ you done spoiled that boy so. MAMA. (folds bedding) Well — he’s a little boy. Ain’t supposed to know ‘bout housekeeping. (Baby talk) My baby, that’s what he is. What you fix for his breakfast? RUTH. (angrily) I feed my son, Lena! MAMA. (emphatically) I ain’t meddling. (pause; underbreath:) I just noticed all last week he had cold cereal. When it starts getting this chilly a child ought to have some hot grits or something when he goes out - RUTH. (crosses above table to ironing board, furious) I gave him hot oats ~ is that alright? MAMA. I ain’t meddling. (Pause. Carrying bedding upstage right) Put a lot of nice butter on it? (RUTH shoots her an. angry look and does not reply. Pause.) He likes lots of butter. (exits bedroom) RUTH. (exasperated) Lena — MAMA. (re-enters; to BENEATHA. She is inclined to wander Sometimes conversationally.) What was you and your brother fussing bout — ? (The bathroom door slams.) BENEATHA. It’s not important, Mama. (She picks up her towels and rushes out.) 3132 A RAISIN IN THE SUN MAMA. (upstage center back left end of sofa) What was they fighting about? RUTH. Now you know as well as I do. MAMA. (shaking her head) Brother still worrying his-self sick about that money? RUTH. You know he is. MAMA. You had breakfast? RUTH. Some coffee. MAMA. (crosses (o RUTH) Girl, you better start eating and looking after yourself better. You almost thin as Travis, (crosses into kitchen area to the sink left with some dishes) RUTH. Lena — MAMA, Un-hunh? RUTH. What are you going to do with it? MAMA. Now don’t you start, child. It’s too early in the morning to be talking about money. Besides, it ain’t Christian. RUTH. It’s just that he got his heart set on that store ~ MAMA. (She crosses above table, sits right of table with coffee cup.) We ain’t no business people, Ruth, We just plain working folks. RUTH. (still at ironing board behind sofa) Ain’t nobody business people till they go into business, Walter Lee says colored people ain’t never going to start getting ahead till they start gambling on some different kinds of things in the world - investments and things, MAMA, What done got into you, girl? Walter Lee done finally sold you on investing? RUTH. No. Mama, something is happening between Walter and me. I don’t know what it is ~ but he needs something ~ something I can’t give him any more. He needs this chance, Lena. MAMA. (frowning deeply) But liquor, honey ~ RUTH. (above sofa, sprinkling laundry) Well ~ like Walter say ~ I ‘spec’ people going to always be drinking themselves some liquor.A RAISIN IN THE SUN MAMA. Well — whether they drinks it or not ain’t none of my business. But whether I sells it to ‘em is - and I don’t want that (emphatically, hand up) on my ledger this late in life, (stopping suddenly and studying her daughter-in- law) Ruth Younger, what’s the matter with you today? You look like you could fall over right there. RUTH. I’m tired. MAMA. Then you better stay home from work. RUTH. I can’t stay home. She be calling up the agency — “My girl didn’t come in today — send me somebody! My girl didn’t come in!” Oh, she just have a fit - MAMA. Well, let her have it. I'll just call her up and say you get the flu - RUTH. (laughing) Why the flu? : MAMA. ’Cause it sounds respectable to 'em. Something white people get, too. They know bout the flu. (a beat) Otherwise they think you been cut up or something when you tell ‘em you sick. RUTH. I got to go in. We need the money. MAMA. (rises, crosses downstage left to sink with TRAVIS’ milk glass) Lord, have mercy! Somebody would of thought my children done all but starved to death the way they talk about money here late. Child, we got a great big old check coming tomorrow. RUTH. (crosses left to center sincerely — but also self-righteously) Now that’s your money. It ain’t got nothing to do with me. We all feel like that — Walter and Bennie and me -— even Travis. MAMA. (Gets toast from oven. Thoughtfully and suddenly very far away:) Ten thousand dollars — (She fingers her plant on right edge of sink.) RUTH. Sure is wonderful. MAMA. (crosses right to table and sits) Ten thousand dollars. RUTH. (crosses in to MAMA to left of kitchen table) You know what you should do, Miss Lena? You should take 3334 A RAISIN IN THE SUN yourself a trip somewhere. To Europe or South America or someplace - MAMA, (throwing up her hands at the thought) Oh, child! RUTH. I’m serious. Just pack up and leave! Forget about the family and have yourself a ball for once in your life — MAMA. (still sitting kitchen table, pungently) You sound like I’m just about ready to die. Who'd go with me? What J look like wandering ‘round Europe by myself? RUTH. (crossing to ironing board back of sofa) Shoot — these here ~ (striking a highfalutin pose) rich white women do it all the time. They don’t think nothing of packing up they suitcases and piling on one of them big steamships and — swoosh! — they gone, child. MAMA. Something always told me I wasn’t no rich white woman! RUTH. Well — what are you going to do with it, then? MAMA. I ain’t rightly decided. (thinking, and she says this with emphasis:) Course, some of it got to be put away for Beneatha’s medical schoolin’ - ain’t nothing going to touch that part. Nothing. (She waits several seconds trying to make up her mind about something and looks at RUTH a little tentatively before going on.) Been thinking that we maybe could meet the notes on a little old two-story somewhere with a yard where Travis could play in the summertime ~ if we use part of the insurance for a down payment and everybody kind of pitch in. I could maybe take on a little day work again — RUTH. (studying her mother-in-law furtively and concentrating on her ironing, anxious to encourage without seeming to) ‘Well, lord knows, we've put enough rent into this here rat trap to pay for four houses by now —A RAISIN IN THE SUN MAMA, (Still sitting right of kitchen table. She looks up at the words “rat trap” and RUTH wishes she could take them back.) “Rat trap” — (MAMA looks arownd and leans back and sighs — in a sudden reflective mood:) Yes, that’s all it is. (smiling) 1 remember just as well the day me and Big Walter moved in here though. Hadn’t been married but two weeks and wasn’t planning on living here no more than a year. (She shakes her head at the dissolved dream.) We was going to set away, little by little, don’t you know, and buy a little place out in Morgan Park. Even picked out the house, (chuckling @ little) Looks right dumpy today. But lord, child, you should know all the dreams I had ‘bout buying that house and fixing it up and making me a little garden’ in the back ~ (She waits and stops smiling.) And didn’t none of it happen, RUTH. (sits in chair left of table) Yes, life can be a barrel of disappointments, sometimes. MAMA. Honey, Big Walter would come in here some nights back then and slump down on that couch there and just look at the rug, and look at me and look at the rug and then back at me — And I’d know he was down then - really down. (After a second very long and thoughtful pause, she is seeing back to times that only she can see.) And then, lord, when I lost that baby - litle Claude ~ Lalmost thought I was going to lose Big Walter, too. Oh that man grieved hisself! He was one man to love his children. RUTH. (rises, crosses in front of table and goes upstage right to ironing board, torn by her own thoughts) Ain’t nothin’ can tear at you like losin’ your baby. MAMA, I guess that’s how come that man finally worked hisself to death like he done. Like he was fighting his own war with this here world that took his baby from him. 3536 4 RAISIN IN THE SUN RUTH. He sure was a fine man, Mr. Younger. (She crosses left side of couch with socks from basket.) MAMA. Crazy "bout his children! God knows there was plenty wrong with Walter Younger-hard-headed, mean, kind of wild with the women. (with an edge of bitterness) Plenty wrong with him. (shaking it off) But he sure loved his children. Always wanted them to have something — be something. That's where Brother gets all these notions, I reckon. Big Walter used to say, he’d get right wet in the eyes sometimes, lean his head back with the water standing in his eyes and say - (straightening, head thrown back, looking off in recreation of the robust voice, the poetry and pride of the man) “Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams — but He did give us children to make them dreams seem worthwhile.” (She smiles.) He could talk like that, don’t you know. RUTH. (leaves socks on left end of sofa) Yes, he sure could. He was a good man, Mr. Younger. MAMA. Yes, a fine man. Just couldn’t never catch up with his dreams, that’s all. (BENEATHA comes in brushing her hatr and looking up to the ceiling where a vacuum cleaner has started up. Crosses to downstage right mirror.) BENEATHA. What could be so dirty on that woman’s rugs that she has to vacuum them every single day? RUTH. I wish a certain young woman ‘round here who I could name would take inspiration about certain rugs in a certain apartment I could also mention. BENEATHA. (shrugging) How much cleaning can a house need, for Christ’s sake? MAMA. (not liking the Lord’s name used thus) Bennie! RUTH. Just listen to her — just listen! BENEATHA. Oh God! MAMA. If you use the Lord’s name just one more time — BENEATHA, (4 bit of a whine) Oh, Mama —A RAISIN IN THE SUN RUTH. Fresh — just fresh as salt, this girl BENEATHA. (drily) Well — if the salt loses its savor — MAMA. (rises, partly clears table, crosses to sink) Now that will do. I just ain’t going to have you ‘round here reciting the scriptures in vain — you hear me? BENEATHA. How did I manage to get on everybody's wrong side by just walking into a room? MAMA. (crosses back to table, clearing it and crosses downstage left to sink again) What time you be home from school? BENEATHA. Kind of late. Madeline is going to start my guitar lessons today. (crosses into left bedroom for quick change) (MAMA and RUTH look up with the same expression.) MAMA. (gels cup and saucer from shelf) Your what kind of lessons? BENEATHA. (from bedroom) Guitar. RUTH. Oh Father! MAMA. How come you done taken it in your mind to learn to play the guitar? BENEATHA. (from bedroom) I just want to, that's all. MAMA. (crosses to table, wipes it, smiling) Lord, child, don’t you know what to do with yourself? How long it going to be before you get tired of this now — (crosses right to above table) Like you got tired of that little play-acting group you joined last year? (looking at RUTH) And what was it the year before that - ? RUTH. The horseback riding club for which she bought that fifty-five dollar riding habit that’s been hanging in the closet ever since! MAMA. (crosses to sink; to BENEATHA) Why you got to flit so from one thing to another, baby? BENEATHA. (entering, dressed and hopping to pull up kneesocks) I just want to learn to play the guitar. Is there anything wrong with that? 37A RAISIN IN THE SUN MAMA. (pours cup of coffee at stove) Ain’t nobody trying to stop you, (BENEATHA exits left again.) I just wonders sometimes why you has to flit so from one thing to another. You ain’t never done nothing with all that camera equipment you brought home — (BENEATHA enters with guitar, books, bag, sets them down.) BENEATHA. I don’t flit! I — I experiment with different forms of expression ~ RUTH. (Deadpan skepticism) Like riding a horse? BENEATHA. People have to express themselves one way or another. MAMA. What is it you want to express? BENEATHA. (hesitates, nonplussed) Me! (MAMA and RUTH look at each other, then simultaneously burst into robust laughter. ) Don’t worry — I don’t expect you to understand. (gets mug, pours coffee) MAMA. (to change the subject) Who you going out with tomorrow night? BENEATHA. (pours milk in coffee) George Murchison again. MAMA. (pleased) Oh — you getting a little sweet on him? RUTH. You ask me this child ain’t sweet on nobody but herself ~ (underbreath) Express herself! (They laugh. MAMA gets sewing basket from buffet, socks Srom sofa, sits right of table.) BENEATHA. Oh ~ I like George alright, Mama. I mean I like him enough to go out with him and stuff but ~ (crosses above sofa to get lipstick) RUTH. (for devilment) What does “and stuff” mean? BENEATHA. Mind your own business.A RAISIN IN THE SUN MAMA. (chuckling) Stop picking at her now, Ruth (suddenly seized with suspicion, in mid-chuckle and without warning:) WHAT DOES IT MEAN - ? (turns to face her daughter) BENEATHA, (wearily) Oh, I just mean I couldn’t ever really be serious about George. He’s — he’s so shallow. RUTH. Shallow? What do you mean he’s shallow? He’s RICH! MAMA. Hush, Ruth, (sewing socks) BENEATHA. (puiting on lipstick at mirror) 1 know he’s rich. Ele knows he’s rich, too. RUTH. Well — what other qualities a man got to have to satisfy you, little girl? . BENEATHA. You wouldn't even begin to understand. Anybody who married Walter could not possibly understand. MAMA. (outraged) What kind of way is that to talk about your brother? BENEATHA. Brother is a flip — let’s face it. MAMA. (to RUTH, helplessly) What's a flip? RUTH. (glad to add kindling) She’s saying he’s crazy. BENEATHA. Not crazy. Brother isn’t really crazy yet. He — he’s an elaborate neurotic. MAMA. Hush your mouth! BENEATHA. As for George. Well, (Standing, leaning over table on elbows, she tears and munches a bit of toast.) George looks good ~ he’s got a beautiful car and he takes me to nice places and I even like him sometimes — but if the Youngers are sitting around waiting to see if their little Bennie is going to tie up the family with the Murchisons, they are wasting their time. (sips coffee) RUTH. You mean you wouldn't marry George Murchison even if he asked you some day? That pretty, rich thing? Honey, I knew you was odd — 3940 A RAISIN IN THE SUN BENEATHA. No I would not marry him if all I felt for him was what I feel now. Besides, George's family wouldn’t really like it. MAMA. Why not? BENEATHA. Oh, Mama — The Murchisons are honest-to- God-real-liverich colored people, and the only people in the world who are more snobbish than rich white people are rich colored people. I thought everybody knew that. I’ve met Mrs. Murchison. She’s a scene! MAMA. You must not dislike people ‘cause they well off, honey. BENEATHA. Why not? It makes just as much sense as disliking people ‘cause they are poor, and lots of people do that. RUTH. (a wisdom-of-the-ages manner; to MAMA) Well, she’ll get over some of this — BENEATHA. Get over it? What are you talking about, Ruth? Listen, I’m going to be a doctor. I’m not worried about who I’m going to marty yet - if I ever get married. (rises, crosses upstage left and gets coat and bag from closet) MAMA and RUTH. IF! MAMA. Now, Bennie — BENEATHA. (crosses right above sofa, puts coat on sofa) Oh, I probably will - but first I’m going to be a doctor, and George, for one, still thinks that’s pretty funny. I couldn’t be bothered with that. I am going to be a doctor and everybody around here better understand that! (MAMA crosses downstage right of sofa, puts rag on sofa, picks up books from floor, and puts them on coffee table.) MAMA. (kindly) Course you going to be a doctor, honey, God willing. BENEATHA. (drily) God hasn’t got a thing to do with it. MAMA. Beneatha ~ that just wasn’t necessary. BENEATHA. (gets her coat) Well — neither is God. I get sick of hearing about God.A RAISIN IN THE SUN MAMA. Beneatha! BENEATHA. I mean it! I’m just tired of hearing about God all the time. What has He got to do with anything — ? Does he pay tuition? MAMA. You ‘bout to get your fresh little jaw slapped! RUTH. That’s just what she needs! BENEATHA. Why? Why can’t I say what I want to around here like everybody else? MAMA. It don’t sound nice for a young girl to say things like that — you wasn’t brought up that way. Me and your father went to trouble to get you and Brother to church every Sunday. BENEATHA. (downstage right) Mama, you don’t understand. It’s all a matter of ideas and God is just one idea I don’t accept. It’s not important. I am not going out and be immoral or commit crimes because I don’t believe in God. I don’t even think about it. (Carried away by her own eloquence, she drifts downstage right, almost forgetting where she is and to whom she is Speaking, in pursuit of a larger vision.) It’s just that I get tired of Him getting credit for all the things the human race achieves through its own stubborn effort. There simply is no blasted God - there is only Man — (savoring each word) and it is hewho makes miracles! (starts left center for books, guitar, etc.) (MAMA absorbs this speech, studies her daughter and rises slowly from the kitchen table, crosses downstage right center to where BENEATHA is standing and slaps her powerfully across the face. After, there is only silence and the daughter drops her eyes from her mother’s face and MAMA is very tall before her.) MAMA. Now — you say after me, in my mother’s house there is still God. (There is a long pause and BENEATHA stares at the Sloor wordlessly. MAMA repeats with precision and cool emotion:) 4142 A RAISIN IN THE SUN MAMA. In my mother’s house there is still God. BENEATHA. In my mother’s house there is still God. (a long pause, then) MAMA. (walking away from her, too disturbed for triumphant posture, crosses upstage left, pauses, turns to her daughter) There are some ideas we ain’t going to have in this house. Not long as I am still head of this family. BENEATHA. Yes, ma’am. (MAMA exits left to bedroom.) RUTH. (almost gently, with profound understanding) Bennie, you think you a woman — but you still a litde girl. What you did was childish — so you got treated like a child. BENEATHA. I see. I also see that everybody thinks it’s alright for Mama to be a tyrant, (picks up books and heads for door) but all the tyranny in the world will never put a God in the heavens! (She exits.) RUTH. (A beat. Goes to MAMA‘s door.) She said she was sorry. MAMA. (coming out, crosses to center) They frightens me, Ruth. My children. RUTH. (crosses to MAMA) You got good children, Lena. They just a little off sometimes ~ but they're good. MAMA. No ~ there’s something come down between me and them that don’t let us understand each other and I don’t know what it is. One done almost lost his mind thinking bout money all the time and the other done commence to talk about things I can’t seem to understand in no form or fashion. What is it that’s changing, Ruth? RUTHL (soothingly, older than her years) Now ~ you taking it all too seriously. You just got strong-willed children and it takes a strong woman like you to keep ’em in hand. (MAMA crosses downstage center then in front of table to sink, bringing her plant in from sill and sprinkling a little water on it.)A RAISIN IN THE SUN MAMA. They spirited alright, my children. Got to admit they got spirit - Bennie and Walter. Like this little old plant that ain’t never had enough sunshine or nothing — and look at it. (She has her back to RUTH, who has had to stop ironing and leans against something and puts the back of her hand to her forehead.) RUTH. (crosses to right kitchen chair; trying to keep MAMA from noticing) You — sure — loves that little old thing, don’t you — MAMA. Well, I always wanted me a garden like folks had down home. This plant is close as I ever got to having one. (She looks out of the window as she replaces the plant.) Lord, ain’t nothing as dreary as the view from this window on a dreary day, is there? Why ain’t you singing this morning, Ruth? Sing that No Ways Tired. That song always lifts me up so — (She turns at last to see that RUTH has slipped quietly to the floor, in a state of semi-consciousness. Crossing to her.) Ruth! Ruth honey ~ what's the matter with you — Ruth! (curtain)44 A RAISIN IN THE SUN Scene 2 (A spirited Gospel number* on radio fills the apartment as the lights come up. It is the following morning; a Saturday morning and house-cleaning is in progress at the Youngers. Furniture has been shoved hither and yon, and MAMA at icebox is giving the kitchen area walls a washing down. BENEATHA, in shorts or dungarees, is downstage right spraying insecticide into the cracks in the walls, with a handkerchief tied around her face. TRAVIS, the sole idle one, is leaning on his arms looking out of the window. He crosses right above table to center door, then crosses downstage center. ) TRAVIS, Grandmama, that stuff Bennie is using smells awful. Can I go downstairs, please? MAMA. Did you get all them chores done already? I ain't seen you doing much. ‘TRAVIS. Yes'm — finished early. Where did Mama go this morning? MAMA. (looking at BENEATHA) She had to go on a little errand. (The phone rings. BENEATHA runs to answer it and reaches it before WALTER, who has entered right.) TRAVIS. Where? MAMA. To tend to her business. BENEATHA. Haylo (disappointed) Yes, he is. (announcement to all:) It’s Willie Harris again. (She tosses phone to WALTER who can barely catch it.) WALTER. (as privately as possible) Hello, Willy. You get the papers from the lawyer? ~ No, not yet. I told you the mailman doesn’t get here till ten-thirty - No, Pll come there. — Yeah! Right away. (He hangs up, goes for coat and hat.) * Two possible selections for this moment: Mahalia Jackson’s “Move On Up a Little Higher” or “I'm Gonna Live The Life I Sing About in My Dreams.”A RAISIN IN THE SUN BENEATHA. Brother, where did Ruth go? WALTER. (a5 he exits) How should I know! ‘rRavis. Aw come on, Grandma. Can I go outside? MaMa. Oh, I guess so. You stay right in front of the house, though, and keep a good lookout for the postman. (TRAVIS crosses into right bedroom, for ball and stickball bat.) TRAVIS. Yes’m. (Returning, he is confronted with irresistible target: BENEATHA'’s butt in the air as spraying under sofa she backs behind it towards him, He edges closer, takes careful aim — and lets her have it.) Leave them poor little old cockroaches alone, they ain’t bothering you none. BENEATHA. I'll cockroach you, boy. (He runs as cackling madly she swings the spray gun at him both viciously and playfully.) TRAVIS. Grandma! Grandma! MAMA. (as they circle her) Look out there, girl, before you be spilling that stuff on that child! TRAVIS. (safely behind the bastion of MAMA) That’s right — look out, now! (He exits with a cocky jive strut.) BENEATHA. (sprawls on sofa, drily) I can’t imagine that it would hurt him — it has never hurt the roaches! MAMA. Well, little boys’ hides ain’t as tough as South-side roaches. You better get over there behind the bureau. I seen one marching out of there like Napoleon yesterday. BENEATHA. (crosses upstage right to bureau, following instructions and then sitting down) There’s really only one way to get tid of them, Mama - MAMA. How? BENEATHA. Set fire to this building! (a beat) Mama, where did Ruth go? MAMA. (looking at her with meaning) To the doctor, I think.46 A RAISIN IN THE SUN BENEATHA. The doctor? — What’s the matter? (They exchange glances.) You don’t think — MAMA. (with her sense of drama) Now I ain’t saying what I think. But I ain’t never been wrong "bout a woman, neither. (The phone rings.) BENEATHA. (at the phone) Haylo - Oh! (pause and shout of recognition) Well ~ when did you get back! — Of course I've missed you ~ in my way ~ This morning? No — house-cleaning — Mama hates it if I let people come over when the house is like this — MAMA, (who is listening vigorously, as is her habit; emphatically) That's right! BENEATHA. (shoots her a look and moves away) You have? - Well, that’s different — What is it? - Oh, what the hell, come on over — (quickly, before MAMA can intervene) Right, Arrividerci. (hangs up, jubilant) MAMA, (outraged) Who is that you inviting over here with this house looking like this? You ain’t got the pride you was born with! BENEATHA. Asagai doesn’t care how houses look, Mama — he’s an intellectual. (She crosses downstage right. to mirror.) MAMA. WHO - ? BENEATHA. Asagai ~ Joseph Asagai. He’s an African boy I met on campus ~ He’s been studying in Canada. MAMA. What's his name? BENEATHA. Asagai, Joseph AH-SAH-GUY — (hugs MAMA) He's from Nigeria. MAMA. Oh, that’s the little country that was founded by slaves way back - BENEATHA. No, Mama ~ that’s Liberia, (sets lace on buffet, replaces fruit bowl)A RAISIN IN THE SUN MAMA, (crosses downstage left at icebox) 1 don’t think I never met no African before. BENEATHA. (downstage right front of sofa) Well, do me a favor and don’t ask him a whole lot of ignorant questions like do they wear clothes — MAMA. (crosses to above table with sponge) Well, now, if you think we so ignorant ‘round here, maybe you shouldn’t bring your friends here — BENEATHA. It’s just that all anyone seems to know about when it comes to Africa is Tarzan — MAMA. (wiping table, indignantly) Why should 1 know anything about Africa? BENEATHA. Why do you give money at church for the missionary work? MAMA. Well, that’s to help save people. BENEATHA. You mean save them from heathenism — MAMA. (innocently) Yes, BENEATHA. I'm afraid they need more salvation from the British and the French. (RUTH enters forlornly and pulls off her coat, They both turn to look at her.) RUTH. (false cheer) Well, 1 guess from all the happy faces — everybody knows, BENEATHA. (crosses upstage right and above sofa) Ruth. You pregnant!? MAMA, (takes RUTH'S coat, hangs it up in the closet) Lord have mercy, I sure hope it’s a little old girl. Travis ought to have a sister. (BENEATHA and RUTH give her a hopeless look for grandmotherly enthusiasm, RUTH sits in chair right of table, puts her handbag on the table.) BENEATHA. (crosses to right of RUTH) How far along are you? RUTH. Two months, BENEATHA. Did you mean to? I mean did you plan it or was it an accident? 4748 A RAISIN IN THE SUN MAMA. What do you know about planning or not planning? RUTH. (wearily) She’s twenty years old, Lena. BENEATHA. Did you plan it, Ruth? RUTH. Mind your own business. BENEATHA. It is my business — where is he going to sleep, on the roof? (There is silence behind the remark as the three women react to the sense of it.) Gee - I didn’t mean that, Ruth, honest. Gee, I don’t feel like that at all. I -I think it is wonderful. RUTH. (dully) Wonderful. BENEATHA. Yes ~ really. MAMA, (looking at RUTH, worried) Doctor say everything going to be alright? RUTH. (far away) Yes — she says everything is going to be fine — MAMA. (immediately suspicious) “She?” What doctor you went to? (BENEATHA sifs on sofa. MAMA worriedly hovers over RUTH.) Ruth honey — what's the matter with you-you sick? (RUTH has her fists clenched on her thighs and is Sighting hard to suppress a scream that seems to be rising in her.) BENEATHA. (rises) What’s the matter with her, Mama? MAMA, (working her fingers in RUTH'’s shoulders to relax her) She be alright. Women gets right depressed sometimes when they get her way. (speaking softly, expertly, rapidly) Now you just relax, that’s right — just lean back, don’t think ’bout nothing at all — nothing at all — RUTH. I'm alright - (The glassy-eyed look melts and then RUTH collapses into a fit of heavy sobbing.)A RAISIN IN THE SUN 49 MAMA. (helps RUTH off right above sofa; to RUTH) Come on now, honey. You need to lie down and rest a while - then have some nice hot food, (They exit into bedroom, RUTH's weight on her mother- in-law as the doorbell rings.) BENEATHA. Oh, my God — that must be Asagai. (She frantically flies to the mirror to fix herself up, sniffs under her arm, turns back for a final check, and at last opens the door to a rather dramatic-looking young man in dark suit with a large package.) ASAGAI. Hello, Alaiyo — BENEATHA. Hello ~ (Long pause as she stands paralyzed, all her “maturity” suddenly dissolved to jello. Finally, as he peers around her:) Well — come in. And please excuse everything. My mother was very upset about the place looking like this. ASAGAI, (coming into the room, upstage center) You look disturbed — Is something wrong? BENEATHA, (She puts things away.) Yes — we've all got acute ghetto-itus. (She smiles and comes toward him.) So — sit down. No! Wait! (She whips spraygun off sofa out of sight and restores stacked sofa cushions from floor. As he reaches to place package on coffee table, she pulls table out from under into place. He smiles, deposits package. They regard each other and finally sit, she perched on sofa arm right, he Sofa left, legs crossed. Long beat.) So, how was Canada? ASAGAI. (a sophisticate) Canadian. BENEATHA. Asagai, I’m very glad you are back. ASAGAI. Are you really? BENEATHA. Yes - very. ASAGAI, Why? ~ You were quite glad when I went away. What happened?50 A RAISIN IN THE SUN BENEATHA. You went away. ASAGAI. Ahhhhhhhh. BENEATHA. Before — you wanted to be so serious before there was time. ASAGAI. How much time must there be before one knows. what one feels? BENEATHA. (stalling this particular conversation; her hands pressed together deliberately childish) What did you bring me ~? ASAGAI. (indicating the package) Open it and see. (BENEATHA rises from sofa, gets package, crouches on floor by coffee table, and eagerly opens the package, drawing out the colorful robes of a Nigerian woman.) BENEATHA. Oh, Asagai! You got them for me! How beautiful! (holding up records) And the records, too! (She runs to mirror and holds the material up in front of herself.) ASAGAL. (coming to her) Wait! I shall have to teach you how to drape it properly. (He gestures for her to raise her arms. She does. He drapes it about her low across her bosom and around behind her and in front again. She pulls it up demurely as he tucks in the end and stands back to look at her. She preens and struts grandly as she thinks a Nigerian woman might.) Ah — Oh-pay-gay-day! Oh-bah-mu-shay! (“Opegede! Ogbamushe!”) You wear it well — very well — mutilated hair and all. BENEATHA, (turning suddenly) My hair ~ what’s wrong with my hair? ASAGAI. Were you born with it like that? BENEATHA. (reaching up to touch it) No — of course not. (She looks back to the mirror, disturbed.) ASAGAL. (smiling) How then?A RAISIN IN THE SUN BENEATHA. (embarrassed and a little demure to discuss the Great Hair Question) You know perfectly well how — as ~ as nap — crinkly as yours - that’s how. ASAGAL And it is ugly to you that way? BENEATHA. (quickly) Oh, no - not ugly — (more slowly, apologetically) But it’s so hard to manage when it’s, well — Taw, ASAGAI. And so to accommodate that — you mutilate it every week? BENEATHA. It’s not mutilation! ASAGAI, (laughing aloud at her seriousness) Oh ~ please! I am only teasing you because you are so very serious about these things. (He stands back from her and folds his arms across his chest as he watches her pulling her hair and frowning in the mirror.) Do you remember the first time we met at school? (He laughs. Takes stage slightly right center.) You came up to me and you said - and I thought you were the most serious little thing I had ever seen — you said, (He imitates her:) “Mr. Asagai — I want very much to talk with you. About Africa. You see, Mr. Asagai, I am looking for my identity!” (He folds over and roars with laughter.) BENEATHA, (turning to him, not laughing) Yes - (Her face is quizzical, profoundly disturbed.) (Sull teasing, he crosses right to her and, reaching out, takes her face in his hands and turns her profile to him.) ASAGAI. Well — it is true that this is not so much a profile of a Hollywood queen as perhaps a Queen of the Nile - (A mock dismissal of the importance of the question. He crosses left to center.) But what does it matter? Assimilationism is so popular in your country. BL52 A RAISIN IN THE SUN BENEATHA. (wheeling, passionately, sharply) 1 am not an assimilationist! (The protest hangs in the room for a moment and ASAGAI studies her, his laughter fading.) ASAGAL. Such a serious one. (There is a pause between. them, then:) So - you like the robes? You must take excellent care of them ~ they are from my sister’s personal wardrobe. BENEATHA. (with incredulity) You — you sent all the way home — for me? ASAGAL. (with charm) For you - I would do much more. Well, that is what I came for. I must go. (He crosses to center door.) BENEATHA. (crosses upstage right and above sofa to center) Will you call me Monday? ASAGAI. Yes — we have a great deal to talk about, you and I. I mean about identity and time and all that. BENEATHA. Time? ASAGAI. Yes — about how much time one needs to know what one feels. BENEATHA. (crosses downstage left of sofa to front of sofa) You see! You never understood that there is more than one kind of feeling which can exist between a man and a woman -~ or at least - there should be. (ASAGAI, shaking his head negatively but genily, crosses downstage center to meet her in. front of the sofa.) ASAGAI. No - between a man and a woman there need be only one kind of feeling. I have that for you - now even ~ right this moment — BENEATHA. I know — and by itself — it won’t do. I can find that anywhere. ASAGAI, For a woman it should be enough. BENEATHA. I know ~ because that’s what it says in all the novels that men write. But it isn’t. Go ahead and laugh — but I’m not interested in being someone’sA RAISIN IN THE SUN 53 little episode in America or ~ (with feminine vengeance) one of them! (She removes the robe and folds it. ASAGAX has burst into laughter again.) That’s funny as hell, huh! ASAGAI. It’s just that every American girl I have known has said that to me. White — black — in this you are all the same, And the same speech, too! BENEATHA. (angrily) Yuk, yuk, yuk! (places folded robe in box) ASAGAI. It’s how you can be sure that the world’s most liberated women are not liberated at all. You all talk about it too much! (They are wrapt in each other's eyes as MAMA enters and is immediately all social charm because of the presence of a guest.) (BENEATHA crosses upstage right and escorts MAMA down to ASAGAI.) BENEATHA, Oh ~ Mama - this is Mr. Asagai. MAMA. How do you do? ASAGAI. (total politeness to an elder) How do you do, Mrs. Younger? Please forgive me for coming at such an outrageous hour on a Saturday, (MAMA crosses downstage right and then left to middle Front of sofa, BENEATHA follows her and stands to ‘MAMA ’s right ASAGAI is on MAMA‘'s Lefl.) MAMA. Well, you are quite welcome. I just hope you understand that our house — (looking daggers at BENEATHA) don’t always look like this. (a beat; chatterish) You must come again. I would love to hear all about — (pause, not sure of name) your country. I think it’s so sad the way our American Negroes don’t know nothing about Africa ‘cept Tarzan and all that. And all that money they pour into these churches when they ought to be helping you people over there drive out them French and Englishmen done taken away your land.54 A RAISIN IN THE SUN (MaMA flashes @ slightly superior look at her daughter upon completion of the recitation.) (ASAGAI is taken aback by this sudden and acutely unvelated expression of sympathy.) ASAGAI. Yes ~ yes — MAMA. How many miles is it from here to where you come from? ASAGAI Many thousands. MAMA. (looking at him as she would WALTER) I bet you don’t half look after yourself, being away from your mama so far, I ‘spec’ you better come ’round here from time to time and get yourself some home-cooked meals - ASAGAT. (moved) Thank you. Thank you very much. (They are all quiet, then:) ASAGAL, (crosses upstage center) Well — I must go. I will call you Monday, Alaiyo. (BENEATHA follows ASAGAI. ) MAMA. What's that he call you? ASAGAI. Oh - “Alaiyo” - I hope you don’t mind. It is what you call a “nickname,” I think. It is a Yoruba word. Tam a Yoruba. (He crosses downstage center between MAMA and BENEATHA.) MAMA, (looking at BENEATHA) I - I thought you said he was from — (She struggles, at a loss for the name.) (BENEATHA crosses downstage left.) ASAGAI. (understanding) Nigeria is my country. Yoruba is my tribal origin - BENEATHA. (crossing more downstage left) You didn’t tell us what Alaiyo means - for all I know, you might be calling me Little Idiot or something - ASAGAI. Well — let me see — I do not know just how to explain it. The sense of a thing can be so different when it changes languages...A RAISIN IN THE SUN BENEATHA. You're evading. ASAGAI, No - really it is difficult — (thinking) It means — it means One for Whom Bread ~ Food - is Not Enough. (He looks at her.) Is that alright? BENEATHA. (understanding, softly) Thank you. (MAMA looks from one to the other, not understanding any of it) MAMA. Well - that’s nice ~ You must come see us again — Mr. — (hesitates, stuck) ASAGAI. AH-SA-GAI. MAMA. (pause; still can’t say it) Yes - Do come again. ASAGAI. Good-bye. (He exits.) (MAMA crosses to sink for glass of water as BENEATHA. whirls with joy.) MAMA. Lord, that’s a pretty thing just went out of here! Yes, I guess I see why we done commence to get so interested in Africa ‘round here. Missionaries my Aunt Jenny! (She crosses to RUTH’s bedroom with glass and exits.) BENEATHA. Oh, Mama - ! (She sits on sofa, rises, picks up the Nigerian robe and holds it up to her in front of the mirror again. At first she sets the head-dress on haphazardly and then notices her hair again and clutches at it and then replaces the head-dress and struts down stage, arms upraised, elbows and wrists bent outwards, and head bobbing forward like figure on an Egyptian vase.) (TRAVIS enters and stands regarding BENEATHA, mystified, then:) ‘TRAVIS. What’s the matter, girl, you cracking up? (giggles and mimics her strut) (She pulls the head-dress off and regards herself in the mirror and clutches at her hair again and squinches her 5556 A RAISIN IN THE SUN ees as if trying to imagine something. Then, suddenly, she gets her box and hurriedly prepares for going out.) (MAMA enters.) MAMA. She's resting now. Travis, baby, ran next door and ask Miss Johnson to please let me have a little kitchen cleanser. This here can is empty as Jacob’s kettle. TRAVIS, I just came in, MAMA. Do as you told. (TRAVIS exits. MAMA looks at her daughter and crosses left above sofa and table to sink.) Where you going? BENEATHA. (halting at the door) To become a queen of the Nile! (She exits in a breathless blaze of glory as RUTH appears in the bedroom doorway.) RUTH. Where did Bennie go? MAMA. (drumming her fingers) Far as 1 could make out ~ to Egypt. Who told you to get up? RUTH. Ain’t nothing wrong with me to be lying in no bed for. MAMA. What time is it getting to? RUTH. Ten-twenty. And the mailman going to ring that bell this morning just like he done every morning for the Jast umpteen years. (TRAVIS comes in with jar with tiny bit of cleanser at bottom.) TRAVIS. She say to tell you that she don’t have much. MAMA. (angrily) Lord, some people I could name sure is tight-fisted! (directing her grandson) Mark two cans of cleanser down on the list there. If she that hard up for Kitchen cleanser, I sure don’t want to forget to get her none! RUTH, Lena — maybe the woman is just short on cleanser —A RAISIN IN THE SUN 57 MAMA. (not listening) ~ Much baking powder as she done borrowed from me all these years, she could of done gone into the baking business! (The bell sounds suddenly and sharply, and all three people are stunned serious and silent in mid-speech. In spite of all other conversations and distractions of the morning, this is what they have been waiting for — even TRAVIS, who looks helplessly from his mother to grandmother. RUTH is the first to come to life again. (to TRAVIS) GET DOWN THEM STEPS, BOY! (She crosses upstage right and above sofa. TRAVIS snaps to life and flies out to get the mail.) MAMA. (crosses front of table in kitchen to center) You mean it done really come? RUTH. (excited) Oh, Miss Lena! MAMA, (collecting herself) Well — 1 don’t know what we all so excited about ’round here for. We known it was coming for months. (sits right of table) MAMA, That’s a whole lot different from having it come and being able to hold it in your hands — a piece of paper worth ten thousand dollars — (TRAVIS bursts back into the room, he holds the envelope high above his head like a little dancer. His face is radiant and he is breathless. The other mail is tossed carelessly on the kitchen table and he pirouettes with the envelope and deposits it with sudden slow ceremony in his grandmother's lap. She accepts it — and then — merely holds it and looks at it. RUTH crosses to behind kitchen table, left of MAMA.) Come on! Open it - Lord have mercy, I wish Walter Lee was here! TRAVIS, (at MAMA’ right) Open it, Grandmama! MAMA. (staring at it) Now you all be quiet, It’s just a check. RUTH. Open it —