we’ll kiss each other and she’ll take my arm and we’ll go up to your room to see you sitting on the floor with the catalogues of all the great schools in America around you. … All the great schools in the world! And—and I’ll say, all right son—it’s your seventeenth birthday, what is it you’ve decided? … Just tell me where you want to go to school and you’ll go. Just tell me, what it is you want to be —and you’ll be it. … Whatever you want to be—Yessir! (He holds his arms open for TRAVIS) YOU just name it, son … (TRAVIS leaps into them) and I hand you the world!
(WALTER’S voice has risen in pitch and hysterical promise and on the last line he lifts TRAVIS high)
Blackout
SCENE THREE
Time: Saturday, moving day, one week later.
Before the curtain rises, RUTH’S voice, a strident, dramatic church alto, cuts through the silence.
It is, in the darkness, a triumphant surge, a penetrating statement of expectation: “Oh, Lord, I don’t feel no ways tired! Children, oh, glory hallelujah!”
As the curtain rises we see that RUTH is alone in the living room, finishing up the family’s packing. It is moving day. She is nailing crates and tying cartons. BENEATHA enters, carrying a guitar case, and watches her exuberant sister-in-law.
RUTH Hey!
BENEATHA (Putting away the case) Hi.
RUTH (Pointing at a package) Honey—look in that package there and see what I found on sale this morning at the South Center. (RUTH gets up and moves to the package and draws out some curtains) Lookahere— hand-turned hems!
BENEATHA How do you know the window size out there?
RUTH (Who hadn’t thought of that) Oh—Well, they bound to fit something in the whole house. Anyhow, they was too good a bargain to pass up. (RUTH slaps her head, suddenly remembering something) Oh, Bennie—I meant to put a special note on that carton over there. That’s your mama’s good china and she wants ’em to be
very careful with it.
BENEATHA I’ll do it.
(BENEATHA finds a piece of paper and starts to draw large letters on it)
RUTH You know what I’m going to do soon as I get in that new house?
BENEATHA What?
RUTH Honey—I’m going to run me a tub of water up to here … (With her fingers practically up to her nostrils) And I’m going to get in it— and I am going to sit … and sit … and sit in that hot water and the first person who knocks to tell me to hurry up and come out— BENEATHA Gets shot at sunrise.
RUTH (Laughing happily) You said it, sister! (Noticing how large BENEATHA is absent-mindedly making the note) Honey, they ain’t going to read that from no airplane.
BENEATHA (Laughing herself) I guess I always think things have more emphasis if they are big, somehow.
RUTH (Looking up at her and smiling) You and your brother seem to have that as a philosophy of life. Lord, that man—done changed so ’round here. You know—you know what we did last night? Me and
Walter Lee?
BENEATHA What?
RUTH (Smiling to herself) We went to the movies. (Looking at BENEATHA to see if she understands) We went to the movies. You know the last time me and Walter went to the movies together?
BENEATHA NO.
RUTH Me neither. That’s how long it been. (Smiling again) But we went last night. The picture wasn’t much good, but that didn’t seem to
matter. We went—and we held hands.
BENEATHA Oh, Lord!
RUTH We held hands—and you know what?
BENEATHA What?
RUTH When we come out of the show it was late and dark and all the stores and things was closed up.… and it was kind of chilly and there wasn’t many people on the streets … and we was still holding
hands, me and Walter.
BENEATHA You’re killing me.
(WALTER enters with a large package. His happiness is deep in him; he cannot keep still with his newfound exuberance. He is singing and wiggling and snapping his fingers. He puts his package in a corner and puts a phonograph record, which he has brought in with him, on the record player. As the music, soulful and sensuous, comes up he dances over to RUTH and tries to get her to dance with him. She gives in at last to his raunchiness and in a fit of giggling allows herself to be drawn into his mood. They dip and she melts into his arms in a classic, body- melding “slow drag”)
BENEATHA (Regarding them a long time as they dance, then drawing in her breath for a deeply exaggerated comment which she does not particularly mean) Talk about—oldddddddddd-fashioneddddddd—Negroes!
WALTER (Stopping momentarily) What kind of Negroes? (He says this in fun. He is not angry with her today, nor with anyone. He starts to dance
with his wife again) BENEATHA Old-fashioned.
WALTER (As he dances with RUTH) You know, when these New Negroes have their convention—(Pointing at his sister)—that is going to be the chairman of the Committee on Unending Agitation. (He goes on dancing, then stops) Race, race, race! … Girl, I do believe you are the first person in the history of the entire human race to successfully brainwash yourself. (BENEATHA breaks up and he goes on dancing. He stops again, enjoying his tease) Damn, even the N double A C P takes
a holiday sometimes! (BENEATHA and RUTH laugh. He dances with RUTH some more and starts to laugh and stops and pantomimes someone over an operating table) I can just see that chick someday looking down at some poor cat on an operating table and before she starts to slice him, she says … (Pulling his sleeves back maliciously) “By the way, what are your views on civil rights down there? …”
(He laughs at her again and starts to dance happily. The bell sounds)
BENEATHA Sticks and stones may break my bones but … words will never hurt me!
(BENEATHA goes to the door and opens it as WALTER and RUTH go on with the clowning. BENEATHA is somewhat surprised to see a quiet-looking middle-aged white man in a business suit holding his hat and a briefcase in his hand and consulting a small piece of paper)
MAN Uh—how do you do, miss. I am looking for a Mrs.—(He looks at the slip of paper) Mrs. Lena Younger? (He stops short, struck dumb at the sight of the oblivious WALTER and RUTH)
BENEATHA (Smoothing her hair with slight embarrassment) Oh—yes, that’s my mother. Excuse me (She closes the door and turns to quiet the other two) Ruth! Brother! (Enunciating precisely but soundlessly: “There’s a white man at the door!” They stop dancing, RUTH cuts off the phonograph, BENEATHA opens the door. The man casts a curious quick glance at all of
them) Uh—come in please.
MAN (Coming in) Thank you.
BENEATHA My mother isn’t here just now. Is it business?
MAN Yes … well, of a sort.
WALTER (Freely, the Man of the House) Have a seat. I’m Mrs. Younger’s son. I look after most of her business matters.
(RUTH and BENEATHA exchange amused glances)
MAN (Regarding WALTER, and sitting) Well—My name is Karl Lindner …
WALTER (Stretching out his hand) Walter Younger. This is my wife—(RUTH
nods politely)—and my sister.
LINDNER How do you do.
WALTER (Amiably, as he sits himself easily on a chair, leaning forward on his knees with interest and looking expectantly into the newcomer’s face) What can we do for you, Mr. Lindner!
LINDNER (Some minor shuffling of the hat and briefcase on his knees) Well— I am a representative of the Clybourne Park Improvement Association— WALTER (Pointing) Why don’t you sit your things on the floor?
LINDNER Oh—yes. Thank you. (He slides the briefcase and hat under the chair) And as I was saying—I am from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association and we have had it brought to our attention at the last meeting that you people—or at least your mother—has bought a piece of residential property at—(He digs for the slip of paper again)—four o six Clybourne Street … WALTER That’s right. Care for something to drink? Ruth, get Mr. Lindner a beer.
LINDNER (Upset for some reason) Oh—no, really. I mean thank you very
much, but no thank you.
RUTH (Innocently) Some coffee?
LINDNER Thank you, nothing at all.
(BENEATHA is watching the man carefully)
LINDNER Well, I don’t know how much you folks know about our organization. (He is a gentle man; thoughtful and somewhat labored in his manner) It is one of these community organizations set up to look after—oh, you know, things like block upkeep and special projects and we also have what we call our New Neighbors Orientation Committee … BENEATHA (Drily) Yes—and what do they do?
LINDNER (Turning a little to her and then returning the main force to
WALTER) Well—it’s what you might call a sort of welcoming committee, I guess. I mean they, we—I’m the chairman of the committee—go around and see the new people who move into the neighborhood and sort of give them the lowdown on the way we do things out in Clybourne Park.
BENEATHA (With appreciation of the two meanings, which escape RUTH and WALTER) Un-huh.
LINDNER And we also have the category of what the association calls— (He looks elsewhere)—uh—special community problems … BENEATHA Yes—and what are some of those?
WALTER Girl, let the man talk.
LINDNER (With understated relief) Thank you. I would sort of like to explain this thing in my own way. I mean I want to explain to you
in a certain way.
WALTER Go ahead.
LINDNER Yes. Well. I’m going to try to get right to the point. I’m sure we’ll all appreciate that in the long run.
BENEATHA Yes.
WALTER Be still now!
LINDNER Well—
RUTH (Still innocently) Would you like another chair—you don’t look comfortable.
LINDNER (More frustrated than annoyed) No, thank you very much.
Please. Well—to get right to the point I—(A great breath, and he is off at last) I am sure you people must be aware of some of the incidents which have happened in various parts of the city when colored people have moved into certain areas—(BENEATHA exhales heavily and starts tossing a piece of fruit up and down in the air) Well —because we have what I think is going to be a unique type of organization in American community life—not only do we deplore that kind of thing—but we are trying to do something
about it. (BENEATHA stops tossing and turns with a new and quizzical interest to the man) We feel—(gaining confidence in his mission because of the interest in the faces of the people he is talking to)—we feel that most of the trouble in this world, when you come right down to it—(He hits his knee for emphasis)—most of the trouble exists because people just don’t sit down and talk to each other.
RUTH (Nodding as she might in church, pleased with the remark) You can say that again, mister.
LINDNER (More encouraged by such affirmation) That we don’t try hard enough in this world to understand the other fellow’s problem. The
other guy’s point of view.
RUTH Now that’s right.
(BENEATHA and WALTER merely watch and listen with genuine interest)
LINDNER Yes—that’s the way we feel out in Clybourne Park. And that’s why I was elected to come here this afternoon and talk to you people. Friendly like, you know, the way people should talk to each other and see if we couldn’t find some way to work this thing out.
As I say, the whole business is a matter of caring about the other fellow. Anybody can see that you are a nice family of folks, hard working and honest I’m sure. (BENEATHA frowns slightly, quizzically, her head tilted regarding him) Today everybody knows what it means to be on the outside of something. And of course, there is always somebody who is out to take advantage of people who don’t always
understand.
WALTER What do you mean?
LINDNER Well—you see our community is made up of people who’ve worked hard as the dickens for years to build up that little community. They’re not rich and fancy people; just hard-working, honest people who don’t really have much but those little homes and a dream of the kind of community they want to raise their children in. Now, I don’t say we are perfect and there is a lot wrong in some of the things they want. But you’ve got to admit that a man, right or wrong, has the right to want to have the neighborhood he
lives in a certain kind of way. And at the moment the overwhelming majority of our people out there feel that people get along better, take more of a common interest in the life of the community, when they share a common background. I want you to believe me when I tell you that race prejudice simply doesn’t enter into it. It is a matter of the people of Clybourne Park believing, rightly or wrongly, as I say, that for the happiness of all concerned that our Negro families are happier when they live in their own communities.
BENEATHA (With a grand and bitter gesture) This, friends, is the Welcoming Committee!
WALTER (Dumbfounded, looking at LINDNER) IS this what you came marching all the way over here to tell us?
LINDNER Well, now we’ve been having a fine conversation. I hope you’ll
hear me all the way through.
WALTER (Tightly) Go ahead, man.
LINDNER You see—in the face of all the things I have said, we are prepared to make your family a very generous offer … BENEATHA Thirty pieces and not a coin less!
WALTER Yeah?
LINDNER (Putting on his glasses and drawing a form out of the briefcase) Our association is prepared, through the collective effort of our people, to buy the house from you at a financial gain to your family.
RUTH Lord have mercy, ain’t this the living gall!
WALTER All right, you through?
LINDNER Well, I want to give you the exact terms of the financial arrangement— WALTER We don’t want to hear no exact terms of no arrangements. I want to know if you got any more to tell us ’bout getting together?
LINDNER (Taking off his glasses) Well—I don’t suppose that you feel …
WALTER Never mind how I feel—you got any more to say ’bout how people ought to sit down and talk to each other? … Get out of my
house, man. (He turns his back and walks to the door) LINDNER (Looking around at the hostile faces and reaching and assembling his hat and briefcase) Well—I don’t understand why you people are reacting this way. What do you think you are going to gain by moving into a neighborhood where you just aren’t wanted and where some elements—well—people can get awful worked up when they feel that their whole way of life and everything they’ve ever
worked for is threatened.
WALTER Get out.
LINDNER (At the door, holding a small card) Well—I’m sorry it went like
this.
WALTER Get out.
LINDNER (Almost sadly regarding wALTER) YOU just can’t force people to change their hearts, son.
(He turns and put his card on a table and exits. WALTER pushes the door to with stinging hatred, and stands looking at it. RUTH just sits and BENEATHA just stands. They say nothing. MAMA and TRAVIS enter)
MAMA Well—this all the packing got done since I left out of here this morning. I testify before God that my children got all the energy of the dead! What time the moving men due?
BENEATHA Four o’clock. You had a caller, Mama.
(She is smiling, teasingly)
MAMA Sure enough—who?
BENEATHA (Her arms folded saucily) The Welcoming Committee.
(WALTER and RUTH giggle)
MAMA (Innocently) Who?
BENEATHA The Welcoming Committee. They said they’re sure going to be glad to see you when you get there.
WALTER (Devilishly) Yeah, they said they can’t hardly wait to see your
face.
(Laughter)
MAMA (Sensing their facetiousness) What’s the matter with you all?
WALTER Ain’t nothing the matter with us. We just telling you ’bout the
gentleman who came to see you this afternoon. From the Clybourne
Park Improvement Association.
MAMA What he want?
RUTH (In the same mood as BENEATHA and WALTER) TO welcome you, honey.
WALTER He said they can’t hardly wait. He said the one thing they don’t
have, that they just dying to have out there is a fine family of fine
colored people! (To RUTH and BENEATHA) Ain’t that right!
RUTH (Mockingly) Yeah! He left his card—
BENEATHA (Handing card to MAMA) In case.
(MAMA reads and throws it on the floor—understanding and looking off as
she draws her chair up to the table on which she has put her plant and
some sticks and some cord)
MAMA Father, give us strength. (Knowingly—and without fun) Did he
threaten us?
BENEATHA Oh—Mama—they don’t do it like that any more. He talked
Brotherhood. He said everybody ought to learn how to sit down and
hate each other with good Christian fellowship.
(She and WALTER shake hands to ridicule the remark)
MAMA (Sadly) Lord, protect us …
RUTH You should hear the money those folks raised to buy the house
from us. All we paid and then some.
BENEATHA What they think we going to do—eat ’em?
RUTH No, honey, marry ’em.
MAMA (Shaking her head) Lord, Lord, Lord …
RUTH Well—that’s the way the crackers crumble. (A beat) Joke.
BENEATHA (Laughingly noticing what her mother is doing) Mama, what are
you doing?
MAMA Fixing my plant so it won’t get hurt none on the way …
BENEATHA Mama, you going to take that to the new house?
MAMA Un-huh—
BENEATHA That raggedy-looking old thing?
MAMA (Stopping and looking at her) It expresses ME!
RUTH (With delight, to BENEATHA) SO there, Miss Thing! (WALTER comes to MAMA
suddenly and bends down behind her and squeezes her in his arms with
all his strength. She is overwhelmed by the suddenness of it and, though
delighted, her manner is like that of KUTH and TRAVIS)
MAMA Look out now, boy! You make me mess up my thing here!
WALTER (His face lit, he slips down on his knees beside her, his arms still
about her) Mama … you know what it means to climb up in the
chariot?
MAMA (Gruffly, very happy) Get on away from me now …
RUTH (Near the gift-wrapped package, trying to catch WALTER’S eye) Psst—
WALTER What the old song say, Mama …
RUTH Walter—Now?
(She is pointing at the package)
WALTER (Speaking the lines, sweetly, playfully, in his mother’s face)
I got wings … you got wings …
All God’s children got wings …
MAMA Boy—get out of my face and do some work …
WALTER
When I get to heaven gonna put on my wings,
Gonna fly all over God’s heaven …
BENEATHA (Teasingly, from across the room) Everybody talking ’bout heaven ain’t going there!
WALTER (To RUTH, who is carrying the box across to them) I don’t know, you think we ought to give her that … Seems to me she ain’t been very appreciative around here.
MAMA (Eyeing the box, which is obviously a gift) What is that?
WALTER (Taking it from RUTH and putting it on the table in front of MAMA) Well —what you all think? Should we give it to her?
RUTH Oh—she was pretty good today.
MAMA I’ll good you—
(She turns her eyes to the box again)
BENEATHA Open it, Mama.
(She stands up, looks at it, turns and looks at all of them, and then presses her hands together and does not open the package)
WALTER (Sweetly) Open it, Mama. It’s for you. (MAMA looks in his eyes. It is the first present in her life without its being Christmas. Slowly she opens her package and lifts out, one by one, a brand-new sparkling set of gardening tools. WALTER continues, prodding) Ruth made up the note— read it … MAMA (Picking up the card and adjusting her glasses) “To our own Mrs.
Miniver—Love from Brother, Ruth and Beneatha.” Ain’t that lovely … TRAVIS (Tugging at his father’s sleeve) Daddy, can I give her mine now?
WALTER All right, son. (TRAVIS flies to get his gift)
MAMA Now I don’t have to use my knives and forks no more …
WALTER Travis didn’t want to go in with the rest of us, Mama. He got his own. (Somewhat amused) We don’t know what it is … TRAVIS (Racing back in the room with a large hatbox and putting it in front of his grandmother) Here!
MAMA Lord have mercy, baby. You done gone and bought your
grandmother a hat?
TRAVIS (very proud) Open it!
(She does and lifts out an elaborate, but very elaborate, wide gardening hat, and all the adults break up at the sight of it)
RUTH Travis, honey, what is that?
TRAVIS (Who thinks it is beautiful and appropriate) It’s a gardening hat!
Like the ladies always have on in the magazines when they work in their gardens.
BENEATHA (Giggling fiercely) Travis—we were trying to make Mama Mrs.
Miniver—not Scarlett O’Hara!
MAMA (Indignantly) What’s the matter with you all! This here is a beautiful hat! (Absurdly) I always wanted me one just like it!
(She pops it on her head to prove it to her grandson, and the hat is ludicrous and considerably oversized)
RUTH Hot dog! Go, Mama!
WALTER (Doubled over with laughter) I’m sorry, Mama—but you look like you ready to go out and chop you some cotton sure enough!
(They all laugh except MAMA, out of deference to TRAVIS’ feelings)
MAMA (Gathering the boy up to her) Bless your heart—this is the prettiest hat I ever owned— (WALTER, RUTH and BENEATHA chime in—noisily, festively and insincerely congratulating TRAVIS on his gift) What are we all standing around here for? We ain’t finished packin’ yet. Bennie, you ain’t packed one book.
(The bell rings)
BENEATHA That couldn’t be the movers … it’s not hardly two good yet—
(BENEATHA goes into her room. MAMA starts for door)
WALTER (Turning, stiffening) Wait—wait—I’ll get it.
(He stands and looks at the door)
MAMA You expecting company, son?
WALTER (Just looking at the door) Yeah—yeah …
(MAMA looks at RUTH, and they exchange innocent and unfrightened glances)
MAMA (Not understanding) Well, let them in, son.
BENEATHA (From her room) We need some more string.
MAMA Travis—you run to the hardware and get me some string cord.
(MAMA goes out and WALTER turns and looks at RUTH. TRAVIS goes to a dish for money)
RUTH Why don’t you answer the door, man?
WALTER (Suddenly bounding across the floor to embrace her) ’Cause sometimes it hard to let the future begin!
(Stooping down in her face)
I got wings! You got wings!
All God’s children got wings! (He crosses to the door and throws it open. Standing there is a very slight little man in a not too prosperous business suit and with haunted frightened eyes and a hat pulled down tightly, brim up, around his forehead. TRAVIS passes between the men and exits. WALTER leans deep in the man’s face, still in his jubilance) When I get to heaven gonna put on my wings, Gonna fly all over
God’s heaven …
(The little man just stares at him) Heaven— (Suddenly he stops and looks past the little man into the empty hallway) Where’s Willy, man?
BOBO He ain’t with me.
WALTER (Not disturbed) Oh—come on in. You know my wife.
BOBO (Dumbly, taking off his hat) Yes—h’you, Miss Ruth.
RUTH (Quietly, a mood apart from her husband already, seeing BOBO) Hello,
Bobo.
WALTER You right on time today … Right on time. That’s the way! (He
slaps BOBO on his back) Sit down … lemme hear.
(RUTH stands stiffly and quietly in back of them, as though somehow
she senses death, her eyes fixed on her husband)
BOBO (His frightened eyes on the floor, his hat in his hands) Could I please
get a drink of water, before I tell you about it, Walter Lee?
(WALTER does not take his eyes off the man. RUTH goes blindly to the tap
and gets a glass of water and brings it to BOBO)
WALTER There ain’t nothing wrong, is there?
BOBO Lemme tell you—
WALTER Man—didn’t nothing go wrong?
BOBO Lemme tell you—Walter Lee. (Looking at RUTH and talking to her
more than to WALTER) YOU know how it was. I got to tell you how it
was. I mean first I got to tell you how it was all the way … I mean
about the money I put in, Walter Lee …
WALTER (With taut agitation now) What about the money you put in?
BOBO Well—it wasn’t much as we told you—me and Willy—(He stops)
I’m sorry, Walter. I got a bad feeling about it. I got a real bad feeling
about it …
WALTER Man, what you telling me about all this for? … Tell me what
happened in Springfield …
BOBO Springfield.
RUTH (Like a dead woman) What was supposed to happen in Springfield?
BOBO (To her) This deal that me and Walter went into with Willy— Me and Willy was going to go down to Springfield and spread some money ’round so’s we wouldn’t have to wait so long for the liquor license … That’s what we were going to do. Everybody said that was the way you had to do, you understand, Miss Ruth?
WALTER Man—what happened down there?
BOBO (A pitiful man, near tears) I’m trying to tell you, Walter.
WALTER (Screaming at him suddenly) THEN TELL ME, GODDAMMIT … WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH YOU?
BOBO Man … I didn’t go to no Springfield, yesterday.
WALTER (Halted, life hanging in the moment) Why not?
BOBO (The long way, the hard way to tell) ’Cause I didn’t have no reasons
to … WALTER Man, what are you talking about!
BOBO I’m talking about the fact that when I got to the train station yesterday morning—eight o’clock like we planned … Man—Willy didn’t never show up.
WALTER Why … where was he … where is he?
BOBO That’s what I’m trying to tell you … I don’t know … I waited six hours … I called his house … and I waited … six hours … I waited in that train station six hours … (Breaking into tears) That was all the extra money I had in the world … (Looking up at WALTER with the tears running down his face) Man, Willy is gone.
WALTER Gone, what you mean Willy is gone? Gone where? You mean he went by himself. You mean he went off to Springfield by himself— to take care of getting the license—(Turns and looks anxiously at RUTH) You mean maybe he didn’t want too many people in on the business down there? (Looks to RUTH again, as before) You know Willy got his own ways. (Looks back to BOBO) Maybe you was late yesterday and he just went on down there without you. Maybe—maybe—he’s been callin’ you at home tryin’ to tell you what happened or something. Maybe—maybe—he just got sick. He’s somewhere—he’s
got to be somewhere. We just got to find him—me and you got to find him. (Grabs BOBO senselessly by the collar and starts to shake him) We got to!
BOBO (In sudden angry, frightened agony) What’s the matter with you, Walter! When a cat take off with your money he don’t leave you no road maps!
WALTER (Turning madly, as though he is looking for WILLY in the very room) Willy! … Willy … don’t do it … Please don’t do it … Man, not with that money … Man, please, not with that money … Oh, God … Don’t let it be true … (He is wandering around, crying out for WILLY and looking for him or perhaps for help from God) Man … I trusted you … Man, I put my life in your hands … (He starts to crumple down on the floor as RUTH just covers her face in horror. MAMA opens the door and comes into the room, with BENEATHA behind her) Man … (He starts to pound the floor with his fists, sobbing wildly) THAT MONEY IS MADE OUT OF MY FATHER’S FLESH— BOBO (Standing over him helplessly) I’m sorry, Walter … (Only WALTER’S sobs reply. BOBO puts on his hat) I had my life staked on this deal, too …
(He exits)
MAMA (To WALTER) Son—(She goes to him, bends down to him, talks to his bent head) Son … Is it gone? Son, I gave you sixty-five hundred dollars. Is it gone? All of it? Beneatha’s money too?
WALTER (Lifting his head slowly) Mama … I never … went to the bank at all … MAMA (Not wanting to believe him) You mean … your sister’s school money … you used that too … Walter? … WALTER Yessss! All of it … It’s all gone …
(There is total silence. RUTH stands with her face covered with her hands; BENEATHA leans forlornly against a wall, fingering a piece of red ribbon from the mother’s gift. MAMA stops and looks at her son without recognition and then, quite without thinking about it, starts to beat
him senselessly in the face. BENEATHA goes to them and stops it)
BENEATHA Mama!
(MAMA stops and looks at both of her children and rises slowly and wanders vaguely, aimlessly away from them)
MAMA I seen … him … night after night … come in … and look at that rug … and then look at me … the red showing in his eyes … the veins moving in his head … I seen him grow thin and old before he was forty … working and working and working like somebody’s old horse … killing himself … and you —you give it all away in a day— (She raises her arms to strike him again) BENEATHA Mama—
MAMA Oh, God … (She looks up to Him) Look down here—and show me
the strength.
BENEATHA Mama—
MAMA (Folding over) Strength …
BENEATHA (Plaintively) Mama …
MAMA Strength!
Curtain
* This character and the scene of her visit were cut from the original production and early editions of the play.